Fuelish Pleasure Boats

Larry Pratt

Description

A layman''s comprehensive guide to all things affecting fuel usage, the 18 chapters contain ideas, suggestions and projects designed to help any skipper maximize fuel dollars. Not so much a how-to book but rather a you-should-try-this message for the boat owner with average skills. Written by a marine mechanic/inventor with years of research in testing various hulls, the book even includes the plans of one unique invention that most often returns more in fuel savings than the cost of the book. Regardless of diesel or gas power, the semiplaning hull with over five tons displacement can be helped by the information within Fuelish Pleasure Boats.

Features:

~ Working with the wind

~ Gas engine tuning and changes

~ Diesel performance outline

~ Real-life results of modifications

~ How to reduce drag

~ Over 60 photos, graphs, charts

~ Free plans for most cost effective fix

~ Includes directory of sources of parts

~ Forms and check-lists for DIY testing

Sujets

• Boating

Informations

• Publié par: SMP Press
• Date de parution: 01 janvier 0001
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9780996385527
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 10 Mo

Extrait

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F U E L I $ H PLEASURE

B O A T S

A BOAT OWNER’S GUIDE TO IMPROVING FUEL EFFICIENCY

Larry L Pratt

Copyright © 2017 by Larry L Pratt

Manufactured in the United States of America

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy or copyrighted materials in violation of the authors’ rights. Published by SMP Press

Publisher’s Cataloging-in-Publication (Provided by Quality Books, Inc.)

Pratt, Larry L., author. Fuelish pleasure boats : a boat owner’s guide to improving fuel eîciency / Larry L. Pratt. pages cm. Includes bibliographical references. LCCN 2016919119 ISBN 978-0-9963855-0-3

1. Boats and boating--Energy consumption--Handbooks, manuals, etc. 2. Marine engines--Fuel consumption--Handbooks, manuals, etc. 3. Boats and boating--Maintenance and repair--Handbooks, manuals, etc. 4. Marine engines--Maintenance and repair--Hand- books, manuals, etc. 5. Handbooks and manuals. I. Title.  VM321.P66 2017 623.82’023  QBI16-900088

Cover and interior design by Rachel Kettenhofen Printed by Bookmasters; www.bookmasters.com Questions regarding the contents, or ordering, of this book should be addressed to:

SMP Press PO Box 3852 Lacey, WA 98509-3852 or visit www.fuelishpleasureboats.com

DEDICATION

The initial research took place on my parent’s boat. What a sacri- ice for science.

One person on the planet was there when I came home smelling of fuel, exhaust, seaweed, etc. She tolerated the tales of failures and shared the stories of success. That same person endured as hours in front of the computer became days, weeks and months in the writing of this book. To my darling Rosalie!

F U ELISH P L E A S U R E B O A T S

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The irst draft of this book looked like a teen-ager’s irst tool box. Everything of use was just tossed inside the big box and the lid had some cool decals. The inished product you are reading was actu- ally organized by a great editing irm: speciically Kerrie Schurr of Sahale Services in Seattle. It is because of her understanding and efforts (superior drawer organization) that the reader can even ind a topic in the irst place, yet alone return to it later.

Randy and Rachel, the design team in Phoenix argued getting rid of the decals on the lid and deserve credit for the cover work and layout of the inside. They have the expertise needed to meld the text and the graphics into one smooth readable page, and build a website that is easily navigated. The author has to accept respon- sibility for any gaps in this readability.

In the arena of book writing, the writer is supposed to get the OK from those whose work is going to be reproduced. Although those credits appear beneath these respective charts, photos, car- toons, etc., we again acknowledge their acceptance. We express our appreciation as well to the personnel at the parts houses that approved of our taking pictures.

vi

PREFACE

P R EFAC E

In the mid 1980’s there was no such thing as a book on improving fuel eficiency on boats. I know this because I was living on one and trying to understand the dynamics of the internal combustion engine. The research being under-taken on this small inboard revolved around an idea that water injection should help drive the boat farther on a tank of gas and make it less costly to operate by stretching fuel.

Typical of most “great” ideas, the water injection theory was a bust. On a cruising boat it was NOT going to work. But by the time this was discovered I had tweaked the engine to the point that it was using 30% less fuel through the entire redeined power range. Perhaps that was good enough. Although what had been achieved on the single engine 31-footer tied to the dock needed real-world conirmation. Fortunately my family also owned a 36’, twin-en- gine semi-planing iberglass tri-cabin cruiser. The transplant of my testing equipment and engine improvements from one boat to the other was not initially well received. Why wouldn’t mother appreciate a dramatic reduction in the fuel bill?

The tie-breaking vote came from my father (the mechanical en- gineer) who had learned from his father (a mechanical engineer) the value of not only the dollar, but of invention. The real side- by-side testing now began. With enough fundamental engineering knowledge to get deeper into testing, and a vast “library” of re- sources, I set out to achieve the favorable results on one engine of the bigger cruiser. She had larger engines which, to my surprise, yielded better results. Question: the bigger the power plant the more room for improvement? vii

F U ELISH P L E A S U R E B O A T S

No self-respecting researcher can publish based on the results of one test alone. It soon became apparent that the subject of fuel-ef- iciency was enough to cause quite a few skippers to take a break and talk with me. Over time tests were run on many GMC blocks, mid-size Ford engines, almost all MOPAR had to offer. Almost acci- dentally a business was formed and the testing became a revenue stream.

Somewhere along the way it became necessary to help with the hydrodynamics of one boat that was owned by a couple of retired teachers from Seattle Public Schools. Being on a ixed income, a newer faster boat was out of the question and the engines were in perfect shape. She was just over weight. With their understanding and lexible schedule, we designed and fabricated some trim tab modiications. The added lift at the stern brought the bow down and resulted in less wetted surface. Unbelievable improvement in performance!

Even before the airplane industry was installing “winglets” on wing tips of commercial airliners, we were modifying trim tab in- stallations. The “reasoning” behind both modiications is the same, but unlike an airplane which only gets performance enhancement at higher speeds (because air is so compressible), the boat reacts immediately at all speeds to the change in pressures.

The addition of this product to our portfolio of services necessitat- ed a change in the marketing plan. As a member of the local trades association, an invitation was received annually to participate in the boat show. Why not? Soon the big, Seattle Boat Show became a 10-day, 100-hour marketing marathon that was the only time we presented to the public during the entire year.

Back then gas costs $2.00 a gallon, and diesel was less expensive than unleaded. The cruising boaters were working, middle class citizens who could afford the fuel and usually worked on their own boats. Waterlogged back yard mechanics.

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P R EFAC E

Today there is still no such thing as a book on improving fuel efi- ciency on boats. Gas at the fuel dock is about twice what it used to cost, and diesel is more expensive. A huge portion of the cruising boaters are retired and on a ixed income, and that portion is growing. It is inally time to really get the word out!

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