'Cruising' Sweet Spot
 

It was too rough on the Bay Saturday for me to want to extend the
"testing" to the higher RPM ranges, but I did note that the apparent
sweet spot for my little Parker and its Yamaha F150 is 4000 RPM. At that
engine speed, with three guys aboard, plus 75 gallons of fuel (3/4
tank), fishing gear, three batteries, cooler full of ice, et cetera, the
GPS and the boat speedo agreed we were doing 27 mph and the fuel
management meter said we were getting precisely 4.5 mpg.

I don't know whether that is good, bad, or indifferent; it just is.

On a different day but with a similar load, we saw 41+ mph at 6000 rpm.
I don't recall either the the *exact* gph or mpg at that speed, but it
was typical for a 150 hp engine...using the one gph per 10 hp "formula."
There's really no need to run at that speed, so I rarely do.

My Parker is relatively heavy for its length (2850 pounds, sans engine,
fuel and gear), and has 21 degrees of deadrise at the transom, so
comparisons with lighter boats with flatter bottoms aren't too relevant.

'Cruising' Sweet Spot
 

"HK" wrote in message
...

It was too rough on the Bay Saturday for me to want to extend the
"testing" to the higher RPM ranges, but I did note that the apparent sweet
spot for my little Parker and its Yamaha F150 is 4000 RPM. At that engine
speed, with three guys aboard, plus 75 gallons of fuel (3/4 tank), fishing
gear, three batteries, cooler full of ice, et cetera, the GPS and the boat
speedo agreed we were doing 27 mph and the fuel management meter said we
were getting precisely 4.5 mpg.

I don't know whether that is good, bad, or indifferent; it just is.

On a different day but with a similar load, we saw 41+ mph at 6000 rpm. I
don't recall either the the *exact* gph or mpg at that speed, but it was
typical for a 150 hp engine...using the one gph per 10 hp "formula."
There's really no need to run at that speed, so I rarely do.

My Parker is relatively heavy for its length (2850 pounds, sans engine,
fuel and gear), and has 21 degrees of deadrise at the transom, so
comparisons with lighter boats with flatter bottoms aren't too relevant.

Ahhh, 3 on board. A stooges reunion perhaps?

'Cruising' Sweet Spot
 

HK wrote in news:6f5pbqF9bproU1
@mid.individual.net:

GPS and the boat speedo agreed we were doing 27 mph and the fuel
management meter said we were getting precisely 4.5 mpg.


Pretty close to what boattest got on this Ranger with that motor:

http://www.boattest.com/oem/general-...484#TestResult

Their peak planed was 3500 RPM...5 mpg...as soon as it planed and quit
plowing...

'Cruising' Sweet Spot
 

HK wrote in news:6f5pbqF9bproU1
@mid.individual.net:

On a different day but with a similar load, we saw 41+ mph at 6000 rpm.
I don't recall either the the *exact* gph or mpg at that speed, but it
was typical for a 150 hp engine...using the one gph per 10 hp "formula."
There's really no need to run at that speed, so I rarely do.



http://www.boattest.com/oem/general-...484#TestResult

Wide open it guzzles 14.7 gph x $4.5/gallon at the marina = $66/hour

I wouldn't run it wide open, either...(c;

'Cruising' Sweet Spot
 

Larry wrote:
HK wrote in news:6f5pbqF9bproU1
@mid.individual.net:

On a different day but with a similar load, we saw 41+ mph at 6000 rpm.
I don't recall either the the *exact* gph or mpg at that speed, but it
was typical for a 150 hp engine...using the one gph per 10 hp "formula."
There's really no need to run at that speed, so I rarely do.



http://www.boattest.com/oem/general-...484#TestResult

Wide open it guzzles 14.7 gph x $4.5/gallon at the marina = $66/hour

I wouldn't run it wide open, either...(c;



Saw another twin-engined high-speed center console for sale at the
marina Sunday...500 horsepower. Crikey.

'Cruising' Sweet Spot
 

On Mon, 28 Jul 2008 10:00:10 -0400, HK wrote:

http://www.boattest.com/oem/general-...484#TestResult

Wide open it guzzles 14.7 gph x $4.5/gallon at the marina = $66/hour

I wouldn't run it wide open, either...(c;



Saw another twin-engined high-speed center console for sale at the
marina Sunday...500 horsepower. Crikey.

They are dime a dozen here in Florida, almost standard equipment for
serious open boat fishing. There are quite a few triples running
around also, and even a few quads. One of the local quads is run by
US Customs and Border Patrol - our tax payer dollars at work. :-)

http://img186.imageshack.us/img186/232/p4290099lh8.jpg

'Cruising' Sweet Spot
 

Wayne.B wrote:
On Mon, 28 Jul 2008 10:00:10 -0400, HK wrote:

http://www.boattest.com/oem/general-...484#TestResult

Wide open it guzzles 14.7 gph x $4.5/gallon at the marina = $66/hour

I wouldn't run it wide open, either...(c;


Saw another twin-engined high-speed center console for sale at the
marina Sunday...500 horsepower. Crikey.

They are dime a dozen here in Florida, almost standard equipment for
serious open boat fishing. There are quite a few triples running
around also, and even a few quads. One of the local quads is run by
US Customs and Border Patrol - our tax payer dollars at work. :-)

http://img186.imageshack.us/img186/232/p4290099lh8.jpg




Yeah, I have seen a couple of "trips" around here, too. Haven't seen a
"quad" yet, though. A goodly number of multi-engined center consoles
around here are up for sale, more at one time than I have seen before.
I'm sure it is all fuel-cost related.

'Cruising' Sweet Spot
 

On Jul 28, 10:58*am, Wayne.B wrote:
On Mon, 28 Jul 2008 10:00:10 -0400, HK wrote:
http://www.boattest.com/oem/general-..._id=484#TestRe...

Wide open it guzzles 14.7 gph x $4.5/gallon at the marina = $66/hour

I wouldn't run it wide open, either...(c;

Saw another twin-engined high-speed center console for sale at the
marina Sunday...500 horsepower. Crikey.

They are dime a dozen here in Florida, almost standard equipment for
serious open boat fishing. *There are quite a few triples running
around also, and even a few quads. *One of the local quads is run by
US Customs and Border Patrol - our tax payer dollars at work. * :-)

http://img186.imageshack.us/img186/232/p4290099lh8.jpg

What an awkward looking setup... plain ugly if you ask me.

'Cruising' Sweet Spot
 

On Jul 28, 11:52*am, wrote:
On Jul 28, 10:58*am, Wayne.B wrote:





On Mon, 28 Jul 2008 10:00:10 -0400, HK wrote:
http://www.boattest.com/oem/general-..._id=484#TestRe...

Wide open it guzzles 14.7 gph x $4.5/gallon at the marina = $66/hour

I wouldn't run it wide open, either...(c;

Saw another twin-engined high-speed center console for sale at the
marina Sunday...500 horsepower. Crikey.

They are dime a dozen here in Florida, almost standard equipment for
serious open boat fishing. *There are quite a few triples running
around also, and even a few quads. *One of the local quads is run by
US Customs and Border Patrol - our tax payer dollars at work. * :-)

http://img186.imageshack.us/img186/232/p4290099lh8.jpg

What an awkward looking setup... *plain ugly if you ask me.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

You've got three times the chance of something going wrong with those
hi-tech things.....
Let alone keeping things syncronized and equally trimmed.

'Cruising' Sweet Spot