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kind_cir
13-04-2011, 05:52 PM
Trying to work out what size boat to get.... A 4.2m tinny, or something closer to the 5m mark. Now a 30 would push along an open 4.2m tinny quite nicely. but if i wer to step up to something closer to 5m, like say 4.8 then i would need a much larger motor to push it. So what would the difference in fuel costs be between the 2 ?

I don't want to get a boat, that i can't afford to keep the fuel up to.

The boat will be used mainly in the rivers and creeks up the coast.

Dantren
13-04-2011, 06:17 PM
In my recent experience, you can double maybe triple the running costs if you go from a 4.3 40hp yamaha four stroke tiller to a 5.1 90hp suzuki four stroke centre console.

For a short trip, $30 used to top off the tank in the 4.3 - Spent $65 in the 5.1
You can allow the sme ratio for rego & insurance too.

Enjoy the decision......
Dan.

brrbear
13-04-2011, 06:20 PM
thats a hard one,
who is going to do the maint.
2stroke-4stroke
how far--how often
there are a few unforseen costs that always crop up.
If costs are going to be a issue consider all options

I have a few boats from 33' down to 14' and just use the one i want at the time but to tell you what each one costs to run would be a guess, I do my own maint.

kind_cir
13-04-2011, 06:28 PM
2 stroke.......

purnong
13-04-2011, 06:52 PM
I recently bought a Brooker 450 Seaman and am running a 50HP Tohatsu TLDI
When I was running it in I did a round trip of about 100K's for 20 or so litres
Mind you that was on the Murray river and conditions were perfect but this motor continues to amaze me on how cheap it is to run

Lachie1
13-04-2011, 07:16 PM
In my recent experience, you can double maybe triple the running costs if you go from a 4.3 40hp yamaha four stroke tiller to a 5.1 90hp suzuki four stroke centre console.

For a short trip, $30 used to top off the tank in the 4.3 - Spent $65 in the 5.1
You can allow the sme ratio for rego & insurance too.

Enjoy the decision......
Dan.

Was that the same trip Dan or a similar trip and about how far do you reckon it was? Just curious...

Cheers,

Lachie

PADDLES
13-04-2011, 07:51 PM
kind cir, i don't mean to be unkind, but if you're saying that you might be borderline in affording the fuel bill then i think you already know the answer to your question and will stick with around 4m.

a 4.2m boat with a 30hp will go anywhere you want to go if you stick to the rivers and creeks, it'll even go for trips out to the gneerings and close reefs off mooloolabah, but i'd go 35-40hp on a 4.2 if you're planning on using it as a family boat and loading it up a bit.

there's plenty of options in the 3.85-4m length that'll go good with a 20-30hp and run on the smell of an oily rag. go a conventional 2 stroke too if money's an issue, unless you really do a heap of hours you'll never make up the price difference to a di 2s or 4s, and'you'll only get some of it back in resale.

NAGG
13-04-2011, 08:11 PM
Trying to work out what size boat to get.... A 4.2m tinny, or something closer to the 5m mark. Now a 30 would push along an open 4.2m tinny quite nicely. but if i wer to step up to something closer to 5m, like say 4.8 then i would need a much larger motor to push it. So what would the difference in fuel costs be between the 2 ?

I don't want to get a boat, that i can't afford to keep the fuel up to.

The boat will be used mainly in the rivers and creeks up the coast.

Matey ..... If you are thinking this way - you cant afford a boat! -...... sorry but there are bigger costs to owning a boat than its fuel usage ..... you are not talking tinny vs a game fishing boat

but for your benefit - my 60HP 4 stroke Yammi will give a bit better than 50km for 20lts ...... so $30 for a 50km run (4.8m Hornet)

Chris

kind_cir
13-04-2011, 08:31 PM
I have looked into the other costs involved in owing a boat these days, but it was a bit hard to find out the diferences in fuel costs. I used to own a 3.7 with a 30hp, then switched to a newer 20hp, and the fuel costs did not worry me at all.
Realy, I just did not want to get a bigger boat than 4.2 if the cost to power it was too great compared to the smaller boat.
So in other words, if i had a bigger boat with a 70hp and it used 4 times the amount of fuel to push the bigger tinnie then that would sway me to go a smaller tinnie with a 30 or 40hp. But if the say 70hp with the 4.8m tinnie is only going to cost twice as much to fuel then i would prefer the bigger boat.

Axl
13-04-2011, 08:37 PM
My first boat was a 4.2 with a 25h/p 2 stroke and it went just fine but I found myself with the throttle wide open to get where I wanted to.

The next boat was a 4.7 with a 50h/p 2 stroke and I found that the fuel bill didnt change all that much as I didnt have to have the throttle on the 50h/p open as far as the 25h/p.

Chris_2184
13-04-2011, 08:41 PM
why go any bigger than 4.2m if you're just sticking to rivers and estuary? surely this is enough for what you intend to do, plus easier to handle by yourself, cheaper to buy, cheaper on fuel etc.

but if you're already counting your pennies worrying about fuel then go the smaller cheaper option.

kind_cir
13-04-2011, 08:47 PM
My first boat was a 4.2 with a 25h/p 2 stroke and it went just fine but I found myself with the throttle wide open to get where I wanted to.

The next boat was a 4.7 with a 50h/p 2 stroke and I found that the fuel bill didnt change all that much as I didnt have to have the throttle on the 50h/p open as far as the 25h/p.

Thanks.. it's looking like i'm going the 4.5 - 4.8 range then. I just did not want to pay 4 or 5 times the running costs to jump up to the next size boat slot. Even 2-2.5 times the cost to run is just fine.

krazyfisher
13-04-2011, 08:51 PM
I would say 4-5 double your costs

kind_cir
13-04-2011, 08:52 PM
why go any bigger than 4.2m if you're just sticking to rivers and estuary? surely this is enough for what you intend to do, plus easier to handle by yourself, cheaper to buy, cheaper on fuel etc.

but if you're already counting your pennies worrying about fuel then go the smaller cheaper option.

ok then.... i did not want to upset anyone , but here goes. Some nice person is buying the boat for me, paying the first 3 years of servicing, rego and insurance. I just got to put fuel in the thing and supply a fillet or 2 when i catch fish. And yes, it's all going in my name... a present from a family member. nuf said ;D

so my only real worry is the fuel.:D

Sorry...

Jabiru658
13-04-2011, 09:04 PM
My 4.2m 2 stroke 30 horse uses as much fuel as my 4.55m 4 stroke but the 4 stroke costs a more to get serviced.

Jarrah Jack
13-04-2011, 09:12 PM
I've got a 4.2 tinnie with a 40 2 smoke and a 4.9 glass with a 70 four stroke. They both cost much the same to run. When I had the glass boat with a 115 2 smoke on the back the cost was more than double that of the tinnie.

oldie
13-04-2011, 09:46 PM
I had a 70Hp yamaha 2 stroke on my 5m Quintrex and it was very economical, a morning offshore with a mixture of bottom bashing/drifting and trolling i'd be lucky to use 3/4 of a 25l tank, since up grading to my new rig with 120HP V4 well i just wont comment on the fuel usage difference, will prob make you run scared!! but i love it

oldboot
13-04-2011, 10:59 PM
In reality it is not the length that is going to be a major influence on the fuel cost it will be weight.

No matter which way you look at it, fuel consumption for any vehicle comes down to weight.

And weight will give you stability and comfort.

If you realy are looking at running costs, and you are talking about smaller rivers and esturies......going smaller than 14 foot is a realistic thing.

I have come to the conclusion that the 14 foot boat is neither here nor there.

It is too big to work the shalows and the tight little areas well, but it is too small and light to be comfortable and seaworthy beyond smooth waters.

cheers

joey_1987
14-04-2011, 12:38 AM
Speaking as an owner of a 3.95m tinnie with a 30hp 2s, if I want to cruise at 21 knots I use about 7L/hr that's usually with 2-3 people and gear, WOT is 27 knots 1 up, 26 knots 2 up, 24-25 knots 3 up condition dependent, fuel use at WOT is about 12-13L/hr. Is boating cheap for me? Once you have all the safety equipment and fishing gear the only real ongoing costs for me are fuel/oil and parts for a service (I change impeller, spark plugs, gear oil, grease all points, check prop/propshaft myself). If I want to pull mates around on a tube for about 2 hours then I will use 15-20L of fuel. If I cruise to a fishing spot maybe 12km from the ramp and then come back I will use maybe 4-5L at roughly 6km/L.
Small tinnies with 2 strokes and not much to go wrong are great because they're simple and relatively cheap. Go with what suits you though, if you go up to a 4.2m then you'd be best of with the max hp for that hull which is usually 40hp, with light loading you will achieve WOT of 30 knots easily and should cruise at 22-23 knots for slightly more fuel usage, roughly 9L/hr. Jump in a 4m tinnie then jump in a 4.2m tinnie and decide if you need the extra space but more importantly decide if the extra $$ is worth it. I found a huge price increase from 3.95 to 4.2m when I bought mine back in 2005. I can't comment on owning a 4.5-5m hull as I haven't owned one.
At the end of the day go with what suits you best and if it's cost you're worried about the rule is as small as possible with maximum hp and minimal fancy stuff to go wrong.

Chris_2184
14-04-2011, 06:50 AM
ok then.... i did not want to upset anyone , but here goes. Some nice person is buying the boat for me, paying the first 3 years of servicing, rego and insurance. I just got to put fuel in the thing and supply a fillet or 2 when i catch fish. And yes, it's all going in my name... a present from a family member. nuf said ;D

so my only real worry is the fuel.:D

Sorry...

don't be sorry mate I wasn't having a go

I've got a 4.75 bluefin with a 75hp Mercury 2 banger, I love it as it big and comfy for river/estuaries plus big enough to go 40km out on a good day......I get between 2-2.5km to the litre depending on how hard I push it :P

fuel costs really aren't a worry unless you intend to burn a tank full everyweekend.....you soon find out that with work, bad weather and other commitments that you never spend as much time on the water as you'd like :(

CHEE-FEE
14-04-2011, 07:09 AM
In all honesty, and assuming you wouldn't be going a million miles in boats of that size, if fuel costs are the deciding factor, if not the only/one big factor, as to which way to go, I suggest you seriously consider giving the game away. My father went to buy a boat from a dealer many, many years ago; when he asked the dealer how much fuel it chews, the dealer said, "If you're worrying about the fuel, don't bother even looking at the boat". And I still think that holds true today.

Cheers,
NICK.

nigelr
14-04-2011, 10:41 AM
Last boat was a 4.2 tinny with a 30 2-stroke, fairly negligible costs all up.
Now have a 5.3 with a 90hp 2-stroke and yes close enough to triple the costs all up.
If fuel concerns/total ownership costs are a concern, stick with the 4.2/30hp 2-stroke, IMHO.

GLXMAN
14-04-2011, 11:19 AM
Trying to work out what size boat to get.... A 4.2m tinny, or something closer to the 5m mark. Now a 30 would push along an open 4.2m tinny quite nicely. but if i wer to step up to something closer to 5m, like say 4.8 then i would need a much larger motor to push it. So what would the difference in fuel costs be between the 2 ?

I don't want to get a boat, that i can't afford to keep the fuel up to.

The boat will be used mainly in the rivers and creeks up the coast.

Hi There,
I've had an Allison 4.95 since November last year,
60hp 4st Mercury, a little under powered for a heap of people on board but 9 times out of 10, there is one 1 or 2 on board and the power is plenty
75 ltr under floor tank,
A whole day travelling a lot of Km, I'm lucky to use 1/4 of a tank,

IMHO, if you have the budget for a 5-6m boat, you manage the slightly extra fuel,

Often the fuel economy is related to the nut behind the helm:)

Although, (on a calm day), I can get close to 60km/hr, I travel to most destinations around 15-20km/hr,

Most days are around 1/8th tank, even that is hard to judge

A really big day would be $30-40 and that would have to include some sustained high speed to a far destination, (calm),

Other considerations when looking at larger vessels is hull shape and type of fishing, that is, stability verses ability to comfortably ride through a chop

For example, if you are only going to fish estuaries and a lakes,
You can get away with a 4-5m edgetracker with a 30hp and use hardly any fuel

If you plan to fish the many locations in FNQ coast, I would suggest a minimum of 4m and 5-5.5m would be better

If towing has to be taken into consideration, a 5m plate boat would be ideal IMHO, (a good glass boat will give you a better ride but usually, bigger motor_heavier boat=more fuel and that includes the vehicle towing it!

FWIW, even large lakes can test boats under 4m on a bad day



Regards,
Gary

novice23
14-04-2011, 11:21 AM
It's a difficult balance but don't let fuel consumption stop you buying the boat/motor combo that best suits your fishing needs.

would you rather pay an extra $30-$50 for a full weekend of boating in a boat that suits your needs, or save that money fishing out of something inferior?

Jackinthebox
14-04-2011, 08:05 PM
I run a 4.7 pressed tinny & 50 hp tiller 4 stroke Mercury with full floor, casting platform, 60 litre livebait tank full of water, 40 litres of fuel underfloor, couple of guys and about 50 kilos worth of gear.

A 6-8 hr trip with about 1.5 hrs travelling and about 4 hrs with engine idling while drifting, etc uses about 15- 20 litres of juice. ($25 - $30)

Crocodile
15-04-2011, 10:27 PM
Hello kind_cir,
Don't get too fixated on petrol.
There are many other costs of boating.
Rego(boat and trailer)
insurance
maintenance, boat, motor, trailer
depreciation (it will halve in value every five years or so)
interest on a loan
lost interest on money tied up in a boat that could be invested
a bigger boat may need a bigger car than you really need

As for the actual day out
petrol in the car
bait
fishing tackle
tackle lost
petrol in the boat

There are always expenses that are not planned, I just had to buy a new motor(ouch!).

A 5m boat will probably use about twice the fuel of a 4.3m tinny, but who cares if the day out costs an extra $40 for petrol, all the other expenses are still the same.

It is pretty glib but the old saying that if you have to ask it is too much really does apply for boats.

I would recommend having a really hard look at your finances, how much you will use the boat, why you use the boat, how important is fishing and boating to you and your family, does everyone in the family really enjoy boating.

Owning and operating a pleasure boat is probably the greatest luxury any person can indulge in, but if you and yours love that is OK.

Dan5
16-04-2011, 03:16 AM
Heres a benchmark on some different boats on a 220k round trip i've done often.

3.7 savage.......20 hp yamaha carby 2st......45ltrs.

385 explorer....40 tohatsu carby 2st.......70ltrs.

4.2 clark punt......40 carby honda 4st.......35ltrs.

4.5 bluefin......60 efi yamaha 4st.....55ltrs.

4.6 top ender.....50 merc carby 4st......70ltrs.

4.7 trailcraft......70suzy efi 4st.......70ltrs.

4.8 hornet......75 E-tec efi 2st.....80ltrs.

485 stessco.....70 suzy efi 4st......60ltrs.

5.0 GS Xtreme......140 suzy efi 4st......80ltrs.

5.2 mako.....115 suzy efi 4st........75ltrs.

5.4 Quinny sea raider......90 Yamaha carby 2st......130ltrs

6.2 phil curran CDM.......140 suzy efi 4st...........90ltrs.

590 top ender......150 Yamaha efi 4st......105 ltrs.


Obviously some boats are heavier than others and all boats cruise at varying speeds...........but for a rough average it's something to go off any way.

Dan

Blaster Bretty
20-04-2011, 03:32 PM
ok then.... i did not want to upset anyone , but here goes. Some nice person is buying the boat for me, paying the first 3 years of servicing, rego and insurance. I just got to put fuel in the thing and supply a fillet or 2 when i catch fish. And yes, it's all going in my name... a present from a family member. nuf said ;D

so my only real worry is the fuel.:D

Sorry...

Mate dont forget..... a bigger tinny with a bigger motor is gonna weigh a couple of hundred kg's more and therefore will chew extra gas in the car to get it to the ramp, then you still will use more gas in the bigger boat too!!
Go the smaller tinny with the maximum allowable motor!!
You cant go wrong with that one!