Fuel consumption in your Chris Craft Commander hull

I am reposting Howard's recent post about fuel consumption here, as a new thread so it won't get lost in the 42' Commander heading in which it was originally posted. I think this topic deserves headline billing, and it will be interesting to see what others are getting in the way of fuel consumption with their boats and power combinations.

Here is Howard's post as a starter"










I agree with you, James, about the great lines and the room, but with the price of fuel these days, I prefer the 38 as the largest Commander that is practical to own and really run much at all. When you graduate from a boat weighing in at around 18,000 pounds to one weighing in at 30,000 or 40,000 pounds, the MPG is going to drop below 1-mpg. Even with the efficient hull of a 38, if you run a 60 mile route each way, you're looking at nearly $500 for the afternoon (just in fuel cost). Running the deeper profile hull of a 45 (or the 42) might run the cost up another hundred bucks.

If you have diesel in those bigger boats, the MPG may improve a bit, but the fuel cost for diesel isn't all that much better these days. The newer motors use efficncy of computerized fuel injection, yes, but add the cost of a repower and you'll be looking at a cost that is not recoverable through fuel efficiency.

I am concerned these days, that the increasing cost of fuel is severely affecting the otherwise appreciating value of a Commander hull.

We love our 38, but our trips have become shorter and shorter. People used to say, "if you have to worry about the cost of fuel, you don't need a boat". Now days, a boat is even more of a money pit. I previously wanted to move up, but I have been getting more and more happy owning a 38 as time goes on.

Howard