BoatBanter.com - researching live-aboard cruising boats

On Thu, 09 Nov 2006 14:39:01 -0500, DSK wrote:

Hey, you might get that if you go slow enough.

Our boat goes about 3.5 knots at idle. I have no idea what
the burn is, since we've never gone long enough at that to
register any fuel consumption, but I bet it's considerably
better mileage than at 7 knots.

Ours idles at about 5 1/2 kts but it's not good for the engines to run
it at that speed for any length of time. I think we'd have to run on
a single engine to significantly improve fuel burn and that brings up
other issues with free wheeling props, transmission issues, shaft
locks, etc.

Supposedly there was a guy who brought a GB49 from HI to CA by
removing one prop and coming back on a single engine at slow speed.

Too dicey for me, and I sure wouldn't want to be in a position where I
had to wrestle that prop back on in mid ocean. We have an effective
range close to 1,000 NM running the way we do. That's good for just
about anything but crossing oceans and the boat was not really
designed for that in any case.