Average annual engine hours.

[BandB]

A lot of our discussions here start to evolve around how much one actually uses their boat away from the dock, specifically how many engine hours per year. So this question is based on current usage and/or the last couple of years.

 

[GFC]

I voted 75-100 though it may be higher than that. It used to be well over a hundred but we put in a pool. That has seriously cut into the time we spend on the boat. It's kind of a double edge sword.....while we don't get out on the water as much, it is very nice to slip into a pool, so we get a lot of time IN the water.

 

[psneeld]

400-500 and .....


....another 400-500 on the assistance boat....


...someone else's gas, insurance, maintenance....may be sorry to see that end this year...but won't miss the 24X7X8 months standby!!!!

 

[BandB]

400-500 and .....


....another 400-500 on the assistance boat....


...someone else's gas, insurance, maintenance....may be sorry to see that end this year...but won't miss the 24X7X8 months standby!!!!

But then you can spend 1000 hours on your boat.

 

[siestakey]

I am only 18 months into our first big boat in many years I am at 709 hours on it that much time

BandB how about you

Great thread poll

 

[psneeld]

Nah....going back to work for Northstar Marine I think...maybe West Marine if I want to work inside in the AC, bug free environment for once.


Northstar is kinda fun...getting to run their 83 foot crew/work boat and pushing barges more often.

 

[siestakey]

SO I did the 500-1000 although year one 488 I think year 2 will be 650 range with the trips we have planned

 

[BandB]

I am only 18 months into our first big boat in many years I am at 709 hours on it that much time

BandB how about you

Great thread poll

We're right at 1,000, just a little over, for the last three years. That includes some very long runs though. We're at a much lower pace now. The last two months we've been at about a 600 hour per year pace. I'm guessing over time we'll be closer to 800-900.

 

[fryedaze]

The first five years were 200hrs each. This year we have 250 hrs in three months, but then again we are in progress on the Great Loop.

 

[Rogerh]

We have been averaging about 100 to 150 hours a year. Some years higher if we make longer trips.

 

[Heron]

I expect we'll hit 150 hours this year....at 100 now with lots of good cruising weather ahead. 1st year for the boat so we're acclimating!

 

[roger howell]

Hi,
Over the ten years we've owned the boat averaged 400 hrs/yr; 3 trips to the Bahamas, Great Loop, Nova Scotia and the Maritimes. Hope to keep doing it.
Roger

 

[High Wire]

A little over 500 hours/yr. Most in my center console in reverse fishiing over piles of structure.

 

[O C Diver]

Probably 300 in the charter boat and 300 in the trawler. In a few years, all 600 in the trawler.

Ted

 

[mattkab]

63 hours so far this year -- would have been more had it not been for a mechanical problem a few weeks ago, as salmon fishing is just starting to get to full swing.

102 last year.

Hours based on GPS tracks on our chartplotter, so that's time underway not engine runtime (we're sometimes drifting while fishing for example), but it's the easiest number for me to pull and should be very close.

That's pretty normal for us -- we do two or three "long" trips of 20+ hours runtime per year, plus a dozen or two daytrips, fishing trips, or cocktail cruises throughout the year, each at 1-6 hours runtime.

 

[Insequent]

I'm running at 160 hours per year at present, without spending anywhere near as much time on the boat as I want due to some house renovations. They are nearly finished so I'm hoping to increase the annual rate quite a bit.

 

[FlyWright]

Before retirement - 75-100 Hrs per year

Post retirement - 150-200 hrs per year

But that's just engine run time. My hours of enjoyment on the boat far exceed the engine hours.

 

[BandB]

Before retirement - 75-100 Hrs per year

Post retirement - 150-200 hrs per year

But that's just engine run time. My hours of enjoyment on the boat far exceed the engine hours.

Funny, this made my geek math side come out. Hours on the boat. That wouldn't count time ashore at destinations or ports on the way. I came up with 4100. Now hours cruising which would count shore time at ports on the way and destinations I came up with 6300. That's a lot of enjoyment in a year. That's 72% of the hours in a year.

 

[twistedtree]

We are at about 700 hrs for the year, and around 4500 nm.

 

[AusCan]

I was out of commission for almost 6 months over summer for a re-power & re-wire job, so the past year was less than 100 engine hours. Probably another 100 cruising on other people's boats.


Hope to be well over 200 engine hours this year. Plus another 30% or so for me, when under sail power alone.

 

[Carolena]

My hours of enjoyment on the boat far exceed the engine hours.

 

[RCook]

Before retirement 200/year. After retirement 400-500/year.

 

[cappy208]

My hours of enjoyment on the boat far exceed the engine hours.

Exactly. An hour spent on the boat piddling around beats 2 on the lawnmower going in circles.

Regarding my vessel: last year was 110 hours doing the delivery. Then about 30 hours while at home. This summer is looking like 16 hours a month for the 4 months of use so far. I was hoping to get a little more use but kids, grandkids and camping take a toll on the available time.

 

[BandB]

The mean to this point is 303 hours. The median is 175 hours.

 

[Carolena]

The mean to this point is 303 hours. The median is 175 hours.

Pretty impressive and speaks to the type of users on this site. I think those numbers are much, much higher than the average boater, but then again I think most of us would consider boating a lifestyle choice rather than a hobby.

I'd also point out that many of us have slower boats, or at least operate them slower than the average express cruiser type of boat. Most of our friends that we boat with travel at twice our speeds or more, so we generally put a lot more hours on the main engine than they do.

 

[No Mast]

We average just north of 300hrs, but hoping to move a bit more than we have been in the future.

 

[FlyWright]

Pretty impressive and speaks to the type of users on this site. I think those numbers are much, much higher than the average boater, but then again I think most of us would consider boating a lifestyle choice rather than a hobby.

Some on this forum are working in the marine charter business or other commercial ventures and counting those hours in the total. To compare apples with apples, perhaps the poll should reflect recreational use only.

 

[Carolena]

And those who live aboard or who are able to do extended cruising also skew the numbers a bit. That said, I seem to recall reading a report from BoatUS at some point that said the average usage is 50-100 hours per year, although I just tried to find it on the website and no luck. I still think this group well exceeds that average.

 

[markpierce]

Some might be too embarrassed to post their low hours.

 

[mahal]

Before retirement 200/year. After retirement 400-500/year.

And you probably covered as many miles as a trawler that logged 1000 hours a year.