Sail VS Power: Eye-Opening Fuel Comparison That Will Change The Way You Think!

In this video, I compare several power catamarans’ fuel efficiency and range, which I found eye-opening and it really drove home that my choice for our next boat was the right one. But here’s another question: Is a sailboat really that much more fuel efficient than a powerboat? How much is your time worth to you? Is a week spent at anchor or in a marina waiting for a three day travel window less expensive than the fuel spent getting to your destination in three hours rather than three days? It’s a question that I’d been asking myself for a while, because it’s a totally different way to think about miles per gallon and overall spending. On our previous boat, a Lagoon 380 sailing catamaran, we typically got 3 mpg combined for both Yanmar 29’s running at about 6 miles per hour. Often we had the wind or the waves against us, and didn’t have the luxury of running just one engine at a time. On our new boat Abracadabra, an Aquila 36, we get 1.3 mpg. BUT! The secret sauce is the speed. Abracadabra gets 1.3 mpg at 35 mph, which means that it takes her hours, not days, to get to our destination. 60 nautical miles was a 10 hour trip on Reboot, our Lagoon 380 sailing catamaran. 60 nautical miles is less than a 2 hour trip on Abracadabra, our Aquila 36 with the Hydrofoil. Fuel Burn for 60 Miles with Twin 29 hp Yanmars: At 6 mph, the trip takes: 60 miles ÷ 6 mph = 10 hours Most twin 29-hp Yanmar setups burn: 1.6–2.0 gallons per hour total at displacement speed (That’s both engines combined.) So total fuel used for the 60-mile run is: ≈ 18 gallons for 60 miles, $90 (18 x $5 USD) Fuel Burn for 60 Miles with Twin Mercury 300 Verados: At 35 mph, the trip takes: 60 miles ÷ 35 mph = 1.7 hours 27-29 gallons per hour total at 35 mph on foil (That’s both engines combined.) So total fuel used is: ≈ 46 gallons for 60 miles, $230 (46 x $5 USD) Now the big question you have to ask yourself: is it really cheaper to spend $90 in fuel, but need days or WEEKS to get to your destination? More food, more marina fees, more time off from work, more waiting for weather windows, more getting stuck where you don’t want to be, more pumpouts, more passagemaking and less enjoyment of the destination. Our answer four us was that obviously we needed a faster boat, but it wasn’t until I shifted my thinking entirely that I started to wonder about these numbers. How about you? NERD Alert! Here are the detailed comparison spreadsheets to track fuel usage and time to destination comparisons, because sometimes you’ve got to nerd out before you shell out 💰. If you love data as much as I do, you can download those spreadsheets using the link below, or even add your own notes to pick your winner! 📊👇 ⬇️ Sea You Out There Interactive Fuel Consumption Chart⬇️ https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/... Buckle up, Buttercups, and welcome aboard my fresh new YouTube channel "Sea You Out There", where we take our new high tech power catamaran on sun-soaked trips through Florida and the Bahamas. Think turquoise water, white sand, DIY boat tips, and a dash of “did they really just do that?” Please like, follow and subscribe Welcome aboard, and I'm so excited to see who the OG crew is going to be! Sea You Out There Merch: https://tinyurl.com/CUOT-Merch As always, Sea You Out There! FTC Disclosure Statement and Disclaimers: Every video may include some form of paid promotion or sponsorship. Some links on this YouTube channel may be affiliate links. I may get paid if you buy something or take an action after clicking one of these. My videos are for educational purposes only. Information is subject to change/update at any time.