How Can I Improve My Boat’s Fuel Efficiency?

Step 1:
Clean the bottom of your boat. Plant and barnacle buildup causes extra friction that burns additional fuel.

Step 2:
Remove excess weight from your boat. If you have a lot of heavy objects in the boat that you do not regularly use, simply remove them. This can account for as much as a 2 percent reduction in miles per gallon.

Step 3:
Change the outboard motor oil and be sure to use a high quality synthetic or synthetic blend like Evinrude XD50 or Yamalube. You’ll also want to replace the air filter. The air filter must be clean for the best fuel economy, and changing the oil every 100 operating hours is a good way to keep your engine fuel-efficient and in top working condition.

Step 4:
Ease on the acceleration and avoid idling. Taking off at a normal pace can greatly reduce the amount of fuel you burn, as will idling your engine as little as possible and thereby wasting less fuel.

Step 5:
Try fuel additives. Though some of the fuel additives on the market are little more than worthless scams, there are a few fuel additives out there that do a genuinely good job of making sure your engine uses fuel in the most efficient manner possible.

Step 6:
Buy your fuel in the morning hours. Gas is considered to be denser with less heat in the air, so you can get more fuel for your money.

Step 7:
Consider investing in a fuel meter or computer. Your engine burns a given amount of fuel at a given rpm rate. Having a fuel meter or fuel computer on board gives you instant visual feedback on exactly how much fuel you are burning at any given time, thereby making it easier for you to make real-time adjustments based on your rate of acceleration, weather conditions and effects from currents. There are many factors that can affect the efficiency of your fuel use, and a computer can help you isolate the most important factors so that you end up using more fuel for your money.