80 miles on 60 gallons???

I have a 23' Blue Fin Pro Fish (center console) with a 230hp i/o and 60g tank

From my marina by Taylor Point in MA to The Claw south of Martha's Vineyard it is about 40nm (46 statute)

I was thinking of going down there for a little offshore fishing this weekend, but I am not sure about the fuel since I have not made a trip that long yet. Is it realistic to think I could get out there, drift or troll for a few hours, and get back on one 60g tank of gas?

Alternatively, we could take my buddy's boat... a 25' SeaRay Amberjack with 69 gallons of fuel but 350hp i/o (This boat is more cruiser than just fishing, though, which is why we would opt for my Blue Fin)

Thanks, in advance, for the advice!

Re: 80 miles on 60 gallons???

I regularly fish 30-35 miles off Ocean City Maryland. I can pretty easily burn up 60 gallons on a good day. I have used as much as 110 gallons on the same trip.

IMHO, no where close to having enough fuel in reserve

Re: 80 miles on 60 gallons???

you'll need to use "The Rule of Third's". 1/3 of your Fuel to get there, 1/3 of your Fuel to get back, and 1/3 of the fuel for reserve. Conditions will vary and impact the amount of fuel consummed. Wind, current, waves, etc will all impact how much fuel you burn. Headsea vs. following sea will impact as well.

You could fill the tank, then go out 20 miles and come back, then fill it again. (Don't go by the guage). Determine your fuel burn by how much you fill up the second time. However, as stated above, it can still vary widely based on conditions and sea-state.

How many miles will you shave if you stop around Martha's Vineyard and refuel?

Re: 80 miles on 60 gallons???

dingbat said:

I regularly fish 30-35 miles off Ocean City Maryland. I can pretty easily burn up 60 gallons on a good day. I have used as much as 110 gallons on the same trip.

IMHO, no where close to having enough fuel in reserve

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Yeah im with you, my boats smaller, and only has 190 horsepower, and i get 100 miles on 50 galons... so with a bigger/more powerful boat i would bank on using more than 60 gallons for 80 miles.... Extra tank!!

Re: 80 miles on 60 gallons???

you guys are getting 2mpg or less with your boats?? ummm somethings wrong

Re: 80 miles on 60 gallons???

americaneagler77 said:

you guys are getting 2mpg or less with your boats?? ummm somethings wrong

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Are you sure we're all comparing apples to apples? I'd LOVE to get 2mpg. If you're talking about a 14-16 ft. aluminum boat with a tiller steer, then I agree with you.

Re: 80 miles on 60 gallons???

well if your running a fountain executioner at wot all day maybe not. ANYTHING 21 feet or less can do better than 2mpg. if not, yank the drain plug. lol

Re: 80 miles on 60 gallons???

First thing I'd say is the that the boat manufacturer mislead by calling it a 'Pro Fish' with only a 60 gal fuel cell, especially on a 23' at that. Minimum fuel capacity on a boat that size, with a motor like that should be 120gal if they want to call it a pro fishing boat, IMHO.

Be that as it may, you really need to figure out what your fuel burn rate is to even think about making more than (in the OP's case) a 20 mile one-way run. Assume 1 mpg until proven otherwise. There are lots of boats out there that get 1.2 - 1.7 mpg (GPS measured distance, so that's over land, not water with current, etc.). So you take the rule of thirds, using 1mpg, and go from there.

Fill your tank, make a nice 15 mile run at expected speeds, return, and refill. That will give you some idea of fuel burn. From there, calculate your range, again using the rule of thirds. As a wild haired guess, I'd say it'll be close, and probably a no-go if you plan on trolling.

Before I installed a Floscan, I thought my 'economy' was about 1.5 - 2.0 mpg. Turns out that if I run at my boat's optimum rpms (3400-3700), which gives me 25mph GPS, I burn approx 7.5GPH. I round that to 8GPH, or 3.125gph. I use 3GPH as my rule of thumb, and with my 80gal cell, my theoretic range is 240miles, or 80 miles one way.

That's the type of stuff you really need to know before going a distance you're not sure about, unless you use extremely conservative burn and speed estimates.

Re: 80 miles on 60 gallons???

Oh, and those numbers are on my 27 year old, 4600lbs (dry), 22' walkaround, pushed by 188hp.

Re: 80 miles on 60 gallons???

Thanks for all the feedback. It is very helpful, and much appreciated!

My longest trip so far was about 20 miles each way (40 round trip). This used almost exactly half the tank. I realize, however, I may or may not have the same conditions I had that day. Likewise, there was a wide variety of speeds involved. In that 20 miles I had the usual no wakes, moderate speed in the channel, 7 miles of a 10mph limit in the Cape Cod Canal, then some trolling mixed in, and so on, and so on... thus, I know I can't just say I did 40 miles on half a tank so I must be able to do 80 on a full tank. Clearly, not nearly that simple.

Thanks again for the help and guidance. I am sure I will have many more questions and hopefully a few tips of advice myself as time goes by. Glad to be in the forum!

Re: 80 miles on 60 gallons???

ANYTHING 21 feet or less can do better than 2mpg.

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What does this have to do with this thread since the original poster is asking about a 23' Blue Fin or a 25' Sea Ray?????

Re: 80 miles on 60 gallons???

americaneagler77 said:

well if your running a fountain executioner at wot all day maybe not. ANYTHING 21 feet or less can do better than 2mpg. if not, yank the drain plug. lol

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The way you drive, number of people on the boat, how you trim the boat, waves, weight of the boat, and current all go into it. Blanket statements like this make you look dumb, no offense. My boat weighs a lot more than some 21 footers, and i weigh almost double what bayliners of the same size/year weigh.