Making final selections before ordering our first ever RT! We like the 2.5hp 4-stroke Yamaha OB for the dinghy because it's lightweight and has a built-in fuel tank, but I can't find a lot of info on fuel consumption. I don't think we'll need to go fast, but I'm wondering how far/how many hours we might be able to travel on a tankful. I think it only holds about 1/4 gallon from what I can find.
Dinghy motor fuel consumption?
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Karll
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Can’t answer your question but we have a 3 hp 4 stroke Mercury with a built in gas tank and we didn’t get as far as I thought on a tank of gas. Last summer we were staying at property on the entrance to Reid Harbor on Stuart Island. We went down to the other end of the harbor to the state park where the signs said masks required. We forgot ours so we went down the other side of the harbor back to our boat got our masks and headed back down. 3/4ths of the way down we ran out of gas. I am not sure if it was full to begin with but pretty sure it was close to full.
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We were going for the 2.5hp Yamaha when we had our R29 built. Upgraded to the 6hp because it can use an external tank or the internal tank. The internal tank doesn't last long with the 6hp, haven't run off of it since year #1. I believe the 4hp will run off of an external tank also. Basically the same engine as the 6hp and the same weight, so not much sense not going to the 6hp if you decide to bump up.
The 6hp is heavy, just under 60 lbs. But it's doable and I get my workout mounting and dismounting it from the dinghy.
The 6hp is heavy, just under 60 lbs. But it's doable and I get my workout mounting and dismounting it from the dinghy.
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sadono":3p3uxtmz said:
For the Yamaha F2.5
The built in fuel tank holds .24 gallons of gas. At full throttle, it'll consume .3gal/hr. (spec's taken right out of the Yamaha service manual). So one might say, you get about 50 minutes of runtime at full throttle.
We rarely ever run at full throttle. In fact, with this little motor, we most often run at just slightly above idle. So the fuel lasts quite a long time. At full throttle it pushes our 8.8 Dinghy almost 5 knots. Just above idle, we usually cruise around 2knots.
The motor is 35lbs, it doesn't leak when laid down on its side. It does exactly what we want it to do. Get us around in an anchorage or marina. Get the dogs and gear to shore. We keep a 1 gallon gas tank on board to re-fuel it when necessary.
B95054
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We have a 6hp with internal tank that seems to go quite a long time before running out. Never really saw the need or the advantage in having the external tank. However I always carry a small 1 gallon jerry can for those very rare occasions that we need more fuel than what is available in the engines tank. I have put literally hundreds of hours of usage on the motor trolling, touring etc and could count on one hand the number of times we had to top up out of the jerry can.
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B95054":12o2rcju said:
We tend to run longer distances while in the islands, we ran from Poets Cove to Port Browning (6 miles round trip), and we'll run from Roche Harbor to Westcott Shellfish Co. (again 6 miles) during the Rendezvous in September. Occasionally we do pick up the pace, with the right weigh distribution we can get the dinghy to plane with two of us in it. That being said, we also putt around the marinas a bunch.
Our external tank is a 6 gallon, wayyyyy to much fuel as it lasts us all summer, I should have gone with a 3 gallon.
If you're not looking for speed or long distance running, I'd say go with a 2.5hp and tote along a little extra fuel with you.