Fuel consumption

[lynnegaz]

Hello, apologies for the (probably) boring question. We are thinking about buying a narrow boat for waterborne breaks and holidays. What hourly diesel consumption could we realistically expect on a narrowboat between 35-45 ft? Would 2-3 litres per hour be realistic, less or more? We already have a small cabin cruiser that uses more than this, but want more room and flexibility.

Thank you to anyone who replies.

[Idunhoe]

Too many viariables to give an accurate answer but as a rule of thumb on canals at sensible speed expect between one and one and a half litres an hour.

[steelaway]

Too many viariables to give an accurate answer but as a rule of thumb on canals at sensible speed expect between one and one and a half litres an hour.

 

One-ish

 

Alex

[nb Innisfree]

With a 60' liveaboard nb we use about one lph for cruising and about same again for generation, so about 2 to 2.25 lph on average.

Edited August 9, 2011 by nb Innisfree

[ditchcrawler]

With a 60' liveaboard nb we use about one lph for cruising and about same again for generation, so about 2 to 2.25 lph on average.

I can't work that one out, are you saying you can motor and not charge your batteries and only use 1 lph but if you are charging at the same time you use 2.25 lph ? I use just over 1 lph regardless of what its doing.

[nb Innisfree]

I can't work that one out, are you saying you can motor and not charge your batteries and only use 1 lph but if you are charging at the same time you use 2.25 lph ? I use just over 1 lph regardless of what its doing.

 

When our batts are low our large alternator loads our engine approx the same as when we are cruising (about 5 or 6 bhp) after a few hours and the batts are topped out the reduced load is noticeable though it is a gradual process. If you are not using any more fuel when charging as well then your alt output must be low, you can't have something for nothing.

[PhilR]

I can't work that one out, are you saying you can motor and not charge your batteries and only use 1 lph but if you are charging at the same time you use 2.25 lph ? I use just over 1 lph regardless of what its doing.

 

I think nb Inisfree is saying that his engine is running for much longer periods when moored than it is for cruising, so his 2.25 litres per hour is probably not a good indication of fuel consumption for the OP.

[Dominic M]

One-ish

 

Alex

Agree, from many years experience. On a river, a bit more. Over two litres, you've got a fuel leak or an impossibly overpowered V12 unit in there. Or Phylis.

[john6767]

50ft Narrowboat, Beta 35 engine. Based on a recent fill-up of 160 odd litres (ouch), 1.4 litres/hour average. That included a spell on the River Avon, and the BCN challenge where we were not hanging about!

[Minos]

Since buying our 45' narrowboat we have moved for about 120 hours. Most of that has been on canals, but about 40 hours has been on rivers where we have cruised a lot faster. We've also run the engine for another 10 hours on tickover to charge the batteries and heat water.

 

We've put 130 litres of diesel in the boat, and the fuel level is at about the same level it was when we bought it. (I say "about" because my fuel gauge is a stick with lines drawn on it. That's about as accurate as I can get.)

[OldGoat]

Our boat which has been on the water for 11 years has a Beta 2203 (50Hp), consistently returns 2.5 l/h on the river Thames (averaged over up- and down- stream) and 2.25 on canals.

A bit greedy, but then I have a ginourmous inefficient battery bank which takes all day to charge.

Oh, it's sixty foot long (in old money) and over ballasted at 20 tons - I forgot to allow for the batteries......

 

 

 

 

[Neil2]

I keep pretty accurate records and our 47 footer returns around 1.3 litres/hr on average with a bmc 1.8 which is not a particularly efficient engine. From talking to others I'd agree that if you are over 2 lph there's something wrong.

[Alan de Enfield]

Delivered a 45ft NB a couple of weeks ago. 44.5 hours engine running (Birmingham Gas St basin to Newark) and used 49.1 litres.(brim full to brim full)

Mind you - cost me about 5-6 hours extra getting thru' the IWA traffic (I was 19th at one lock)

[Theo]

1.4 l/hr over 1,184.9hrs, 1770 locks and 1,927 miles on a nine month tour. BMC 1.5, 60 feet.

 

Nick

[musicman]

I have a 45 foot trad stern boat - just topped up with diesel at the end of a lovely cruise up the Chesterfield Canal. It took 64 litres and according to my boat log that has been over 39 cruising hours. It is a BMC 1.8, which I realise is a little more thirsty than a modern diesel.

 

Hope this helps.

Edited August 11, 2011 by musicman

[benfordboy]

Hello, apologies for the (probably) boring question. We are thinking about buying a narrow boat for waterborne breaks and holidays. What hourly diesel consumption could we realistically expect on a narrowboat between 35-45 ft? Would 2-3 litres per hour be realistic, less or more? We already have a small cabin cruiser that uses more than this, but want more room and flexibility.

Thank you to anyone who replies.

 

Our cruiser originally used around 4 lts /hr (due to a old crossflow with a twin choke Webber carb !) replacing that with a BF15 Honda resulted in a ltr/hr , Dads NB uses around a ltr/hr (1500BMC) on canal speeds , more on rivers (maybe 1.5 lts/hr) & I reckon we burnt a little more on the Tidal Trent/Thames last yr

 

I suspect more modern diesel engines may be a bit more economical on the cut

[dmr]

We have a Beta JD3 in a heavy and deep 70 footer.

 

Over the winter we were mostly battery charging and the average fuel consumption was 0.89 l/hour.

Over the spring and early summer we were almost entirely cruising and the consumption was 0.87 l/hour.

Cruising was mostly canals where we only do 2 to 3mph, but did include two trips on the Thames.

We probably run the engine just a little faster when charging than when cruising.

I am surprised by these figures but then a modern 3 cylinder slow reving engine should be good!

 

An engine uses a surprising amount of fuel just to turn itself over so the effect of load is less than might be expected.

The effect of speed is more significant and doubling the speed will more than double the consumption.