Fuel Burn

[akwalker]

Looking to buy a 1988 SeaRay 268 Sundancer. The boat is located about 140 miles from my marina, and I would run the new boat home on her bottom. It has a 454 big block Mercruiser with an Alpha 1 outdrive. I'm trying to figure out how much to budget for fuel. The entire trip would be along the Erie Canal, from a bit north of Albany to Oneida lake, so my average speed will probably only be around 10 MPH.

 

[rbh]

Re: Fuel Burn

if your tank is the same as our 270 sundancer it should be 125 gallons, although we have twin 260 mercs, I would think at a max of 10 mph on ours we would only make it about 3/4 of the way before needing more fuel.
rob

 

[bekosh]

Re: Fuel Burn

A good estimate would be 2-2.5 mpg. Call it 2 to be on the safe side.
With a 100 gallon fuel tank, you probably won't even need to stop and fill up along the way.

FWIW, I get 2.4 mpg with the same motor but a smaller boat. Of course I tend to run a lot harder than you would.

 

[jaxnjil]

Re: Fuel Burn

we have a "88" 230 weekender with the same motor&drive. i had a fuel flow meter on it for awhile and the very best we ever got was 3 mpg. and that was a 30 mph.

your heavier, and at slower speeds we got worse mpg rather than better.

i wouldn't plan on getting over 2 mpg. not knowing your prop or state of tune on your motor i would plan for 1 mpg and hope to do better

we are changing our alpha drive out for a bravoIII. i have gone threw 4 or so drives on ours. if you haven't bought it yet, you might reconsider this drive-motor combination or buy it cheap enough to convert it to a bravo drive at around $9000 if you do all work your self

 

[This_lil_fishy]

Re: Fuel Burn

Ever light a cigarette with a hundred dollar bill?

 

[Mischief Managed]

Re: Fuel Burn

At 10 MPH, it will swill fuel at way less than 2 MPG, probably 1 MPG. Better off going 6 MPH for awile and 25 MPH for awhile, if you can get away with it. I've heard that on most stretches of the NY state canal system, the speed limit is enforced with radio calls between locks. You may be able to simply average 10 MPH.

I'd avoid the 454/Alpha combo in a heavy boat like that.

 

[bad_boy]

Re: Fuel Burn

That boat/drive combination was a HORRIBLE failure, the Alpha is simply not strong enough to handle a big block. I would forget about your MPG and start asking how many times you are going to have to stop to have your drive repaired/replaced!