Advice on med cruise

[jfm]

Blimey, it's less than 200nm from Mahon to Sardinia.
Is that a problem for a Pred 64?!?

Website says 3000 litres in a 35 tonne boat so range will be pretty tight but it should do better than 200 miles (=16.7 litres per mile). Bart's 70tonne Canados does about 15 l/nm; my 60tonnes does the same if you remove stabiliser drag, so a 35-37 tonner should do 200 miles with >20% left in 3000litres of tanks.

 

[John100156]

If timing is not essential, check your fuel curves, throttle back and Pootle for a bit over night perhaps, you will be surprised how much this can increase your range.

I know it did with Hurricane's Princess 67, he even tried running on just one engine to compare consumption on one short (40nm) night trip that we did together a couple of years ago (the latter if my memory serves me well did not make a lot of difference).

I know you need to get it just right to maximise range/economy.

 

[Hurricane]

IIRC Mahon to Carloforte is about 180 miles.
Well within our range.
I know a Pred 52 that recently did North Sardinia to Mahon at full cruising speed without any fuel worries.

On our run to Malta we chose Bizerte in Tunisia which is about 310 miles so, as John says a displacement "pootle" was necessary.
We pootled for 10 hours and finished off at planing speed.
I remember that all on board had a "sweep stake" - each person had a guess at how much fuel we'd used. I should have been the most accurate but in fact it was my daughter who won!!! I havent looked up my recorde but from memory, we took about 3200 litres to refuel - the tanks hold a fraction over 4000 litres.

Anyway, my point is that if you keep to displacement speeds, the range is significantly increased.

 

[Hurricane]

Website says 3000 litres in a 35 tonne boat so range will be pretty tight but it should do better than 200 miles (=16.7 litres per mile). Bart's 70tonne Canados does about 15 l/nm; my 60tonnes does the same if you remove stabiliser drag, so a 35-37 tonner should do 200 miles with >20% left in 3000litres of tanks.

At 25 knots with clean bum and props our Princess 67 does 13 litres per mile.

 

[BartW]

At 25 knots with clean bum and props our Princess 67 does 13 litres per mile.

do you have an idea of her weight Mike ?

 

[Hurricane]

do you have an idea of her weight Mike ?

Yep - I usually quote 50 tons whenever asked but last time we weighed her on the travel lift she was about 42 tons full fuel no water and empty holding tanks.

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

Blimey, it's less than 200nm from Mahon to Sardinia.
Is that a problem for a Pred 64?!?

It certainly shouldn't be. My old Ferretti 46 did Palma to Olbia in one hit at planing speed and I know that other moderately sized boats in Majorca regularly made the trip across to Sardinia and Corsica

 

[Balearick]

Blimey, it's less than 200nm from Mahon to Sardinia.
Is that a problem for a Pred 64?!?

I don't know, haven't been on board yet!

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

I don't know, haven't been on board yet!

Pred64 has 660g of fuel. Say 0.5mpg at 20kts would give range of around 290nm with 10% margin. Majorca to Sardinia, no problem!

 

[Nick_H]

Pred64 has 660g of fuel. Say 0.5mpg at 20kts would give range of around 290nm with 10% margin. Majorca to Sardinia, no problem!

0.5 mpg is 9 L/nm, which would be almost 50% better than Hurricane's 13 L/nm, despite only being 3 feet shorter and 5 tonnes lighter. Could be though, depends on lots of things as you well know.

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

0.5 mpg is 9 L/nm, which would be almost 50% better than Hurricane's 13 L/nm, despite only being 3 feet shorter and 5 tonnes lighter. Could be though, depends on lots of things as you well know.

I sort of pro rata'd it from what my boat does which is around 0.65nmpg but yes it may be optimistic. On the other hand, if the Pred64 hasn't got a safe range well in excess of 200nm, maybe Balearick should have bought something else

 

[Hurricane]

I believe that as a general rule most Princesses over 50 feet can manage a range of 300 miles but you would be very close to empty if you did.

Our longest planing cruise was across Biscay 275 miles.
There was a little concern at the end but all was well.

That passage was running at 22 knots, since then, we run at 25 knots and I'm sure she's more effecient. At 22 knots the engines are on the edge of the second turbo so its continually cutting in and out. At 25 knots we are well into the second stage so more efficient.

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

I believe that as a general rule most Princesses over 50 feet can manage a range of 300 miles but you would be very close to empty if you did.

I think thats the case with most 50+ footers or it should be. Some US boats seem to be short on range though

 

[MapisM]

Geez folks, I didn't realise that my question could have started a debate... Just thought that Balearick overestimated the distance.
Obviously having got used to range measured in days (and not just 2 or 3!) rather than hours made me lost the plot on how awful the fuel bill can be when cruising fast(ish)...