Fuel -distance

[WAArete]

I have nade a purchase for a 37' 2003 in San Diego. Looking for thoughs or facts for fuel heading up the coast to Washington state. What could i expect from a 29 horsepower Volvo on a journey north?
Thank you all

[Symphony]

Cruising at 2400 rpm will give you approx 5.5 knots and consume under 2l an hour. You should have a 150l capacity tank, so assume 130l usable with a safety margin. so range is (130/2)*5.5 = 357.5 nautical miles through the water. When I did a long passage in the same boat/engine from Greece to Spain, mostly under power we planned on refuelling at 350 miles or every 2 days. Also carried 50l in cans. Conveniently there were islands (Sicily, Sardinia, Majorca) at roughly the right intervals!

[Craig]

I agree with Symphony, but note, once you go over about 2300RPM the fuel consumption increases dramatically with only a small additional increase in speed. Waves and a headwind could easily double your consumption.

My Volvo Penta D1-30 in a Bav 38, 3 bladed folding prop uses 1.6 litres per hour on 2100 RPM doing 5.3 knots in calm seas. I have used nearly 3 litres per hour doing 2500 rpm into 20 knots and 1.5m seas, averaging only 4.5 kn. dropping to under 4 knots when pounding into waves. I may be a little out in my estimates for rough weather motoring as I avoid it as much as possible.

Be aware, the fuel gauges are typically not calibrated correctly. I have 1/3 tank left ( about 50 litres)  when gauge reads half full.

regards

Craig
"Shirley Valentine"
Gold Coast
Australia

[Symphony]

The OPs engine is a 2030 which revs higher (3600 as opposed to 3200 for the D1 30) so cruising speeds are correspondingly at higher rpm - although the same principle applies to fuel consumption increase.

I have a D1 30 in my new boat and cruise at 2200, 200 revs lower than my previous 2030.

[Salty]

I have nade a purchase for a 37' 2003 in San Diego. Looking for thoughs or facts for fuel heading up the coast to Washington state. What could i expect from a 29 horsepower Volvo on a journey north?
Thank you all

Suggest you contact "Sail Princess" through this forum, they recently made a trip from BC down the west coast towards Mexico, and they could provide a valuable insite in regard to the currents you can expect during the voyage. The main current sets south easterly, but in my experience you can often find a counter current setting in the opposite direction when close inshore, though that has to be weighed against the greater risks from obstructions both man made and natural that exist close to shore.
Safe voyage.