15-20 Knot Boats
- Thread starter Codger2
- Start date
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If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
RT Firefly
Enigma
Greetings,
Mr. 2. We normally cruise @ 8 knots BUT we can go 10!
Mr. 2. We normally cruise @ 8 knots BUT we can go 10!
- Joined
- Oct 6, 2007
- Messages
- 841
- Location
- Poulsbo, WA
- Vessel Name
- Dream Catcher
- Vessel Make
- Nordic Tug 37-065
We normally travel at 6-6.5 knots, for the quiet, peace, fuel economy and range. Can cruise at 16-18 if we wish.
ranger58sb
Guru
We can get up to about 25 kts and cruise at 22... and we probably need some prop tuning, this year.
But more often, we run at about 8 kts, slightly below theoretical hull speed.
Usually ending with a brief run up to cruising RPMs to energize the turbo and blow out the aftercooler and exhaust.
-Chris
But more often, we run at about 8 kts, slightly below theoretical hull speed.
Usually ending with a brief run up to cruising RPMs to energize the turbo and blow out the aftercooler and exhaust.
-Chris
CPseudonym
Moderator Emeritus
MYTraveler
Guru
If fast means 15 - 20 knots, count me in. However, I rarely have any need or desire to run that fast (even disregarding fuel costs). The comment "my time is worth something" is often made to justify higher speeds. In my view, I wouldn't be out there if I didn't enjoy it, and I enjoy 8.5 knots more than 20. I ordered my boat with 660hp QSM 11's. In retrospect, I should have ordered the 450hp versions. At the time, I had a big go-fast sportfisher and was somewhat apprehensive about whether I could get used to life in the slow lane.
BlueYonder
Senior Member
Max is 27 kts. I cruise between 18 and 22 when I'm trying to get somewhere. If I'm not in a hurry, 7.5 to 8 works well. I probably spend 50% of the time at low speed and average 20 kts the rest of the time.
Moonstruck
Guru
- Joined
- Nov 27, 2008
- Messages
- 8,276
- Location
- USA
- Vessel Name
- Moonstruck
- Vessel Make
- Sabre 42 Hardtop Express
I'll see your 20 and raise 7
Dougcole
Guru
Two years ago we bought our boat with twins specifically so we could cruise faster when we wanted to. It runs along pretty well at 15 knots, which is about 2,850 rpms. I do spend some time going slow though when I feel like it or am trying to burn less fuel.
Our last trip we ran the inside from Stuart to Lake Worth, going fast when we weren't in a slow zone (50% of the time?). Then crossed from Lake Worth to West End, Grand Bahama (55 nm) at speed the whole way. Then mostly fast from West End to Grand Cay (55 nm), poked around that area at hull speed for a few days. Fast back to West End, then fast back to Stuart. Roughly 270 nm round trip. I filled up right before I left and right when I got back. Counting gen-set use we burned just short of 11 GPH.
Our old boat (36 Gulf Star) was a 7 knot boat, we owned it 8 years and used it a lot. I won't go back to that.
Doug
Our last trip we ran the inside from Stuart to Lake Worth, going fast when we weren't in a slow zone (50% of the time?). Then crossed from Lake Worth to West End, Grand Bahama (55 nm) at speed the whole way. Then mostly fast from West End to Grand Cay (55 nm), poked around that area at hull speed for a few days. Fast back to West End, then fast back to Stuart. Roughly 270 nm round trip. I filled up right before I left and right when I got back. Counting gen-set use we burned just short of 11 GPH.
Our old boat (36 Gulf Star) was a 7 knot boat, we owned it 8 years and used it a lot. I won't go back to that.
Doug
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Tango Bravo
Veteran Member
- Joined
- Jan 19, 2015
- Messages
- 27
- Location
- USA
- Vessel Name
- Tango Bravo
- Vessel Make
- Marine Trader 44 (1978)
I can get 9 kts downhill.
Wifey B: Must add I don't consider anything under 35 or 40 knots to be fast...and that's sort of slow fast. Now, medium fast, maybe 50-60 knots and fast fast above 60 and super fast above 90. Sometimes I miss fast from our lake days, so settle for slow fast. Guess I'm getting old though since I don't want a Fountain or Nortech fast.
They, like most center consoles the way they're powered today, will run upwards of 60 knots in the right engine combinations. For the record, the fastest boat we've ever owned is in the 56 knot range. On the lake, while there were a few very high performance boats, the fastest boats were generally the bass boats. On the coast, the fast boat market is dominated by the center consoles. Apparently, fishing requires getting there quickly in the minds of some. Fastest boat we've ever been on ran in the 90's and ,while it was a nice one time experience, it did not give us any desire to own one.
I suspect many here have dinghies or tenders faster than their main boats.
markpierce
Master and Commander
- Joined
- Sep 25, 2010
- Messages
- 12,557
- Location
- USA
- Vessel Name
- Carquinez Coot
- Vessel Make
- penultimate Seahorse Marine Coot hull #6
Wouldn't want to hit this at twenty knots, spotted in the middle of my cruising grounds off Benicia:
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N4712
Guru
- Joined
- Apr 22, 2013
- Messages
- 3,607
- Location
- U.S.A
- Vessel Name
- Oliver
- Vessel Make
- Nordhavn 47 Hull# 12
Yes, some quality some not.
Fishing boats need to be fast, on my uncles boat we once ran clear to Bimini and back in a day for tournament. We didn't win though. Lol.
Our little Caribe DL12 with a 40Hp Etec does about 35knots but in that little thing it feels way faster, also glad I'm still young because if I was older and ran it the way I did I'd have a broken back.
dwhatty
Moderator Emeritus
- Joined
- Sep 25, 2008
- Messages
- 2,846
- Location
- USA
- Vessel Name
- "Emily Anne"
- Vessel Make
- 2001 Island Gypsy 32 Europa (Hull #146)
You'd probably be right.
We bought our Achilles 340 RIB, with 15 hp Yamaha, that has a nice turn of speed with two hefty adults and large dog aboard, with the thought that we'd plod the "big" boat along to a nice anchorage and then use the tender to fan out and explore. Has worked out very well for us.
