With fuel prices rocketing, how will this affect  houseboating?  I have not owned a HB long enough to know what you all have gone through in the past with escalating fuel prices.  I suppose this has been a hot topic over the years, and I of course know the short term impact, but what do you long timers think about all of this?
Just looking at our marina, I would guess that it is just a ripple for the real boating crowd. What are your thoughts?

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Riverliver

Fuel goes up and we grumble; but you're right it's just a ripple. In reality it's a small part of your overall costs, compared to slip rent, insurance, depreciation, maintenance, etc.

Just go a little slower and/or don't go as far; you can still have just as much fun.

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Willie
She's a tired old barge but she's paid for! http://s71.photobucket.com/alb...p;current=ef324993.pbw

Go a little slower?  What is the relationship between speed and fuel economy with a houseboat?  Is there a "sweet spot" in the engine rpm range where the best fuel economy/speed tradeoff occurs?  Obviously, less rpms is less gallons per hour, but it is also less miles per hour.  One could theorize that somewhere the gph curve and the mph curve would meet to give you maximum mpg.

Am I all wet, or does this make sense?

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Superdad

It depends on how fast you go in the first place; but going slower WILL improve your MPG. Look behind you; it takes GAS to make that wake.... Somewhere in there is a compromise.

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Willie
She's a tired old barge but she's paid for! http://s71.photobucket.com/alb...p;current=ef324993.pbw

One strategy we will employ is to move closer to the activities we do from the HB. Then we use a smaller boat to recreate from.

it might be a good time to install gph meters. I have them on my 45' Burnscraft with chrysler 318's and have been very supprised with the information that I get get from the gph meters. I am not as throttle happpy as when I first purchased the boat 4 years ago. It seems to me that about 1500 rpms is great for me.

Fasteddie
Rick & Laurie Hasty

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Rick Hasty

My Brother-In-Law’s Gibson 36 has a V-6.

My 44 foot pontoon houseboat has a 50 HP outboard.

At full throttle he can maybe go 1 or 2 miles per hour faster than me.

Keep in mind that fuel consumption is not a linear equation. To go twice as fast might use 3 or 4 X as much fuel.

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Mark
1979 Crest
Brookville Lake, IN

well put Capt. on my Monticello @ 2000rpm i get approx 1 mpg with twin 7.4 mpi engines, but it drops to .6mpg @ 2300rpm and then starts to level out to .4 mpg@ 4000 rpm. The most i have had to pay for gas was $ 4.98/gallon over Labor Day weekend 2005 (right after Katrina)while bringing the boat back to Aurora, Ind. from LBL. It took 215 gallons that day to go from Golconda,Ill. to Evansville, In.(approx 115 miles). We were just happy to be able to get gas at all.



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UC FANS
1999, 52' Monticello - Miller Tyme
Port of Aurora IN

Edited: 11/11/2007 at 06:20:18 PM by MILLERTYME

Golconda was the highest in diesel price anywhere along the riversWhen beating up stream there is not much choise of throttle. Is it time to upgrade to fuel injection instead of rebuilding/replacing with old engines?
Are new HBs equipped with FI engines?

An interesting topic with so many variables. Two weeks ago I ran my 44 Gibson forty-two miles downstream including one lockthrough. I have Crusader 270's with four barrels. I made myself stay off the throttle and poked along never exceeding 8mph. I ran the Onan 6.5 genset for exactly two hours of the trip so my wife could prepare lunch and I could get a hot shower. I used exactly 30 gallons of gas at $3.24 per gallon. That is $97.20 for fuel or $2.31 per mile. $44.00 for overnight at the marina. The next day on the return trip I was on a tighter schedule which will always cost you. I ran from 12 to 16 mph most of the time kicking up an expensive wake and having to back off for fishermen and docks and power back up more times than I can count. I ran the genset 2 hours again and only saved about 1 1/2 hours in total time base on a long delay in the lock going upstream. Burned 55 gallons this time. So in order to get there 90 minutes faster I spent $81 more in fuel on the return leg. Naturally some of this would be accounted for by the current upstream. Now I do not usually earn more than $81 in 90 minutes when I am working and no-one was paying me to drive that boat on a Sunday so I had paid 90 cents a minute for nothing. I could have paid myself 90 cents a minute by slowing down. And then I lost the 90 minutes anyway because the wind was howling when we got to our marina and I had to sit at the fuel dock over 90 minutes to let it die down so I could thread through this marina to get to my slip. MORAL: A heavy hand on the throttle will ultimately cost both time and money and why am I on a houseboat if I am worried about time? You will never be happy if you look at boating in terms of money. Financially I would be better off to rent one of these houseboats when I get the itch or book a cruise but I am in it for so many intangibles. Now the real question is at what fuel price do I decide I cannot afford these intangibles?

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The Judge Rules

Ohhhhh Judge,  you should be a lawyer!   Oh wait, you are a lawyer, LOL  Really, you have the right idea in my opinion.  We are always going to find a way to spend our money on our favorite past time, and we somehow justify our actions and spending habits. That's just how it works, but you layed it out so nice for us, thanks.

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Riverliver

Hobbies and toys that give you pleasure cost you money. I have a Lowrey Majesty organ and a Player grand piano in my living room. I can't read music and play by ear. There is absolutly no justification for owning either but I enjoy the heck out of them and I'm gonna be a long time dead. Have fun spread it around, everybody benifits.

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OLD HOUSEBOATER

Tedd655 my 7.4 mercs are fuel injected and to some extent the are as good on the fuel economy as my old boats 318/4bbl chryslers. the old boat was a 43' natualine and @ 2000rpm i got 10 mph and 1 mpg. my present boat is a 52' Monticello with 454 big blocks w/multi port fuel injection and @ 2000 rpm i do 10mph @ 1mpg, so in that respect they move a larger and heavier boat @the same speed and mpg. However they drop off after that, but since most of my running is between 1600/2000rpm it really doesn't affect me that much. My biggest savings comes from my Generator, my old 7.5 Kohler was approx. 1.2 gph, while my 12.5 westebeke (carberated)gets approx. 8/10ths gph, a big improvement.

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UC FANS
1999, 52' Monticello - Miller Tyme
Port of Aurora IN

Damn the TORPEDOES!!!!!FULL SPEED AHEAD!!!!!!!!!

bOB

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I carry a gun because it's too tiring carrying a cop.

It's academic, fuel is never going back in price. Another vice will have to get the ax.

Well some of you could take the ax to that other "fuel" you drink and use the money for gas but I'll bet most of you would rather sit at the dock before doing that!

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The Judge Rules

but judge you have forgotten the 3rd vice you could eliminate, the wifes wine fund......that alone would fill my tanks.(several times over)



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UC FANS
1999, 52' Monticello - Miller Tyme
Port of Aurora IN