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1985 Hatteras 70' CPMY Fuel Consumption Rates?

Discussion in 'Hatteras Yacht' started by Live Wire, Mar 29, 2011.

  1. Live Wire

    Live Wire New Member

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    In the process of buying a 70' 1985 Hatteras CPMY. I have to find the most economical way to get her from Aventura FL to Boston Harbor. Does anyone have any fuel consumption experience for this boat with twin 12v71 Detroit diesels? Anyone know of any services who "ship" yacht's (on a container ship??) Thanks!
  2. Bamboo

    Bamboo Senior Member

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    Of course speed is perhaps the biggest determinant of fuel burn- you go faster you'll burn more per mile. At 10 knots you may burn up to 15-20 GPH (gallons per hour), both engines with a gen set running. At 20 knots you'll quadruple that.
  3. Capt J

    Capt J Senior Member

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    I have extensive experience with a yacht very similar to yours and do a lot of deliveries. I've put 10,000nm's on a 75' Hatteras MY with 12v71's TI's. At cruise (1950 rpms) you're looking at close to 90gph at 17 knots.

    For fuel efficiency, if you run the yacht at 1000 rpms, you'll burn 12-15 gph (total) at around 10 knots, at 800 rpms 10 gph and 8.5 knots. At these slower speeds you'll have to run the engines up to cruise for 30 minutes, at least every 6 hours to clean them out some recommend every 4hrs but it really depends on how clean they run, but should average 1.5 Gallons Per Mile or close to it even including running it up. I did the entire Great Loop this way in 2008. We left Fort Laud with a crew of 4 and our first stop was Beufort, NC (550nm's away and 750 gallons).
  4. NYCAP123

    NYCAP123 Senior Member

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    Welcome to YF. With a few calls to Dockwise, etc. you should be able to find who does it (if anyone) (check using Newport as your destination), but most people run their boats up the coast on their own bottom. I DK if you've made the trip before, but if not, you have an opportunity to do what for many is a once in a lifetime cruise, learning about your new boat along the way and having a great adventure. It will probably take about 10 days to 3 weeks with that boat depending on the schedule you keep. If time is limited you can leave the boat along the way and come back. Although fewer boats are making the run these days due to fuel costs. you'll have a fair bit of company at this time of year.
  5. Live Wire

    Live Wire New Member

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    Fuel use...

    This is very helpful information! I had visions of spending $20,000+ on fuel alone on this trip! Looks like it should run $10,000 or under using your guidelines.

    So, do I understand you steamed on with no stops until NC? It looks like a straight shot that way. Clear, safe passage at night on this route?

    Thanks!
  6. NYCAP123

    NYCAP123 Senior Member

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    There's no such thing, but this is as close as it comes. If things start getting rough there are plenty of good inlets along the way for ducking inside, and you can go on the inside from anywhere along this route all the way up to Cape May, NJ. (I don't recommend going on the inside through NJ with that boat). BTW, time-wise with a boat like that it doesn't make much difference if you go inside or out. Fuel-wise you might even do better on the inside unless it's real calm outside. If you decide to run outside 24/7, just make sure you have sufficient qualified crew for that schedule.
  7. Live Wire

    Live Wire New Member

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    Thanks, Cap!

    All good information! I'm just getting started on this project. I appreciate your advice! Can I call on you when I dig deeper into my plans?

    Thanks!:)
  8. Capt J

    Capt J Senior Member

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    Yes, we went straight through with a crew of 4. I think we did 3 hours on, 9 hours off and took shifts. It took us 2 1/2 days at sea. It's a bit weather dependant and such. At night you have to pay attention to the radar, keep an eye out, and such. It cuts around 200nm's out of the trip, and you are very far offshore. Also, you pick up 2-3 knots on this route because you are in the gulf stream almost all of the time.

    3 weeks is way to long to do that trip, 10-14 days even averaging 10 knots on the ICW is about right. Another thing, the boat has to be completely mechanically correct and everything has to be up to date. Safety equipment, raw water hoses, engine + generator maintanence, bilge pumps, etc etc......

    The large Hatterases tend to be the most stable and comfortable at about 10 knots also. If you need a Captain to run the yacht to Boston, shoot me an e-mail.
  9. Live Wire

    Live Wire New Member

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    Thanks

    Thanks! I'll be in touch
  10. NYCAP123

    NYCAP123 Senior Member

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    We're all here for you. I'd plan on the 3 weeks however if going on the inside as that trip is getting slower and slower each year as more people build docks along the ICW. Also, until June you're often dealing with some rough seas offshore. There is also often a day or two lost to weather or breakdowns along the way. 10 days is possible though. I've done here to Miami in 5 days with a 29kt boat (day running only) and you're 1 day north of me, but better to plan on the longer time and consider anything less a bonus. If running on the inside you won't be running much at night (safety) so you can cut crew (2 would be sufficient). Plan on running outside through most of Florida however. South Florida on the inside can feel like a lifetime.
  11. Live Wire

    Live Wire New Member

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    rules and regs

    Sounds good. I'd like to try the ICW anyway. Can you recommend any good web sites, references, etc. regarding rules and regulations? (Maybe accommodations? Dockage and fuel)
  12. Pascal

    Pascal Senior Member

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    i run a Johnson 70 with cat 3412E and get about 18gph at 9.8kts. different boat obviously but as Capt J pointed out it's in the same ball park. Probably because while the modern Cats are more efficient but the hatt has less beam and will be more economical at hull speed.

    I usually plan on 18 to 20 days for the run between Miami and Nantucket every spring and fall but i mostly run the boat alone and keep the days reasonable (8 to 10 hours total). with a crew you can run longer and save a few days, in our case because of the owner schedule there is no point in rushing.

    to give you an idea of the costs, on my last trip down, in the fall, I used 2990USG for the mains and 310USG for the gensets. Had i run on plane at 22kts and 85GPH most of the way, we'd have used an extra 3200 gallons at close to $4 a gallon.. you do the math!

    dockage costs on that last trip where a whopping... $70! (I prefer anchoring...)

    I usually refuel at Osprey Marina in Myrtle Beach (often the cheapest fuel south of Norfolk), then Norfolk. Depending on fuel prices north, i often top off at Cape May then Point Judith or Newport (Pt Judith is often close to Casey's fuel barge in Newport and more convenient)

    altogether a lot cheaper than shipping. One issue with shipping is that mostships are foreign flagged and can run from US to US port so i dont' think you're going to find a competitive rate from FTL to Newport or BOS.
  13. Capt J

    Capt J Senior Member

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    Actually the 2 stroke DD's are more fuel efficient then the 3412's, at 1200rpm's or less. Over that, it's the opposite.

    All good info. The Intracoastal is a good trip all of the way up to Norfolk, then the Chesapeake Bay to Cape May, NJ. I would take the outside to Ft. Pierce, then the ICW north is pretty bridge free and mostly fast. There are also a lot of good stops that are interesting if you want to take a day off here and there and sight-see. You can figure averaging 90NM a day on the inside at 10 knots, with an hour of cruise speed built in and pushing hard (a lot of hours of traveling each day).

    Get a few cruising guides to learn about the trip and stops. A cruising guide will tell you where the Marina's are, what ammenities and etc........Maptech makes a good one but the trip will be split between a few of their books: South, Mid-Atlantic, and Northern.........
  14. NYCAP123

    NYCAP123 Senior Member

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    Your most important site will be: http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/maps/Northeast.shtml Even with no computer network available you're able to call in and get the forecasts for your area without listening to the whole coast, waiting to get to your area. Plus it gives you the actual current conditions. I've been surprised too many times by forecasts that say 4' seas only to find 10' when you put the wind wave on top of the swell.

    Skipper Bob's is good for ICW conditions. Marinas.com and several other will give marina info. I recommend picking up cruising guides and paper charts for the trip however, but I'm old fashioned. You can often borrow many of these from others who have made the trip as it's a fairly big investment of one trip. The charts are worth their weight in gold when the GPS craps out or to give you an overview while your plotter is zoomed in, and I find the paper cruising guides much more convenient, especially when you get somewhere and find that it's not as advertised and you want to change plans.
  15. NYCAP123

    NYCAP123 Senior Member

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    Ditto on Ft. Pierce (or Canaveral) being the first stop. I'd rather wait a day or two for weather to clear than run the inside south of Ft. Pierce (and especially south of Lk. Worth).
  16. Capt J

    Capt J Senior Member

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    Canaveral is OK, but it's a pain in the butt to get through that lock (I've seen it closed for a day because of manatees), and then the 10ish miles to the icw. Ft. Pierce it's more direct to the ICW and north you go.......Also at 10 knots it's a good stop or you can continue north and make sebastian or vero........
  17. Pascal

    Pascal Senior Member

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    i find myself relying increasingly on activecaptain.com especially now with the Iphone app as well as PolarNavy nav software which includes Ac markers. It has replaced cruising guides...

    for last minute ICW conditions, cruisersnet.net is a good resource although a little too pessimistic (got to keep site traffic up...)

    i'm not sure the OP intends on taking the boat himself, if so having a notebook with free NOAA charts and either OpenCPN or PolarNavy, with a USB/BT GPS, is a must have as a back up.

    for paper charts, the Kettlesomething ICW chart book is also a must have on the trip.


    one last comment whcih may be of interest to others considering that run north... about weather delay, the most common are the Delaware Bay which can be really nasty although a hatt shoudl have no problem cutting thru the short chop and the run up the jersey coast. on smaller boats, don't over look the Albemarle crossing and the Neuse river as well.
  18. Live Wire

    Live Wire New Member

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    Again, Thanks!

    All great information. Glad i joined up here!

    "There's no substitute for experience"!!!
  19. NYCAP123

    NYCAP123 Senior Member

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    The chartbooks I use are Maptech and for guides I use Waterway Guide. Like them. A couple of notes, 1) Although there are many usable inlets along the coast there are many that can be disasterous, especially in something like a 70 Hat. Except where circumstances dictate I try to always stick with the main inlets. A lot less risk. 2) the Delaware can definitely change your plans. I once hit it running from the C & D to Cape May with a stiff wind from the S/E. Those 6 footers were stacked so close together that the restaurant back at Delaware City got a lot of dinner guests.
    Let us know how things are working out with your plans. In the mean time put ICW or IntraCoastal Waterway into the search feature here you'll learn a lot. And when (if) you do the trip be sure to bring your camera. You won't regret it.
  20. Pascal

    Pascal Senior Member

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    i usually run up to Ft Pierce... north of Ft Pierce, there are almost no speed restrictions so even if you're in a rush you dont' save much time by going thru canaveral.

    south of Ft Pierce, on the inside it's slow going but i've done miami - St lucie in one long day (13 hours i think). the bridges are nicely timed so you rarely have to wait if to take it slow. Still beats waiting for weather to run outside, espeically with an unstablilized boat and seas on the beam!