Go Further with that Tank of Fuel: Ten Top Tips
With the price of fuel shooting for the sky, and unlikely to level or fall any time soon, both sailing and power boats can take advantage of a few tips on how to get more distance from the same tank of fuel. 
'Going further for less'
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Here are the Ten Top Tips:
1. Leave the extra 'junk' home: Don't load the boat up with weight you don't need. Do a little spring cleaning - unused equipment that has been collecting mildew in the bottom of lockers for years should be taken home, or better still, to the tip.
2. Water is HEAVY, and so is fuel. Why keep the water and fuel in the tank topped off if you're only going out for the afternoon?
3. Tune her up: An engine tune-up is an excellent investment and should easily pay for itself over the summer.
4. Tune your prop: If your boat does 8 knots with a like-new prop and only 7 knots with a prop that's dinged and out of pitch, that's a 12.5% loss in fuel economy, or, you're wasting fuel to get you the same distance.
5. Do the anti-fouling: When boating in salt or brackish waters a fouled bottom is like a dull knife. It takes a lot more fuel to push your boat through the water.
6. Keep the boat in trim: Distributing weight evenly will help move your boat through the water with less effort - and less fuel.
7. Go with the flow: Consult tide tables and try to travel with the tides and currents whenever possible.
8. Install a fuel flow meter: A fuel flow meter is like a heart monitor; when consumption starts to rise, it's an early warning that something is amiss. A fuel flow meter also allows you to select a comfortable cruising speed that optimizes the amount of fuel being consumed.
9. Do the math: If you don't want to go to the expense of a fuel flow meter you can calculate your fuel mileage by dividing distance traveled by quantity at fill-up. Using your logbook, you can then approximate fuel flow using average speeds and time underway.
10. Get a discount: Check for what discounts are available in your country, and stay abreast of the information. (In the USA, many of the 885 BoatU.S. Cooperating Marinas around the country offer up to 10 cents off a gallon of gas. To get the discount all you have to do is to show your BoatU.S. membership card. If you aren't already a member, join online now for a special rate of $19.00 by going to BoatUS.com/membership or call 800-395-2628.)
by BoatU.S./BW Media 
Devonport, TAS
