Potential first boat- questions about fuel consumption and range

Hot Property said:
I had a 210 litre tank on my 7m sports cruiser with a 200 Verado on it

Yes diesel should be more efficient, but a 250 litre tank is going to hamper your range

Why not buy a boat that hasn't been modified?

Could you give us a clue as to what sort of budget you have?

The market is very depressed currently and your hard earned cash will go a long way....
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I've definitely not decided to buy this one! Looking to spend around £50k but have flexibility- would rather go over for the right boat than try to stay under and get something I'm not actually in love with. Seem to be a few candidates in that sort of range for sale atm but let me know if I'm off
 
porphyro said:
I've definitely not decided to buy this one! Looking to spend around £50k but have flexibility- would rather go over for the right boat than try to stay under and get something I'm not actually in love with. Seem to be a few candidates in that sort of range for sale atm but let me know if I'm off
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Better start a new ‘what mobo’ thread on here
 
£50K at the mo could buy you 1992 Princess 35 and a ever so slightly unloved Turbo 36 and still leave you with several thousands in the bank to fill the 1000L tanks they both have,
They are of course both on shafts.
 
simonfraser said:
Something like this

https://www.boatsandoutboards.co.uk/boat/2015-beneteau-antares-8-80-ob-9625399/
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A modern boat looks in good condition too.

AND it has a single 300 hp outboard. Low maintenance costs, low corrosion of leg as you lift it out of the water. Easy to flush with fresh water after every trip.

Compared to twin, old sterndrives on your first boat you looked at - uurghhhhh. Unless you are very handy these will cost you!

As a first boat I think this is a cracker. It also has a bow thruster to help you in your learning when coming alongside!
 
Hot Property said:
A modern boat looks in good condition too.

AND it has a single 300 hp outboard. Low maintenance costs, low corrosion of leg as you lift it out of the water. Easy to flush with fresh water after every trip.

Compared to twin, old sterndrives on your first boat you looked at - uurghhhhh. Unless you are very handy these will cost you!

As a first boat I think this is a cracker. It also has a bow thruster to help you in your learning when coming alongside!
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Sale pending- but it does look very appealing!
 
porphyro said:
I'm definitely not a tinkerer. What do you think of this?
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It looks nice - new engine 4 years ago BUT was the stern drive replaced too?

Maintained well, sterndrives are good, but you must treat them as if they are another engine in terms of costs.

Bellows, gimbals etc all need regular maintenance. Its certainly more pointy than the Antares 8.8 but its also 24 years old so other things could go wrong.

I bought my 20ft sports cuddy last year. It was a 2013 boat but with a 2018 outboard. I have spent about £1,500 getting it up to my standards (£750 on chart plotter alone).

You need to think along the lines that you are buying an engine with a boat attached - that's where the money is spent!

Fuel use is a rounding error....

Before you splash £50k on a boat it's worth looking around to see if anyone can take you out or show you their boats. Everyone will have different requirements - what are yours?

Most buyers change their first boat within a couple of years as they realise they want xyz feature.....
 
Hot Property said:
Before you splash £50k on a boat it's worth looking around to see if anyone can take you out or show you their boats. Everyone will have different requirements - what are yours?

Most buyers change their first boat within a couple of years as they realise they want xyz feature.....
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Yup, this,
I knew that the boat my wife liked would only be short term as it was quite limited. It was a good introduction for my wife, we had been looking casually for a boat, the Mrs. put a few limitations on what I could look at and even though I had showed her the boat we eventually bought she had rejected it. We were out for a cycle run and she spotted a cute little 7.5m river cruiser and she said "I like that" we bought it did it up and used it a bit as a day boat, then we went for a long weekend and a 100mile cruise, that is when she said "we need a bigger boat" but it served it's purpose, now we have an 11.6m twin engine cruiser which fits us much better, she loves they layout -except for the single beds - and I love driving the boat.

As for fuel consumption, how long is a piece of string? at low rpm and the canal speeds we are limited to she sips the fuel at 7knots she is doing about 3.5 litres per hour per engine, at 17knots she is drinking 10 times that, with 2 x 454 litre tanks which would give a range of around 720nm @7knots with a 20% reserve, or 175nm @17knots with 20% reserve, the engines are 5.8litre 6cyl145hp turbo diesels, the boat in the water ready to go weighs in around the 10 tonnes with full fuel and water of 953 litres of diesel and 454 litres of water, inc. 45lites of diesel in the tank for the diesel fired heater.
 
I had a similar boat with similar engines and averaged 3nm per gallon. Thats a mixture of slow speed stuff and the beginning and end of passages and cruising at around 20 knots, with probably 80% usage at cruising speed. I had a 450 litre tank and worked on a range of circa 250nm max

edit for clarification: I was referring to your first post. I had a 9m boat with twin 150hp diesels on sterndrives.
 
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