Tough Economy Means
Tighter Belts
By Jim Smith
Southern Staff Writer
February 26, 2009
Tighten the Proverbial Belt
The idiom “tighten your belt” derived during a period when lean times meant less food meant certain weight loss. Rather than spend money on a smaller pair of pants, you tightened your belt and make the pants fit a little longer, leaving money for more important things.
The global economy has been steadily slowing recently, making the disposable income of most people smaller and smaller. Most of us have already made decisions, sacrifices and
concessions to ensure we have enough money to purchase the necessities of life, hopefully with a little something left over for whatever luxuries are still affordable.
As a traveling tournament angler, I’m always faced with the high cost of expenses of the road. Fuel, food and lodging are the most obvious expenses anglers incur and I’ll be offering some money saving solutions later in this article, but I want to start by first examining some things to consider about your boat that can immediately save you money.
Boating Parameters That Affect Fuel Economy
Throttle: Most outboard motors have a "sweet spot" between 3000 and 4000 rpm. This is the engine speed required to get the boat on plane, and you can expect about a 60% drop in fuel economy when you run the motor on up to 5500 rpm.
Calculated that means if you can run your outboard for an hour at 3500 rpm on four gallons of gas, or $8, it will take $22 at 5800 rpm. You can save a ton of gas by driving a little slower when full throttle is un-necessary.
Propeller: The wrong size prop can really affect fuel economy. Too much prop pitch can make it harder for the boat to get on plane, causing it to use more gas. Too little prop might get you right on plane, but will require more rpm to run at cruising speed.
There are many resources available with information about making the correct propeller choice for your particular boat: the Internet, your boat dealer, your motor manufacturer and of course your boating friends and acquaintances.
Correct maintenance of your propeller is necessary for efficiency as well, and a nicked or bent prop can dramatically affect boat performance and fuel economy.
Trimming Out: You should always trim up your boat as much as possible, which lifts the bow and reduces the boat’s drag in the water. By trimming up your boat, you go faster at the same throttle setting, which results in a gain in efficiency.
Lighten your load: For every 100 pounds of weight you can expect to lose at least 2% of your fuel efficiency. There are many tackle organization systems offered today that can help you easily choose and take only what you need in the boat for your trip, rather than everything you own.
Properly Tuned: Be sure you keep your motor in top operating condition with good spark plugs and by introduction of the manufacturer’s recommended fuel additives. Frequent inspection of the hoses for cracks and leaks can ensure that your motor runs optimally.
Tow Vehicle Fuel Efficiency
Proper tire pressure: Beginning with trip preparation, let’s look at the boat and trailer and think about how we can maintain efficiency while traveling out on the road. One of the easiest things to consider is proper tire pressure on both the tow vehicle and the boat trailer. Tires naturally lose about 1 to 2 pounds of pressure, measured in pounds per square inch (psi), every month, so checking them every time you hook up the trailer is a good idea.
Your MPG (miles per gallon) is lowered by 4% for each pound below the tire manufacturers recommended psi. Low tire pressure increases the tires’ rolling resistance, which makes the engine work harder to move the vehicle, thereby negatively affecting fuel economy. If the tires on your tow vehicle and boat trailer are a couple of pounds low, it can cost you about three less miles per gallon of gas that you burn, or an extra couple of gallons of gas on a 100 mile trip.
Weight is another factor that affects your fuel efficiency, and since gasoline weighs about 6.5 pounds per gallon, you can shave off about 300 pounds of your travel load by fueling your boat when you get to your destination, rather than carrying the extra weight for the entire trip.
Time to Stretch Your Money a Little Further
Campsite or Motel: When your tournament travels take you far from home and you are combining practice time with actual tournament time, food and lodging expenses can be significant. Depending on the number of days and the distance you’re traveling, you may save money by camping instead of staying in a motel.
I have a slide-in truck camper that offers me all the modern comforts of home.
I can pull the boat behind it and when I get to my destination I simply drop the boat, take the camper off and then reconnect the boat.
The camper weighs about 3,500 pounds, so it takes a lot more gasoline to get me to my event.
I created a spreadsheet that calculates my expense based on the miles per gallon that I get carrying the camper versus sans camper, the cost of the campsite versus motel cost, and the cost of taking and preparing my own food versus eating in a restaurant. By using this spreadsheet I can quickly determine whether it is more cost effective to take the camper or get a motel room. If you’d like a copy of this spreadsheet just email me at jim@smithfishing.com. I’ll be glad to send it to you.
Proper maintenance means extra savings: Whether it is your tow vehicle and boat and trailer, your RV or camping equipment or your fishing tackle, consistent and proper maintenance of everything that you use in your fishing directly equates to saved money by avoiding repair costs.
My regular maintenance checklist includes the following checks:
• Grease and adjust the slack in the boat trailer wheel bearings
• Tire pressure on both the tow vehicle and the boat trailer
• Properly tuned motors on both the tow vehicle and the boat
• Cleaning and lubrication of the fishing reels
• Cleaning the fishing rods and checking the windings and guides for cracks
• Checking and changing the line on the reels as necessary
• Checking the propeller for nicks and dings
• Checking the steering cable for smooth operation
• Checking the oil in the tow vehicle motor
If you read my last article you may have noticed that I like to refer my readers to the Internet as the most complete and valuable information resource readily available to us. With just a few short keywords typed into a search window, you can obtain nearly unlimited information on virtually any subject imaginable. Give it a try by typing in something like “economy” or “cutting costs”, and you will discover a wealth of information at your fingertips.