How the current economy effects boating
With fuel prices on the rise, every facet of our economy is affected. Unfortunately, we live in a world that is totally dependent on fossil fuels and at this point we can not foresee that changing for years to come. Does this mean we should give up on the things we love?
Actually, we don’t need to give up on things we like to do, we merely need to adjust to today’s economy. For instance, we might only take a few short boating ventures in lieu of longer ones. We may have to throttle back a bit and take our time to conserve fuel. We may give up on other luxuries to pursue those we like the best. To understand the implications of conservation, we need to examine how we are using our boats.
Power equals fuel burn
Some people buy more boat than they need. This is true of many things we elect to invest in, but in a boat it is evident that it is costing more money to operate than the return we get from it. Larger boats need more power to move them through the water - more power is proportional to the amount of fuel the engine burns.
Also, older engines built when fuel prices were ridiculously low, were not the model of efficiency to say the least. So if you have engines from say the 70’s, you may want to consider upgrading the engines to more modern, fuel efficient models. It may behoove you to add a FloScan system and monitor your fuel usage across the RPM range at which you are used to cruising. The system will show you the most efficient RPM to conserve fuel.
Clean is efficient
You should also consider the cleanliness below the waterline. Some people try to save money by not pulling their boats every year. If a boat is not in constant motion, it will start building growth on the bottom. Every barnacle and build up creates drag through the water - requiring more RPM’s to move the boat. This is especially true of propellers that rely on water movement to do their job. Any money saved on haul outs is quickly spent in fuel consumption.
Maintenance creates efficiency
A properly maintained boat is certainly going to be more efficient. Plus the possibility of less break downs means less money spent on emergency repairs. It just makes good economic sense to maintain any piece of equipment you own - whether it is a car, boat, home or whatever.
Downsizing is not a bad thing
As I mentioned earlier, some people just have more boat than they need. You may have bought a boat when you had children at home that have grown and moved on at this point. You may have anticipated acommodating guests that never quite materialized. You may have dreamed of taking a long journey and have now completed that trip or replaced that goal with another. With any of these scenarios, you have more boat than you need. Obviously a smaller boat will take less fuel to travel at the same rate of speed. So if you downsize and pay attention to the salient facts above, you should be able to cruise in a more cost effective manner.
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