Richard wrote: "I'd like to get actual experience, rather than rules of thumb or engineering calculations. I have data from about 30 boat owners so far, but the numbers are all over the place." .............. you forgot two important items for your list of questions. The Reduction Gear Ratio and Prop Size Two trawlers of identical make and weight going the exact same speed could suck very different amounts of fuel by having different props or gear ratios or both. Indeed, a comparison of your actual consumption with the "engineered calculations" for your exact set up is probably more useful than comparing your numbers with hundreds of similar boats that have so many variables. This is of course why you find your results so far "all over the place". If you're on a trawler, why not relax and figure that you're probably getting better than average mileage than most power boaters. A more important question is how many sunsets per gallon are you getting? Doug Gould WATER TORTURE

Douglas Gould <doug@5goulds.com> writes: >If you're on a trawler, why not relax and figure that you're probably >getting better than average mileage than most power boaters. A more >important question is how many sunsets per gallon are you getting? The other very important point is that unless you are a commercial operator, or you'll be circling the world several times, your fuel costs will be a VERY small part of your operating budget. I don't have Quicken in front of me right now, but it's certainly less that 10% of my overall boat expenses (and that's in a boat that weighs 100,000 pounds and has an ancient and relatively inefficient 225 HP diesel). And remember you can reduce your fuel consumption arbitrarily low by simply slowing down. You'll still be going faster than almost any sailboat out there, they they manage to make long ocean voyages all the time. Scott Welch "Things turn out best for people who make the best of the way things turn out." - John Wooden