Fuelish Pleasure Boats ― A Boat Owner's Guide to Improving Fuel Efficiency

Fuelish Pleasure Boats is the layman's comprehensive guide to all things affecting and improving marine fuel usage.

With 18 chapters of ideas, suggestions, and projects designed to help the average boat owner maximize fuel dollars for either diesel or gas powered boats, this book's "you-should-try-this" approach is guided by author Larry Pratt, an experienced marine mechanic and inventor who has conducted years of research in testing various hulls.

Fuelish Pleasure Boats' includes tips and tricks on:

• Working with the wind
• Gas engine tuning and changes
• Diesel performance
• How to reduce drag
• Real-life results of modifications from one of Pratt's unique inventions that typically returns more in fuel savings than the cost of this book!

In addition, this book includes more than 60 photos, graphs, and charts; plans for the most cost-effective fixes; a directory of sources for parts; and forms and checklists for do-it-yourself testing.

Regardless of diesel or gas power, the semiplaning hull with more than five tons displacement can be helped by the information included within Fuelish Pleasure Boats.

Larry Pratt started tinkering with marine fuel efficiency in the mid-1980's. Not being satisfied with static research and results, the vast majority of his engine and hydrodynamic testing was done on the water and underway. As the mobile marine mechanic with fuel-efficiency expertise, growing interest led to increasing data and more creative fixes.

A large part of fuel-efficiency efforts require high-powered components. Pratt was the first to bring racing ignition systems to the pleasure boat community. Recognizing that the flip side of performance is better fuel use, he systematically designed various improvement packages to fit the boat owner's budget. Detailed explanations are explained in his book, Fuelish Pleasure Boats.

Furthermore, Pratt's on-the-water tests resulted in experiencing numerous incidents of boats with "bad" attitudes. They didn't run in/on the water the way they were designed to. The fix for this was the invention of trim tab modifications, and custom-made lifting strakes installations.

Pratt's latest endeavor is to share his findings and knowledge with the boating community. Too much help is needed in the marine neighborhood for any one person to have a measurable impact on reducing fuel consumption. While the makers of boats and boat engines use new technology on new boats, the existing, older, flotilla needs attention too. Good mechanics are hard to find, unless they are already on board, at the helm.