real world performance report - 20 footer

[zach]

I figured I’d post this as I always enjoy reading about other’s performance.

A week and a half ago I ran from Fort Lauderdale to Key Largo for a weekend of diving. Left with freshly topped tank (70 gals). Load was 2 of us, 4 tanks, 2 sets of dive gear and enough food/ice/water for the fri/sat/sun we’d be there. Our load stayed fairly consistent except for a pair of additional tanks on Saturday. We had to idle our way through Miami but once we hit Biscayne Bay, we were running. On the way down we averaged a cruising speed of 27-30 kts per hour (as fast as the bay would let us go) and coming back we were between 35-37 kts per hour. It was a pretty rough weekend in the keys and the ocean only let us go between 24-30 kts. We were bayside a couple times where I opened her up to get a feel for the top speed loaded. 45.3 kts was the best I could do.

Just topped her off. According to my Garmin, we ran 229 nautical miles for the trip. Fuel came out to 56 gallons even. A hair above 4 nauts per gallon. I probably could have gotten another half naut had I not such a heavy hand, but its fun to let the opti run. Regardless, I was pretty happy about the performance.

[eggsuckindog]

great mileage for sure

[Caymanboy]

Zack,
Couple of questions? that speed is awsome, i was down in the keys for the gathering and I got 46 kts, with my 200 yami, one guy and 3/4 fuel, 30 gals. My question is, I have the milage from Laud to Ocean Grief at about 50nm, add another 20 to the bottom of Key Largo, so call it 80 even, doubled is 160, did you run around another 66 miles? That millage at 4 mpg is awsome, I might have to off the old Yami and git me an merican motor!!! Missed seeing you down there!

[ROBCAR]

What an adventure. I also have a couple of questions....What kind of boat do you have (20ft MA or SF)? and what is the HP on your Merc?

[zach]

We ran a bunch when we were down there. When we got there on Friday, I went straight for what is typically my "go-to" motel room, a room that in all the times I've been to key largo has never been filled. Its simple, cheap and right on the water, a random room on a bayside campground that I discovered it when I worked down there a couple years ago. Go figure, it was rented for the weekend. Plan B consisted of running around to every hotel I could think of on the water which produced nothing but expensive rooms and even more expensive dock fees. Right as we were getting ready to roll out the sleeping bags on the boat, I remembered that Snappers had rooms on top for a reasonable price. At dark, we pulled into Snappers and sure enough, they had space. Great spot, live music played until we fell asleep. Isn’t that where everyone stayed for the SeaCraft get-together? I was hoping to make it, but my job is very unpredictable and I had to work that weekend. I’ll be at the next one (knock on wood)!

ROBCAR, the hull is a ’72 so it’s the SF. The engine is a Merc Optimax 175 Pro XS, which they say puts out a hair more than 175 hp.

[ROBCAR]

thanks for the info....and hope to see your boat down in Biscayne Bay one of this days