5 easy ways to save fuel on the water

It means that boaters are now sharing the pain at the pump with motorists as fuel-hungry outboard and inboard engines rack up huge running costs just to keep them moving over the water.

But there are some simple and quick ways that can save fuel.  Here are our tips to making the most out of every drop of fuel, and saving money at the bowser.

An engine that is running smoothly will also run efficiently. Most service intervals are spread across either a year or 100 hours of running time, whichever comes first.

However, the manufacturer’s recommendation regarding service intervals should never dictate when you throw a bit of maintenance love at your boat’s engine.

Owners should be inspecting their engines before every trip out, checking the engine and gearbox for oil leaks, looking at coolant levels, replacing fuel when needed, and ensuring filters are breathing freely.

High-use engines can fall out of optimal tune over time, so sometimes it may be better to have your engine serviced twice a year, particularly if there is a lot of high-rev, long-distance running.

Every engine inspection should include looking closely to see if it is in optimal working order, free of nicks and dings that can affect its performance.

It may sound simple, but if you’ve been thinking about replacing that older, less fuel-efficient engine with a new one, pulling the trigger on it now would make sense.

Modern outboard and inboard engines have a host of technology all aimed at making the most out of every drop of fuel. 

Direct fuel injection, which can precisely measure the amount of fuel squirting into a cylinder, and variable valve technology that can change inlet and exhaust sequences to alter the engine’s performance make modern powertrains very efficient.

Modern boat engines are also built to minimise warm-up times so in most instances, a newer engine will be ready to run much quicker than an older one.

Some boaters just jump in behind the wheel and drive the boat with an eye to saving as much time as possible getting to where they want to go.

Usually the only factors limiting the boat’s speed are wind and waves as the skipper tries to maximise speed and minimise time.

However, much like a car slowing from 100km/h to 80km/h, buttoning off the throttle a bit can also deliver some big fuel savings out on the water.

The key to this is your fuel flow monitor, which should show how many litres an hour your boat will be using. The idea is to get the boat moving at its highest speed for the lowest number of litres an hour of fuel burn.

If you’re muddling around on a bay, estuary or impoundment, adding minutes to a trip by slowing down a bit can deliver good fuel savings over time.

Play with speed and trim to get the most out of the hull’s running surfaces. Conditions will be different each time you’re out on the water, so what works well on one day may need a few tweaks the next.

Weight is a killer out on the water. Therefore, it pays to go through the boat before you set off for the day and offload everything you won’t be needing.

That means the deckchairs and icebox that were so handy when you were parked up on the beach with the kids last weekend are unnecessary passengers this week when you’re heading offshore to chase tuna.

But there’s also windage, which is the drag caused by anything on a boat that forces wind to flow around it. If it’s a fine day with a bit of breeze, it may be better for fuel economy to stow the clears than drive with them all in place.

Everything from deck level up has an impact on windage, so try and keep everything above the side decks as clutter-free as possible.

Just like the time may be right to update your boat with a more fuel-efficient engine, it may also be of benefit to update your tow tug to one that is better suited to the boat it pulls.

Similar to boat engines, modern car engines are made to optimise every drop of fuel going into the engine and make running costs all the cheaper.

boatsales.com.au's parent company, carsales.com.au, offers a significant fuel discount to people via their smartphone, even if you’re not in the market for a new vehicle.

Boaters who sign up to the carsales.com.au app can save up to 8.0 cents a litre at the petrol or diesel pump at any Coles Express outlet.

Download the carsales.com.au app from Apple’s App Store or Google Play.