How to cut down on fuel usage
At last petrol prices are slowly coming down from their previous lofty levels, but it’s still an expensive commodity and most of us find it hard to fill our vehicle’s tank, never mind taking the boat out over weekends. Leisure Boating provides a few tips on how you can reduce your fuel usage so that you may still enjoy time on the water aboard your most prized possession.
Slow your roll: Although we all have a speed freak inside of us and enjoy our hair whipping in the wind as we travel at high speeds across the dam or lake, it is perhaps a good idea to cruise at lower speeds during these tough times as slower boating means using less fuel.
Trim tabs: As you accelerate to get onto the plane your boat uses a significant amount of fuel, especially without trim tabs. As the boat pushes forward, it creates a “hill of water” and in this bow-high position the hull bottom is pounded and because of significant hull drag and extreme prop angle, your fuel economy will be poor. Use of trim tabs will combat this in stabilising the boat, and your petrol bill at the end of the day will prove it.
