Top 10 Tips For Getting The Most From A Tank Of Gas
 
With boaters facing record-high fuel prices this summer, Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatU.S.) has a few tips that could help stretch their fuel dollars:

1. Leave the extra 'junk' home: Don't load the boat up with weight you don't need. Do a little spring cleaning — unused equipment that has been collecting mildew in the bottom of lockers for years should be taken home.

2. Water weight: At 8.33 pounds per gallon, why keep the water in the tank topped off if you're only going out for the afternoon?

3. Tune her up: An engine tune-up is an excellent investment and should easily pay for itself over the summer.

4. Tune your prop: If your boat goes 30 mph with a like-new prop and only 27 mph with a prop that's dinged and out of pitch, that's a 10 percent loss in fuel economy, or, you're wasting one out of every 10 gallons you put in your tank.

5. Paint the boat's bottom: When boating in salt or brackish waters, a fouled bottom is like a dull knife. It takes a lot more fuel to push your boat through the water.

6. Keep the boat in trim: Using trim tabs or distributing weight evenly will help move your boat through the water with less effort — and less fuel.

7. Go with the flow: Consult tide tables and try to travel with the tide whenever possible.

8. Install a fuel flow meter: A fuel flow meter is like a heart monitor; when consumption starts to rise, it's an early warning that something is amiss. A fuel flow meter also allows you to select a comfortable cruising speed that optimizes the amount of fuel being consumed.

9. Do the math: If you don't want to spring for a fuel flow meter (about $300), you can calculate your fuel mileage by dividing distance traveled by gallons at fill-up. Using your logbook, you can then approximate fuel flow using average speeds and time underway.

10. Get a discount: Many of the 885 BoatU.S. Cooperating Marinas around the country offer up to 10 cents off a gallon of gas. To get the discount, all you have to do is to show your BoatU.S. membership card. If you aren't already a member, join online now for a special rate of $19 by going to BoatUS.com/membership or call (800) 395-2628.