Bimini Crossing Fuel & Speed Data ( if comfortable please contribute data)

[Betik]

from Bahia Mar --> Bimini Sands 33gallons and about 2.5hrs (after no wake zone) not sure how some ran 50+ gallons...

I am assuming that you filled up at Bahia Mar and and your refill at Binimi sands was 33 gallons. Do you remember what kind of trim tab usage you had ?


2.5 hours in those seas ? that means you averaged 23.2 mph ( i guess no inreach to confirm ) !!!! You have not mentioned any damage to the boat so I assume you did not have any.

 

[Betik]

A lot of it would depend on weight loaded in the boat. Not in all cases but in a lot of cases that I have seen where people have fuel issues they likely didn't leave Bahia Mar with a full tank of gas they either didn't fill up at Bahia Mar when arriving or took a short cruise the night before to restaurant or likely filled the tank to the point where the gas gauge said full but probably still had room for 5-10 gallons in tank. Most people don't fill up to the point were gas comes back at you through the fuel breather line they just fill till they think the tank is full.

I am fairly positive this was not true for my boat. I filled in orlando until the gas pump kicked back twice. Then we rode from Angelers avenue ( I had a forklift lunch) to Bahia Mar ( ~45 minutes) and then I refueled at Bahia Mar 2.3 gallons until the pump kicked back twice. I killed the engine at the dock as soon as the bahmar dude and @MrMoose grabed my rope. I did not start the engines until Monday morning.

 

[Betik]

I have updated the excel file on the first post. Below are the updated charts for speed vs fuel & speed variability vs fuel.
@hobineros for your speed and variability I took the average readings between my inreach and @Bruce's inreach.
@Water Girl I gave you credit of 2.5 gallons for the adventure with Rana and not filling up at Bahia Mar. For your speed and variability I took the average readings between my inreach and @Bruce's inreach.
@blacksapphirez I averaged your speed based on distance and time it took you.

 

[Betik]

@tim h @Ronnie @robert843 I created this new thread. Hope this helps to get this swapping orgy started

https://jetboaters.net/threads/yammie-share-east-cost-west-cost-bimini-and-more.15872/

 

[Bruce]

@tim h @Ronnie @robert843 I created this new thread. Hope this helps to get this swapping orgy started

I am sure you guys know but @tim h has a much larger boat.

 

[Betik]

I am sure you guys know but @tim h has a much larger boat.

you mean the 300 gallon fuel tank is not an add on?

 

[blacksapphirez]

I am assuming that you filled up at Bahia Mar and and your refill at Binimi sands was 33 gallons. Do you remember what kind of trim tab usage you had ?


2.5 hours in those seas ? that means you averaged 23.2 mph ( i guess no inreach to confirm ) !!!! You have not mentioned any damage to the boat so I assume you did not have any.

I had the trim at 50~60% at all time. Also in the beginning, I was doing 15~20mph but when I got closer where I could see the Bimini Sands in the distance, I went pretty fast. (30+)

 

[swatski]

I had the trim at 50~60% at all time. Also in the beginning, I was doing 15~20mph but when I got closer where I could see the Bimini Sands in the distance, I went pretty fast. (30+)

Sounds like "A Tale of Two Crossings":




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[MrMoose]

This will likely not help you @Betik with your data analysis, but it could give those with the current gen 24' hulls some perspective.
Crossing from Bahia Mar to Bimini Sands.
2015: I did as instructed and followed the guy in front of me. I ran bow-up most of the way while taking some opportunities to jump on plane when there was sufficient space to do so. I used 50 gallons.
2016: I wasted fuel circling back/idling a couple of times. I stayed on plane much of the way. I think that I used just over 40 gallons.
2017: I wasted fuel circling back a few times, and was on plane about 65% of the way. I think that I used about 46 gallons.

Extra fuel on board:
2015: I brought three 5 gallon tanks. I stored them in my ski locker (closest to the stern) because they fit nicely into that space and didn't move around at all, and didn't mess with the balance of the boat.
2016: I brought two 5 gallon tanks. I stored them in my ski locker, like before.
2017: No extra fuel.

I know that lots of folks would call me an idiot for storing the fuel cans in my ski locker, but I think that it's a trade-off. In the 40+ years that I've been around these plastic gas cans, I've never had one fail, but I think that there is definitely the possibility of someone not paying attention to properly screwing the caps on, or using the wrong gaskets in the caps, so I can't really recommend storing them in the ski locker. I think that they're more secure/protected in the ski locker. When I have gas cans in my ski locker, I close the drain, lay a folded beach towel overtop of it. I jam life vests on the sides and on top of the cans so that they don't move around. I just don't like the idea of straps/fasteners coming loose/breaking and having to stop in order to re-secure gas cans during rough conditions, or worse losing my gas cans altogether if they fall off the back platform (which happened to someone in 2017).
My decision to not bring extra fuel in 2017 was based on thinking that it was the safest thing to do considering that I'd done the trip twice without requiring extra fuel.

If I decided to go greater distances, I'd definitely invest in a better system for fuel storage/transfer.

 

[swatski]

I know that lots of folks would call me an idiot for storing the fuel cans in my ski locker

Not me. I wouldn't have it anywhere else. I think the swim deck could be okay, but there are a couple of issues - one - in really rough conditions it would not be a place where I would want to be staning and messing with ratcheting straps, and two - if access was required to cleanout plugs, it would be a mess.

If I decided to go greater distances, I'd definitely invest in a better system for fuel storage/transfer.

Could you elaborate on that? If you already have anything specific planed (I'm interested).

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[Bruce]

Could you elaborate on that? If you already have anything specific planed (I'm interested).

A custom fuel bladder in the ski locker could double the range of our boats.

 

[swatski]

A custom fuel bladder in the ski locker could double the range of our boats.

That is right!

The new 240 ski lockers are ridiculously large. For example, I am running a 800lbs ballast bag there and would have room to fit another 400lbs easily - in front of it. So - the room/space is not an issue.

Crazy if you consider that 800lbs bag has about 100 gallon capacity. At that point the weight be the limiting factor, extra 100gal would be about 700lbs?

With a skeletal crew and provisions that would not be excessive (700lbs). But a 50 gallon (350lbs) auxiliary tank could certainly be fitted even within very conservative factory total weight specs.

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[Bruce]

I have considered 50 to 60 gallons of fuel in the ski locker for a direct hop from Florida to Nassau. It would have to be a nice day. I would plan to buy most of our food in Nassau and likely spend some time fishing. I could make up for most of the fuel weight by reducing the amount of food we carried across the stream. Or even stop at the very nice store on Cat Cay to provision after crossing the stream. The selection was nice and the prices were fair. I wish you had hung out those extra days and visited Cat with us.

The biggest negative is the ~$1,000 cost of the fuel bladder.

 

[swatski]

Yeah, I'm pretty sure if I keep this boat for another year or two, which I think I may at this point, this will likely be my next mod. Would be putting one of those ATL systems in, so that would be completely transferable to the next boat, too. It would be a removable 50 or more likely 100gal bladder with a dedicated transfer system w/connectors that work in rough conditions. Refueling the main tank, not directly to the engines.

For comparison, using my reversible Johnson ballast pumps I fill that 800lbs/100gal central ballast bag in about 5min. So, those kind of very fast transfer speeds are easily achievable.

With a 100gal (750lbs) auxiliary the range could climb up to 300+ miles. Not bad. Maybe more on the river. Where I live that is a big issue, particularly on the Missouri River, but even ont he Mississippi - you hit fuel/marina desserts going South.


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[bronze_10]

Would you plum the fuel blatter to pump into the main tank with a manuel switch? And would ypu put a blowering the ski locker?

 

[MrMoose]

Not me. I wouldn't have it anywhere else. I think the swim deck could be okay, but there are a couple of issues - one - in really rough conditions it would not be a place where I would want to be staning and messing with ratcheting straps, and two - if access was required to cleanout plugs, it would be a mess.


Could you elaborate on that? If you already have anything specific planed (I'm interested).

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@swatski, I have nothing planned at this point. But it's like an addiction, and I think that it would be neat to cruise to Nassau and stay at Atlantis for a while and maybe venture out from there. There is so much more to explore. Hanging out at the Atlantis marina should increase the chances that Moose Jr and mini-moose will marry into a wealthy family... So in a way, the trip could be viewed as an investment. During Bimini 2017, Moose Jr enjoyed the company of the triplets (aka the 3 mermaids) from the big cruiser. For the record, he was a perfect gentleman.

 

[swatski]

Would you plum the fuel blatter to pump into the main tank with a manuel switch? And would ypu put a blowering the ski locker?

Yes, there is a safety fill valve in a bladder with a cuff, and a longer 1/2" line with a dedicated valve/pump for transfer to the fuel tank, but no direct connection. No blower, those systems are designed to work in closed off compartments, just like the main fuel tank. They are expensive but extremely reliable and safe. Used by the army, fisherman, and sailors in all kinds of vessels and compartments. With appropriate rigging, there is really not much left to the imagination, and leaks are basically nonexistent. I've never owned one but had seen it in many boats.
The only inconvenience is fueling at regular (street) gas stations as the filling cuff is usually right on top of the bladder (in my case would be inside the ski locker), so one needs to be able to reach there. Marine gas pumps are not an issue.

That kind of a system, and a camper enclosure, could set me free for some long river trips around here.

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[Betik]

For those who plunged through waves and took in a decent amount of water in the 2017 crossing, I have a question....
Are we concerned that a fuel bladder in the ski locker will block access to the drain plugs in the ski locker? I will hate to have 100 gallons of fuel and use the rest of the ski locker as sea water pool.

 

[Betik]

@swatski, Hanging out at the Atlantis marina should increase the chances that Moose Jr and mini-moose will marry into a wealthy family... .

if the wealthy family includes a single mom that might be lonely after the daughter is married, please let me know. My dream has always been to married a hot & wealthy nymphomaniac who owns a boat.
Note: prop boat is okay, I am not a picky guy

 

[Betik]

2015: I did as instructed and followed the guy in front of me. I ran bow-up most of the way while taking some opportunities to jump on plane when there was sufficient space to do so. I used 50 gallons.

You can check with Sarah, but mine was up the whole time. LOL