Trolling at 15 kts!!!!!

[fin]

I have just come to hear that a boat or 2 based in the st julians area troll at times at speeds up to and close to the 15kt mark, with occasional strikes and landings of mod blue fin and the occasional sword...

does anyone have any further info and could this be credible!!?>!?!

FIN

[skip]

Very credible fin, the US guys regularily troll at 10-15 knots especially for Bluefin tuna. When discussing speeds with them last year I was regularily told to try and troll at those kind of speeds, but you have to have things like Tuna Clones which are weighted and weighted Cedar plugs out.

Do some searches on google and you'll probably find a few posts about it. However in the case of most boats that are not semi-displacement or displacement hulls, 9-12 knots is probably the worse speed to be at. You have your engines at relatively high revs but the majority of the hull is still in the water as you're not planing, so your drag co-efficient is very high, meaning high fuel burn.

In our case on two engines based on my fuel burn sheet, I calculate (medium hull fouling, force 2/3, 3/4 tank) 2400rpm per engine, 15 knots, burn of 40litres per hour, equating to 1.42mpg which in actual fact is our most efficient speed. We usually cruise at 20 knots@2800rpm but that gives us 57.48 litres per hour @1.38nmpg giving us our greatest range.

It didn't cross my mind before but what it does mean that if one is going out to get some distance offshore, one can go at 15knots a super eco cruise speed and STILL FISH at the same time, albeit in a slightly odd fashion. Can't wait to give it a go.

I'm attaching the Fuel burn sheet, which in places (40knots) is pretty shocking, 330litres per hour!!