Petrol/Diesel Price

[russ]

Before i buy my first boat of which is narrowed down to two different makes, both of being needing different fuels.
What is the cost of petrol and diesel on the Thames in the Windsor & Chertsey areas? This may help make my mind up on which to go for.

As for mpg the brokers say that they will do more or less the same as they are only ticking over when used on the river. True or false?

 

[boatone]

Not sure of the exact price at the moment but the cost per liter of both petrol and diesel is not that different - both notionally around £1 or so. 'Just ticking over' on the river also largely true although you will obviously get through more fuel with a couple of big beasties (ie twin high power jobbies) than with a single economical diesel.

The major issue will be be cost differential between a petrol engined boat and a diesel one.

Petrol as a fuel is not much favoured for safety reasons and also quite difficult to find riverside so boats with petrol engines tend to be significantly cheaper than same type of craft fitted with diesel.

 

[CX54WEK]

Do your research wisely. A petrol engine isnt going to be as economical as a diesel even at tickover. Not only this but petrol isnt as widely avaliable at the riverside. There is a huge price difference between petrol and diesel boats though. If you plan on using your boat a lot than diesel would be the wiser choice IMO.

As an aside we currently get our diesel for 64ppl, the cheapest petrol locally is 110ppl, couple that with around 3 lph for our diesel boat at river speeds, and our friends doing 6lph at river speeds and it costs us in a diesel boat £1.92 in diesel per hours cruising and them £6.60 in petrol for an hours cruising. Maybe not a massive difference for some, but at the end of a weeks holiday the difference soon adds up.

 

[Andrew_Fanner]

64ppl, that doesn't sound like Thames prices! Where is that?

 

[CX54WEK]

64ppl, that doesn't sound like Thames prices! Where is that?

Rotherham

But even with higher diesel prices elsewhere, the extra fuel economy of a diesel boat plus the greater avaliablity of the fuel riverside has to be a bonus.

 

[oldgit]

Diesel if you possibly can.

You will be able to buy a boat much more cheaply if buy something with petrols mainly cos nobody will buy them,hence low prices.Would suggest something with smallish petrols such as 4 cyl Volvo or Mercruiser if you have too.
Avoid at all costs anything with monster V6 or V8 lumps.

Trouble will come when you get adventurous,chugging up and down twixt locks,your £6.00 a gallon marina fuel does not pose to much of a problem even if your arms to not stretch from lugging 25l drums from Tesco to save a bob or two.
Its when the siren voice of St Kats or the faraway and legendary heaven of the Medway calls.A recent trip from Bray to St Kats and back was alleged to have cost £200(I reckon it was more) in petrol last summer for largish twin engined sport boat and you need to be full up once past Teddington cos nowhere after that to easily take on fuel.
Most of us started out with pterol,but jumped ship regarding that fuel on subsequent boats.

 

[boatone]

Most of us started out with pterol,but jumped ship regarding that fuel on subsequent boats.

You speak for yourself, Fred. I've been running on diesel since 1959. In those days the tanks were big enough to get me from the Mudway (IOG) to Durban non stop and with fuel to spare

 

[No Regrets]

With regard to my more modest vessels:

Shamby. A 26 foot Diesel sportscruiser, Volvo D5 160bhp.................0.5 gph

No Regrets. A Birchwood 25 with 60 bhp Ford Petrol........................0.7 gph

No Regrets. Current Broom 30 with 60bhp Perkins 4108 Diesel..........0.7 gph

All figures worked out from various tankfuls and conditions, not exact, but pretty damn close!

This makes Diesel a winner overall, and I understand the huge 5.0 litre V8 stuff uses 2 gph per engine...

Thats at upper Thames speed. I would imagine planing would show a vast difference. Add the disadvantages a Petrol, engine has with regards to Fire risk and electrics, and it's a no brainer.

As the nice man said though, those old Volvo 240 engines (130bhp 4 cyl jobbies) are still in with a chance as they are rubust and not too bad on fuel!

 

[BoyBlue49]

Petrol or Diesel

Go for diesel, petrol boats may be cheaper to buy but almost impossible to sell. If any one smokes on board you may not have the problem of selling anymore in a instant.
Diesel at my local tractor / farm machinery sales 50p pl, ( red of course ).

 

[russ]

diesel

Diesel it is then. I have just had my offer excepted on my first boat. Next thing, the survey. Then i'm sure there will be many questions to be asked on the forum.

 

[oldgit]

Diesel at my local tractor / farm machinery sales 50p pl, ( red of course )

But using thats naughty and of course would not be suggested by me at all and whats more the stuff stinks to high heaven for weeks if you spill it on your overalls and will still pong a bit after 3/4 washes.
So I have been told!

 

[TrueBlue]

Diesel at my local tractor / farm machinery sales 50p pl, ( red of course )

But using thats naughty and of course would not be suggested by me at all and whats more the stuff stinks to high heaven for weeks if you spill it on your overalls and will still pong a bit after 3/4 washes.
So I have been told!

If you're going to use cans it is safer (environmentally) to syphon or pump from one to t'other. There's a lady on eBay selling Whale inline pumps that do diesel for not a lot. All you have to do is wipe the pipes with a kitchen towel when done. Wrap said towel in a placcy bag and dispose.

That's what I do and use the towels to start a bonfire at home...

 

[Andrew_Fanner]

Diesel at my local tractor / farm machinery sales 50p pl, ( red of course )

But using thats naughty and of course would not be suggested by me at all and whats more the stuff stinks to high heaven for weeks if you spill it on your overalls and will still pong a bit after 3/4 washes.
So I have been told!

So if you were a model citizen and declared 60/40 what would that work out to be?

 

[CX54WEK]

So if you were a model citizen and declared 60/40 what would that work out to be?

Declaring 60/40 is easier said than done at a tractor service station!!!!!

 

[BoyBlue49]

Dear Oldgit,
The "stuff" that you so eloquently speak of is the same "stuff" you buy at any marina. The "stuff" you would buy at a service station is the same "stuff" without red dye plus few additives.
So I don't see how it can be any worse. You probably are not speaking from experience I think.

 

[Phill]

Go for diesel, petrol boats may be cheaper to buy but almost impossible to sell. If any one smokes on board you may not have the problem of selling anymore in a instant.

A statement I dont fully agree with. I have had three petrol boats on the Upper Thames. They had a combined age of more than fifty years and none of them had exploded or burst into flames before, during or since my ownership.
All my boats were in good condition, well maintained and were priced at a reasonable level. All sold very easily and the last, a Princess 33 with two AQ130's sold within two weeks of the brokers adverts appearing.

Don't want this to turn into a petrol versus diesel discussion but folks should be realistic about the advantages and disadvantages of both fuels.

 

[oldgit]

"You probably are not speaking from experience I think."

Drat I have been rumbled !

 

[Brayman]

"You probably are not speaking from experience I think."

Drat I have been rumbled !

Not again!

 

[No Regrets]

A statement I dont fully agree with. I have had three petrol boats on the Upper Thames. They had a combined age of more than fifty years and none of them had exploded or burst into flames before, during or since my ownership.
All my boats were in good condition, well maintained and were priced at a reasonable level. All sold very easily and the last, a Princess 33 with two AQ130's sold within two weeks of the brokers adverts appearing.

Don't want this to turn into a petrol versus diesel discussion but folks should be realistic about the advantages and disadvantages of both fuels.

As I clearly stated:

Those with old Volvo 240 engines.....


Your 'AQ's' are in fact the trusty old Volvo 2.1 or 2.3 litre 4 cylinder Volvo car engines which garnished most Volvos sold from around 1978 to 1990.

Bloody good units, literally lasted forever in the old Swede bashers, not that they were the most refined or powerful units at that capacity, but pleasant enough, heavily built and plenty of midrange torque. Ideal for Boating!

 

[Phill]

As I clearly stated:

Those with old Volvo 240 engines.....


Your 'AQ's' are in fact the trusty old Volvo 2.1 or 2.3 litre 4 cylinder Volvo car engines which garnished most Volvos sold from around 1978 to 1990.

Bloody good units, literally lasted forever in the old Swede bashers, not that they were the most refined or powerful units at that capacity, but pleasant enough, heavily built and plenty of midrange torque. Ideal for Boating!

The engines you are referring to are the B21 (2100cc) and B23 (2300cc) both of which were overhead camshaft.

The ones in my boat are the earlier B20 (2000cc) overhead valve engines, which were also available in 1800CC as the B18.

In marine applications both the overhead valve and overhead camshaft engines became known as the AQ range with the following figures i.e. AQ130, referring to horsepower.

As you say, a strong and reliable engine that would run forever making them ideal for marine use.