A small tale of mice, men, engines and costs ...

[john_morris_uk]

With respect Rev, you come from a profession that is comfortable asking people for money

Actually not true for me.

And when some guests come I wouldn’t dream of asking them for a contribution.

I was just explaining how some guests willingly make a contribution if that’s the basis on which they join the cruise.

 

[SaltyC]

But back then, 1973,although red was 1p a litre, you didnt have a small diesel on a yacht, or indeed many good reliable useable outboards for a yacht. A small diesel was an air-cooled Lister.
Stuart was your friend. When did Yanmar get going in the leisure market

Or a 10hp single cylinder SABB hand cranked but very abstemius with fuel (0.1gpm) at 4 knots

 

[Kelpie]

Why does it seem that back when everything was cheap...we didn’t have any money

Spare a thought for those of us who don't have any money and are paying today's prices!

 

[westernman]

The Dashews (of FP64 and Beowolf fame) reckoned that the running costs of a motorboat were less than a sailing boat when averaged out over time.

FP64:-



Beowolf:-

 

[john_morris_uk]

The Dashews (of FP64 and Beowolf fame) reckoned that the running costs of a motorboat were less than a sailing boat when averaged out over time.

FP64:-

View attachment 166006

Beowolf:-

View attachment 166007

I suppose the extra crew wages mount up on that sail boat.

 

[westernman]

I suppose the extra crew wages mount up on that sail boat.

They sailed it two handed and said it was easy to manage with the two of them (not exactly spring chickens either).

Both of those boats were design by them for themselves.

(Which begs the question, how much accommodation do you really need or want for two people).

 

[Tamar]

I don't know what the problem is... I'm still putting a tenner in my car, same as I was 20 years ago.

 

[Stemar]

The FP64 isn't going to win a beauty contest, but she doesn't look as if she'd get frightened when the wind gets and, at displacement speeds, I could imagine the fuel costs being reasonable, at least compared to running a big steam iron on the plane

 

[Frogmogman]

I remember a time in 1988 when I was putting petrol in my Mini Metro - there was a Jaguar on the other side of the pump from me, and while I put in about 5 or 6 GBP to fill it up (from about a 1/4 I think), the Jaguar fill up was ten times that.

TBF. I don’t really see you as a Jaguar driver. How fast can you go in Barbados ?

 

[Frogmogman]

My neighbour in the St Quay Marina is an Oceanis 37 belonging to a splendid fellow in his 80s called Luc. He and his wife go out for a couple of hours on any afternoon when the conditions are propitious. Luc also has a 17ft motorboat, which he uses to pop out to the roches de Saint Quay to do a spot of fishing. It is fitted with a 250hp outboard .

 

[Frogmogman]

Since I've had lots of useful help from the forums recently on practical subjects, I thought I'd try posting something potentially more contentious We currently have an 11m sailing catamaran. Our last boat was a Rival 41 which had a 38hp engine. We feel we have lots of engine power now - two 29hp diesels. Luxury ! But in walking through Darthaven Marina I came across this Antares 11 with two 300hp outboards. We use less than 5 litres an hour cruising with both engines at about 6 knots. Apparently the Antares uses 81 litres per hour at a cruising speed of 16 knots. With current fuel prices at the barge in Dartmouth I make that about £7.50 an hour for us and £186 for the Antares, assuming we don't sail. Of course the Antares would get there 3 times faster than us but I still find that a stunning difference. Don't think we could or would afford nearly £200 per hour ! Would you ?

I was chatting to a young chap at a party in Pollenca in Majorca at Easter, skipper of a Sunseeker 88. He told me he could be in Cuitadella in just under an hour at 26 knots (the boat’s top speed).

I asked him how much fuel that would been. He coughed, and told me that at full chat it burns 800 litres an hour. . So a blast there and back for a spot if lunch would get through €3200 in fuel. To be fair, at its 20kts cruising speed it burns 550 litres an hour, so the lunch trip at that speed would cost €1000 less.



If (or when) the day comes that I decide to dispense with the stick and rags, the Mobo that takes my fancy is the Pogo Loxo 32.
Thanks to its light weight, it gets up on the plane at 7-8 kts. The version with a single 75hp Volvo burns a miserly 0,5 litres of diesel an hour at its 10kt cruising speed. Top speed 18kts.

There is a version with a 150hp Yamaha outboard for the speed freaks (and for those who want a boat that can take the ground more easily) which will do 27 kts. At 10 kts this version is twice as thirsty as the Volvo one, but even at 27 kts only burns 2 litres/mile.

 

[Kelpie]

I was chatting to a young chap at a party in Pollenca in Majorca at Easter, skipper of a Sunseeker 88. He told me he could be in Cuitadella in just under an hour at 26 knots (the boat’s top speed).

I asked him how much fuel that would been. He coughed, and told me that at full chat it burns 800 litres an hour. . So a blast there and back for a spot if lunch would get through €3200 in fuel. To be fair, at its 20kts cruising speed it burns 550 litres an hour, so the lunch trip at that speed would cost €1000 less.

View attachment 166090

If (or when) the day comes that I decide to dispense with the stick and rags, the Mobo that takes my fancy is the Pogo Loxo 32.
Thanks to its light weight, it gets up on the plane at 7-8 kts. The version with a single 75hp Volvo burns a miserly 0,5 litres of diesel an hour at its 10kt cruising speed. Top speed 18kts.

There is a version with a 150hp Yamaha outboard for the speed freaks (and for those who want a boat that can take the ground more easily) which will do 27 kts. At 10 kts this version is twice as thirsty as the Volvo one, but even at 27 kts only burns 2 litres/mile.

If it's that light, I wonder what it's like in a chop?

 

[Bajansailor]

I asked him how much fuel that would been. He coughed, and told me that at full chat it burns 800 litres an hour. . So a blast there and back for a spot if lunch would get through €3200 in fuel. To be fair, at its 20kts cruising speed it burns 550 litres an hour, so the lunch trip at that speed would cost €1000 less.

The logical thing to do here then would be to go a bit slower, and put that thousand euros towards a very nice lunch for the whole crew once they get there 15 minutes later (compared to if they had gone at full chat).

 

[Bajansailor]

The Pogo Loxo 32 is certainly a much more ecologically friendly boat for sure - she will cruise at about 8 miles per gallon, while the big Sunseeker will cruise at about 7 gallons per mile.
So, about 56 times more friendly ecologically perhaps?
And I am sure that the enjoyment per dollar spent on fuel (or Euro, or GBP, or rouble) is infinitely higher with a Pogo than a Sunsqueaker.
https://www.pogostructures.com/fiche-bateau/loxo-32/?lang=en

 

[Bajansailor]

The Dashews (of FP64 and Beowolf fame) reckoned that the running costs of a motorboat were less than a sailing boat when averaged out over time.

FP64:-

View attachment 166006

Here is a good account of the philosophy behind the Dashew's FPB series - their first FPB was the 83' Wind Horse.

Even with her minimal overhangs, she is still just under 24 metres loadline length, hence the Dashews could still operate her by themselves, without a licensed captain.
SetSail FPB » Blog Archive » Why FPB? The Concept Explained…

 

[Frogmogman]

If it's that light, I wonder what it's like in a chop?

AIUI the Loxo is surprisingly comfortable in a chop. Check out this boat test.

 

[rotrax]

When did Yanmar get going in the leisure market

We had a 40 foot canal narrowboat fitted, from build, with a new YDS 12 Yanmar. It was built in the early sixties.

Yanmar started building small engines for Japanese home market consumtion in the very early 1950's AFAIK.

EP Barrus were, I believe, the first concessionaire, subsequently the sole official importer, of Yanmar marine engines.