GPH vs Miles help??

The friendliest place on the web for anyone who enjoys boating.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
Nobody needs to know exactly what their gph is.

But it can be very useful to know approximately what it is.

I used my first trip to Alaska to determine my burn rate and it was loaded w irregularities .. but all of them were small or less. The biggest variable was including time running time (hour meter) at less than cruising speed but it was small too. A much smaller variable than w my typical cruising. So other than using time running at very low throttle settings my computations should be quite accurate. I came up w 1 gph. In the years after I compared my number to gph posted everywhere and was pleased to notice how close to other calculations on the same issue.

Most relative to the above is my cruising style. Much more casual than most here on TF. On a typical day I’m not sure where we’re going to anchor or tie up for the night. Most would be at least a bit uncomfortable w that. But I spend a lot of time underway surfing the GPS plotter for possible places to overnight.

Now that you're privy to my cruising style you can see how knowing my fuel burn accurately would not be valuable in great detail. But re the fuel burn (with 100gallons) and a burn rate of 1 gph very little accuracy is required. Fits my style perfectly.

It’s not totally uncommon for me to change course and go to a different destination. I only really know two speeds for my boat. Cruising speed and high cruising speed. 2300rpm and 2500rpm. Top speed? I really don’t know. I’m sure it’s very close to 7 knots. The only speed I really need to know is cruising speed .. 6.15 knots.

One place I can use a great deal of information w details is in TF posting. Often I go to the computer room to look up information. Like finding the name of places and correct spelling.
 
Last edited:
Hot off the press
My GPH average over three years is 10.10L or 2.6 US Gal with twin 120 Lehman. 1.3 GPH per engine appears to be a good burn. Oh that includes about 60 days with diesel heater running. I am pleased with the cost of fuel to operate at 7-8 knPH
 
Hot off the press
My GPH average over three years is 10.10L or 2.6 US Gal with twin 120 Lehman. 1.3 GPH per engine appears to be a good burn. Oh that includes about 60 days with diesel heater running. I am pleased with the cost of fuel to operate at 7-8 knPH

Cost of fuel is going to be much higher this year than last. I hope you will still be pleased.
 
Cost of fuel is going to be much higher this year than last. I hope you will still be pleased.

B&B, he will be much happier than some one who burns twice as much. :)

As we all have said many times before, 'If we can't afford the fuel, we sure can't afford a boat.'
 
B&B, he will be much happier than some one who burns twice as much. :)

As we all have said many times before, 'If we can't afford the fuel, we sure can't afford a boat.'

I get it and I will still afford the fuel this year, just saying it will be more than last year and quite a bit more than a couple years ago.
 
B&B, way way back when there was a gasoline shortage, some stations were selling 'futures'. I'm not sure how that worked out.
If you feel confident of a significant price increase, negotiate a price with your 'home' fueling dock for some predetermined volume of fuel.
Let us know how that works out for you. Perhaps we shall all go that route.
 
B&B, way way back when there was a gasoline shortage, some stations were selling 'futures'. I'm not sure how that worked out.
If you feel confident of a significant price increase, negotiate a price with your 'home' fueling dock for some predetermined volume of fuel.
Let us know how that works out for you. Perhaps we shall all go that route.

Probably won't do that as I don't use 1000's of gallons of fuel, but I will be happy to launch this spring with tanks already full!
 
Hot off the press
My GPH average over three years is 10.10L or 2.6 US Gal with twin 120 Lehman. 1.3 GPH per engine appears to be a good burn. Oh that includes about 60 days with diesel heater running. I am pleased with the cost of fuel to operate at 7-8 knPH

My 29-year average with a 40,000-pound (actual scale weight) Grand Banks 42 equipped with twin FL 120s and a 7.5 KW Onan was 3.25 GPH running at betweek 1600-1700 RPM making 8.4-8.6 knots. So, you can see the diff in boat size with same engines.
 
My 29-year average with a 40,000-pound (actual scale weight) Grand Banks 42 equipped with twin FL 120s and a 7.5 KW Onan was 3.25 GPH running at betweek 1600-1700 RPM making 8.4-8.6 knots. So, you can see the diff in boat size with same engines.


I am encouraged by all your responses. After a life of sailing I bought a GB36 in Nov 2020. It is on the hard for a 2 year refit. To the point, I have no experience with burn rates, but the boat's PO was a day cruiser and he thought 5-5.5 GPH for both engines. I didn't ask specifics of RPM/Speed but I would be thrilled to burn only 3.25 at the speeds indicated here.
 
Nobody needs to know exactly what their gph is. But it can be very useful to know approximately what it is.
After 10 diesel powered boats and cruising the SoCal waters for 25 years, I agree with the above quote. :oldman:
 
I am encouraged by all your responses. After a life of sailing I bought a GB36 in Nov 2020. It is on the hard for a 2 year refit. To the point, I have no experience with burn rates, but the boat's PO was a day cruiser and he thought 5-5.5 GPH for both engines. I didn't ask specifics of RPM/Speed but I would be thrilled to burn only 3.25 at the speeds indicated here.

Yeah, that 5-plus GPH sounds way high compared to my total boat 3.25 GPH at cruise.
 
Last edited:
Can’t believe it Walt.
Looks like you shave and post …….
I don’t even shave most of the time.
Took me years of retirement to get to that point.

I like your electron boat. Wouldn’t do for me though as it would involve moorage.
 

Attachments

  • A07AB788-4643-40F1-9ADC-AECB840883EC.jpg
    A07AB788-4643-40F1-9ADC-AECB840883EC.jpg
    163.4 KB · Views: 8
Last edited:
‘ronobrian,
Assuming the engines are FL’s and he’s propped right 5.5 gph would be close to perfect. It computes to about 47% load.

And since the FL burns 6gph 100% load it adds up right.

If you had asked at what rpm he did this it only would have told you if he was over propped or not.
 
Last edited:
‘ronobrian,
Assuming the engines are FL’s and he’s propped right 5.5 gph would be close to perfect. It computes to about 47% load.

And since the FL burns 6gph 100% load it adds up right.

If you had asked at what rpm he did this it only would have told you if he was over propped or not.


They are (2) FL 120, 4 blade, 22" D, 17" P. I did not ask him those other Q's, but he did say that he burned about 5.5 GPH for both engines, "but if you run it flat out you burn a lot more and don't get much more speed." So I don't remember what the specifics were. I guess I'll find out for myself.
 
Sounds like someone with a trawler that wanted a faster boat, probably ran it around 2000 all the time. IIRC that gets me 9.5-10 knots
Can I ask what "IIRC" is? I ran it on sea trials and ran it "on the pins", upwind into 30KT wind and a 6" chop. It maxed at about 2000RPM and we saw about 9KT over ground. Like an idiot, when I ran back home last spring I didn't think to check it at full throttle. I ran at 16-1700 and ran one reverse course to offset current and got 8KT.
 
Can I ask what "IIRC" is? I ran it on sea trials and ran it "on the pins", upwind into 30KT wind and a 6" chop. It maxed at about 2000RPM and we saw about 9KT over ground. Like an idiot, when I ran back home last spring I didn't think to check it at full throttle. I ran at 16-1700 and ran one reverse course to offset current and got 8KT.

IIRC - Internet/slang shorthand for "If I remember correctly....." Sort of like YMMV (your mileage may vary) or WTF (why-the-face? or something like that....)

Peter
 
WTF, yea, that's how I remember it too!!! Thanks.
 
A few of mine.
First one is our normal cruse speed 10.5mph About 800rpm
(twin 8V-92TI) (two 400 gallon tanks)
28x32 3 blade no cup
Second is our flat out with a fully loaded boat
(Dink/Water/Fuel/Food/4 people for a weekend trip)
About 1800 rpm
Ya I need to change the settings to Knots... Baby steps.
 

Attachments

  • GPS.jpg
    GPS.jpg
    92.8 KB · Views: 21
  • GPS1.jpg
    GPS1.jpg
    54.4 KB · Views: 25
Last edited:
A few of mine.
First one is our normal cruse speed 10.5mph About 800rpm
(twin 8V-92TI) (two 400 gallon tanks)
28x32 3 blade no cup
Second is our flat out with a fully loaded boat
(Dink/Water/Fuel/Food/4 people for a weekend trip)
About 1800 rpm
Ya I need to change the settings to Knots... Baby steps.

The second one says you are out of fuel.
 
The second one says you are out of fuel.

Here is the kicker... It does have twin Flow Scans but I have not figured out how to get the computer to pick them both up. So the ratings are for one engine... Yes it can burn 54.4 gallons an hour at 24.5 knots.

For some other reason the upper helm data screen never shows the fuel left.
Only the lower helm.
 
Back
Top Bottom