Posted: August 03 2010 at 11:31 | IP Logged

Hello Everyone,

I have an '83 Thompson Adventurer Flybridge.  I have been traveling 18-20 miles on the weekend mostly in no-wake zones.  We're using approx 20 gallons of fuel each weekend.  So I have a few questions regarding how to get better consumption.  First, this has twin 260 mercs.  During the no wake zones should I use only one engine (IE shut one down)?  Half of the trip is no wake.  When out of the no-wake zones should I cruise just above plane speed the "sweet spot" as I've seen it referred to as.  

My boat also has a pretty good list to the starboard side.  In the dinette, on the port side, I noticed the previous owner had stashed about 150 lbs of dumbell weights.  I removed them and this made the lean worse so I've put them back in.  Has anyone had this problem with these boats?  I can level this off though with the trim tabs. 

Lastly, are there any fuel additives anyone can recommend that they've experienced increased fuel efficiency with.

Thanks

Posted: August 03 2010 at 18:43 | IP Logged

the fuel mileage sounds fairly close.

i recommend a fuel computer. "flowscan" or other similar unit. i have a navman chartplotter with fuel transducers i've never used....... hmmmmm. ;-)

Posted: August 04 2010 at 09:51 | IP Logged

Chuck,

Would it be more fuel efficient to shut down one engine during the no wake zones?

Thanks,

Posted: August 04 2010 at 14:35 | IP Logged

i guess so, but i don't think that is where all your fuel is being burned..and your hours will get all lopsided.

are you doing the no wakes at dead idle? how does she act when you get her up on plane?? plowing alot? bow up in the air? is it propped right?

do you store the boat in the water? how's the bottom look? they can get pretty nasty pretty quick. not sure where you're boating at but down here, it piles on in a couple weeks.

Posted: August 04 2010 at 16:01 | IP Logged

During the no wake zones I'm at almost a dead idle.  They're quite strict about no-wake in some areas for any boats larger than 26'.  I'm up in on the west side of Michigan and live on a river a few miles in from Lk Michigan, so she's docked in the water all summer.  We skipped new boat paint this year and will have to do next year.

When I take her to plan she doesn't seem to plow the water too much.   But she does have the lean so I need to use the trim tabs to level off.  The best plane seems to be at close to 15-18 mph.  Since we're only taveling ~10 miles each way in the past I've been going 5 mph the whole way.  This weekend I'm going to open it up outside the no wake zones and see if this helps at all---from the many postings it sounds like being on plan will provide much better fuel consumption rate.