Erie Canal - By the Numbers...
Just a quick blog for my Erie Canal Trip for the fellow owners who keep their own stats. The Ranger 21 is super fuel efficient -at the cost of slow speed -but the numbers are neat to see. I know that some boat owners spend hundreds of dollars on fuel. The 30 HP Volvo Penta engine runs so smoothly and makes for a great motor for this boat. It uses diesel and has a capacity of 18 gallons and I carry a 2 gallon jerry can that fits easily in the aft storage area. I fuel the boat at regular gas stations while the boat is on the trailer. If I’m on the highway I try to stop at rest areas and use the truck pumps because it is much easier than navigating a traditional gas station. I did fill up once with 9 gallons along the way and when I got off the water at the end of the trip I still had over 1/2 a tanks. Here are the numbers I got from my trip - other Ranger 21 may have different numbers based on travel time, speed overall and idle time at docks and locks. I spent long periods of time at slow idle speed due to speed limits on the canal and being in no hurry. Owners who run at faster RPM’s and/or higher speeds may see different numbers.
10 Days on the Canal
47 Hours Total Put on engine
Total Miles: 199.7
Fuel Used: 17.8
Gallons Per Hour: .34 gallons (includes idle time)
Miles Per Gallon: 11.2
Average MPH off Garmin: 4.6 (moving time) /3.9 Knots