Time & Fuel Cost for ICW Cruise Maine to Key West

[k9medic]

I'll bite and provide some real world numbers based on my boat - Sea Ray 420 AC with twin 3116 CAT diesels with a 350 gallon tank.

At hull speed which turns out to be right at 8 kts, I burn 3.5 gph total for 2.3 nmpg. At 16 kts. I burn 22 gph for 0.7 nmpg which is considered planing cruise speed.

My generator burns 1 gph on average so you have to add that to the equation.

24 hours at 8kts will get me 192nm and I will have burned 108 gallons of diesel.

24 hours at 16kts. will get me 384nm (if I could run that long on one tank) and I will have burned 552 gallons of diesel.

[Hank Kivett]

according to the mileage chart from Norfolk Va to Key West is 1244 miles on the ICW and I am starting out at mile post 180 leaving me 1064 miles. I like your distance better.

[zboss]

Also, in addition to diesel costs you also need to figure in how much oil and fuel filter changes are going to run you.

We replace our oil and filters every 100 hours... about $50 a change... so if you are going 1800 miles you are talking 3.5 oil changes. We change the fuel filters (we have three) every 200 hours, thats about $100 because two are proprietary. So an additional change lets say.

So, add in $400 to whatever cost you are talking about. Plus, you will probably need to change your engine zinc at least once. An engine used a lot uses a lot of engine zinc... so like $5 for that.

[Steadman Uhlich]

Originally Posted by zboss

Also, in addition to diesel costs you also need to figure in how much oil and fuel filter changes are going to run you.

We replace our oil and filters every 100 hours... about $50 a change... so if you are going 1800 miles you are talking 3.5 oil changes. We change the fuel filters (we have three) every 200 hours, thats about $100 because two are proprietary. So an additional change lets say.

So, add in $400 to whatever cost you are talking about. Plus, you will probably need to change your engine zinc at least once. An engine used a lot uses a lot of engine zinc... so like $5 for that.

Thanks for adding that info to this discussion. Those other costs are good to know.

[Steadman Uhlich]

Since many boat owners will be migrating soon, from New England to Florida or Bahamas, and many will use the ICW to do so, motoring most of the way, I would like to encourage you that do to participate in this thread.

Please contribute your input on what boat you used to travel any long distance from Maine (or starting elsewhere) to Florida (or elsewhere).

You do not have to go all the way from Maine to Key West (that is just the topic title).

Please include the information requested in the first (OP) post, including but not limited to:

1. Your boat type (sail or power), year and model
2. Your engine model
3. Your fuel amount used
4. Number of days you took
5. Did you go "Inside" on the ICW most or all of the way possible?
6. Total distance you traveled
7. Estimate of days required to do the distance.
8. Anything else you consider a noteworthy cost (oil, etc.)

Thank you for any further contributions to this topic. I hope it helps others plan accordingly and will be useful to more sailors and boat owners.

[CHO827]

have you seen this:
How Much Fuel Does it Take to Get to the Bahamas? Your Biggest Questions Answered - Q&A

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QpNBt0L9ww0

pretty realistic, based on my experience for size of boat and engines.

[ranger58sb]

Originally Posted by Steadman Uhlich

Please contribute your input on what boat you used to travel any long distance from Maine (or starting elsewhere) to Florida (or elsewhere).

Please include the information requested in the first (OP) post, including but not limited to:

1. Your boat type (sail or power), year and model
2. Your engine model
3. Your fuel amount used
5. Did you go "Inside" on the ICW most or all of the way possible?
6. Total distance you traveled

1. 42' sportfish
2. twin Cummins 6TA8.3s (Diamond 450Cs)
3. 1085 gallons diesel
5. Annapolis to Charleston and return; Chesapeake plus ICW inside
6. 1103 NM

Note we mostly traveled at approx 7-9 kts, usually at about 1200-1225 RPMs... except for the Chesapeake, the Cape Fear River, and a few short runs where planing speeds could enable making a bridge schedule.

For our hull, 7 kts -- or even 6 kts -- all the way would have been more economical, as we approach 2 or even 3 NMPG (respectively) at those RPMs.

Our overall pace was leisurely, no hard schedule, we layed over whenever weather or sightseeing suggested.

-Chris

[kerrydeare]

Originally Posted by lesterbutch

... I have no idea why anyone would want to do the "ditch"! ... we did "ditch it" off and on, where we wanted to see a particular area.

Asked and answered. BTW, how long is a piece of string?

[Suijin]

Things have changed a bit since this thread started. If you shop around along the way you can find diesel at $3.00/gal or so which will cut your fuel coast by 25% for much of the trip, compared to the original figures.

This is a good candidate for a spreadsheet template that chunks the trip into common stretches by miles, has inputs for fuel price, GPH, miles per day, daily food budget, etc and pops out an estimate.

[Steadman Uhlich]

Originally Posted by ranger42c

1. 42' sportfish
2. twin Cummins 6TA8.3s (Diamond 450Cs)
3. 1085 gallons diesel
5. Annapolis to Charleston and return; Chesapeake plus ICW inside
6. 1103 NM

Note we mostly traveled at approx 7-9 kts, usually at about 1200-1225 RPMs... except for the Chesapeake, the Cape Fear River, and a few short runs where planing speeds could enable making a bridge schedule.

For our hull, 7 kts -- or even 6 kts -- all the way would have been more economical, as we approach 2 or even 3 NMPG (respectively) at those RPMs.

Our overall pace was leisurely, no hard schedule, we layed over whenever weather or sightseeing suggested.

-Chris

Thanks for adding some new data to the thread. That is just what I was hoping to see. Your comments are helpful too.

Thanks!

[Steadman Uhlich]

Originally Posted by Suijin

Things have changed a bit since this thread started. If you shop around along the way you can find diesel at $3.00/gal or so which will cut your fuel coast by 25% for much of the trip, compared to the original figures.

This is a good candidate for a spreadsheet template that chunks the trip into common stretches by miles, has inputs for fuel price, GPH, miles per day, daily food budget, etc and pops out an estimate.

Yes, I noticed lower prices when I looked for current Diesel prices along the ICW.

I posted another, newer, edited, thread in the General Sailing forum to reflect the changes in prices and also to solicit more input from sailboat owners.

I originally posted this request a few years ago, and in the Power Boats forum for a reason. Now I think both sailors and power boat owners may benefit from the discussion and input.

[Cool Hand Luke]

Why not go outside? Sorry, I don’t mean to threadjack but I did it outside of the ICW and only used about 52 gallons of diesel in 9 days. I went from North Palm Beach, FL, to New York, NY. But I did miss out on all the sights of the ICW

[valhalla360]

Originally Posted by Cool Hand Luke

Attachment 179484

Why not go outside? Sorry, I don’t mean to threadjack but I did it outside of the ICW and only used about 52 gallons of diesel in 9 days. I went from North Palm Beach, FL, to New York, NY. But I did miss out on all the sights of the ICW

Because you are ignoring the point of the thread.

Of course you answered your own question. If you just head offshore and mak lots of miles, you won't see much along the way.

If the goal is to get to south Florida FAST, take a plane and you can be there in a couple hours.

[Cool Hand Luke]

Originally Posted by valhalla360

Because you are ignoring the point of the thread.

Of course you answered your own question. If you just head offshore and mak lots of miles, you won't see much along the way.

If the goal is to get to south Florida FAST, take a plane and you can be there in a couple hours.

Very well said

My '11 Jeanneau SO409 has a 6 foot draft and 50+ foot mast. I think I'd have a tough time going through the ICW in a short period of time.

If you're not on a time constraint, then the ICW would be a great way to check out the East coast and you never know, you can motor-sail and can save 10-20% off of the fuel costs

[wtmf]

Hello I am in Maine and have a Cary 50 that I am converting into a trimaran sailboat. I am getting next to zero help even when talking with qualified fiberglass people because they are just to busy. My plan is to get it in the water around Portland and head south to riverside marina that seems to have an "ok to live onboard while working on it" policy and as well as have people top do actual work. ANYWAY if you have any wisdom as to were to pick up the UNOFFICIAL ICW in Maine let me know I am ready to make this happen. Thanks Donald

It wouldn't be much fun to run eight hours per day for 37 days. And you can't count on 48 miles per day because you will spend time waiting for bridges and dealing with traffic. Also, in a slow boat, current makes a pretty big difference in your speed over ground.

If you know you fuel burn and your speed at that fuel burn you can approximate your fuel cost but I don't think you should count on 48 miles per day unless it's a delivery not a cruise.

PS: Reading your profile, it seems you aren't in Maine and don't have a boat so none of this really matters, does it?[/QUOTE]