MPG, could i expect on say a 40' boat?

Ross · Jan 18, 2009

That's close if you use fifty HP.

sailingdog · Jan 18, 2009

Depends on how much current you're in and whether you're fighting it or going with it.

Don S/V ILLusion · Jan 18, 2009

the conventional way of measuring fuel efficiency of a boat diesel is in terms of gallons/hr. There are some graphical illustrations on the Yanmarhelp site which can be used to calc typical burn rates but it is a good estimate that you'd see something around 1 gallon/hr at cruising speeds for a 50hp engine running at 80% capacity.

Dick McKee · Jan 19, 2009

We had a Yanmar 50 in our 430. Cruising at 2800 rpm (approx 75% of max rpm) we averaged about 1.4 gph over the 3 years we owned the boat. The speed depended on tide, current, wind ect.

Roger Long · Jan 19, 2009

Mileage on boats is pretty discouraging when fuel prices are high. I used to sneer at Winabagos on the road until I realized that my modest and "efficient" 32 foot sailboat gets about the same mileage under power.

For what it's worth, you might want to look at the speed curves for my boat to get an idea how much mileage and range increase when you back off just a bit on the power. To read the graphs, you start with the RPM, go across to the curve of the color that matches the number you are looking for, then up or down to the appropriate scale. The light gray dotted lines show the example for cruise RPM.

http://www.rogerlongboats.com/StriderFuelSystem.htm#SpeedRange

You can go a lot farther if you have the time.

sailingdog · Jan 19, 2009

Roger's got a very good point... driving most sailboats at near hull speed is very wasteful of fuel and really doesn't get you all that much in terms of speed or distance covered, and greatly reduces your overall motoring range.

For instance, with no current, WOT on my boat pushes it at maybe 7-7.5 knots, but 2/3 throttle will generally let me get 6 knots. The sad part is that under sail, I can regularly do 9-12 knots.

Mike B · Jan 19, 2009

1.5 GPH at 8kts will be about right for that boat. Find out what the engine manufacturer recommends for cruising RPM speed and go with it. Most recommend 80% of max RPM. Do some simple math and you'll find the savings isn't as great as you might expect. Slower speeds mean you'll be out on the water longer still burning fuel although at a lower rate. Based on a 1000 nautical mile trip running at 6 vs 8kts may save you at best .5 GPH. It will also take you apx 41 hrs longer to get there. Running slower may save apx 21 gals of fuel which at todays rate will cost you about $55. Do you have more time than money? Will you have places to pull into and refuel? How much of hurry are you in? How long of a trip is it? Will you get to shut off the motor and sail any of it? Time yourself with the tides and you can get a free ride. Run against them and you'll burn more fuel.
Mike

Mike B · Jan 19, 2009

Texas to Florida is going to be a reasonably long trip. There are a number of people on this forum that are familiar with the area. I'm sure you can solicit there input. Trucking it certainly one option although I'm betting a rather expensive one. Hiring a captain to transport her is yet another. If you have the time then do it yourself. If you're new to sailing I'd strongly consider finding experienced and trusted crew to go along. Just keep in mind when planning the trip they almost always take longer than anticpated. Blame it on overly optimistic planning

Good luck and keep us posted.
Mike

Bill Roosa · Jan 19, 2009

Missing a great opportunity

Find an expierenced sailor and move the boat by sail.
What a great way to get to know your new boat. Course she HAS to be seaworthy for this to be an option.

kloudie1 · Jan 19, 2009

I agree with Bill and Mike.. Find 3-5 guys that are experienced and do the delivery yourself. Make sure the boat is seaworthy and has a few basic spares, get a knowledgeable someone you trust to go over it with you and inspect the critical pieces.. (bring tools) HAVE FUN ! My delivery sail was from Houston to New Orleans, some off shore and lots of Intercoastal Canal motoring.. A very memorable trip!

Steve Dion · Jan 19, 2009

I had my boat trucked from 2000 miles. It was about 3 years ago. The cost was $6k. They did not charge anything to load and rack the boat on the front end, but they charged to unload at the delivery point. Then you need to worry about re-rigging, restepping the mast etc. Then you need to worry about the road damage. I think you will find it would be better to hire a delivery skipper and have him move it if you cannot find the time to assist.

newly anonymous · Jan 19, 2009

a few basics

1. It seems a bit goofy to be shopping for the boat in Texas if you want it to end up in Florida. For every Beneteau 400 Oceanis that you'll find for sale in Texas, five will be for sale in Florida.

2. A boat's range under power is figured by calculating gallons per hour consumed at 80% wide open throttle, times the average speed you'd travel at this setting. The only way to predict the GPH is know what engine you're talking about. (The exact engine model, not just something like "Yanmar 50hp." This is because of factors such as that a normally aspirated engine consumes fuel at a different rate than a turbo diesel.) A given engine is going to have the same GPH numbers regardless of the type of boat into which it's been installed. You can usually get these numbers from the manufacturer, usually on their website. At that point, the only thing you need to complete the calculus is to know how fast the specific boat usually cruises at 80% WOT. A better place to find this number would be the Beneteau owners forum.

3. A Beneteau 400 Oceanis is a sailboat. There is a body of water situated between Texas and Florida known as the Gulf of Mexico, upon which a Beneteau 400 Oceanis would sail quite comfortably. If you do not yet have the navigational expertise to make that trip under sail, you probably don't have enough experience to handle that large a boat. Get something smaller and work your way up. Much smaller. A newbie at the helm of a 40 footer is a truly frightening phenomenon, and I do not want to encourage you to become another boating statistic, mostly because at that point you become a danger to all of us. Go learn why we sailors talk in terms of GPH rather than MPG by taking a basic navigation class. Then come talk.

Franklin · Jan 19, 2009

newly anonymous said:
1. It seems a bit goofy to be shopping for the boat in Texas if you want it to end up in Florida. For every Beneteau 400 Oceanis that you'll find for sale in Texas, five will be for sale in Florida.

Texas boats are better

Franklin · Jan 19, 2009

Baja Will said:
Thanks for all the input, basically the boat I am looking at is in TX, and I would want it in FL. Maybe it would just be easier to but it on a truck and ship it?? I just don't know if that is an option with the beam being 12'10"

Thanks

WILL

If you have the time (8 days to St. Petes) with normal winds then it would be sooooo much better investment to hire a good captain and go with him. You will learn about your boat. You will gain experience. You will learn to handle that 40er.

I'm not the type to say "buy smaller" as I feel that most boats sitting around without any attention have owners who bought something they really didn't like. But I will say you need to learn before you buy. In that learning process you may realize you like something different as you will know a lot more about boats.

How to learn and get experience? Join a club. We have tons of clubs here so I'm sure you have them there too. Most people don't like to take their boat out alone and don't even feel they can, so boat owners are always looking for crew. You'll make friends in the process.

Franklin · Jan 19, 2009

When do you want to do it?

sailaway78 · Jan 19, 2009

Find someone reputable

Find someone reputable, then hire them. Or maybe you can find a knowledgable volunteer on this or one of the other sail boards.. You need not only an experienced sailor, to make the journey, but an experienced person to help you make sure the boat is in the proper condition, that you have the proper spares, the proper tools and provisions. It is a very nice trip, and my recommendation would be to make it in April or May.

Ray Bowles · Jan 19, 2009

I strongly agree with "Nice & Easy". I speak from experence and have found that almost all "newly bought used boats" will experence engine problems within 10 hours of use by the new owner. Most used boats haven't been used recently and suffer fuel or other problems or have been neglected prior to sale and this becomes appearent upon their first extended use.
Using a delivery captain or sailing instructor for your first major relocation allows you the benefit of his expertice in looking over your boat both for safety and mechanical soundness and gives the new owner a very valueable 1 on 1 lesson in sailing. The added cost to do this will probably be much less than having a major equipment failure and the associated costs of a hurried and stressed repair that benefits only the repair shop.
Just my thoughts but they are well founded. Good luck and fair winds.
Ray