Fuel worries

[kidsdream]

For me the real benefit of the Floscan is the ability of the captain to monitor the performance and operational efficiency of your motor.

You can find the sweet spot of GPH based on a particular load and sea conditions. Additionally once you have a known baseline you can easily see any equipment issues including clogged filters, injector failures etc.

I installed them on my boat years ago and never looked back. Also the accuracy of fuel burned is a lot higher than any other tank level monitoring devices (except a stick - my favorite fool proof device).

I burn 24 GPH at a 15 knt cruise.

Last year I went to a $2500 Floscan fuel management system so that I could go to base charter cost + fuel cost for the day. It made more sense than trying to establish some arbitrary fuel surcharge for any given fuel price.

I was hoping I could get the ROI on the $2500 investment by finding the sweet spot in my fuel burn, but that hasn't really come to fruition.

 

[shawner1971]

Last year I was paying up to $5.75 for unleaded at our marina. I just couldn't do it anymore so I bought six 5 gallon cans and started buying it at the gas station and bringing it in by hand. To get around the marina fuel rules I filled it up at boat ramp and before every trip would bring down a 10 gallon "backup" and would top off tank while out on the water. Obviously, a different situation than your’s with your capacity. There is a captain on the island (Hilton Head) that bought a used fuel truck and buys his fuel in bulk. I know of very few marinas that would allow this but for some it may be an option.

 

[SkipperJohn]

Last year I was paying up to $5.75 for unleaded at our marina. I just couldn't do it anymore so I bought six 5 gallon cans and started buying it at the gas station and bringing it in by hand. To get around the marina fuel rules I filled it up at boat ramp and before every trip would bring down a 10 gallon "backup" and would top off tank while out on the water. Obviously, a different situation than yourÃÔ with your capacity. There is a captain on the island (Hilton Head) that bought a used fuel truck and buys his fuel in bulk. I know of very few marinas that would allow this but for some it may be an option.

get caught around here doing that and they'll have your head. Marine fuel is taxed. And dyed. If they dont see the proper color, you are liable. I know 1 person who was fined.
I also know several others who are buying home heating fuel for their diesels. Add a few filters and this stuff burns fine.
For me, I pay the ludicrous prices. Life is too complicated without making it worse.

As for the flowscan, I have often considered it, but with twins and diesels... Well, that's one expensive nut!

 

[Tortuga James]

As for the flowscan, I have often considered it, but with twins and diesels... Well, that's one expensive nut!

I originally was thinking about $1200 bucks for the floscan based on the cost of the unit and what the guy told me it would take to install it. So he ordered the unit, went down to the boat and called me and said he could do the electronics part but I needed to get a diesel mechanic to do the installation of the feed and return sensors. The unit replaced my analog tach with a digital tach and of course the alternator had to be removed and taken to the shop to be modified. All of a sudden I have 10 hours labor and travel time from 3 shops.

Then there was 3 tanks of fuel to calibrate the system (no extra charge, of course) but after all was said and done and I didn't miss the money any more, I really like it. I have 2 100 gallon tanks and I can only pull from one at a time. So I switch at 25, 75, and 125 gallons burned and I can call within a gallon or two how much fuel she is going to take on each side at the fuel dock. I have her calibrated to within 2%. Trolling throws it off a bit, but running she is spot on.

My big plus is the extra day I will run before heading to the fuel dock because I am confident I have the fuel I need. That in itself saves fuel, I hate burning fuel to carry fuel I don't need.

 

[captjuan]

what boat do you run in PCB?

A couple of shops run old crew boats with detroits. One shop has 2 new Newton dive boats with Cummins bseries engines in them. The 6 pack guys run anything that floats

 

[SkipperJohn]

I originally was thinking about $1200 bucks for the floscan based on the cost of the unit and what the guy told me it would take to install it. So he ordered the unit, went down to the boat and called me and said he could do the electronics part but I needed to get a diesel mechanic to do the installation of the feed and return sensors. The unit replaced my analog tach with a digital tach and of course the alternator had to be removed and taken to the shop to be modified. All of a sudden I have 10 hours labor and travel time from 3 shops.

Then there was 3 tanks of fuel to calibrate the system (no extra charge, of course) but after all was said and done and I didn't miss the money any more, I really like it. I have 2 100 gallon tanks and I can only pull from one at a time. So I switch at 25, 75, and 125 gallons burned and I can call within a gallon or two how much fuel she is going to take on each side at the fuel dock. I have her calibrated to within 2%. Trolling throws it off a bit, but running she is spot on.

My big plus is the extra day I will run before heading to the fuel dock because I am confident I have the fuel I need. That in itself saves fuel, I hate burning fuel to carry fuel I don't need.

yeah, there's my problem. Times 2. Twin engines. Then there's the dash real estate. With all the gauges I currently have, for each engine... In my configuration I pull form both of my tanks, one engine on each tank and can switch either or both engines to draw (& feed back to) either tank. This enables me to survive situations where 1 tank goes bad (which actually happened once, I had water in 1 tank, after purging the filters I simply switched to my other tank)

 

[Tortuga James]

yeah, ... In my configuration I pull form both of my tanks, one engine on each tank and can switch either or both engines to draw (& feed back to) either tank. This enables me to survive situations where 1 tank goes bad (which actually happened once, I had water in 1 tank, after purging the filters I simply switched to my other tank)

In my last boat (another single diesel) I could pull from both or isolate one tank or the other and the same or the returns. So I could even up the tanks up by pulling from one and returning to the other.

My current configuration is one valve for the feed and one for the return, so I generally pull and return from one tank at a time. I wish I could pull from both at a once, then I wouldn't have to switch back and forth unless I had a issue with one tank.

 

[DiveBee]

I have boat in the slip at the local marina. Every tuesday 7am there is tanker truck with off-road diesel that fuels all the boats in the marina (various sportfish, dive, headboats). Price last week was $2.04/gal. This is the pink diesel. Price at the pump in Florida is $2.29/gal, and if you were to trailer the boat, you could fill up at the off-road fuel distributors main location for $1.55/gal plus tax. Not bad considering last years crazy ~$5/gal prices

 

[Tortuga James]

Price at the yacht basin in Morehead City this past weekend was 2.03. I get a tenant discount (I am not really a tenant, but I buy all my fuel there so they give it to me) plus a commercial tax exemption making my net cost $1.79

Beats last year by a long shot. Since I am charter fee plus fuel, my customers are digging it too!!

 

[SkipperJohn]

Yeah... lots of commercial guys where I fuel up and they boast about the discount. It hurts when you are paying full NY prices. My fuel dock is the most expensive around, but I can go a year without tending to my water separators or filters. I think 2 weeks ago when I was waxing the hull I noticed $3.20 per gallon. Much better then last years ridiculous numbers, but still steep.

What bothers me the most is how Diesel got to be more expensive than Gasoline. This HAS to be a scam!