Diesel vs Petrol 2011!

[ian38_39]

Don't think you even need to go that far, just spend a few million on a diesel boat and put it in slings.

There are lots of boat fires, how many of them are accredited to petrol I don't know but I would like to know why most of them seem to have diesel engines if it is so safe, I know there are more diesel boats but they do still burn.

 

[rafiki_]

Don't think you even need to go that far, just spend a few million on a diesel boat and put it in slings.

There are lots of boat fires, how many of them are accredited to petrol I don't know but I would like to know why most of them seem to have diesel engines if it is so safe, I know there are more diesel boats but they do still burn.

I think the majority of boat fires are caused by wiring problems. If you have petrol on board you are much more likely to turn this crisis into a disaster, as it is much easier to vaporise and catch fire. You have to really work at it with diesel. So while there are probably as many fires on diesels as petrols, the consequences for the petrol are generaly more severe.

 

[Kipper]

Im not sure why people assume they cant maintain their own diesel engine for sensible money. If you can maintain a petrol engine you can maintain a diesel. They are not some mystery item that only dealers can touch.

Rising berthing costs affect everybody, both petrol and diesel, not sure how that is relevant to the conversation.

Well its all relevant because I would strugle to trail a deisel boat (avoiding berthing costs)and you dont get many under 25ft. Mine were Yanmars and whilst it did a lot of work myself the parts were very expensive and things like tubo' were beyond me.

 

[Phill]

That's not the point! There is a theoretical risk of explosion that can be used to justify spending more money on a slower version of the same boat.

Anyway, you can cheaply add the risk of explosion back in to your diesel boat, by adding a gas canister or two for the cooker:

I have met a few inland boat owners that pay no attention to the onboard gas system because they feel safe in their diesel as opposed to petrol boats. I, like most, find that a little worrying.
On the other hand, most petrol owners I know are very aware of the potential dangers and are very thorough in checking and maintaining all systems.

 

[ian38_39]

So I would vote a definite yes to the OP's question, maybe.

 

[joliette]

So I own a Hunton 36 with twin Mercruiser 377 Magnums; here's my arguement:
I needed new engines, and decided on petrol for the following reasons:
1). A pair of new Mercruiser Magnums, 320HP each 377 Cubic Inch, 6.1 litre, multi port fuel injection, two year warranty £36K the pair.
2). A pair of Yanmar 315 HP diesels, circa £55K the pair
3). A pair of Volvo D6s, circa £60K the pair.
Now I know that the diesel option will be worth more long term, but 24K is a lot of fuel and I have a boat that sounds awesome, is much lighter, goes faster and actually isn't, (realtively) that thirsty:
30MPH, 64 Litres per hour
40MPH, 82 LPH
50MPH, 122 LPH
60MPH 158 LPH.
(Figures ffrom mercury Smartcraft instruments).
Yes, before you say it, at 60 MPH and say £1.40 a litre that's £220 per hour but don't forget that you have done 60 miles by then !
(Having said that at Port Hamble on Monday it was £1.61 a litre !).
It's never going to be cheap to run but then again we don't go that far.
Man maths or value ???

Yeah ...! At my local - http://cowesharbourfuels.co.uk/ - diesel is £1.09 (at 60/40 split, to those who maybe committing fraud and avoiding the tax) and petrol £1.49. The difference is therefore 40p per litre. So, that saving of £24,000 would buy you 16,107 litres of fuel, enough for 251 hours of cruising at 30 mph. However, we really need to focus on the difference of 40p per litre, because this is the additional amount you'll be paying for fuel as a consequence of not selecting the diesel option. Here, the £24,000 saving will buy you 60,000 litres of fuel, enough for 937 hours of cruising at 30 mph.

The above doesn't take into account any improvement in fuel economy from a diesel choice. That said, it looks like a no brainer to me!

 

[lovezoo]

I have met a few inland boat owners that pay no attention to the onboard gas system because they feel safe in their diesel as opposed to petrol boats. I, like most, find that a little worrying.
On the other hand, most petrol owners I know are very aware of the potential dangers and are very thorough in checking and maintaining all systems.

Good point. I always open the engine hatch and check the engine before I even turn on the isolator. I've got a gas bbq in the garden - that gets checked once a year...

 

[ulyden]

Trouble shooting is more interesting today on modern diesels!

http://www.dodgeownerforums.com/smf/index.php?topic=8570.0


Where i live diesels are used because of their simplicity

 

[ian38_39]

Yeah ...! At my local - http://cowesharbourfuels.co.uk/ - diesel is £1.09 (at 60/40 split, to those who maybe committing fraud and avoiding the tax) and petrol £1.49. The difference is therefore 40p per litre. So, that saving of £24,000 would buy you 16,107 litres of fuel, enough for 251 hours of cruising at 30 mph. However, we really need to focus on the difference of 40p per litre, because this is the additional amount you'll be paying for fuel as a consequence of not selecting the diesel option. Here, the £24,000 saving will buy you 60,000 litres of fuel, enough for 937 hours of cruising at 30 mph.

The above doesn't take into account any improvement in fuel economy from a diesel choice. That said, it looks like a no brainer to me!

Sorry, not following this one, if you spend the extra 24000 on a diesel you don't need to worry about how much you are saving as you will have no money left to buy fuel anyway. For me that is 24k to sit on the pontoon and crow about how you made the right decision while the person that bought the petrols is out enjoying themselves.

 

[joliette]

Sorry, not following this one, if you spend the extra 24000 on a diesel you don't need to worry about how much you are saving as you will have no money left to buy fuel anyway. For me that is 24k to sit on the pontoon and crow about how you made the right decision while the person that bought the petrols is out enjoying themselves.

... and an extra 60,000 litres of fuel is a lot of enjoyment!

 

[lovezoo]

My petrol boat consumes around 1 litre per mile at a cruise of around 30mph. Therefore 60,000 litres of fuel gives me a range of just over around the world - twice.

 

[cem]

My petrol boat consumes around 1 litre per mile at a cruise of around 30mph. Therefore 60,000 litres of fuel gives me a range of just over around the world - twice.

+1 i may even get round 2 1/2 times

 

[CX54WEK]

....is that your number plate from your car?

It is indeed.

CX54WEK is the workhorse and B300 XVH is the toy

 

[CX54WEK]

Sorry, not following this one, if you spend the extra 24000 on a diesel you don't need to worry about how much you are saving as you will have no money left to buy fuel anyway. For me that is 24k to sit on the pontoon and crow about how you made the right decision while the person that bought the petrols is out enjoying themselves.

Wrong way around that.

Whilst the petrol boat owner is out in the car fetching petrol in jerry cans for their boat the diesel boat owner on the adjacent has set sail and is enjoying themselves

 

[ian38_39]

Sorry, not following this one, if you spend the extra 24000 on a diesel you don't need to worry about how much you are saving as you will have no money left to buy fuel anyway. For me that is 24k to sit on the pontoon and crow about how you made the right decision while the person that bought the petrols is out enjoying themselves.

got it now. must have been asleep yesterday.

but just to check £24k savings on engines for Mr petrol over smug Mr diesel.

Both to the fuel pontoon and Mr diesel fills up with 500 litres of red smelly stuff costing 109 per litre, total £545, Mr petrol pours in £745 for the same 500 litres. Mr diesel feels smug because he has saved £200. Mr petrol smiles to himself knowing that this whole process will be repeated 120 times before Mr Diesel catches up. How many tanks do you put in your boat in a year Rachel?

lets say 5 fills a year for Mr average Boater, or 24 years before we balance the books in that time both boats will have probably been re engined again.

Of course if you use dramatically dramatically less fuel due to using your boat in a very fuel efficient way then it will take an awful lot longer to get your money back but at least your kids will be able to inherit about half of the differential between the engines when the worry of the overdraft kills you

 

[CX54WEK]

got it now. must have been asleep yesterday.

but just to check £24k savings on engines for Mr petrol over smug Mr diesel.

Both to the fuel pontoon and Mr diesel fills up with 500 litres of red smelly stuff costing 109 per litre, total £545, Mr petrol pours in £745 for the same 500 litres. Mr diesel feels smug because he has saved £200. Mr petrol smiles to himself knowing that this whole process will be repeated 120 times before Mr Diesel catches up. How many tanks do you put in your boat in a year Rachel?

lets say 5 fills a year for Mr average Boater, or 24 years before we balance the books in that time both boats will have probably been re engined again.

Of course if you use dramatically dramatically less fuel due to using your boat in a very fuel efficient way then it will take an awful lot longer to get your money back but at least your kids will be able to inherit about half of the differential between the engines when the worry of the overdraft kills you

Not sure how many tanks we go through a year as we keep it topped up where possible. Last years tally was just under 1000 litres. So lets call that 5 times for the sake of round numbers (225 litre tank).

Not sure why you would be worrying about your overdraft whilst owing a diesel boat though, its the petrol that costs a lot and worries the overdraft

 

[ian38_39]

Not sure how many tanks we go through a year as we keep it topped up where possible. Last years tally was just under 1000 litres. So lets call that 5 times for the sake of round numbers (225 litre tank).

Not sure why you would be worrying about your overdraft whilst owing a diesel boat though, its the petrol that costs a lot and worries the overdraft

So on the 500 litre tank scenario we are talking 2 fills a year then instead of 5? will have to go away and think about what that does to the figures?

Mr petrol does not have to worry about his overdraft as he had enough to buy his new engines and earns enough to pay the extra bit for fuel. Mr Diesel is having a bit of a coronary as he was £24k lite on the money for the new engines. he could have bought petrol but felt that he needed diesels so he could enjoy the smug factor.

 

[CX54WEK]

So on the 500 litre tank scenario we are talking 2 fills a year then instead of 5? will have to go away and think about what that does to the figures?

Mr petrol does not have to worry about his overdraft as he had enough to buy his new engines and earns enough to pay the extra bit for fuel. Mr Diesel is having a bit of a coronary as he was £24k lite on the money for the new engines. he could have bought petrol but felt that he needed diesels so he could enjoy the smug factor.

Mr Diesel doesnt need new engines, as the raw water has not eaten away at his engine unlike poor Mr Petrol who now has to replace his engine and manifolds and waste yet more of the boating "season".

Mr Diesel is now feeling very smug as he is enjoying the summer sunshine on the water not grafting on his boat on the hard in the sweltering heat

 

[ian38_39]

Mr Diesel doesnt need new engines, as the raw water has not eaten away at his engine unlike poor Mr Petrol who now has to replace his engine and manifolds and waste yet more of the boating "season".

Mr Diesel is now feeling very smug as he is enjoying the summer sunshine on the water not grafting on his boat on the hard in the sweltering heat

Mr petrol thanks you for your concern but fortunately as these are new petrols they are fresh water cooled, just the same as poor Mr Diesels were. Mr Diesel is a lot more worried about the water in his diesel. Mr petrol was going to shake Mr Diesels hand to thank him for his unnecessary but heartfelt concern but then he noticed Mr Diesel was busy cleaning a bug from his filters and was very slimy indeed.

Even in 1993 Sealine were fitting fresh water cooling to petrol engines, will send you a picture.

 

[CX54WEK]

Mr petrol thanks you for your concern but fortunately as these are new petrols they are fresh water cooled, just the same as poor Mr Diesels were. Mr Diesel is a lot more worried about the water in his diesel. Mr petrol was going to shake Mr Diesels hand to thank him for his unnecessary but heartfelt concern but then he noticed Mr Diesel was busy cleaning a bug from his filters and was very slimy indeed.

Even in 1993 Sealine were fitting fresh water cooling to petrol engines, will send you a picture.

Mr Diesel thanked Mr Petrol for his concern however pointed out that Mr Petrol really shouldnt be smoking whilst he was pouring his petrol from the jerry cans he had brought by car from the petrol station, into his boat.

Whilst Mr Diesels back was momentarily turned, Mr Petrol was blown through the air by his exploding boat and deposited on the brokerage pontoon, onto the seat of a modern diesel powered boat. Mr Petrol suddenly saw the light and bought the diesel boat.