Fuel usage: How much does a motorboat consume?

Probably the most important aspect when calculating the cost of a boat trip, apart from the boat rental itself, is the fuel of a motorboat. On Click&Boat you will find a large selection of motorboats worldwide that you can hire with or without a licence. To give you an idea of how much you need to calculate for fuel before you rent a boat, we give you some tips for calculating motorboat consumption.

Fuel usage for motorboats

It is common for fuel to be paid separately when renting a boat, similar to renting a car. When you return the boat, you must leave the tank with the same fuel level as you found it. It is therefore very important to know how much the motorboat will consume before you rent it in order to calculate your total budget. So, how can you estimate how much a boat’s engine consumes?

Let’s have a look at what the average consumption per hour of operation of the engines is, depending on their power and the speed at which they are operated.

Estimated consumption of outboards:

Estimated motorboat consumption with diesel engines:

To plan your budget more concretely, you can make a quick back-of-the-envelope calculation before you set off. Start by asking the owner for the engine power and its average consumption per hour at cruising speed. Then estimate how many hours you will actually be sailing (out of the harbour, cruising, returning) rather than at anchor. For example, if a boat burns around 20 litres per hour and you expect to cruise for 4 hours in total, you can assume roughly 80 litres of fuel for the day. Multiply this by the current local fuel price and you’ll have a realistic idea of the extra cost to add to your charter.

Of course, each model has a different fuel consumption, but you can also find the approximate consumption for all boats on Click&Boat in the additional information for each boat.

Optimum driving conditions for low motorboat consumption

For your fuel usage, if you want to consume as little energy as possible, you should drive the boat in the optimum driving mode. Gliders at slow glide speed and divers at slow displacement speed. Gliders are characterised by the fact that they weigh no more than 10 kg per available horsepower. They distribute their weight over a relatively large area so, they reduce their fuel consumption. 

Displacers, on the other hand, have a higher weight and lie deeper in the water. The average fuel consumption of a motorboat depends on the speed at which it is travelling, which is why an average speed is assumed when calculating fuel consumption. The weight of a motorboat also has a strong influence on its fuel consumption, because of the material of the hull.

If you want to know how much the engine of a particular boat consumes, it is best to directly contact the boat owner if you have any doubt.

We hope that this guide will help you to estimate the costs you can expect on a trip so you don’t get any unpleasant surprises at the end of your motorboat escape.

On Click&Boat you’ll find great deals in Split, Mallorca, Italy and much more. Booking is child’s play. Some motorboats can be hired without a licence, for others you can book them with a skipper.