There’s no doubt about it, fuel nowadays costs so much that it hurts to take your car for a drive whether it’s to work or not. How much more when it comes to boats when boats use more fuel than cars?

In a time when it’s precarious to abuse and waste fuel usage, it’s time to be more mindful of how much fuel you’re wasting. If you want to save more cash and you want to lessen water pollution, it’s time to do fuel-saving activities that ensure your fuel use will not be put to waste. Here are some tips you can do that are easy to do and make a habit:

Tune your engine: Take your engine to a boat shop at least once a year for a tune-up and service. It helps your boat engine run more efficiently.

Find the right propeller for your outboard boat engine and the boat itself: If your propellers are suited to the kind of boat, you have such as a fishing boat, and you’re using a Mercury boat engine and what you use the boat for, they function much better. For example, you can ask a boating expert what propeller is suitable for the different models of a certain motor engine and what types of engines are appropriate to your boat. Make sure to also regularly inspect your propeller, a broken one or one that has barnacle infestation will make your engine use more fuel than it should.

Clean your hull regularly: Barnacles or stuck-on debris can also create drag on the hull and make the engine work harder. If you live in an area where it’s constantly warm, it’d best to clean your boat weekly compared to boaters who live near colder waters.  

Measure your fuel flow: Install a fuel-flow meter since this gadget will show you in real-time how many gallons per hour your engine is burning in real life. You can have this boat accessory installed in a marine shop. Some new boats for sale in the market have this feature.

Upgrade your motor engine: If your old one is eating up fuel more than you expect it to do, it’s time to chuck it out and buy a new one. A lot of new engines manufactured these days tend to be more efficient. If you’re in the market for a new motor, look for a model with better fuel economy.

Take stock of what’s onboard: additional weight means more drag. Ditch all items that you don’t need and that are not essential. Clean out anything you won’t need on your trip and leave them in your dock storage. If your boating excursions only last a day, it’s best not to fill your water and fuel tank to the brim. Bring only what’s needed. Extra weight in the boat makes your engine run double time.

Avoid idling too much: New engines are ready to run in a minute or two so you don’t need to warm them up for a long time.  

Get your boat in a “plane” position: This is when there is a lot of power and speed applied by your boat making your boat lift from the water and ride over the surface. Do this if you’re out of the “no-wake zone”. This reduces the drag from your boat.

Plan a shorter trip: The ultimate trick to saving fuel is running your engine only a few times. Travel to closer destinations or moor your boat somewhere near to shore if you only take your boat out for rest and relaxation.