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Fuelish Pleasure

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By FRANK SARGEANT | The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 11, 2008

While the pain at the pump is felt by all of us these days, no one feels it more sharply than boat owners. Boats with V6 outboards typically get only 2 to 5 miles per gallon, and even though most fishing boats run relatively few miles on each outing, sooner or later that cavernous tank has to be refilled. With fuel prices at marinas well more than $3 a gallon, the total can be excruciating.

In fact, a lot of offshore skippers simply opt to stay home these days. Others share fuel costs with three or four friends, though that's illegal unless they have a motorboat operator's license to carry passengers for hire. Even inshore boats, with smaller motors and better fuel economy, are far more expensive to operate than a few years back.

So, what can be done, short of selling the boat and taking up virtual fishing on the computer?

Quite a bit, actually. There's no way to make boating gas cheap these days, but following these tips can afford you a few more trips this year.

Not So Fast!

Take the long-standing advice offered in every boating magazine and slow down. An outboard typically burns 25 to 40 percent less fuel at 3,000 to 4,000 rpms than at full throttle. I know this for a fact, having done fuel consumption tests on literally hundreds of outboards over the last couple of decades. Note, though, that running at lower rpms - 2,000 to 2,500 in planing boats - causes most hulls to bog down and get very poor mileage. This is not true in displacement boats such as trawlers, which get excellent mileage at lower speeds.

Different Strokes

When it comes time to buy a new outboard, choose a four-stroke or a high-pressure, direct-injection two-stroke. Both types of outboards get a good 40 percent better fuel economy than the traditional carbureted two-stroke.

While it would have taken forever to justify the cost of a new outboard when fuel cost $1.50 per gallon, these days you can pay the difference in cost for a more fuel efficient motor over a season or two. And the four-strokes, in particular, seem likely to have far longer life spans than older outboards. Company engineers forecast they will survive somewhere close to the span of auto engines, 10 years or more in steady use.

Fill Up First

Consider buying your fuel before you get to the water. Most marinas charge considerably more per gallon than landside gas stations competing for auto business. Shop around for the best price; it can make sense when you might be buying 50 to 100 gallons at a time.

Not Just Prop-aganda

Make sure your propeller is appropriate to the load and power of the boat. Other things being equal, a higher pitch prop gets better mileage than a lower pitch prop. However, changing pitch will also change the maximum rpms available from the outboard. It's important to let the motor reach the suggested "red line" or maximum at full throttle, typically 5,200 to 6,200 rpms depending on the design, even though you won't actually run the motor at full speed very often.

Using a prop with a lower pitch results in a fast takeoff, but it's like running a car in second gear. Fuel use goes up as pitch goes down with most combinations.

If you're running a boat that's a bit underpowered, trim tabs or a "whale tail" type cavitation plate booster can help get the boat on full plane, and this might result in significant fuel savings. Trim tabs are also useful for leveling a load and for improving performance in rough water, so they're a good all-around investment on many rigs.

Tow It

Avoid using the 5-mpg outboard when you can use the 20-mpg tow truck to get close to your fishing destination. By trailering to a ramp closer to your fishing spot, you can save big on fuel use, launching at O'Neill's or Maximo Park next to the Sunshine Skyway, for example, rather than at Cockroach Bay if you intend to fish at or beyond the big bridge.

Avoid The Runaround

Plan your fishing day. Rather than running helter-skelter to distant spots, plan a route that allows you to follow the tide and hit a series of prime adjacent spots on moving water. The more time you spend casting, the more fish you catch; and the less time you spend running, the less you spend on fuel.

Lose The Excess Baggage

Put your boat on a diet. Avoid carrying a lot of unnecessary weight, including excess fuel, extra batteries, unneeded tackle, extra ice, etc. The less weight you're pushing, the better your fuel economy. On this same tack, carry your weight aft if possible. On planing boats, part of the power is used lifting the bow, so the less weight forward, the better.

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