www.iFourWinns.com

Ont the Four Winns website it says that the cruise range for my boat is 140 miles, top speed 48-51. Is this 140 miles going 50? or 40? or 30? Just trying to get a decent idea of how much its going to empty my wallet so were not surprised the first time out.

_________________
1990 Horizon 200
5.7L OMC Cobra 260HP

I get approx. 5 gal/hour running at speeds between 25-40MPH. I realize that is a broad range, and our boats aren't all that similar in size/weight, but I just thought I'd throw it out there. Depending on the pitch of your prop, I'd expect you to get better fuel economy in your boat that I do if you aren't running WOT all the time.

_________________
Paul
2007 Four Winns Horizon 220
Mercruiser 350 Mag MPI w/ Bravo III Drive
2004 Ford Explorer Limited (V8-AWD)
Pomme de Terre Lake (Southwest Missouri)

Well I know mine has a 44 gallon tank...it greatly depends on how fast you go...I'd say they probably calculate range with the typical crusing speed of about 3500 rpm in mind...you can look in the specs for some of the newer models with the same engine to get a rough idea of about how many gallons per hr you are talking....I'd estimate about 10-12 gal per hr to be on the safe side and then allow a cushion...so at most you're talking about 4 hrs or so......my speedo has never been accurate so I go by distance and approximate mph/gph figuring...gotta get a GPS for sure....

_________________
88 Four Winns 200 Horizon
4.3 OMC Cobra-4bbl
2002 Walker Bay 10/2012 Suzuki 2.5
2008 Walker Bay 8

1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0/Selectrac
2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.7 Hemi/Quadradrive II

Yea.. I would think since mine is smaller it should be a bit better, im not sure of the pitch of the prop, really not sure what that means or anything.. or how it affects it. But yes, definitely always want to be on the safe side for sure.

_________________
1990 Horizon 200
5.7L OMC Cobra 260HP

Honestly that 5 gal per hr on a V8 does not sound right to me...if you look at the FW facts on similar models it's usually between 10 and 13 gal per hr at cruising speeds....and if you look at tests of other similar boats on Boat Test.com etc that's ususally what a 20 footer with a V8 uses....

_________________
88 Four Winns 200 Horizon
4.3 OMC Cobra-4bbl
2002 Walker Bay 10/2012 Suzuki 2.5
2008 Walker Bay 8

1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0/Selectrac
2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.7 Hemi/Quadradrive II

Your best cruise speed/MPG will be at the minimum speed your boat planes out... This is the least amount of drag you can get.... 20 mph is a good number. Throttle back and trim up a bit to improve speed.

As far as GPH, I've been using 6 gph as an average. I think I get around 4 at WOT, and around 9-10 cruising, but when taking into account how much gas I use in the entire summer and the number of hours, I've been about 6 gph for two seasons now.

As far as the numbers go, even cruising (30 mph at 10 gph), you are getting pothetic gas milage at 3 mpg! Keep that in mind if you are considering a long boat ride over a similar drive by car.

_________________
Walt B
"Debt-Charged"
Black '07 H210SS
6.2L Bravo One turning a 21P HIFive
Wakeboard Tower with Perfect Pass Stargazer version
Missouri River; Kansas City, Mo.

I find I get much better MPG going down stream versus up.

_________________
2007 Horizon 200
4.3L GXi/ SX 225 HP

I did quite a bit of research on this. What I found is that the majority of boats get their best "miles per gallon" at right around 3000 rpm. Some are a little different, but you can see performance charts on the boattest.com web site. According to them, the newer H200 gets just under 4mpg at about 2700 rpm at a speed of about 25 mph. http://www.boattest.com/boats/boat_vide ... est-Result. You have a different motor and different boat, but it should give you some idea. Looking at other performance ratings of other boats in this size category, 3.5 to 4 mpg at around 3000 rpm is average.

If you hold 44 gallons, you can expect 160 miles or so from a tank at 2700 rpm. That equates to 5.5 to 7 gallons per hour, so you get about 6 to 7 hours of mid-speed cruising time on that tank. At WOT, it ran 2.6 mpg, 17 gph, and 45 mph. So, you get 2.5 hours at WOT, and cruise about 120 miles.

So, do you want to cover distance, or cruise all day? It's up to you, but hopefully that helps you figure out your consumption.

_________________
2008 Four Winns F224
5.0 Volvo Penta
Towing with Audi Q7 4.2 V8

2008 H200 test results from boattest.com

Test Power: 1 x 260-hp MerCruiser 5.0 MPI Alpha Drive
RPM | MPH | GPH | MPG | Range Miles
650 | 2.5 | 1.0 | 2.53 | 80
1000 | 5.6 | 1.6 | 3.51 | 111
1500 | 6.9 | 2.6 | 2.67 | 84
2000 | 8.3 | 4.4 | 1.91 | 60
2500 | 22.0 | 5.6 | 3.92 | 123
3000 | 29.8 | 7.8 | 3.82 | 120
3500 | 35.7 | 10.3 | 3.48 | 110
4000 | 41.0 | 13.5 | 3.03 | 96
4500 | 44.7 | 16.7 | 2.67 | 84
4700 | 45.7 | 17.2 | 2.65 | 84

Speeds measured with Stalker ProSports radar gun. Fuel consumption (gallons per hour) measured with Floscan digital fuel-flow meter on gas inboards, sterndrives, and outboards, TechMate electronic scan tool on gas EFI inboards, Caterpillar digital fuel-flow meter on diesel engines, or permanently installed fuel-monitoring equipment. Range is based on 90% of published fuel capacity. Sound levels determined using Radio Shack digital decibel meter on A scale. 68 dBA is the level of normal conversation.

Performance Chart

Test Conditions
Test Power: 1 x 260-hp MerCruiser 5.0 MPI Alpha Drive
Time To Plane 4.9 sec.
0 to 30 10.3 sec.
Test Power 1 x 260-hp MerCruiser 5.0 MPI Alpha Drive
Transmission Alpha
Ratio 1.81:1
Props Not Available
Load Load: 2 person, Fuel: 7/8 full, Water: none, Gear: minimal
Climate Temp: 75 deg., Humid: 50%, Wind: 10 mph, Seas: light chop

_________________
2008 Four Winns F224
5.0 Volvo Penta
Towing with Audi Q7 4.2 V8