7
SIXTEEN WAYS
TO REDUCE
FUEL CONSUMPTION
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Keep the bottom of your yacht clean. A
fouled bottom can increase drag up to
10% or more. A 10% increase in drag
is equivalent to a 10% increase in fuel
consumption.
DO NOT idle your engines needlessly.
Depart your dock/mooring after warm-
up.
Watch your trim. A well balanced yacht
gets on plane faster, handles better and
runs with less surface contact.
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.
Know your fuel consumption. By plotting
a fuel consumption/RPM curve for your
yacht, you will probably fi nd that reduc-
ing your engines’ RPM’s 10% can often
reduce your fuel consumption 30% with
only a slight reduction in speed.
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.
Improve your yacht handling ability. DO
NOT let the yacht labor along below
a planing attitude. This is the absolute
peak of fuel waste.
Purchase good quality fuel. Be certain
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you are using the correct fuel for your
engine.
Load your yacht correctly. DO NOT put
all of the heavy gear, such as anchors,
chain, canned goods and spare parts
exclusively in either the bow or stern.
Heavy items should be placed amidships
where they will not affect the trim and
plane of the yacht.
Check the drive train. An inboard engine
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.
Check the engine cylinder compression.
Low compression indicates worn piston
rings or valves which will consume oil
and reduce engine power.
Check the engine idle speed. For the
times it is necessary to operate at idle
speed, be certain the engine is not run-
ning too fast and using unnecessary
fuel.
Check the engine operating tempera-
ture. Compare your normal operating
temperature 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.
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 transmis-
sion to “slip”.
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