How Much Fuel Do You Use in a Year ?

[S/V Alchemy]

It's very attitudinal. If you accept that apart from actually swimming, boating is considerably slower than the average old man on a bicycle, then you can accept that sailing at four point five versus burning a gallon an hour to do six NM is somewhat of a false argument. If you REALLY have to be somewhere, why the hell would you sail? Or worse, motor a sail boat? It seems to miss a number of points, but then I don't understand the concept of an SUV, either.

Fuel management is an aspect of time management. Time management is the foundation of life management. Sail accordingly.

[barnakiel]

Will be like 200 grams per hp then the rest ensues, no?

b.

[atoll]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

Thread drift alert:

What make of genset was that? 6,000 hours without major overhaul?

lombardini 3 ldw/12 kw was an estimate of 3-4 hour per day,300 days per year for 6 years so could be less,but not much,havent overhauled or touched the injectors .starts first time and doesn't smoke at all.

[Rangiroo]

Originally Posted by SPARK

For a medium to heavy displacement mono hull in the 55 to 65 foot range, how much diesel fuel do you use in a year of full time cruising?

Possibly separate answers for tropical and high latitudes.
For high latitudes, how would you split it between main engine, generator and heating?

I realize that this is like asking how long is a piece of string, but please try to answer.

I am wanting to do a circumnavigation of the world and then one of the Americas, with possibly a voyage to Antarctica.

How much fuel you use is inversely proportional to how much wind you use.....

[Jim Cate]

HEre's another data point:

In Insatiable one, a 36 ft ex IOR one-tonner with a 35 hp BMW we logged an average of around 300 hours per year, full time cruising. During those 17 years we did 86,000 miles. That engine consumed around 1.5 to 2 l/hour depending on how dirty the bottom was and so on. So, <600 litres per year. No gen set, but some charging using the main engine (small solar plus at-anchor wind gen).

Since we sold I-one and bought I-two (46' performance type boat, 43 hp Nanni, no gen set, diesel heater, adequate solar for most places plus Air-X wind gen) we have done slightly less miles/year: 39,800 in 8 years. Still use the engine around 300 hours/year, but this one uses 2 to 2.5 l/hr, so we use around 6 to 700 litres per year, including some heating.

Our sailing style emphasizes sailing over motoring, but when cruising the East coast of Australia there are lots of barred entrances that require timely arrivals, and so we find we motor somewhat more there than in general.

Hope that this helps in your decisions .

Cheers,

[SPARK]

Great! This does really help.
Any more input?

On an expedition boat in Antarctica, by how much would the fuel increase?

[atoll]

friends who cruised the arctic,patagonia and the falklands,generally motored a lot,due to the weather.

general mo is to wait for a gap in the wind<30kts then motor like hell to the next safe anch when coastal.

offshore is a different matter,some good videos on cf of other peoples travels in the region

[barnakiel]

Yep.

When calculating how much fuel you will use for heating, allow for the space and the temperatures range that you expect. Depending on whether your hull is insulated or not, the need / loss will be more or less. You will find all data on house heating systems sites.

To some extent, the amt necessary for cooking will fluctuate in the same manner - there is less temp. difference perhaps but still we are likely to cook more in low temps - hot drinks, hot food, etc..

If your stove doubles as an interior heater (I think there is such an option with Wallas) then of course you will allow for whatever the manual stipulates.

If you are going to use your engine alt for charging the house bank, then it makes a lot of good sense to invest in a proper 3/4 stage marine regulator/charger. They are costly but you will save on fuel and the engine will be loaded more while charging, which is always good for the engine.

b.