9 to 11 gph at 3100 rpm. Carbed and a bad tune up, you will be on the high side of that range. What speed that will give you is anyones guess. Figure on burning 12 to 14 gph at 3300 rpm, again depending on the state of tune.
Need advice on a boat
I am looking at buying a 26' Baha Cruiser with a 350 HP Inmar inboard.Although I have fished offshore regularly years this will be my first offshore boat. Was wondering if anyone is running anything like this and if so what kind of fuel consumption could I expect. I was also wonder about trailering this boat. I have been told that anything over 8' 6" beam requires a wide load permit. Is this true, because I see boats wider than that on the road all the time. Any help would be appreciated.
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I would call DPS and ask them about the permit, I doubt it. There are alot of boats out there with that size beam and no permits.
Thanks for your unput. I am new to the board but have been viewing for awhile and I new some one out there would have some info. I went and test drove the boat today , it runs great. We were in Sabine Lake with 20-25 knot winds and very rough conditions. The boat handled well but the flow scan showed 17 gph at 3300 rpm and 21mph. That didn't seem very good to me but I am sure the rough conditions had some effect on fuel use. I also learned that the beamon this boat is 10'. It does come with an alluminium trailer. Any one out there trailering a boat this wide?
your fuel consumption sounds very typical of what I see out of my boat.
I have twin 225 honda four strokes and I get anywhere from 1.2 to 1.5 MPG depending on how much throttle I use.
I am wondering if you have considered a rig with twin motors, I traded my last boat simply because it had only one motor and I got to worrying about the consequences if I lost that one motor 40 to 50 miles offshore.
I would definately suggest looking for something with twin motors.
my boat has an 8' 6" beam and it preatty much takes up the entire lane so pulling a boat with 10' beam is definately going to have you riding on the stripes while trailering.
I also heard the same on the over size permits, I also heard that you were only allowed to be on the road from sunup to sundown.
good luck
I have twin 225 honda four strokes and I get anywhere from 1.2 to 1.5 MPG depending on how much throttle I use.
I am wondering if you have considered a rig with twin motors, I traded my last boat simply because it had only one motor and I got to worrying about the consequences if I lost that one motor 40 to 50 miles offshore.
I would definately suggest looking for something with twin motors.
my boat has an 8' 6" beam and it preatty much takes up the entire lane so pulling a boat with 10' beam is definately going to have you riding on the stripes while trailering.
I also heard the same on the over size permits, I also heard that you were only allowed to be on the road from sunup to sundown.
good luck
If the rpm's are not fluctuating, the seas have only a relatively modest effect on fuel use. 3300 rpms is 3300 rpms, the speed merely decreases. My boat burns essentially the same at a given rpm in dead flat water or in 3 foot seas.
BTW, I thought you were taking about 350's. From re-reading the original message, sounds like a 454 or larger displacement. If so, my number are significantly low and are based upon 350's.
Careful with twin engines. Most will not plane on one engine, and if you do, you end up running home with one engine grossly over propped. Great way to kill the one good engine. Figure on displacement speed coming home even if you have two unless (1) the boat is way underpropped to begin with, (2) you have way too much engine for the rig, or (3) you are a real risk taker.
BTW, I thought you were taking about 350's. From re-reading the original message, sounds like a 454 or larger displacement. If so, my number are significantly low and are based upon 350's.
Careful with twin engines. Most will not plane on one engine, and if you do, you end up running home with one engine grossly over propped. Great way to kill the one good engine. Figure on displacement speed coming home even if you have two unless (1) the boat is way underpropped to begin with, (2) you have way too much engine for the rig, or (3) you are a real risk taker.
Took this directly from the TXDOT website.
Q: When do I need a permit?
Q: When do I need a permit?
A: When your load exceeds 8'6" wide or 14' high, or when your trailer exceeds 59' long in combination with a truck/tractor or a combination truck/trailer length of 65, or when you exceed 80,000 pounds or exceed legal axle group weights. A permit is also required when exceeding a 3' front overhang or a 4' rear overhang.
Here is the link to the websites FAQ's.
http://www.dot.state.tx.us/mcd/onestop/frequent.htm
Single trip overwidth permits cost $30 according to the website. I'd either look for a different boat or look at getting a dock. If it was a 9' beam you could probably get away with it, but with a 10' beam you are taking a chance if you tow without the permit.
They also list the restrictions on the website for towing overwidth/overlength/overweight loads.
About the boat, Baha Cruisers are pretty popular on the great lakes. The 28' and 30' hardtops are popular 6 pack charter boats up there. Nice size cockpit and lots of space to mount downriggers, rod holders and planer boards. I mated on a 33' flybridge Baha Cruiser and it was nice but slow, even with twins. I didn't pay much attention to the rpms so I don't know if the capt. was WOT or not but it did eat the gas. The Baha's do well in the great lakes choppy seas. Up there, the waves stack closer together (at least in Erie) than they do in the Gulf. We were in 2-4's and 3-5's with the 33' and the capt. didn't have to play with the throttles too much in a head sea and still made good headway.
Here is the link to the websites FAQ's.
http://www.dot.state.tx.us/mcd/onestop/frequent.htm
Single trip overwidth permits cost $30 according to the website. I'd either look for a different boat or look at getting a dock. If it was a 9' beam you could probably get away with it, but with a 10' beam you are taking a chance if you tow without the permit.
They also list the restrictions on the website for towing overwidth/overlength/overweight loads.
About the boat, Baha Cruisers are pretty popular on the great lakes. The 28' and 30' hardtops are popular 6 pack charter boats up there. Nice size cockpit and lots of space to mount downriggers, rod holders and planer boards. I mated on a 33' flybridge Baha Cruiser and it was nice but slow, even with twins. I didn't pay much attention to the rpms so I don't know if the capt. was WOT or not but it did eat the gas. The Baha's do well in the great lakes choppy seas. Up there, the waves stack closer together (at least in Erie) than they do in the Gulf. We were in 2-4's and 3-5's with the 33' and the capt. didn't have to play with the throttles too much in a head sea and still made good headway.
Ernest, you are correct the engine is a 454 wich I am told puts out 350 hp(I am not much on engines, I have always been just a parts changer). Would a 350 like you are writing about perform as far as speed and gph are concerned? Again thanks for everyones help, I hope to join ya'll for some tuna action soon.
Im sorry but I dont agree Ernest. Plane or no plane when your on your way home with 1 of 2 motors running, from 35 miles to 40 miles, it beats floating around with only one dead motor. I have broke down a few times with twin I/O's. With my one good engine we didn't plane, but certainly came home. We made 8 mph with the single at 3000 rpm's. To me there is no way but twins from now on. I do have a 20 footer with a single 150, but I've even got a 25hp kicker on it.. Be on the safe side.
Don't get me wrong. I was not suggesting a single engine boat (unless its a single big diesel). I was just suggesting that with twins, if one goes down, its not necessarily a quick 25 knt. cruise back to the dock as some people seem to think.
I came back last summer from the Clay Piles area on one engine at a blistering 5.5 knots. Long day. Nevertheless, thats why I run a twin engine boat.
I also was on a twin engine boat that was making a short 25 mile run down the ICW to the yard after one of its engines went down. The owner got in a hurry, pushed the one good engine up to its regular cruise rpm despite everyone saying not to, and the good engine popped. Turned out to be about a $12,000.00 mistake by the owner.
Speed is a function of hull design, weight, and prop. No way to tell without more details. The gph depends primarliy on rpm and fuel delivery system (carb or EFI).
I came back last summer from the Clay Piles area on one engine at a blistering 5.5 knots. Long day. Nevertheless, thats why I run a twin engine boat.
I also was on a twin engine boat that was making a short 25 mile run down the ICW to the yard after one of its engines went down. The owner got in a hurry, pushed the one good engine up to its regular cruise rpm despite everyone saying not to, and the good engine popped. Turned out to be about a $12,000.00 mistake by the owner.
Speed is a function of hull design, weight, and prop. No way to tell without more details. The gph depends primarliy on rpm and fuel delivery system (carb or EFI).
ernest
i am amazed at how much you know about boats. do lawyers have that much idle time? when i decide to purchase my next boat i want you to go along. i feel you would make a good boat surveyour. your opinions do make this a much better site. thanks....rick
i am amazed at how much you know about boats. do lawyers have that much idle time? when i decide to purchase my next boat i want you to go along. i feel you would make a good boat surveyour. your opinions do make this a much better site. thanks....rick
Boat
i have a 30 intrepid for sale with 2- 250 saltwater series yamahason it . it can be seen at texassportfishingyachtsales.com the name of it is thereheis...has a tower and ready to go ...the reason i am selling it is because i am just about finished restoration on my 31 bertram.should splas it in a week or so....new yanmars 315 hp and 2 years of work....
phil
i have a 30 intrepid for sale with 2- 250 saltwater series yamahason it . it can be seen at texassportfishingyachtsales.com the name of it is thereheis...has a tower and ready to go ...the reason i am selling it is because i am just about finished restoration on my 31 bertram.should splas it in a week or so....new yanmars 315 hp and 2 years of work....
phil
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