Eco-Marine 500 Trial

With the proliferation of offshore cruising power boats, and the many claims of efficiency made by interested parties, a simple standard needs to be established to quantify efficiency in the real world in which these boats will be operating. The Eco-Marine 500 Trial is a concept designed to do just that.

Objective: To develop a standard against which ecologically responsible pleasure craft can be measured. These vessels must provide owners with a balance between practical cruising speed and efficient fuel consumption whilst utilising the vessels for realistic open water voyaging. Development of extreme vessels for record-breaking is not the intention.

Concept: The Trial will mimic real-life, power boat usage for coastal or trans-ocean pleasure cruising, in order to encourage efficiencies in both time and fuel expended in completing a given voyage.

Parameters of Trial:

• Seaworthy power boat with offshore safety equipment fitted.
• Departure from and arrival at recognised ports that are at least 500 nautical miles apart by the most direct route.
• Boat speed and fuel consumption to be averaged back to exactly 500 nautical miles after completion of voyage for comparison against the standard.
• Ninety percent of the course chosen must be in open ocean or offshore coastal waters.
• Minimum of four adult crew on board at all times.
• Minimum of two staterooms with minimum of four fixed berths.
• Refuelling en route permitted but only at established commercial fuelling jetties or pontoons.
• Sail assistance is not permitted.

Independent observer:

• An independent observer to certify departure time and arrival time UTC at the chosen ports and calculate elapsed time.
• An independent observer to certify GPS log at start and completion of voyage to determine accurately the distance covered.
• An independent observer to verify the fuel level at departure and the fuel replenishment at arrival in order to determine fuel used.
• Any re-fuelling en-route to be certified by an independent observer.
• An independent observer may be one of the adults on board.

Standards:

Division 1:
500 nautical mile voyage in one and a half days (36 hours) or less. Fuel consumption of 2.5 litres per nautical mile or less.

Division 2:
500 nautical mile voyage in two days (48 hours) or less. Fuel consumption of 2.0 litres per nautical mile or less.

Trial record holder will be the vessel that is certified by the independent observer(s) to consume the least amount of fuel and complete the voyage within the specified time for each division.

Fuel consumption data [PDF file 10 kb]