Mileage

[JEBar]

Re: Mileage

I always say, ultimately you need to know where you are going to run out of fuel, not when GPH means nothing without speed. With speed you have MPG and then you have something you can use. There you go Kickback

I really appreciate all of the responses ..... I guess the above pretty well sums up what I was trying to address in opening this post .... just as with our vehicles, mileage most certainly varies with circumstances .... for me the simpler the gauge the better

Jim

 

[JEBar]

Re: Mileage

Give some specs on your boat if you need assistance.

our boat is a 2004 Sea Pro 180 DC .... Specifications :

? Centerline Length: 17'6"
? Beam: 7' 5"
? Approx. Wt.: 1500 LBS
? Fuel Capacity: 42 GAL
? Max. HP: 140 HP
? Rec. HP: 90-115 HP
? O/B Shaft Length: 20"
? Deadrise @ Transom 15?
? Approx. Draft: 9"


it is powered by an '04 Johnson 90 hp Sea Pro outboard .... the boat and motor are designed for salt water use but our boat has never been used in salt water

Jim

 

[JEBar]

Re: Mileage

Boy or Boy, this is actually a lot more difficult to accomplish than you think.

it's just what I found. I can stick with the rule of thirds and do just fine with a analog fuel gauge.

The only reason I'm throwing that out there is because it just might be easier for you.

I'm all for making things easier and appreciate the effort .... the rule of thirds makes perfect sense to me .... when one is considering going from point A to point B and then returning to point A, having sufficient fuel to get there and back while maintaining a safety/emergency reserve is the smartest way to go .... what I'm trying to come up with is a way to know if our boat has sufficient fuel capacity to get from point A to point B

Jim

 

[Fireman431]

Re: Mileage

This is the model you want if you are looking for and analog readout with a digital Total Gallons Burned (even though the info reads for >150 hp, the tech specs read 25-300HP).

http://www.floscan.com/html/blue/seriesdetail.php?sid=11

This is the model you want if you want a digital multi function gauge:

http://www.floscan.com/html/blue/seriesdetail.php?sid=12&catid=2

With a 42 gal capacity tank, determine the mileage from point A to B. A boat of your size with average loading and maintaining an average speed (not WOT) should burn, at average cruise (say 25 MPH) about 4 GPH (thats 6.25 MPG for anyone else ). A safe bet would be to plan on a full tank, Google the distance between point A and point B, and plan on 5 MPG. If you fit easily into the 1/3 rule, go have fun. If not, make new plans.

Again, each situation will be based on all of those variables mentioned earlier, but those were the burn rates from the Mercury website on an 18' boat with 3/4 loading.

 

[JEBar]

Re: Mileage

With a 42 gal capacity tank, determine the mileage from point A to B. A boat of your size with average loading and maintaining an average speed (not WOT) should burn, at average cruise (say 25 MPH) about 4 GPH (thats 6.25 MPG for anyone else ). A safe bet would be to plan on a full tank, Google the distance between point A and point B, and plan on 5 MPG. If you fit easily into the 1/3 rule, go have fun. If not, make new plans.

information appreciated ..... that is the line of thinking I was trying to collect the pieces so as to be able to use .... knowing the range of mileage we can expect to get makes all of the other things fall into place .... I've read many post where folks were getting a couple of miles per gallon and that is a whole different ball park than 5 +/- mpg .... fully realizing that the mileage can vary substantially, it still helps to have a rough number to work with .... the best way I know if is to put some sort of gauge on our boat so as to determine numbers directly related to our rig, the conditions under which it is used and the manner in which it is driven .... thanks for the links

Jim

 

[RustyShackleford]

Re: Mileage

You can measure MPG or GPH. There are gauges and sensors out there for both. Dont listen to anyone that says there arent because they obviously haven't looked for a MPG setup. You can also measure MPH and GPH separately and combined them in your head.. i.e. in 1 hour I am going to go about 25 miles and use 15 G, or whatever your case may be. Cut in half for 30 min, etc. There are many factors that are going to impact this, just as with a car. Measuring separately and doing the math will probably be much less expensive in equipment.

 

[QC]

Re: Mileage

This debate never ceases to amaze me . . . The stupid thing is we are all concerned about, and saying, the same things. We're just using different words :facepalm: