Range for Cat 27

[Andre]

Can a 1972 Catalina 27 with an Atomic 4 and 17 or 18 gallon fuel tank travel 40 nautical miles motorsailing at 5 knots with out refueling ? thank you

 

[Melody Miller]

Easily

Hi Andre:Atomic 4's use little gas. I bet you'll only use 1/3 of your tank to go 40 miles.Thanks,Melody

 

[Peter Hine]

EASY!--Do the math

40 miles at 5 knots means about 8 hours under way. The unknown is you gasoline consumption, measured in gallons per hour (GPH). To go 8 hours on 18 gallons (with a reserve remaining) means using 2.2GPH or less. My 27, with a 15HP 2-stroke OB (notoriously thirsty mother!) burns about 1.2 GPH at 5.5 knots. A4s are a lot more fuel efficient, like .8-1 GPH maybe. You should be able to do your 40 miles, and return, on 1 fill-up. Sometimes, if I think I may be close to maximum distance for my tnaks, I carry a 5-gal jerry can of gas lashed to the lifelines and shrouds.

 

[Gerry]

You Should Make It Easily

I have motored over 50 miles to Catalina Island and back many times. Our A-4 uses about 1 gallon per hour at 5 knots giving a range of about 85 miles with our 17 gallon tank. We used to take an extra 5 gallons of gas, but usually use about 1/2 tank or less to make the round trip so we leave it at home now. We always seem to be able to sail for at least a couple of hours though.

 

[Rob Rich]

Another Yes.....

I find the same to be true on my A-4, about 1 gallon per hour.Rob