Are petrol powered boats really that evil?

muckypup

muckypup

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Starting looking at the cheap end of 24-26' sportcruisers to replace harlequin with for a few years. Seems that the petrol powered boats are quite a bit cheaper (25k vs 35k on one bayliner model for same year/condition that I saw).

I know the petrol boats will be less economic, but do they make sense? Is there really any compelling reasons why I should stick with diesel?

Steve
 
With the loss of red I think the only signficant issue is the current poor availability of petrol alongside in marinas and harbours. Perhaps this will improve as there is more incentive to go petrol?
 
Probably even more exagerated logic than with vehicles. The premium you pay for the diesel takes forever to claw back with improved economy, if ever.The loss of red diesel makes the gap possibly impossible to bridge.
However the capital cost is in one hit, and probably financed, so that the lower cash sums coming out your wallet for fuel seems good. Although you may maintain a better resale value, you've financed that difference on credit or lost interest on your cash. And what happens if the market re-adjusts and diesels lose their premium during your period of ownership?

Do petrol boats catch fire and blow up more than diesels? They both probably have gas on board, which is more of a worry.
 
There is also LPG conversion boats to consider, although I suspect that they are even more difficult to find refueling stations...
 
My last boat was a petrol powered Sealine 310 Statesman and it was a cracking boat. It had twin Volvo 205's and was very reliable, with excellent acceleration and no plumes of smoke on startup.

The engines were cheaper to maintain than diesels as well.

Yes, it was more expensive to run, but at the time I purchased it, it would have taken 10 years to make up the difference in the cost between a diesel version!

With the loss of red diesel, to be honest, there will not be any reason why a petrol boat is not considered in the same market as a diesel.

As far as safety is concerned, as long as you use common sense, with petrol, you should have trouble free and safe boating!
 
I think petrol boats are equally as good as diesel and right now you can pick up a bargain. I reckon once the diesel prices come in line with petrol, that petrol boats will increase in value, so now is the time to buy. I also think petrol boats are much cleaner and less smelly then diesel, also easier and cheaper to repair and look after.

As for safety, i think it's common sense and take a look at the fires over the last two years, most, if not all were diesel boats.

Availability of petrol at marinas, at the right price, is the only drawback, so be prepared to fill a few containers at your local garage.
 
Well I have recently purchased a fairline carrera with 2 x 151 volvo petrols
I factored in the purchase the costs of replacing the petrols with similar petrols from volvos and I recon I am still in the clear had I purchased a similar boat with 2 x diesels by at least 10 k
I think Petrols have a future now that red diesel will go through the roof next season
Thanks yall
 
The fairline carrera look nice boats, especially for the price and in twin engine form.... What are they like to live with?

Steve
 
Brilliant boats I like the twins I've got the 131's with the

single carbs,cheap to mantain and economical

either run at 6knots or plane at 18-20 knots for economy

Before we filled our boat with crap she was good for 28 knots

although take forever to get on the plane

With a beam of 9' 6" and an overal length of 27' they have

more room than say a Sealine 24

vee berth,double in the pizza oven and double sunpad in

cockpit

Heads inc shower,double grill and fridge

Will33 has a single with a brand new V6 in her for sale

Any further question please shout

cheers Joe
 
I like petrol boats, but it's the petrol lugging I can't stand.

I have a 90hp outboard and a 120 litre tank.

Every two weeks, less if I go further afield, I have to buy and lug five or six 20 litre cans of petrol down to the boat, which includes having to take the lot from the car down a road, through a narrow entry, down the pontoon ramp and along to the boat. I then have a fairly long syphoning session (With one of those tubes with the ball valve in the end) and then have to return empty petrol containers to car, which I then have to carry around for the rest of the weekend and once the sun gets up, regularily vent them to stop them blowing up like balloons.

I then have to transport the empty cans the sixty miles back home and throw them in garage, until the next weekend.

Unlike Ari's view of boating, (post passim)I do not use it as a caravan, but actually use it on the water, so I have no choice but to lug fuel.

I was going to upgrade to a diesel boat, but it will make me want to venture further and I am not sure I can affored it at the moment.

Petrol powered boats are not evil, but keeping them fed is. I look on with envy as the diesel boats fill up, but I know many who will be jacking the sport in when the fuel goes up and they are all in the sub 30 ft range of boaters as they are the ones least likely to use their boats as a glorified caravan, but actually use them, and cannot afford the fuel price rise.
 
Nothing wrong with petrol boats, though if you are in an area which doesn't have waterside petrol available, it will become a pain. No real problems on south coast, but more of an issue in other areas
 
The lugging of fuel cans would be an issue with say a tank of 273 litres (picked one at random for sale). This would mean 14 cans of fuel (or 14 trips to the filling station) every 11 hours...

S.
 
[ QUOTE ]
I Unlike Ari's view of boating, (post passim)I do not use it as a caravan, but actually use it on the water, so I have no choice but to lug fuel.


[/ QUOTE ]

Oh dear, another of the blinkered Gludy Club.

"My" view of boating is a realistic one based on the amount of hours the majority of people do. Fact, in other words. Doesn't suit the twisted "statistics" oft quoted on here but hey ho.

As for myself, I put 70 hours on my boat last year, not bad for a small sportboat.

With regards to the original post and replies above, the one factor people often seem to forget when doing their "will I save the capital extra cost of purchasing a diesel boat in fuel savings of running a diesel?" is that when you come to sell, the diesel boat will still be worth more.

In other words, it might cost (for example) £10K more to buy a diesel boat over a petrol, and you might only make £3K of fuel savings so (according to the maths above) you'd be £7K worse off. But in fact the diesel boat may very well still be worth £10K more on resale, so in fact you could be £3K better off buying the diesel, not £7K worse off.

In reality it really depends on how you use the boat, where you use it, how often and what it is. And how you pay for it of course, if you finance it then you've got to figure in the cost of financing that extra purchase price of a diesel.

I personally run a petrol boat which I find preferable for my boating, but if I were running something bigger I'd have diesel.

But then I never actually put my boat in the water, according to some. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif
 
my 28ft boat has twin petrol engines - 25yr old mercruisers and they aren't as expensive as i thought they might be to run

when there are a few of us onboard splitting costs it actually becomes a pretty cheap day out truth be told

we had to do the whole petrol lugging thing bank holiday weekend as there was no petrol in falmouth. with a couple of us at it not really a big deal, though i guess every time might get a little bit of a pain. but still filling up on your own pontoon is quite a convenience even it if it is from a can. wouldn't put me off it it was the only way

i helped crew a sailing boat once that had no diesel tank other than the day tank. we had to syphon diesel in every few hours, whilst underway. that was a massive pain in the ass mind

i haven't been that far yet but the previous owner used to make trips over to france quite a bit with these engines
 
Not entirely true unless you're thinking of pumps feeding direct to tank . Round here people think there's a problem getting fuel but you only need to nip up a river and you soon find a petrol station within minutes of the river , so you fill up while waiting for the tide , visit a local food stop , then back out when the tides right , easy
 
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