Don’t let those outrageous fuel prices sink you

Ahoy.

The question on everyone’s minds lately is how to save fuel while boating, since fuel costs have risen dramatically. I usually answer: Simply hoist your sails and use the wind -- it’s free. Then I’m told people are talking about a motor yacht, and raising the sails is not an option.

Even then, I do have some recommendations to help save fuel, but it is hard to change someone’s boating habits -- such as the need for speed.

First, you should always keep your engines tuned by a boat mechanic, not a car mechanic, for optimal performance. Next is to keep the bottom of the boat clean and free of growth that will create resistance while the boat is moving through the water. I have seen barnacles growing under some boats, but then again, I have never seen those boats ever leave the dock. You should remove from your boat any extra equipment, gear and stuff that seems to accumulate, adding weight to the vessel.

Another tip is not to top off your water and fuel tanks, but carry enough for the voyage. Hundreds of gallons of extra liquids can add thousands of extra pounds to the weight of the boat.

When was the last time you had your propellers tuned, especially by the new laser-tuning systems?

My last tip is to find your best cruising speed for distance and fuel consumption and learn how to properly use your trim tabs. Maybe in a future column I will explain how to use the trim tabs, as most skippers think that there are only two settings -- all the way down and all the way up.

My tip of the week is to check your vessel’s fuel filters for better engine performance and increased miles per gallon. Do you know where your fuel filters are located and how many there are? Do you have a fuel-water separator or separators pumped into your fuel delivery system? You need to know these things, whether you have a powerboat or a sailboat.

How many times at your yacht club’s watering hole have you heard the story about a sailor caught in stormy sea conditions, too windy to hoist a sail and the engine not working, leaving the boat tossing in the swell’s trough? This is commonly caused by the fuel filters becoming clogged from all the particulate matter coming off the bottom of the fuel tanks. When your boat is sitting at the docks, or you are just cruising the harbor, the “dirt� in the fuel settles to the bottom of the tanks thanks to gravity. However, once you hit the rough water, the fuel sloshes around in the tanks, and the years of settling particulate matter is mixed into the fuel.

A brief time later, the primary fuel filters are clogged, starving the engine of fuel. I always make certain we have extra fuel filters for a yacht delivery, and I will have new filters installed prior to the trip. Some yachts have gauges on the fuel filter’s housing, so you can keep an eye on the pressure. When the filters start to clog, you will not be able to bring the boat up to speed at your cruising RPM setting, and you can physically feel the vessel lug through the water while loosing speed. So before you call a mechanic, change your primary fuel filters.

Another important item to check is the fuel-water separator under the primary fuel filter. Specific gravity works in the separator, as the fuel will float on top of any water. You can open the value at the bottom of the bowl and drain out the water until fuel starts to drain out.

In really rough seas, I have noticed that the swells slapping against the hull has forced water in the hull’s fuel-vent opening, pushing water into the fuel tanks. You should add checking the separator to your list for your hourly vessel safety check while underway.

Tune in to the No. 1 boating talk radio show in the nation, “Capt. Mike Whitehead’s Boathouse Radio Show.� It airs every Saturday from noon to 1 p.m. on KCBQ-AM (1170). You can join me, Chandler Bell and Eric Hovland by calling the listener line at (888) 344-1170.

Safe Voyages.

* MIKE WHITEHEAD is the Pilot’s boating and harbor columnist. Send him your harbor and marine-related thoughts and story suggestions by e-mail to [email protected] or visit https://www.boathousetv.com.

20051014i5ys6zkf(LA)