141
FIFTEEN 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 equivalent to a
10% increase in fuel consumption.
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 go-
ing 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 engine.
9. 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.
10. 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), 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 temperature.
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.
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”.
15. Keep hot water use to a minimum. The
less hot water you use, the less time your gen-
erator will have to run, resulting in lower fuel
consumption.
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