Extra Fuel

[jvtuna]

I Have A 1997 28', With 210 Gals Of Fuel And I Seem To Be Getting One Mile Per Gal. With My 42's. This Limits Me To How Far I Can Go, I Always Seem To Have An Issue With Fuel On The Way Back In Because The Factory Gauge (stupid Thing) Is Not Accurate, I Usualy Put Tape Over It So I Don't Have To Look At It. Does Anyone Know Of Larger Fuel Tanks For This Boat , And Where I Might Put Them. I Think The New 28' Carry 290 Gals. I'm, Not Crazy About Bladder Tanks. Now That The Boats Out Of The Water It Would Be A Good Time To Address This Problem.

Jvtuna

[Nicky M]

diesel boats carry 220, and gas 290 nothing has changed since he started building the 28

[backman]

Actually the tank is 210

I had 42's in my 98 CC till I repowered a year back. If you can get the boat to plane flat at 24 knots you'll get 1.1 to 1.25 nmiles a gallon; at 20-22 knots as your finding, you get stuck in the 1 nmile/gallon hole.

Forget the gauge and start filling the tank fully before eaxh trip and doing time/fuel burn calc's. My 42's as I recall would burn 16-18 GPH @20 knots, 18 GPH at 20-22 knots and 18-20 GPH at 24 knots, variation being very affected by sea state. I always felt the 42's gave me 8 hr's run and 8 hr's troll and would bring me home with 20-40 gallons; again sea state dependent. Since my canyon run is 95 nmiles I always wanted an extar 30 gallons as a safetly margin. For day trips to the shelf; 60-80 miles out - never had a problem, never needed fuel. In any event - as i recall the 42's max at 11 GPH so your worse case scenario if your running WOT says you'll burn 176 gallons in 8 hr's steaming. Effectively impossible to run a full tank dry on a east coast shelf day trip.

2 options for extra fuel; only 1 if you have a generator. I opt for option 1 - the bladder tank on the deck, curse it for the 6 overnights/year I use it, but find it simpler in the long run than option 2; installing a belly tank on the forward wall of the engine compartment where the generator would be if you have one (I don't).

Each time I think about it I get caught up in the complexities of limiting engine room access permanently for 6 trips/year, followed by the plumbing necessary for a fill for the belly tank and either a hose to connect to the main tank or a transfer pump to move fuel from the belly tank out the engine room to the main tank fill. No fun as part of a remodel. I thought about it, talked to Mac about it when the Layton's did my repower and passed.

the bladder sucks, but it only sucks for 15 minutes to fill and secure and 30 minutes to drain and stow each trip.

[jvtuna]

thanks for that backman

What did you repower with? and what do you get now?

I haven't run out of fuel yet, but you know how it is when your at the tip and their catching at the thousand. I just want that little extra security of going long and getting back without running out of fuel in a nasty inlet.

I don't like bladder tanks, but it looks like the only way, the idea of a tank where the generator was, gives me a bad visual of trying to repair the belts or pump.

you would think they would spend a little more time building in some convenice to accessing the front of the engines, like a hatch or something.

And why not more fuel, i guess they didn't think about us in the north east when they decided on fuel.

thanks

jvtuna

[backman]

Repowered with D4-260's

same 20 GPH/ but I get an honest 25-27 nmiles/hr on those 20 gallons of fuel depending on boat load and sea state. At 20-22 knots I sip 16 GPH.

The D4's do a lot better job of mid range torque than the KAMD 42's as well as being more fuel efficient w/ the common rail system,

My bladder is exactly that - security - I once came home and put 198 gallons into the 210 gallon tank and said "never again". Since I've started with the bladder I've almost always come home with 30-50 gallons in the tank as well as feeling more comfortable about doing 4 hr steams out and back.

[Lloyd Malsin]

Decision

If you had your choice today would you go for the yanmars or the d310s. I am looking for speed and range.Is the optional 53 gallon fuel upgrade avail. with generator.

[CClassic28]

IMO, The new technology common rail motors is the only way to go. Being you dock @ All Island it should be an easy decision for you.

I believe you will have a tougher choice to make between the D4 260's & D6 310's. I would opt for the 260's for more engine room access & slightly better economy only giving up a little in performance. When you think about the reality of a 27-28 knot cruise in the 28's, it is unrealistic 90% of the time (sea conditions) and a 34 knot top end means nothing, IMO. So, I do not think you would be "settling" for a 25-26 knot cruise & 32-33 knot top end with the 260's. I'd ask Backman for further input as I do believe after 2 seasons & about 20,000 hrs (ha ha!!) he will be of more assistance than I.

Either way you go, you will have one fine rig.

Good Luck,

Chris

[backman]

I'd go D4's or Yanmar's for range, D6's for speed

But as Chris said; the times I can run more than 25-26 knots offshore are pretty rare anyways.

Yanmar's are simple and for the most part rock solid. Nice and small and light.

The D6's concern me in terms of maintainability; the additional power comes with more size and weight. As you probably know - even the simplest maintance on our boats engines usually requires some level of dissassembly prior to getting at whatever has to be gotten at; I would crawl into a D6 compartment and think about thinks like water pump servicing, belt replacement; emergency access to the forward throughhulls; etc. as part of the equation.

[Lloyd Malsin]

D4 vs. D6

I spoke to keith at CC today and he said if I opt for a generator, then the D4 makes the most sense. The optional 56 gal. tank should give me the range that I am looking for. Thanks for the comeback!

[backman]

Optional 53 gallon tank, eh?

Now I'm ready to trade in my 98 for a new one!

Give the CC team credit for listening to their customers and continuously improving the product!

Of course I'm already wondering how hard it would be to retofit into mine!