An idiot who ran out of fuel...

[Max...]

Me, doh! Unbelievably gorgeous day yesterday, we set off quite early on a very slight sea for a short potter for 1/2 hour. Beached it for coffee - and then instead of the waves increasing in height as they always seem to mid morning the sea went Mediterranean like and glassy flat - never seen a day like it - so we kept going enjoying the blue sky and un-SIB like smooth ride, me forgetting that we had never done a longer trip on the SIB. Suddenly thought (?!) fuel! Happily managed to limp back to the beaches in the middle of Hastings where we ran out just past the pier - drifted and rowed onto a packed beach, red faced we hauled it up the stones and then along the pavement (and up some steps!) to meet my wife with the Landy...one big advantage or SIBs as always - the portability.

Lesson learnt!

[Polwart]

I don't think it counts if you didn't need a tow!

IIRC then Willk carries a small "Sigg" type bottle full of petrol so when you run out you still have a litre or so - which is probably enough to get a small sib with a 9.8 safely ashore - albeit not necessarily where you originally planned.

[willk]

Originally Posted by Polwart

a litre or so - which is probably enough to get a small sib with a 9.8 safely ashore

Good for about 3 miles. Hey Max, that tank wasn't full, was it? Your bums would have fallen off before you'd emptied one of those 12L tanks, calm or not. I did 25Nm recently at one "sitting" and I wasn't near right afterwards Mind you, she only burned around 8-9 litres doing it. So there was an upside...

PS: To paraphrase the pilots, any landing you make unassisted, is a good landing.

[Max...]

No - not full, the Garmin showed about 24 Nm at the end with probably a similar amount of fuel as you had. As soon as I noticed the situation I slowed to about 11kts which seemed to offer the best compromise of keeping gently on the plane but not WOT. Not sure if displacement 'cruising' at about 5kts might have been better - whatever it ran on fumes and the fuel pipe contents for about a mile!

One other thing though - 2 up with WOT it will do about 17 to 17.5 kts as it did early in the day, however this slowed during the trip to about 16.2 kts sometimes under 16 kts - and this was when the sea was even flatter - any ideas for the speed drop? Direction was the same.

[willk]

Tide maybe?

[thornbackflound]

Cor i used a lot yesterday ,flat calm went out 4 miles and then somewere else closer in then off again,went with 13 odd litres in the tank bout 5 left when back in,got a 10hp merc,right guzzler,mind you with the prop the way it is ,can t be very economical ,on got 10 knotts top speed and mostly doing 6 to 7,doh.

[Max...]

Originally Posted by willk

Tide maybe?

Would be the obvious reason I guess but doesn't fully add up knowing the directions/time we were out... wondering if the fuel pick up being only partly submerged in fuel when low means it cannot get enough at WOT??

[willk]

Originally Posted by Max...

wondering if the fuel pick up being only partly submerged in fuel when low means it cannot get enough at WOT??

Ah yeah, no fuel can hold you back something fierce too...

[Easyrider]

When theres a slight chop you get more air under the boat which can make you go a little faster- I even notice it on my boat. May have seen you out on Sunday, I was looning about between Winchelsea and Hastings from about midday.(I was in my blue and white surfcat and mate with a red aerotec towing a surfboard). Nearly ran out of fuel myself!!! It was an awesome flat day wasnt it- allthough strangely, it was a little choppy in Rye bay all afternoon though.

[Fenlander]

When I had a Tohatsu 9.8 with the 12lit tank I could never quite bring myself to go out on longer runs without a 5lit emergency can so I knew I had about an hour at close to WOT in reserve. Now using a 15hp Mariner with 22lit tank... even with the slightly heavier fuel consumption... effectively the tank contains that reserve and so far I haven't worried about the emergency can. I probably would on a major outing though.