Originally Posted by gccolvin

Thanks for asking that question- I originally was sold on the trawlers, but after reading some items concerning the Hatteras MYs, and a bit of searching I fell upon the sportfish boats, and as Capt. J and others have said, at slow speeds, they can be equally as efficient!
Plus they look great, and have the ability to get up and go as well... I am hoping some folks will chime in on this thread!
Good luck in your search!

Yachtfish livability?
Maintenance issues versus trawlers?
Range and Deck space seem to be the obvious downsides?

It was suggested I repost this here in the obvious forum, any takers?

[Bayside Bert28]

I think you could count out my 1984 Bertram 54 for being efficient at any speed. It is comfortable, livable, cruisable and pretty ... but traveling 20 knots is going to cost over 50 gallons of fuel at almost any speed. At 18 knots speed, traveling a distance of 20 knots will cost approx 80 gallons.

Compared to keeping this boat in bristol condition, however, fuel is NOT one of the bigger costs.

[Capt J]

Originally Posted by Bayside Bert28

I think you could count out my 1984 Bertram 54 for being efficient at any speed. It is comfortable, livable, cruisable and pretty ... but traveling 20 knots is going to cost over 50 gallons of fuel at almost any speed. At 18 knots speed, traveling a distance of 20 knots will cost approx 80 gallons.

Compared to keeping this boat in bristol condition, however, fuel is NOT one of the bigger costs.

Your boat is efficient at 1000 rpms and below.....or trolling speeds......12v71 TI's burn 6GPH each at 1000rpms, 12 GPH total, at 1000rpms you should be doing around 10 knots or so. So 20 NM you'd burn 25 gallons......Granted you should run them at a fast cruise for 30 minutes every 6 hours........

[Bayside Bert28]

OK ... I think this proves ... that I have spent the past 2 1/2 yrs doing nothing but fixing one thing after another on my boat and have spent so little time actually using the boat (because it hasn't been running) ... that I still don't understand my own fuel burn!!!

The good news is ... after this turbo gets replaced next week:-) ... I should be able to do 20 knots on 25 gallons instead of 75-80!! If I had the patience.

Sorry about spreading the incorrect data.

[Capt J]

Originally Posted by Bayside Bert28

OK ... I think this proves ... that I have spent the past 2 1/2 yrs doing nothing but fixing one thing after another on my boat and have spent so little time actually using the boat (because it hasn't been running) ... that I still don't understand my own fuel burn!!!

The good news is ... after this turbo gets replaced next week:-) ... I should be able to do 20 knots on 25 gallons instead of 75-80!! If I had the patience.

Sorry about spreading the incorrect data.

Welllllll, do what you're supposed to do with a 54' Bertram. Troll some lures!!!!....... good to hear that you're going to be able to use the boat.

[Kafue]

Originally Posted by Bayside Bert28

OK ... I think this proves ... that I have spent the past 2 1/2 yrs doing nothing but fixing one thing after another on my boat and have spent so little time actually using the boat (because it hasn't been running) ... that I still don't understand my own fuel burn!!!

The good news is ... after this turbo gets replaced next week:-) ... I should be able to do 20 knots on 25 gallons instead of 75-80!! If I had the patience.

Sorry about spreading the incorrect data.

My sympathies to you Bayside B.
I know the feeling, I just missed the best months of the fishing season with the repair on my port gearbox. But, I did have a great run of over 900nm's without major issues. Wish you all the best from here on.....

Capt. J, your fuel consumption figures are spot on, but you knew that! Mine are naturals and have same fuel burn.

[Pascal]

It's very hard to answer the OP without knowing how the boat will be used

Any boat will be economical at hull speed, although a true displacement hull will be more economical. That said the fuel cost difference is only a fraction of the overall running costs

If you take the typical 2 weeks cruise to the Bahamas, your fuel costs for propulsion at going to be pretty much equal to dockage and generator fuel. Even if you run a 50/60 footer on plane, the difference over that trip may be 25% of the over all cost of the trip

Not sure about the original question about trawlers, Hatteras and items/concerns, as Hatts are not trawlers except for the LRCs. As to issues, try dealing with leaky tanks on the average aging trawler or cheap plumbing or wiring

SF are great down south where you spend a lot of time in and out of the water, but the price you pay for that big cockpit and lower CG (less rolling) is less interior space. At many docks you have more privacy with a MY since the saloon is higher. In the hook most have better ventilation as well so you don't have to run the genset and AC as much

[Capt J]

Originally Posted by Pascal

It's very hard to answer the OP without knowing how the boat will be used

Any boat will be economical at hull speed, although a true displacement hull will be more economical. That said the fuel cost difference is only a fraction of the overall running costs

If you take the typical 2 weeks cruise to the Bahamas, your fuel costs for propulsion at going to be pretty much equal to dockage and generator fuel. Even if you run a 50/60 footer on plane, the difference over that trip may be 25% of the over all cost of the trip

Not sure about the original question about trawlers, Hatteras and items/concerns, as Hatts are not trawlers except for the LRCs. As to issues, try dealing with leaky tanks on the average aging trawler or cheap plumbing or wiring

SF are great down south where you spend a lot of time in and out of the water, but the price you pay for that big cockpit and lower CG (less rolling) is less interior space. At many docks you have more privacy with a MY since the saloon is higher. In the hook most have better ventilation as well so you don't have to run the genset and AC as much

Yeah, but I remember back in the "good old days" when the fuel was cheap and the Captain was expensive........ back in the early 2000's I was getting diesel for under $1 a gallon and in the .65 cent range from a truck.......Back then a 1,000 gallon day was cheap...........but I guess with anything else, all good things come to an end.

You're right about the other expenses being about the same as the fuel, but not necessarily. I ran a 62' Sunseeker on a 10 day trip to Nassau and through the Exumas, and back to Fort Laud...in May...We burned 1550 gallons @ $5 average (we took on fuel twice in Nassau) so $7750. We probably spent $3k on dockage if I add up all of our stops. We didn't anchor. Yeah I could've cut fuel consumption down considerably by doing hull speed, but the owners didn't care about that, so we ran 28 knots everywhere......Their time was more valuable and in 10 days we did Paradise Island, Highbourne Cay, Sampson Cay, Paradise Island, and Bimini and had at least a full day the following day to enjoy each place, before moving onto the next. So which is more valuable to each owner.....the money......or their time.......that all depends on the owner and their work schedule/time schedule......

[Pascal]

You are absolutely right, it comes down to owner preferences although in this case with an owner / operator / live aboard I suspect slower speeds may be the choice

Back in march April, I did a 4 weeks trip which included 3 week long exuma trips out of Nassau with the johnson 70 I run. Because there was no guests or owner on board for the round trip to Nassau, I ran mostly at hull speed. Before each 3 week long cruise to Staniel and back, I gave the guests a choice between slow and cheap, or fast and not so cheap we did most at hull speed since the runs are so short in the exumas you rarely spend more than a couple of hours underway even at 10 kts

Anyway, for each week we ended up using about 130 USG for the gensets (4 night in the hook, 3 nights at SCYC) and 150 USG for the mains... The round trip Mia - Nas was about 450 USG

I did pick up some fuel in Nassau but a lot less than if we had run everything at 22kts
So total burn was about 1500usg at an average of $4.3 or so (back in march fuel was more $, up to 5.47 in Nas)

Bottom line there are many ways to operate a boat, but fuel is only part of the expenses, and usually not the primary criteria in picking the biat

[SHAZAM]

Originally Posted by Capt J

Yeah, but I remember back in the "good old days" when the fuel was cheap and the Captain was expensive........ back in the early 2000's I was getting diesel for under $1 a gallon and in the .65 cent range from a truck.......Back then a 1,000 gallon day was cheap...........but I guess with anything else, all good things come to an end.

FWIW, I had 1000 gallons delivered to me last thursday for $2.96/gallon which IMO is a step in the right direction. What kills me is that just five days earlier I paid $4.87/gallon at Lauderdale Marina!

[Pascal]

Originally Posted by SHAZAM

FWIW, I had 1000 gallons delivered to me last thursday for $2.96/gallon which IMO is a step in the right direction. What kills me is that just five days earlier I paid $4.87/gallon at Lauderdale Marina!

Even Miami beach marina is cheaper! Must be a typo, did you mean 3.87?

[SHAZAM]

I have to check my receipt.

Edit: Just checked my receipt, it was $4.689.

[Capt J]

Originally Posted by SHAZAM

FWIW, I had 1000 gallons delivered to me last thursday for $2.96/gallon which IMO is a step in the right direction. What kills me is that just five days earlier I paid $4.87/gallon at Lauderdale Marina!

Well, 1 trip I took on fuel at Tidewater in VA, for like $3.50 and a few days later took on fuel in NY at $5.50.....it sucks, and I wasn't the person paying for it....LOLOLOL... Yeah, hopefully oil keeps dropping and fuel prices.....it seems the fuel prices are much slower to come down when the price of a barrel comes down.......but man do they go up quick when the price of a barrel goes up........

[SHAZAM]

Originally Posted by Capt J

.....it seems the fuel prices are much slower to come down when the price of a barrel comes down.......but man do they go up quick when the price of a barrel goes up........

Therein lies the rub, when prices drop the station owners make the most money by dropping their prices as slowly as possible.

[Pascal]

It really pays to check fuel prices... Active Captain is one way then confirm on the phone.

Tidewater is always one the cheapest on the east coast... North bound, you can get decent fuel in Atlantic highlands or Cape May... Forget NY or Ct!! Next is pt Judith marina or Newport... In Newport Casey's barge is often 50c lower than the marinas

Other cheap fuel can be found at Osprey marina in myrtle beach (I always get a kick seeing boats stopping at the other myrtle docks where it s as much as 50c higher) and further south the commercial dock in Fernandina (Florida petroleum). 1/4 mile south the municipal marina is a lot more $$...

Ft pierce petroleum is your last chance for good price before hitting Miami, or a delivery truck in FLl.

I just can't imagine paying almost a full dollars more

Problem when prices are coming down is that marinas are stuck with expensive fuel...that s when 5 minutes on the phone can really pay off...