Fuel prices

billyfish

billyfish

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What difference will it make to your time on the water now fuel is so expensive..I for one will be waiting more for wind and tide..
On the plus side maybe there we I'll be less ' solent chop '
 
No difference to my time on the water, nor will it make a difference if I have to motor. Fuel is a minor expense compared to marina fees. I do have the tanks for 120 gallons in 2 x 60 gallon tanks. I just don't need that volume of fuel so decommissioned a tank a few years ago. I filled up February this year, 60 gallons, so that's me for another couple of years. I might buy a ghoster this year for light winds sailing.
 
I was once asked (I won't say who by) to write an article on 'cutting CO2 emissions when sailing'. My conclusion, after many 'fag packet' calculations was 'don't drive to the marina, bicycle instead, and for God's sake don't fly'. This was unacceptable to the powers that be.

Hypocritically, my boatyard/marina, while within cycling distance from home, is along an extremely busy and dangerous pinch-point (A39 between Deroran and Penworthal) so I drive! So I can't take the moral high ground either...
 
Sticky Fingers said:
It won’t change my boating behaviour at all, the fuel cost is microscopic in comparison with the overall cost of running the boat, and that’s with a 50’ motor boat that drinks diesel at about 1.5 gallons a mile…
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Blimey...1.5 gals/hr no wonder you all go so fast
 
When I see the price of fuel it makes me glad we chose a boat with a small, single engine that averages 3.5 mpg rather than the one with twin high power ones that might hit 1mpg on a good day.
 
I find that over a season I cover 1000-1500 miles and the engine is used for about 40% of that distance. This is cruising and sailing in less than 8 knts doesn't always work in a 36ft 10 tonnes laden boat. A surprising amount is used entering and extricating myself from shelter, and the big hours come from 12+ hrs motoring in calm conditions up down and across the Irish Sea. I get 8-10 miles per gallon.

I filled up 65 gallons 2 weeks ago which should do the season. I thought it was expensive but maybe I timed it right!

Even that is less than I use getting to and from the boat and is dwarfed by the domestic bills.
 
Weirdly I find I use a lot less fuel on a week's cruising with the kids on board than we do racing. Racing we often find ourselves with some fairly lengthy spells of motoring out of the river / harbour and to the race area for a defined start time. Either in very little wind or going upwind for several miles. And then the reverse when you finish and want to get to the pub. Whereas cruising in a fast sailing boat the motoring is limited to only the time required to actually clear the river and get the sails up, and the destination picked to suit the wind strength and direction rather than the location of the racing.
 
billyfish said:
What difference will it make to your time on the water now fuel is so expensive..I for one will be waiting more for wind and tide..
On the plus side maybe there we I'll be less ' solent chop '
Click to expand...
Fuel rationing worries me more than cost, if there's a shortage for haulage/agriculture/public transport I can't see it being considered very socially acceptable to fill up a pleasure boat. Then there's being able to get to the boat at all, if there isn't much fuel around I'd need to save it at weekends to be able to get to work on weekdays. The outcome is totally unpredictable (like everything else about the current situation) from very minimal impact all the way through to no sailing over the summer.
 
At the moment I'm backwards and forwards to my boat getting work done to knocking up the miles. Once boat is sorted to a reasonable level I will stay on board for quite a few days so my travel fuel used will drop.
Boat being a cat with 2 small diesels doesn't use much diesel unlike the 2 hour drive down once back on my permanent berth.
 
My main concern is the stares I’m going to get when I fill up my multiple 20litre Jerry cans at Morrisons 🙈

If it it’s still expensive next summer I might look at moving the boat further up the Clyde. More expensive and less convenient to get to but closer to the nice bits of the Clyde so would use less fuel.
 
Phil_boat said:
My main concern is the stares I’m going to get when I fill up my multiple 20litre Jerry cans at Morrisons 🙈

If it it’s still expensive next summer I might look at moving the boat further up the Clyde. More expensive and less convenient to get to but closer to the nice bits of the Clyde so would use less fuel.
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You might not be allowed to fill up multiple cans and it will depend on the garage policy. This topic has become topical again and is being reported in newspapers.


A recent example from the from your daily tit Find out how many portable containers you're allowed to fill with fuel in the UK
How many portable containers are you allowed to fill with fuel in the UK?

Under the Petroleum (Consolidation) Regulations 2014, you can fill a maximum of two containers with petrol at any petrol station.

Under the same regulations, plastic containers must have a capacity of no more than 10 litres, while metal containers can hold up to 20 litres.

Tesco said: “Under the Petroleum Consolidation Regulations, we are required to have a policy in place to ensure the safe use of portable fuel containers at our petrol stations.

“Our policy is that only two portable containers (with a maximum combined capacity of 30 litres) may be filled on each visit by a customer.”
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Tesco's policy https://www.tesco.com/help/pages/in...bjHjXMVNugwwW9ygzPVGsJRXaGmGKKR9lgRm7xwfn7q9N

The Health and Safety Executive If you are an operator of or an employee at a petrol filling station - HSE


What containers can be filled at a petrol station?

Only 'suitable portable containers' can be filled with petrol ie:

plastic containers up to 10 litres
metal containers up to 20 litres
a demountable fuel tank
Suitable portable containers are defined in Schedule 2 (para 6) and Schedule 3 of the regulations. UN approved containers are an example of such containers.

More detailed information on portable petrol storage containers (PDF) is available.

How many containers can be filled at a petrol station?

The regulations do not specify the number of suitable portable containers that can be filled at a petrol filling station. This should be considered as part of the risk assessment for the site. Section 8 of the guidance document on 'Petrol filling stations guidance on managing the risks of fire and explosion (the Red Guide)' provides further information.
Click to expand...
 
Yeah I don’t go to Tesco… it’s the only place I’ve been told off!

My local Morrisons has just been franchised and now run by someone else that doesn’t seem to care 🤞
 
My in-laws and the other couple in our ownership group picked up the boat today and, as part of our agreement, we said they would fill it up to max with each of the three owners paying 1/3 and at each handover, fill back up to full at the departing couple's cost. The tank holds 800 litres and had 130 in it so needed 670. At a cost of 2.47 Euro a litre, the amounted to 1655 Euros and my BiL called to check if we still wanted to do this. Ee said to go ahead but, when they asked at the marina, they were only allowed to get 200 litres due to shortage.
 
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