Motor Boat & Yachting — February 2018

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YOURMBY

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Fuelling debate

I enjoyed reading about the

hybrid-powered DutchCat in

your last issue (MBY January 2018), which

you described as a ‘15p-per-mile marvel’.

It looks like a really practical design for

inland cruising and the idea of clean, silent

cruising certainly appeals to me. But I’m

bemused that everyone seems so obsessed

about the price of fuel. For those of us who

do most of their boating inland, it’s one

of the smaller costs of running a boat and

pales into insignificance next to the really

major expenses like berthing fees and

depreciation. Sean Purdew

You make an interesting point

and as you will see from

the six people have shared

the costs of running their

own boat in this issue,

even for those who

keep their boats on the

sea, fuel usually rates

third or fourth in the list

of annual expenses. That

said, it’s the one you’re

reminded of every time you

use your boat and, unlike the

others, it keeps on going up the more you

use your boat, so in that sense it really does

matter. Besides, I think we all have a duty

to try to encourage the industry to come up

with ways of saving fuel that don’t impinge

on our boating pleasure. Hugo

The shots the MBY team

would rather you didn’t see

BEHIND

THE

SCENES

Figure it out

Thank you for your great magazine review

and video report on the Seaward Nelson

39 in the January issue. I felt you captured

the spirit of the boat and the yard perfectly.

However, I must point out that there is an

error in the fuel figures that you printed

on the final page of the test. It seems

that the figures taken during the trial

were doubled; presumably you thought the

readings were for each engine as opposed

to the total fuel rate at the given engine revs.

Not a major issue, we just don’t want people

thinking the 39 is thirstier than she is!

Angus Belcher, Seaward Boats

Sorry about that, I’m so used to engine

gauges only showing the fuel burn per

engine that I automatically doubled the

figures. For the record, that means at 12

knots, the 39 is returning just over 1mpg

and at 20 knots, it’s still giving 0.86mpg

• not bad for a seriously heavy-duty semi-
  displacement cruiser! Jack Haines

Search me

Motor Boat & Yachting, with its supporting

videos, is a thoroughly absorbing and useful

production. Thank you. However, John D

Green’s letter (December 2017 – “I have

searched every copy and cannot find the

article [on 3M polish]”) prompts me to

write, as MBY’s usefulness as a reference

source is severely restricted not only by

my poor recall, but also by the absence

of an index of past publications. Might you

give serious consideration to the regular

production of an index of past articles,

of all subjects, say, with every December

edition, or even on an annual running basis?

Patrick Shanahan

We’re still searching for a simple solution

that everyone can use to track down past

articles and, if necessary, buy reprints of.

In this day and age, it makes more sense

to include this facility on our website rather

than print it in the magazine and we hope

to have it up and running again soon. Hugo

Edited by Hugo Andreae

STA R

LETTER

WINS A BOTTLE OF

PLYMOUTH GIN

Plymouth gin is proud

of its maritime heritage

and its partnership

with Princess Yachts

LE OF

IN

of its maritime heritage

with Princess Yachts

The DutchCat may

only cost 15p per mile

to run but fuel costs

aren’t the real issue

Hugo’s socks
may appear to
be waterproof
but it seems they
aren’t crab-proof

And talking of wet stockings, blame Santa’s new

mode of transport if your presents arrive damp

Either Hugo’s been made

homeless or the bilge

pump of his classic launch

has given up the ghost

The Seaward 39 doesn’t burn

as much fuel as we thought

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