By Geoff Holmes

One might think after observing this Eastbay 38 #51 blast by the Choptank light that this Captain is a contributor to a fuel wasteful culture. Actually, the facts prove differently. The operation of this boat when viewed on a nautical mile per gallon basis reveals remarkable economy.

We have discovered a treasure chest of information stashed away on Stu Kramer's 1998 Eastbay 38, an express soft top that was at the Oxford Yacht Agency. The owner had kept detailed records of his fuel purchases for his longer trips over a three year period of time. He had noted the purchase date, location, engine hours, cost per gallon, total gallons, total costs, gallons per hour (GPH) and most important the RPM settings that he averaged for the individual fuel load. His boat had CAT 3208TA engines with about 800 hours. Given, this was only part of the information, we conducted a series of speed runs to verify fuel consumption over a normal range of cruising operation.

On a relatively calm day we ran Eastbay 38 #61 through a series of engine RPM settings to record speed in knots (nautical miles per hour). This information was then aligned with the average fuel burn data from the vessel's log to determine the average knots per gallon (KPG).

As one would expect, the faster the boat is driven, the more fuel it consumes and the relationship is not linear. There appears to be a marked difference in knots per gallon between 1800 RPMs and 1900 RPMs, and then the curve seems to flatten.

To confirm or disclaim our calculations, we contacted the owner of another Eastbay 38 Express. This boat is a hard-top express with the same engines, so it is slightly heavier. It is currently berthed in Burnt Store, FL. Dave and Betty Henderson have kept detailed records of their fuel expenditures over the six years they have operated "Synergism". The engines have 2340 hours as the Hendersons traveled back and forth on the east coast as well as recently completing the Great Loop.

The Hendersons calculate an average fuel consumption to be 11.0 gallons per hour or 1.01 nautical miles per gallon over 2,340 hours of operation at a variety of RPMs and speeds.

The Henderson's Eastbay consumes 17 gallons per hour when traveling at 2200 RPM or 20 knots. His figures are slightly different from the soft-top Eastbay and it may be a difference in boat weight as well as location of operation.

Under continuous cruising conditions, consider how much fuel would be consumed if an Eastbay 38 were to travel 100 nautical miles while traveling at a steady RPM.

How do we interpret this information?

It appears that the amount of fuel consumed increases with the engine speed. However, compare an Eastbay 38 traveling at 1800 RPM and making 14 knots to a Grand Banks 42 Trawler with the same engines traveling at 1600 RPM and a hull speed of 8.5 knots that is burning an average of 6.0 GPH. The Eastbay is actually the more economical vessel. The Eastbay will burn 56.55 gallons over 7 hours while the Trawler will burn 70.56 gallons over 11 ¾ hours. The Eastbay saved 4 ¾ hours of time for the distance covered.

So how much does it cost to operate an Eastbay 38 if you are planning a trip from Oxford, MD to Deltaville, VA, a distance of about 100 nautical miles?

A few of the local stops for diesel fuel on the Chesapeake Bay that currently offer competitive prices are Fairbank's Tackle and Convenience Store on Tilghman Island off of Knapps Narrows, Piney Narrows Yacht Haven in Kent Narrows, St. Michaels Marina and Calvert's Marina as you come into Solomon's Island. These facilities serve the transient crowd as well as the local commercial watermen and are glad to have you as a customer. If you use an average price of $2.35 per gallon and plan to travel at a reasonable speed, you should expect to spend about $135 for the trip on the Eastbay and $165 on the trawler. Travel further and yes, the overall cost of fuel increases, but making the trip in the Eastbay will get you to your destination sooner and exclude the cost of extra nights in a marina.