Fuel Efficient Cruisers

pred02

Seaman
Joined
Jul 17, 2008
Messages
62
Hi,

Does anyone know if any manufactures produce economical (fuel efficient) 24-26 ft cabin cruisers? Most cabin cruisers in this price range consume about 10-12 gallons/hour. I am willing to sacrifice some speed (willing to go with let's say 12-15kt/hour) to save fuel and operate.

I know that dieseled engine cruisers are not common in this size range.

Inflatable RIBs are more economical, but they do not have cuddy cabins.

Kind regards!
 

Chris1956

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Mar 25, 2004
Messages
27,036
Re: Fuel Efficient Cruisers

You are asking a lot. 26 footers traveling 15Kts are planing hulls. 10-12 gal/hour implies no more than 200HP. There are not many boats that fit that size, speed and economy categories, likely none.

Trawlers operate at displacement speed, likely 7 Kts, have plenty of cabin space and a small motors, say a single 125HP Diesel. They are very fuel efficient, however, if you want to plane the boat, about you need 3X the HP, and about 3X the fuel consumption.
 

dsiekman

Senior Chief Petty Officer
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Jul 7, 2010
Messages
798
Re: Fuel Efficient Cruisers

You might take a look at the Albin TE. I know they make a 28', and I think they used to make a 26. Nice looking downeast with a single diesel and bow thruster. If I remember right, the newer 28's cruise around 18knots and top out around 22-24.

I've got a 29' cuddy that cruises about 30 knots at 12 gph. Unfortunately, its about 12 gph per engine.;)
 

25thmustang

Lieutenant Commander
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Mar 20, 2008
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Re: Fuel Efficient Cruisers

Single Inboard boat, diesel, downeast style might be your best bet.
 

JoLin

Vice Admiral
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Aug 18, 2007
Messages
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Re: Fuel Efficient Cruisers

An injected 5.7 Liter with V-P Duoprop or Bravo 3 is your best bet in a planing hull. My boat's at the small end of your size range, but it's fairly heaVY (6000 lbs. with normal load). On a typical, somewhat choppy water day I burn about 8-9 gph at cruise (3200 rpm) @ 24-25 mph.
 

lunkerv16

Cadet
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Apr 3, 2010
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Re: Fuel Efficient Cruisers

If gph are a concern then I am not sure a 24-26 cuddy is the right boat for you
 

JoLin

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Re: Fuel Efficient Cruisers

If gph are a concern then I am not sure a 24-26 cuddy is the right boat for you

Good point, but the OP also needs to consider how much he'll actually run the motor. A typical weekend for me will cost me 15-20 gallons, plus food and drink. So we're talking maybe $100. for 2 people, for a weekend of 'entertainment'. It'd cost me about the same to stay home.
 

pred02

Seaman
Joined
Jul 17, 2008
Messages
62
Re: Fuel Efficient Cruisers

Good point, but the OP also needs to consider how much he'll actually run the motor. A typical weekend for me will cost me 15-20 gallons, plus food and drink. So we're talking maybe $100. for 2 people, for a weekend of 'entertainment'. It'd cost me about the same to stay home.

The problem is that the boat is going to be run in Croatia (Europe) where the price of a gallon is about $6.50.

You are asking a lot. 26 footers traveling 15Kts are planing hulls. 10-12 gal/hour implies no more than 200HP. There are not many boats that fit that size, speed and economy categories, likely none.

If I drop to a 20ft Cuddy with a 200hp 4-stroke Cuddy (i.e. GW Adventure 208) can I realistically get 5-6 gbp at plane?
 

25thmustang

Lieutenant Commander
Joined
Mar 20, 2008
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1,849
Re: Fuel Efficient Cruisers

"Cabin Cruiser" and "Cuddy Cabin" mean two very different things, IMO.

A cuddy will have a small berth, with possibly a porta poti, very little if any standing/headroom, and will more or less be a day boat, with a place to get out of the sun.

A cabin cruiser will have nearly half the hull length made up of cabin. Let room up top, more down below than a cuddy. There will be standing room, a closed head, some kind of galley and usually a semi fair sized berth or two.

I was going to suggest looking into a single motored 28' Luhrs, but if your looking at Cuddy Cabin boats, this is FAR different in style.
 

NSBCraig

Lieutenant Commander
Joined
Aug 21, 2007
Messages
1,907
Re: Fuel Efficient Cruisers

There real problem is how much do you want to push around?

As stated above displacement hulls are the most economical
(saw a beautiful C-Dory sunday)

But once you get into planing hulls it's really a matter of how much of a condo are you trying to push around?

Do you really need to sleep 6?

Things like that.

One thing I'd like to point out though is that if you look at performance hulls that most people think are only for spending money and wasting gas, a lot of manufacturers offer boat with cabins that are real nice and the reason they go fast is cause they are more efficient designs so with not as much HP you can get better economy.
 

Cuyose

Petty Officer 3rd Class
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Jan 19, 2006
Messages
90
Re: Fuel Efficient Cruisers

If you aren't wanting to get anywhere very fast and can afford it. Single screw Diesel about 32-36 ft. You are going to be a little hard pressed to find any Diesels in the 24-28 range. If you do they are usually the planing hull 120 - 200 hp diesels and will be pricey.

You either want a sailboat, which almost always come with a small perkins or yanmar diesel that will cruise at ~6 kts all day burning prolly only 1 gallon per hour, provided you are in the 30ft range.

I bought a 28 ft Carver Voyager , a legitimate "cruiser" Its got 2 gas 305's and cruising at 18 kts on plane will drink the gas, however the same boat running about 1200 rpm at 6.5 kts doesn't do to bad. Probably ~4-5 gallons per hour.
 

dsiekman

Senior Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Jul 7, 2010
Messages
798
Re: Fuel Efficient Cruisers

You might take a look at Doral. They make a real nice 25' cuddy with extendable swim platform that takes it out to about 28' loa. I believe they also had a single diesel option. Pretty expensive, but might be worth a look.
 

QC

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Mar 22, 2005
Messages
22,783
Re: Fuel Efficient Cruisers

On our Sig 240 cruising at 26 MPH we burn about 5.5 GPH.
I'm sorry, and not picking a fight, but there is something wrong with that data. There isn't a 20 foot bowrider that gets 4.7 MPG at cruise . . . ;)

This is a 19ft. Maxum with a 260 MPI 5.0 and it gets 4.16. 6.1 GPH at 25.4 MPH . . .

Maxum 1900 SR3
 

QC

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Mar 22, 2005
Messages
22,783
Re: Fuel Efficient Cruisers

Here's a 24 ft. pocket cruiser with a 5.0 MPI:

Bayliner 245

3500 RPM
24.1 MPH
10.9 GPH
2.22 MPG
 

180shabah

Rear Admiral
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Mar 26, 2005
Messages
4,995
Re: Fuel Efficient Cruisers

..or a 26' Macgregor sailboat on a planing hull

zero fuel under sail and a 50-60hp OB can push it over 20mph

I know the sailing purists hate them, don't "feel" right, but IMHO they are the best compromise in the sail/power fight.
 

JoLin

Vice Admiral
Joined
Aug 18, 2007
Messages
5,146
Re: Fuel Efficient Cruisers

I'm sorry, and not picking a fight, but there is something wrong with that data. There isn't a 20 foot bowrider that gets 4.7 MPG at cruise . . . ;)

This is a 19ft. Maxum with a 260 MPI 5.0 and it gets 4.16. 6.1 GPH at 25.4 MPH . . .

Maxum 1900 SR3

In the 'boattest' test of my boat, when it was new (V-P 5.7 GSi, Duoprop- same setup as mine), they pulled 4.3 mpg at optimum cruising speed, which was also somewhere around 25 mph. My boat is both heavier and has a deeper 'V' than the poster's.

HOWEVER, the tested 24 C*C had only 2 aboard, 1/2 tank of fuel, no bottom paint, no gear and 'stuff', calm sea conditions (2 foot chop in the Gulf of Mexico) and light winds. They also broke 50 mph at WOT. In my real-world cruising I can't match any of that.

Unless the poster has a fuel-flow meter, I suspect his estimate is based on a similar test.

My .02
 

The Great Escape II

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Mar 9, 2008
Messages
244
Re: Fuel Efficient Cruisers

Fuel flow meter plus I log my data. My manual calculations from hrs and gallons used is +-.1 gallons from the fuel flow meter.
 
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