wooster Posted March 27, 2021 Share Posted March 27, 2021 Hi guys How practical is a petrol outboard on a broads cruiser? I see a lot of Shetland 4+2 etc with them although petrol pumps are like hens teeth. Are these able to cruise as far as diesels if you put an extra tank or two aboard. Is it legal to do so? Are there other complications to this situation. Someone recently tole me there was hardly any difference between the economy of modern 4 stroke OB and internal diesels. Is this true? Thanks all you knowledgeable guys. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CambridgeCabby Posted March 28, 2021 Share Posted March 28, 2021 A 25hp outboard will give you roughly 6 to 8 litres per hour fuel consumption at 4 to 5 mph and also provide battery charging and water heating , range is solely dependant on size of fuel tank and you have to remember that all your petrol has to be carried from land to the boat (unless you are trailering the boat) . Most of the remote fuel tanks on shetlands are 25 ltr although some have 120ltr tanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ES2 Posted March 28, 2021 Share Posted March 28, 2021 My boat has a 4 stroke outboard. The thing with outboards is that the petrol tanks should be in proper vented compartments as specified in the BSS regulations, it is all there for you to read. Spare fuel should not be stored in the cockpit but is ok if stored on deck where petrol vapour cannot enter the boat. The main problem on the Broads is supply so do your research as to which places and filling stations are near the water and use them. I believe there is a thread somewhere which locates places you can buy petrol near the waterside. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ES2 Posted March 28, 2021 Share Posted March 28, 2021 Yep, just found the thread but I am not allowed to post it on this forum. Just look and you will find it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wooster Posted March 28, 2021 Author Share Posted March 28, 2021 Hmm. it seems to be fraught with difficulties as I remember. I had hoped things might be better by now but I'm assuming with all the regulations coming on more and more each year, it's likely to get worse not better. I had my eye on a petrol but then remembered my struggles 30 years ago and re-considered. I recall struggling with a 5 gallon tank from Acle Bridge to Acle in blazing hot sun one morning with a monstrous hangover and not loving the experience. I loved the experience of lugging the full tank back still with hangover and this time in more heat, even less! Mind you I was young then and able so........ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisB Posted March 28, 2021 Share Posted March 28, 2021 5 hours ago, CambridgeCabby said: A 25hp outboard will give you roughly 6 to 8 litres per hour fuel consumption at 4 to 5 mph and also provide battery charging and water heating , range is solely dependant on size of fuel tank and you have to remember that all your petrol has to be carried from land to the boat (unless you are trailering the boat) . Most of the remote fuel tanks on shetlands are 25 ltr although some have 120ltr tanks My Honda 20hp PowerThrust (big prop, low revs) used nothing like that much fuel. On the high Northern Broads, so minimal tidal effect, it was more like 1.5 to 2.0 litres per hour. I have been from Broadsedge to Coltishall and returned on one 13 litre tank, admittedly ready to swap over as we were on fumes at the entrance to Barton. I am sure you could get the consumption up there but you would be over the speed limit and well over theoretical hull speed, causing a "bulldozer" effect and massive bow wave on te length of boat usually OB powered. Fuel consumption of 4 stroke OBs has improved massively in recent times and EFI is now available down to 15hp with Mercury/ Mariner. I never found fuel a problem but could carry 48 litres in proper outboard transportable tanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheesey69 Posted March 28, 2021 Share Posted March 28, 2021 For me it seemed that the boating world in particular is geared toward diesel as the fuel of choice and in particular for the Broads. so that ruled out a lot of boats that caught my eye. But the advantages of an inboard Diesel engine far outweigh any advantages of a petrol outboard. From increased power generation to hot water and heating. And don’t forget BSS is less of a headache for diesel power But the compromise was that we had to have a bigger boat and that costs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisB Posted March 28, 2021 Share Posted March 28, 2021 However more and more offshore new boats are making the move to OB as seen in this Beneteau 11 metre. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oddfellow Posted March 28, 2021 Share Posted March 28, 2021 7 hours ago, CambridgeCabby said: A 25hp outboard will give you roughly 6 to 8 litres per hour fuel consumption at 4 to 5 mph and also provide battery charging and water heating , range is solely dependant on size of fuel tank and you have to remember that all your petrol has to be carried from land to the boat (unless you are trailering the boat) . Most of the remote fuel tanks on shetlands are 25 ltr although some have 120ltr tanks Water heating? From an outboard? Battery Charging? For the starter, maybe. 6/8 litres an hour? At a sedate pace on the broads, 6/8 litres should give you around a day's cruising. Our pod boat with a 10litre tank and 10hp outboard would use typically 8 litres in a day in HIRE where, typically, there are two speeds: full throttle and tied up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chelsea14Ian Posted March 28, 2021 Share Posted March 28, 2021 10 hours ago, wooster said: Hi guys How practical is a petrol outboard on a broads cruiser? I see a lot of Shetland 4+2 etc with them although petrol pumps are like hens teeth. Are these able to cruise as far as diesels if you put an extra tank or two aboard. Is it legal to do so? Are there other complications to this situation. Someone recently tole me there was hardly any difference between the economy of modern 4 stroke OB and internal diesels. Is this true? Thanks all you knowledgeable guys. We had a from New a shetland 4+2.For four years,each September we would go from Brundall to Hickling broad.Yes next to no fuel on the river.All our fuel from Petrol stations.Far from easy,but with planning do a ball. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smoggy Posted March 28, 2021 Share Posted March 28, 2021 Outboards are ok but no hot water and less battery charging, they will charge batteries but at a slower rate than a god alternator, bss regs are not that bad for an outboard really, any spare fuel must be in a drained fire resistant locker but that is the same for diesel and gas, if a portable tank is connected it can be anywhere as it's 'in use', have a spare portable tank on bayonet fittings and you can change over while running with no mess, there's far more bss regs about inboard with fixed tank wether petrol or diesel. Gas fridges are a no-no with petrol (unless fully room sealed) but they are crap compared to a modern 12v compressor fridge anyway. My old norman 25 had a 4 stroke mariner 9.9hp and it would keep my 2x 110Ah batteries good with compressor fridge running and also had a webasto heater, hot water was from a morco gas heater, I could do 2 weeks on that with no problems although I did do long days of running back then. For a small weekender sized boat outboards are great, just makes stern on mooring tricky but not impossible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chelsea14Ian Posted March 28, 2021 Share Posted March 28, 2021 Our Shetland had hot water,it wasn't a problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeilB Posted March 28, 2021 Share Posted March 28, 2021 I don’t have much knowledge on outboards but as they are raw water cooled I’m not sure it would have enough temperature or flow to heat a calorifier. Plus if you went through Yarmouth the salt water would soon turn the coils to dust, I presume they are still made of copper. Couldn’t see much on Google either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheesey69 Posted March 28, 2021 Share Posted March 28, 2021 Service or work on the engine and said security of engine. But set that against the increase of space with an outboard. As always in boating there is a compromise somewhere 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smoggy Posted March 28, 2021 Share Posted March 28, 2021 1 hour ago, Chelsea14Ian said: Our Shetland had hot water,it wasn't a problem. I'd like to see how it was set up, I've never heard of an outboard heating water. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CambridgeCabby Posted March 28, 2021 Share Posted March 28, 2021 The figures I gave are from a good friend who keeps a 30ft boat on the Gt Ouse powered by a 20hp outboard , he has hot water which is provided by the outboard , how I don’t know but I will ask him on Monday . i bow down to members who run outboard powered boats who are far better positioned to give an educated opinion Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chelsea14Ian Posted March 28, 2021 Share Posted March 28, 2021 1 hour ago, Smoggy said: I'd like to see how it was set up, I've never heard of an outboard heating water. I have no idea,but we always had hot water ,heating etc.It was a great little boat.That was the problem. We out grow her and thats why we went from Little kingfisher to Sweet kingfisher. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.