How long does it take and What does it cost to get there

[Vincentc]

It has been raining this morning and I decided to study the trip to the Wharf and re-check how long it will take and what time do I need to leave Friday morning.

Google earth indicates it is 52nm from Pascagoula.
Cruising at 8.3 kt it should take 6.2 hours.

At 8.3 kt Lilly Marie gets about 1.4 nmpg and the gen burns about .7 gph. According to the spreadsheet program, that works out to 41.5 gallons of diesel, which at $3.7 is $154.

If I want to get there quicker, and go say 15 kts, the boat will probably get about .7 nmpg which works out to 76.7 gallons and a cost of $284.

Going faster "saves" 2.8 hours at an additional cost of $130 or $47/hour.
I can ponder what my time is worth, but then I need to factor in whether I am where I want to be when I arrive at The Wharf or when I first arrive on the boat.

Applying the second perspective, cruising the boat at @ 8.3 kts costs $25 / hour and $82/hr at 15 kts.

One more thought:

"As soon as he was within the ship, he felt himself wrapped round with a sweetness such as he had never known before, as if all he could desire was fulfilled."
_ re Lancelot, Morte d' Arthur ca 1485

I think I will leave earlier and go slow.

 

[Jaxfishgyd]

We bought our Hatteras to "go slow and smell the roses"....
If I wanted to just go fast and didn't care, I would of just bought a sea ray or carver...

 

[MikeP]

"We bought our Hatteras to "go slow and smell the roses""

We didn't; we figured we'd be on plane most of the time, "blasting" ( ) along at 17 knots. Sadly, those danged oil companies ruined it for us!

But every time we are on plane (about an hour at one stretch is the longest we've done it in the past few years) I'm impressed at how much better our 53MY "feels."

 

[bobk]

I get nervous at 15 knots and really worry at WOT (18 kts). We bought Chateau de Mer to use as a trawler and have run her to Florida and back six times at 8 knots. Now that is comfortable travel, but the Series I 48 MY was supposed to have a 'dual mode' hull so perhaps she is more comfortable at low speeds. Me, I'd go slow and enjoy the trip and the extra money in your pocket.

Bobk

 

[magnawake]

Yeah, at 8kts you can barley hear the engines and the wind is blowing gently through the fly bridge. What a relaxing trip. Near WOT, the canvas is flapping, turbines are howling, wind noise is loud. I'e gone fast many times before. Give me a easy slow cruising speed. Now thats relaxing. If I wanted to go fast I would have bought a Cigarette and played Miami Vice. All that said, those big sport fishing convertibles sound real cool too. There's no way I could afford that. Now I Bummed.....Grass is always greener, you know.

 

[bigbill]

it depends on what you are doing
if you are going for a boat ride, why not make it last as long as possible.
if it is a delivery, run fast and get it over.

 

[SKYCHENEY]

I'm all for a nice long boat ride and saving fuel, but it sure is fun to wind em up and let her run. It just feels right.

 

[jim rosenthal]

I have slow cruise- about 14-16 kts, where she is up on plane but things are more relaxed. Then cruise, which is 21-24 kts, which is noisier, faster, and the markers sure come up quickly. And then, balls to the wall, which I haven't done in a while, but was 30kts last time I checked. I don't do that too often. The one thing I don't do is run her at half-planing speeds; the EGT goes up, she doesn't seem happy, and there isn't enough boost. The EGT and boost seem best at about 2300 revs and up, but it isn't a relaxed speed; the boat is happy, but with the short distances in the middle Bay, things happen too quickly. 2300 revs is about 22 kts.

 

[Pascal]

Maybe it s the sailor in me but I usually enjoy going slow vs fast. Less noise, easier on the boat and crew, etc...

Every time I ve done the math between running a trip at 9kts (or whatever hull speed is) or on plane around 20kts, running fast cost twice as much. When diesel was under $2 a gallon or on a smaller boat, the difference i
Was/is small and it s often worth going at the faster speed.

Nowadays with high fuel prices and/or with a bigger boat the difference can be huge. This spring with high fuel prices and even higher ($5+ in the Bahamas) I discussed fuel costs with our charter guests before each trip Basically with a 70 footer, every hour ran at 20 kts instead of 10 would cost them an additional $200 an hour... On the typical week long exumas charter out of Nassau, it came up to around $1500 in fuel savings. Every group decided to enjoy the ride instead of burning extra dollars bills out the exhausts

But like everything else it s a matter of personal preference. If your week end is short and you have a 60nm round trip, it's worth spending the extra. On a longer delivery, if you have a set date the boat needs to get there, spending and extra $10k may be worth it to the owner.

 

[MikeP]

"Nowadays with high fuel prices and/or with a bigger boat the difference can be huge."

When we bought our 53 one of the reasons we bought it was the ability to have a "large" comfortable boat that could plane and run 17+K. We did not expect to be plodding around at half that speed. So the cost of fuel vs our pocketbook is what turned the boat from what it was designed to do into a mediocre imitation of a trawler. If we had wanted to run trawler speeds, we'd have bought a trawler - they do much better at those speeds than our 53 does.

To us the boat is much more responsive, rides smoother and just generally "works" better at planing speeds. I just wish we could afford to operate it that way. In the "old" fuel days, our friend across the dock with the 58 was never at displacement speed once he got out of the marina/speed zones until he got to wherever he was going. He ran on plane at all times. Now, he's doing the same thing I'm doing...

Yes, sometimes it's nice to just amble along but earlier this year I was on Blue Note with Dr Jim as he brought the boat to the marina from Annapolis and I loved being able to make that trip in an hour instead of 3. If I'm going to St Michaels, 9k is fine - it's a 1+20 ride. Or doing a "sunset" cruise - fine. But going to Oxford - I'd sure like to do it on plane!

 

[TopHattandTails]

"So the cost of fuel vs our pocketbook is what turned the boat from what it was designed to do into a mediocre imitation of a trawler. If we had wanted to run trawler speeds, we'd have bought a trawler - they do much better at those speeds than our 53 does."

...and the 53 just looks better than any trawler I've seen!

 

[Vincentc]

Mike got my attention with the comment: "is what turned the boat from what it was designed to do into a mediocre imitation of a trawler"

I can only speak to the 43DC and there is nothing mediocre about its operation at hull speed; nor does it compare unfavorably to any "trawler" I've been on, except perhaps real trawlers, like the steel hull fishing trawlers I crewed on for several summers back in the early 70's.

Lilly Marie is a bit puny compared with a 90' double rigged trawler, although she does have a bit more hp, but not nearly the pulling power of those boats.

Compared to faux trawlers, nothing mediocre in my experience. I spent about 20 years running my father in law's Gulfstar 43. As much as I enjoyed and like that boat, I would not take it over the 43DC. It may get a little better fuel economy, but I would gladly pay the extra fuel cost to reduce the way she rolls in a beam sea. Before finding the Hatteras, I looked at a number of trawlers that were for sale, and none were even close to a the 43DC.

Regards,

 

[Boatsb]

I remember when the only reason to run slow was trolling. Now we have manatee zones and ridiculous fuel prices. What will be next?

 

[bigbill]

blown engines that you cant afford to fix

 

[Boatsb]

Now that may affect me for a month or so. Then again if I were to live near the boat or on it I would probably knock it out pretty quick.

 

[saltshaker]

5 years ago a 65EB like mine with 12V92's wouldn't sell for what the 16V92 boats did. Most wanted the extra 2kts cruise. Now most don't want the 16V92's because of the added fuel burn and maintenance cost. Many are running these things at 10kts anyway so the extra cost of the 16's doesn't make sense. Funny how things change. My boat seems best at 1950-2000rpms which gives me 21-23kts depending on load. I've tried the 10kt thing but can't do it for long. 1700rpms gives me 17.5kts which seems to be a good compromise. Fuel burn goes from about .8NMPG to .33NMPG.

 

[krush]

Well, how about those that have owned or run go-fast boats? Wahooooooo 45mph cruise, 60mph WOT (and that's not a super fast one)...until it breaks LOL merc-losers.

I don't mind going slow though.

 

[OBXTucker]

Slow works for us and we LOVE it!

8 knots =
- Slight breeze on the flybridge
- Normal conversations (barely hear the engines on the FB)
- Sipping fuel
- Admiral casually making meals or preparing for dinner
- Kids playing games or reading books pretty much anywhere aboard they'd like
- I can "go to the head" and never come close to approaching that marker 1/2 mile away
- undertake (and sometimes complete!) small projects aboard
- no one gets sea sick (unless it gets really nasty). it's only happened once in 3 years.

All of that said, there are times when we'd love to be doing 15 - 20 knots to outrun a storm or get to our destination a little early....

Life is a compromise and we're still thrilled with ours.

 

[Glory]

blown engines that you cant afford to fix

Bill, my dad has a said many times "A good day of boating is any day you can afford to fix all the things you broke.

JM

 

[Jaxfishgyd]

Most of our cruising is either in the ICW or St Johns River.....
Doesn't matter if you have a 100 mph boat... You can't go fast 70% of the time
We're going back to Jacksonville in the morning for a 2 week stay... 5-6 hr cruise....
I just sit back and steer with my feet at the whopping 8kt cruise.....
But then again... I only top out at 14 kts on a good day....
But yes... I DO miss my Center Console I used for chartering, usually for kingfish tournaments that topped out at just under 70 mph.....
Diesel yesterday was $3.24 at the Florida Petrolium plant here in Fernandina.( at the Fernandina Municipal Marina it was $3.92, and is only 1500' away)... Put in 240 gals.... That will last me a LONG TIME the 8 kt speed.