How far can I go 'mileage'

[bretto]

Being farely new to my boat and boating for that matter. I can't say that I know how far I can go on full tanks of gas. Nor have I really paid attention to how long we are out. What I have is a '87 16' Capri with a 85 Hp outboard. For fuel I have two 6 gallon tanks. I normally just go about and run one tank out and hook the other up and go a bit more then head home. We are planning a trip to Lake Powell and my concern is do you guys think I can cruise around a bit up the canyons and be ok with fuel, I know there is the Dangling rope marina but that is 40 miles up from Wahweap. How would you suggest on carrying additional fuel without too much bulk, not too much room on a 16' boat with 2 adults and 3 kids.
Thanks,
Brett

 

[tommays]

Re: How far can I go 'mileage'

Well i have a 19' boat with a 36 gallon tank

And the problem is that when i go east in calm weather at 26 MPH i can get 4+ MPG

BUT when i go west to get home and the WIND HAS PICKED UP i gotta go 12 MPH and might only get 2 MPG

Which can leave you in a bad way in the middle of a lake


Tommays

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: How far can I go 'mileage'

the old rule of thumb is move the decimal 1 place to the left, and that give you the consuption per hour, at wot. 85 hp 8.5 gal per hour. this also is dependent on load, current, wind, hull. going full throttle and then cutting back to 7/8 3/4 increases milage. and you only loose 2 -3 mph. the best way to take extra gas is to buy another gas can for the engine, it's is really dangerous to try to pour gas into a tank, from a regular gas can. one kid move the wrong way and you have gas all over the deck.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: How far can I go 'mileage'

At a reasonable cruise speed of 3500 - 3800 RPM with an average load, that engine should consume roughly 6 to 7 gallons per hour. It doesn't matter what the speed is but if you have GPS you can determine how far you traveled in that time and can therefore determine miles per gallon if gallons per hour does not work for you. If you elect to cruise wide open it will indeed be up around 8 - 9 gallons per hour. If you don't know what your cruise and wide open fuel consumption is with an average load, you are advised to figure it out before you head out on unfamiliar water. Put a measured amount of fuel in the tank and run wide open while you clock run time. If you run 10 minutes on a gallon of fuel you are burning 6 gallons an hour. Do the same test at what you consider a comfortable cruise RPM. Using the same amount of fuel, again clock the run time at that rpm. You now have at least a rought idea of how far you can go on the fuel you have aboard. 12 gallons of fuel for an 85 HP motor does not leave a lot of wiggle room for long distance cruising.

 

[bucky7680]

Re: How far can I go 'mileage'

If you are going to Powell you need all the gas you can carry. It's a long ways to the nearest gas station. The houseboats are OK because they have big tanks.We always try to bring an extra 50 galons with us for the boats and PWC. If this is your first trip to Powell you are in for a treat. It's great to take a regular boat to explore the sites. If you go to the arch be carefull with that small boat. They have some big tour boats going up there and they can make a 5' or better wake in that narrow canyon.

 

[Frank Acampora]

Re: How far can I go 'mileage'

Another old sailor's maxim is 1/3 out, 1/3 in, 1/3 reserve. So: carry 3 six gallon tanks and use one to get there and one to return. The third is for when you get confused or lost.

 

[studlymandingo]

Re: How far can I go 'mileage'

Do you have any space where you can store a below-deck fuel tank? The 17'er I used to have had an 18 gallon below-deck permanent mounted tank. It was a good size for that boat. If you have even the space for a 12 gallon, then you can carry one extra 6 where your 2 are now.​

 

[sc_shane]

Re: How far can I go 'mileage'

If I were you, I'd be getting a bigger tank and keeping the two 6's as reserves! I've got a 16 gallon tank plus a portable 6 gallon tank as a reserve. For big trips, or high winds, I carry another 6 gallon gas can along with me. I've never run out of fuel on the lake and don't plan to! My take on it is to imagine running out, and hoping that someone will help you out. And even if they do, how much time is it going to take to recover? Forget that - bring tons of fuel instead of ruining a trip! Especially with the kids! Best of luck to ya on the new lake!

 

[bretto]

Re: How far can I go 'mileage'

How about 32 Gallons total of fuel? I should be ok then right?

 

[Silvertip]

Re: How far can I go 'mileage'

You said in your first post you were going roughly 40 miles one way. That's 80 miles round trip. At 25 - 30 miles per hour, you will be burning somewhere between 7.5 and 9.0 gallons per hour. At 30 MPH it will take you an hour and a half for the trip so you will probably burn about 12 gallons of fuel. Running the same speed back is another 12 for a total of 24 gallons. BUT -- all of that depends on how heavily you are loaded. I don't know how you plan to carry 32 gallons of fuel but please do it carefully.

 

[bretto]

Re: How far can I go 'mileage'

Going to carry 32 Gal with the 2-6gal tanks and then 4-5 gal plastic gas cans. I won't be refueling the 6 gal tanks in the boat, we will be doing that on land. They fit in behind the back seats very nicely and they will be strapped down also.

 

[tommays]

Re: How far can I go 'mileage'

There is nothing more accident waiting to happen than hauling around 5 gallon gas cans on a boat

Tommays

 

[kenmyfam]

Re: How far can I go 'mileage'

I have a 20 gallon tank and keep a 5 gallon tank under the bow and strapped down. It is there if i need it and if I do not then I take it with me and use it for the mower, weedwhacker etc and top it up for the next trip. At the end of the season it goes in the car.

 

[reelfishin]

Re: How far can I go 'mileage'

If you need to add that much fuel, then by all means buy either proper tanks that you can quick disconnect or add a larger onboard tank. It's near impossible to pour fuel while affloat, not to mention the fire hazzard it can create.
Also, if something did happen, you run the risk of dumping those loose gas cans in the water as well. Any fuel tank should always be strapped down.

In my 19' boat, I just added a 40 gallon tank, and I carry a single 6 gallon for a reserve if I have to travel far. The 40 gallon is mounted in the bow, the 6 gallon is strapped in and is removed for filling out of the boat. The 6 gallon tank also acts as a ballast weight to counter the twin batterys on the opposite side at the rear. If you have the room, it's probably a lot cheaper to simply ad a larger permanent tank, if not, buying the removable tanks is your only other option. You also have to take into consideration that the added fuel will decrease your total cargo and passenger capacity too.