Caribbean to Azores motoring?

[riki]

Do you think that it's possible, thinking about average consumption and fuel tanks, to cross the atlantic ONLY motoring?

[apirate]

In our boat, yes, but having 550 gallons of fuel will get us lots of places.

[boatman61]

Having more or less done it from Miami to Gibraltar via the Azores I would say Yes.

[Palarran]

Caribbean to Azores is difficult to motor without a stop in Bermuda,

Why do you ask?

[bluenomads]

We'll probably be doing it, possibly this May. No reason why not if you have the fuel. You can do it at any time of the year if you have an extremely well-found vessel and enjoy being in hurricanes and storms. Better to choose your window which means May . ARC Europe may be useful to you.

Given you've put this on the multihull sailboats forum, I presume that's what we're talking about. However, the range of boats discussed is everything from a 14' through to 100'+. As you can imagine, they have vastly different tankages and fuel consumption! Can you narrow what boat you have which presumably is why you are asking? Don't forget the option of fuel bladders, either inside or deck (both have advantage/disadvantages) which will extend the range.

[riki]

Some time ago i was thinking about hurricane damaged boats and finallygave up. Now a friend of mine is convinced that he can take a dismasted cat (that he is thinking to buy in the caribbean) from the bvi to EU just motoring and i don't think it's possible. But the discussion left me curious and this is why i am asking.

[Sailmonkey]

Originally Posted by riki

Do you think that it's possible, thinking about average consumption and fuel tanks, to cross the atlantic ONLY motoring?

Is it possible? Easily.

With average tanks......not when you consider what the average tank is.

But strap several hundred gallons of fuel on the deck and motor away.

[GordMay]

When it comes to fuel economy, speed trumps all other factors, but only at slow speeds. At full-displacement speeds going a knot or two slower can double or triple your fuel economy. Almost all other factors, such as twin engines versus single, high horsepower versus low horsepower, and engine misalignment or binding bearings might individually account for differences of only 5 to 15%. No matter which hull form you cruise, whether you run twins or a single or have high horsepower or low, nothing will affect your fuel economy more than cruising at full-displacement speeds. (Typically less than 1.2 times the square root of the waterline length will be a sweet spot). According to Robert Beebe, S/L ratios between 1.1 and 1.2 encompass the practical speeds for power voyaging.
More ➥ Untitled 1

The "Bible":
“Voyaging Under Power”, 4th Edition ~ by Robert P. Beebe (Author), Denis Umstot (Author)
➥ https://www.amazon.ca/Voyaging-Under.../dp/0071767339

[mark_morwood]

So back of the envelope calculation using a Catana 48 with 2 x 35hp engines as a reference:

Longest leg, Bermuda to Azores say 2000 miles on one engine at 5 kts for efficiency is 400 hours, at say 4 l/hr requires 1600 liters of fuel assuming perfect weather with no reserve and almost 17 days of listening to an engine run. We had 300 liters of fuel tanks on our Catana 48, so you'd need some big, expensive deck bladders like these: https://www.turtlepac.com/products/m...bladder-tanks/

[denverd0n]

With the AVERAGE fuel tanks that you find on any sort of sailboat? No. Not a chance. If your boat happens to have much larger than average tanks, then maybe. Strap on a thousand gallon fuel bladder and sure, no problem.

[boatman61]

If you get get round this seeming obsession that seems to be shared by so many that you cannot transat without going via Bermuda yes it can be done in a cat.
Its going to be a delivery so not loaded with the normal ton of liveaboard stuff.. no mast and rigging so much less windage.
Run one engine at a time and switch over each watch and keep the revs to around 2100 which should give you around 6kts at less than 3L/hr..
So for the sake of arguement 2400 ÷ 5 x 3 = 1440 litres.
The boat I took across was a Lagoon and had a 620L tank in each hull plus we carried another 160L in 20L cans.
If I was going to motor it.. I would take her to SXM and prep her there.. fuel her up and head NE straight for Horta.. anytime from April onwards.
Have a good mechanic and tools/spares on board just in case.

[GrowleyMonster]

Why would you even want to? If it is a sailboat, then sail it. If there is no mast, just step any old mast and a boom, hand splice 7x7 galv for shrouds and stays just to get across the Atlantic, pick up a couple of used sails, beg some old rope, and you will have invested not much more than what the fuel would cost, I imagine. I mean, really, if you are wanting to motor because you can't afford to rig out the boat, then how would you pay for fuel?



Barbuda to Sao Miguel is a bit less than 2300 miles GC. Let's say you motor at 5kts and burn .75gal/hr at that speed. 2300 / 5 *.75 = 19 days and 345gal fuel. Maybe that will put things into perspective. And it will be a miserable 19 days, too, with no sails up. Sails will gentle down the motion of the boat a LOT. And save you an awful lot of fuel.


Do you have to go to the Azores? If you had maybe three months you could probably drift to Northern Europe. The only fuel you would burn would be for lights.


A lot of trawler yachts have that sort of range. Just sayin.

[riki]

Thanx for all the answers.
Please understand that it's mostly a matter of curiosity, not really something that has or will be done, it's just to discuss if it's virtually possible or not.
Reading your posts looks indeed possible but economically insane, also because even if there is no rigging and sails the needed extra fuel on deck will by itself will exceed their weight. Beside iguess the danger itself.....

[bluenomads]

Agree with boatman61!

Not economically insane at all if you factor costs of trying to get parts and fix things in the Caribbean after the hurricanes! OMG.
That is, unless you're talking a 30 footer or so - which you wouldn't be I assume since it wouldn't be viable to buy and fix - then the weight penalty of adding flexible fuel bladders won't be a problem. I'd buy a few smaller ones so you can balance the boat a little.
Thinking purely on goods, it's a lot cheaper to buy 2000L of fuel and a months food in SXM and head for Horta then to France/Spain/Portugal, compared to shipping the boat, or even compared to buying a mast, rig her, buy sails, etc. This is only true if you factor in few/no delivery cost for people (you'll for it for the fun of it), AND you can get the boat fixed and rigged in Europe cheaper than Florida/Caribbean (probably?).

[Palarran]

I don't agree with Boatman. It would be crazy to base your fuel calculations on using 100% of the fuel to arrive. You don't have a sail. It would be super easy to see how contrary winds would add 40% or more fuel consumption.

I don't know what size Lagoon, but 300 gallons of diesel in it's stardard tanks is a lot. Palarran only carries 250 and that is with 100 gallons in after-manufacture tanks. We had an additional 100 gallons in Jerry can's and ended up using about 2/3 of our diesel on our crossing as we had very calm or contrary winds. But still sailed 50% of the way.