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Old 04-14-2017, 08:46 PM   #1
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200 engine hours in a year

I am at the boat doing some maintenance tasks and realized that we have owned this boat just about a year now. I was noting engine hours on my primary filter change and I am at 995 hours. I did this last about 50 weeks ago at 803 hours. So almost 200 hours on the engines in that time. In contrast, I just changed the oil in the genset (not sure why) and realized that we only put 30 hours on the genset in that same time.

I hope that this next year I can get even more hours on the engine. 200 just doesn't seem like enough time. Maybe in another year when I have another partner in the practice and my wife will be retired I can get out more.
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Old 04-14-2017, 11:51 PM   #2
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I do about 600 hours a year, in the four months of summer that is available... Lots of that time is trolling for salmon at idle, perhaps as much as half of it. I know other folks that spend just as much time as I do out there but they are parked a lot and have much faster boats.

I don't think they enjoy their boats any less despite the difference in run time. I wish my summer was longer, but when it gets dark and cold and the fish are gone... so am I! I have a friend who had a Nordic Tug 32, he only put about 150 hours a season on his Cummins, but he spent most of his time hiking and kayaking where I spend most of mine fishing.

I don't think engine hours reflect how much you enjoy your boat, perhaps more of what you enjoy doing with it :-)
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Old 04-15-2017, 12:33 AM   #3
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I do about 600 hours a year, in the four months of summer that is available... )
That's a lot of hours in 120 days, 5 hours a day.

We put just under 1,000 hours a year and we cover 17,000-18,000 nm.
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Old 04-15-2017, 03:23 AM   #4
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There is no right number for the yearly engine hours. It's better if the hours are spread around the year so the cylinders stay lubed during down time.
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Old 04-15-2017, 05:31 AM   #5
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IF the engine use is spaced out with months at times between uses , there is usually an "out of service for over 30 days" procedure in Da Book, the maint manual.

Seldom is in the operators/owners handbook , so look in Da Book.
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Old 04-15-2017, 10:36 AM   #6
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Doug, you must spend just about every day out on the boat during the season. Sounds great!

I wasn't worried about 200 being enough hours for the engine, we use the boat at the very least once a month throughout the year, but it isn't enough hours for us to justify the cost of ownership. The solution of course isn't to eliminate the costs of ownership, but to use the boat more.
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Old 04-15-2017, 11:02 AM   #7
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I wasn't worried about 200 being enough hours for the engine, we use the boat at the very least once a month throughout the year, but it isn't enough hours for us to justify the cost of ownership. .
Having observed the pleasure you're gotten from the small amount of usage, I'd argue against the statement above. There's no magical hours to justify the cost of ownership. One priceless memory might do that. Feeling we must justify our pleasure and recreation is a sad aspect of the times. Happiness is a worthy pursuit.
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Old 04-15-2017, 11:18 AM   #8
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I don't see engine hours as measuring the use of the boat. It's just the use of the engine. If you run the boat for a few hours and then anchor or take a slip in a marina and enjoy yourself, that's what's important.
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Old 04-15-2017, 11:32 AM   #9
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Having observed the pleasure you're gotten from the small amount of usage, I'd argue against the statement above. There's no magical hours to justify the cost of ownership. One priceless memory might do that. Feeling we must justify our pleasure and recreation is a sad aspect of the times. Happiness is a worthy pursuit.


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I don't see engine hours as measuring the use of the boat. It's just the use of the engine. If you run the boat for a few hours and then anchor or take a slip in a marina and enjoy yourself, that's what's important.


You both make great points. Maybe it is just the difference between how much I want to use the boat vs how much I am able to use the boat.
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Old 04-15-2017, 11:43 AM   #10
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You both make great points. Maybe it is just the difference between how much I want to use the boat vs how much I am able to use the boat.
Now that is a definite. But then that motivates you to move toward more leisure time. It also gives you something to look forward to and there is tremendous value in that. I've known men who never developed any hobby and never dreamed of retirement as there was nothing in it they looked forward to.
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Old 04-15-2017, 12:20 PM   #11
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I like the "Number of Days per year you're using the boat" metric myself
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Old 04-15-2017, 02:58 PM   #12
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I like the "Number of Days per year you're using the boat" metric myself
That IS a great metric. I am going to compile this out of the log for last year, out of curiosity.

For our usage I also think "nights aboard" is telling. We have been averaging just under 200 engine hours/year, but we have lots of nights aboard in some great places.

Jeff
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Old 04-15-2017, 04:40 PM   #13
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Nights aboard...every night.
Hours on the engines - 784 last year
Miles cruised - something around 5600
But we also sat for 5 months this winter and two weeks last spring.
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Old 04-15-2017, 07:36 PM   #14
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You both make great points. Maybe it is just the difference between how much I want to use the boat vs how much I am able to use the boat.
The point I was trying to make above is that your engine doesn't have to be running to be using the boat.
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Old 04-15-2017, 07:41 PM   #15
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Whatever the number is, its good that you want it to be higher... it would probably mean you didn't like your boat if you wanted it to be lower.
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Old 04-15-2017, 07:57 PM   #16
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For me, the metric would be days underway, anchored out and possibly as a short term transient. That was probably 12 to 14 weeks last year for me. Also put 600 hours on the engine. That was slightly less hours than the preceeding 2 owners did in 12 years. Expect to be on board 8 months this year and 1,400 hours.

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Old 04-16-2017, 07:40 AM   #17
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Most boaters up here in the Great White North struggle to reach 100 engine hours a season. That assumes an "average" working stiff who gets to go out on weekends and maybe a week or two vacation. 200 hours would be a hard-core boater. More than that means you're retired.
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Old 04-16-2017, 08:03 AM   #18
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I like your attitude "The solution of course isn't to eliminate the costs of ownership, but to use the boat more." We used our boat much more than last year, every weekend and some weekday nights. Two weeks of cruising the Maine coast and I was surprised that equated to only about 110hrs of engine time. I'm angling for even more use this year too.

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Old 04-16-2017, 08:07 AM   #19
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In my marina, most boats do less than 50 hours per season (New England).
Most of the boaters are weekenders.
So 200 hours a year is a good amount in my opinion.
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Old 04-16-2017, 09:03 AM   #20
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I put a bit more than 100h for my first year last year and very happy with it! Should be a bit more this year but my number of cruising hours will always be limited by the fact I am working and that up here we are frozen 6 months per year. Quality time is not a question of quantity

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