Saving a Little At the Pump

When you talk to anglers these days, many will tell you that they are not fishing as much as they have in years past due to the high price of gas. I know I am much happier when I reach the pump with my 70 horse motor than my brother is when he shows up with his 250. The following is an article sent to us by BoatUS with some tips for helping stretch that tank of gas a little farther. While much of this is common sense, some of these things are not always on our mind when we head to the landing.

Top Ten Tips From BoatUS For Getting The Most From A Tank Of Gas

With boaters facing record high fuel prices this summer Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) has a few tips that could help stretch their fuel dollars:

  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.

  2. Water weight: At 8.33 pounds per gallon, why keep the water 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 goes 30 mph with a like-new prop and only 27 mph with a prop that’s dinged and out of pitch, that’s a 10% loss in fuel economy, or, you’re wasting one out of every ten gallons you put in your tank.

  5. Paint the boat’s bottom: 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: Using trim tabs or 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 tide 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 al