Boat speed undeniably influences fuel consumption, but while reducing speed can save on fuel. However, this is not as simple as it seems. Firstly, the relationship between engine revolutions per minute (rpm) and fuel consumption is not linear, so doubling speed will necessitate burning much more than twice the fuel.
Making sense of this would normally require a lot of measurements and arithmetic, but now FloScan's new Series 9000 GPS Interface System is making the sums easier. Skippers will often find the "sweet spot" – where the engine runs most efficiently – by experimenting with rpm reductions while watching the litres/hour reading on a fuel-flow meter. However, most fishing operations require a boat to travel to the grounds at cruising speed, reduce rpm while fishing, then increase speed and return to port.
In this regard, fuel burned per nautical mile is more significant than litres per hour. The litres/mile measurement indicates how engine performance changes with speed, as well as propeller and hull interactions that are not evident from tracking litres/hour. Using this reading, the skipper can adjust his rpm to maintain optimum fuel use.
FloScan's Series 9000 GPS Interface System brings together a digital LCD with engine-hours, tachometer, litres/hour, fuel used, and nautical miles/litre in a single three-inch gauge that fits the panel space of a standard tachometer. By monitoring the boat's speed information, it computes the distance per litre from a GPS with an NMEA 0183 serial output port. The device can be used for either petrol or diesel engines and can be installed by the boat-owner.
In addition, FloScan's FloNet Diesel Monitor is designed to interface with the increasingly popular NMEA 2000 electrical network and works with virtually all marine diesel engines, in single or twin set ups. The system features two fuel-flow sensors and can be installed by the owner, with no need to buy a special display device because the data is shown on what FloScan calls its "Hub".
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