Fuel & trip planning
Boat fuel planning: make the assumptions visible
The arithmetic is simple. The useful work is choosing a realistic burn rate, including the return leg and saying exactly what your reserve means.
Read the guide →PRACTICAL BOATING GUIDES
Fuel & trip planning
Turn your own fuel-use figures into clearer trip assumptions.
Fuel planning starts with the boat you actually operate. Work from measured consumption, include every powered leg and show the reserve assumption explicitly. Our estimator does the arithmetic; these guides explain how to choose and question its inputs, account for uncertainty and keep useful notes for the next trip.
Questions in this category
Can horsepower determine my fuel use?
Horsepower alone cannot establish actual consumption. Hull, load, speed, conditions and setup all matter.
Does adding 25% leave 25% of the total in reserve?
No. A 25% addition to base burn is 20% of the resulting total. State which reserve definition you are using.
Put the reading into practice with the launch checklist and Florida ramp directory.