OPERATION-7
SIXTEEN WAYS TO
REDUCE FUEL
CONSUMPTION
1. Keep the bottom of your yacht clean. A
fouled bottom can increase drag up to 10%
or more. A 10% increase in drag is equiva-
lent to a 10% increase in fuel consump-
tion.
2. DO NOT idle your engines needlessly.
Depart your dock/mooring after warm-up.
3. Watch your trim. A well balanced yacht
gets on plane faster, handles better, and
runs with less surface contact.
4. Navigate better. By plotting courses to
your destination instead of just waiting for
them to appear somewhere in front of you,
you can eliminate miles off of your distance
and gallons off of your fuel consumption.
5. Know your fuel consumption. By plot-
ting a fuel consumption/RPM curve for your
yacht, you will probably fi nd that reducing
your engines’ RPM’s 10% can often reduce
your fuel consumption 30% with only a slight
reduction in speed.
6. Remove extra weight. If you are not
going to use it, do not carry it aboard. Any
extra weight requires more fuel to move
your yacht. Do not just stop at the lockers.
Remember that water weighs 64 pounds per
cubic foot, so keep the bilge areas dry.
7. Improve your yacht handling ability. DO
NOT let the yacht labor along below a plan-
ing attitude. This is the absolute peak of fuel
waste.
8. Purchase good quality fuel. Be certain
you are using the correct fuel for your en-
gine.
9. Load your yacht correctly. DO NOT put
all of the heavy gear, such as anchors,
chain, canned goods and spare parts exclu-
sively in either the bow or stern. Heavy items
should be placed amidships where they will
not affect the trim and plane of the yacht.
10. Check the drive train. An inboard en-
gine that is improperly aligned can cost you
money. Check to see if the transmission has
suffi cient fl uid (too little increases friction),
if the stuffi ng box is too tight (increases the
load on the engine) or if a bent rudder or
propeller are robbing you of economy. Be
certain the rudders are properly aligned.
11. Check the engine cylinder compression.
Low compression indicates worn piston
rings or valves which will consume oil and
reduce engine power.
12. Check the engine idle speed. For the
times it is necessary to operate at idle speed,
be certain the engine is not running too fast
and using unnecessary fuel.
13. Check the engine operating tempera-
ture. Compare your normal operating tem-
perature with the range specifi ed in the
Engine Manual and in this Owner’s Manual.
An overheating engine will cause excessive
wear and will be less effi cient.
14. Keep the engine and transmission oil
clean. Dirty oil causes varnish to form on the
moving surfaces of the engine/transmission.
Varnish can cut into the piston ring seal and
contribute to fuel waste. Varnish will cause
the transmission to “slip”.
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