15-20 Knot Boats

[Codger2]

Since I recently changed to a faster boat (and am loving it!) I'm wondering how many others on the Forum have fast cruising boats. I realize this is a trawler forum but I'm curious!

 

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,
Mr. 2. We normally cruise @ 8 knots BUT we can go 10!

 

[cafesport]

Sold ours and haven't really missed her.


Via iPhone.

 

[N4712]

Here she is.

 

[RCook]

We normally travel at 6-6.5 knots, for the quiet, peace, fuel economy and range. Can cruise at 16-18 if we wish.

 

[ranger58sb]

We can get up to about 25 kts and cruise at 22... and we probably need some prop tuning, this year.


But more often, we run at about 8 kts, slightly below theoretical hull speed.


Usually ending with a brief run up to cruising RPMs to energize the turbo and blow out the aftercooler and exhaust.


-Chris

 

[CPseudonym]

Since I recently changed to a faster boat (and am loving it!) I'm wondering how many others on the Forum have fast cruising boats. I realize this is a trawler forum but I'm curious!

Bliss likes to giddy up and go too. Count me as a member of the six knots sucks club.

 

[MYTraveler]

If fast means 15 - 20 knots, count me in. However, I rarely have any need or desire to run that fast (even disregarding fuel costs). The comment "my time is worth something" is often made to justify higher speeds. In my view, I wouldn't be out there if I didn't enjoy it, and I enjoy 8.5 knots more than 20. I ordered my boat with 660hp QSM 11's. In retrospect, I should have ordered the 450hp versions. At the time, I had a big go-fast sportfisher and was somewhat apprehensive about whether I could get used to life in the slow lane.

 

[Codger2]

Bliss likes to giddy up and go too. Count me as a member of the six knots sucks club.

 

[BlueYonder]

Max is 27 kts. I cruise between 18 and 22 when I'm trying to get somewhere. If I'm not in a hurry, 7.5 to 8 works well. I probably spend 50% of the time at low speed and average 20 kts the rest of the time.

 

[ksanders]

My Bayliner will do 20 knots WOT and cruise happily at 14-15 knots all day long.

I prefer 8-9 knots, but have no problem opening her up to get somewhere either.

 

[Moonstruck]

I'll see your 20 and raise 7

 

[Dougcole]

Two years ago we bought our boat with twins specifically so we could cruise faster when we wanted to. It runs along pretty well at 15 knots, which is about 2,850 rpms. I do spend some time going slow though when I feel like it or am trying to burn less fuel.

Our last trip we ran the inside from Stuart to Lake Worth, going fast when we weren't in a slow zone (50% of the time?). Then crossed from Lake Worth to West End, Grand Bahama (55 nm) at speed the whole way. Then mostly fast from West End to Grand Cay (55 nm), poked around that area at hull speed for a few days. Fast back to West End, then fast back to Stuart. Roughly 270 nm round trip. I filled up right before I left and right when I got back. Counting gen-set use we burned just short of 11 GPH.

Our old boat (36 Gulf Star) was a 7 knot boat, we owned it 8 years and used it a lot. I won't go back to that.

Doug

 

[GFC]

WOT is 31.5kts but the fuel burn is a killer.

We can cruise all day long at 80% throttle at around 17kts and that's what we're doing in this picture.

We slow cruise at hull speed around 9-9.5kts. That's what we're doing here.

 

[PuppyR]

Like Mr. Fly, 8k, but we too can hit 10. Love the speed!

 

[Marin]

We have one (with a partner) in Northern Europe. Cruise speed in decent water is 30 knots. Max speed is just over 40.. 45' boat, three diesels.

 

[No Mast]

Count me in the slow group. We cruise at 7 to 8 kts. Very stable to cook, shower, and generally live at that speed.

On the high end our trawler will make exactly 11ish knots.

 

[Ziggy8321]

When not doing 10 kn, will cruise at 21 kn and in "hurry home" mode can do 27 kn.

 

[O C Diver]

When I feel the need for speed, the inflatable will go 28 knots at WOT. Charter boat cruises at 15 knots. When I want to travel comfortably, it's the trawler at 7 knots.

Ted

 

[BandB]

Wifey B: Ummmm, yes....

 

[N4712]

Wifey B: Ummmm, yes....

Ha!

 

[Tango Bravo]

I can get 9 kts downhill.

 

[drb1025]

The drift here in the PNW sneaks up on me fast enough at 8 kts. Even if I could go 20 kts, I couldn't see that fast.

 

[BandB]

Wifey B: Must add I don't consider anything under 35 or 40 knots to be fast...and that's sort of slow fast. Now, medium fast, maybe 50-60 knots and fast fast above 60 and super fast above 90. Sometimes I miss fast from our lake days, so settle for slow fast. Guess I'm getting old though since I don't want a Fountain or Nortech fast.

 

[N4712]

Wifey B: Must add I don't consider anything under 35 or 40 knots to be fast...and that's sort of slow fast. Now, medium fast, maybe 50-60 knots and fast fast above 60 and super fast above 90. Sometimes I miss fast from our lake days, so settle for slow fast. Guess I'm getting old though since I don't want a Fountain or Nortech fast.

Have you seen Invincible boats (that's the MFG name) they'll deliver Medium to fast fast and won't look like a tacky nor tech. Thank gosh for stepped hulls!

 

[BandB]

Have you seen Invincible boats (that's the MFG name) they'll deliver Medium to fast fast and won't look like a tacky nor tech. Thank gosh for stepped hulls!

They, like most center consoles the way they're powered today, will run upwards of 60 knots in the right engine combinations. For the record, the fastest boat we've ever owned is in the 56 knot range. On the lake, while there were a few very high performance boats, the fastest boats were generally the bass boats. On the coast, the fast boat market is dominated by the center consoles. Apparently, fishing requires getting there quickly in the minds of some. Fastest boat we've ever been on ran in the 90's and ,while it was a nice one time experience, it did not give us any desire to own one.

I suspect many here have dinghies or tenders faster than their main boats.

 

[markpierce]

Wouldn't want to hit this at twenty knots, spotted in the middle of my cruising grounds off Benicia:

 

[N4712]

They, like most center consoles the way they're powered today, will run upwards of 60 knots in the right engine combinations. For the record, the fastest boat we've ever owned is in the 56 knot range. On the lake, while there were a few very high performance boats, the fastest boats were generally the bass boats. On the coast, the fast boat market is dominated by the center consoles. Apparently, fishing requires getting there quickly in the minds of some. Fastest boat we've ever been on ran in the 90's and ,while it was a nice one time experience, it did not give us any desire to own one.



I suspect many here have dinghies or tenders faster than their main boats.

Yes, some quality some not.

Fishing boats need to be fast, on my uncles boat we once ran clear to Bimini and back in a day for tournament. We didn't win though. Lol.

Our little Caribe DL12 with a 40Hp Etec does about 35knots but in that little thing it feels way faster, also glad I'm still young because if I was older and ran it the way I did I'd have a broken back.

 

[N4712]

Wouldn't want to hit this at twenty knots, spotted in the middle of my cruising grounds off Benicia:

That's why you have two eyes!

 

[dwhatty]

I suspect many here have dinghies or tenders faster than their main boats.

You'd probably be right.

We bought our Achilles 340 RIB, with 15 hp Yamaha, that has a nice turn of speed with two hefty adults and large dog aboard, with the thought that we'd plod the "big" boat along to a nice anchorage and then use the tender to fan out and explore. Has worked out very well for us.