Engine hours : what is average?

[dobsy]

As a relative newcomer to motorboating, what would you say are average engine hours per year for a 20 -25 footer . We all know 10 000 miles per year is average for a car, so what is the "point of reference" for motor boats.

Yes, I know I shouldn't judge on this alone, but it has to be a material consideration . . .

Answers ona postcard please . . ;-)




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[BrendanS]

50 hours a year is pretty much considered the average

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[tcm]

50 bit low

um, i wd say 50 is a bit low, really. More like 150 for first year, then 75-100. Praps it's more for bigger boats yiou can stay on for days and weeks?

The hidden question is (i think) related to buying a used boat - and for that i wd say more hours is better - provided the condition is good.

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[BrendanS]

Re: 50 bit low

Agree on more the better, but why do you disagree with 50 hours being average when it's been stated as the average in many places, and here on forums many times with little disagreement?

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[longjohnsilver]

So wot is average? As we all know many boats hardly move year in year out whilst those that are actually used could do many more than 50 hrs. Also average speed should come into the equation. So no one knows wot the average is, I'd always go for a well used and maintained boat, forget the engine hours unless really low. In many ways the higher the better, after all a marine diesel if serviced (ie regular oil changes) regularly shd be good for 5 - 10,000 hours. If never used it will probably rot within a thousand hours.

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[tcm]

Re: 50 bit low

oh, not seen it discussed that much. Thort nearer 100 given as average. A boat salesperson/fixer (ocass. forumite too) said 75-100. I mean, a boat 10 yearts old would surely not have only done 500 hours would it?



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[BrendanS]

Re: 50 bit low

Forget this forum, industry average is 50ish. Often quoted, and probably backed up by lots of experience

Don't care, do loads more than that

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[Deleted User YDKXO]

Re: 50 bit low

I agree with tcm. I've seen 100hrs average quoted in mags and I used to avarage 120-150 myself whilst in the UK. Now doing about 75hrs average in Med
Its easy to rack up 40hrs on a 2 week holiday so I cant see that 50hrs is an annual average

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[Wiggo]

Re: 50 bit low

bear in mind he's looking at a 20-25 footer, so almost certainly petrol. Average may well be lower than the 50-100 touted for diesel boats.

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[duncan]

Re: geez guys........

if you set the parameters you can probably be correct/right/spot on etc with any number between 30 and 150!
At the lower end an average of the engine hours done for all 20-25ft powered craft in the UK - whether in commission or not.
At the higher end craft paying for mooring, berthing, dry racking etc
People tend to buy diesel at this end of the market because they intend to do higher hours - but it doesn't always work that way! Range is rarely a practical reason for diesel as only BrendanS really getws off on a 3 hour passage abord a 20ft craft!
Boats (planning) kept in areas with speed restrictions will tend to do more engine hours for any given trip as they progress - down the Medway, Hamble or through Poole Harbour than the same craft kept at Brighton/Weymouth.
As a weekend boater, pontoon based at the far end of Poole Harbour, diesel, 25ft and using the boat 12 months of the year (well maybe 10 'cos the fishing's naff in Feb/March) I consistently do 200 hours a year. But for averages there are at least 2 craft next to me that do less than 10 and few that do more.
Oh and yes - for second hand purchase a pattern of regular use (and hopefully regular servicing/maintance beats irregular/light use into a cocked hat for in commission craft but potentially well stored trailer craft with light use can be just as good/better.

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[itsonlymoney]

How long is a peice of string !!!!!!
It depends were you are boating, for instance the average on Windermere for that size boat is more likely to be 25 - 50hrs. (there's only so many times you can go around a lake before boredom sets in, the anchor goes down and the wine comes out)
Ian

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[Chris_d]

Marine engines almost never where out, they rust away first. My experience says 100hrs a year is average, would probably worry if a boat had done less than say 25hrs a year, so more hours is better generaly.
Forget car buying rules doesn't apply to boats,and anyway enginehour meters would be so easy to fiddle and quite often not working anyway, go on condition and if it has been reguarly used, steer clear of underused boats, unless brand new.

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[gjgm]

curious as to the reason behind the question, which may alleviate some of the opinions. People use their boats in such different ways. For some, its serious cruising, for others its dayboating, and I m not sure size, within some limitations, is the issue.
If your question is really to do with fuel, then engine hours isnt necessarily a good guide. Seen numbers that suggest 50pct increase in consumption is incurred for the last 10pct increase in speed. Or again, you might spend all day on the boat for only a couple of hours of engine running. (well maybe not this summer!)
Omitting the serious boating cruisers, and this forum quite probably has a non representative number, I ve commonly heard 50hrs sportsboat, 100 hours cruiser.
In fact unless you DO cruise alot or use the boat dayboating a hell of alot, I d think thats not far wrong. Add in bad weather w/e, other commitments and take out (generally) maybe 4-5 months of the year.. not that many hours left!

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[powerskipper]

the dealers normally work on 50-100 hr or there abouts as normally hours for a boat, and have seen it proved again and again. but there are always exceptions to the norm, like serious boats.

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Julie

 

[oldgit]

When looking around for my latest boat we saw two examples about the same age early 1980s.One boat had 400 hours on the clock the other 2500.Both Volvo 40A.

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[powerskipper]

were they river boats or seagoing, it's just what i have been told and seen a few time, there will alway be exceptions

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Julie

 

[oldgit]

Thames.sort of elephant graveyard for boats(and owners)?

Both on upper Thames,,but reckon one may have lived there always and the other gone there to retire./forums/images/icons/laugh.gif

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[Medskipper]

I agree with much of what has been said here, the thing is dealers like to make a big thing of low engine hours when trying to sell you a boat! but if the boat is a few years old with a very small amount of engine hours, this does not necessarily mean its in good condition! Engines are made to be used! and the larger the diesel engine the better it is to work it and sometimes work it hard to clear out all the carbon that soots it up running at low speeds!

The best bet is to have the engines surveyed as well as the boat, this does mean two separate surveyors but it could well pay you in the long run.

Barry


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[Barry777]

3 Weeks of "windless" sailing around Britaany in the summer logged 89 hours in 550 miles. I know the stock answer is to go where the wind blows, but if you have an itinery planned and agreed with "Crew" then sometimes there is no alternative.

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