TRAWLER CRUISING COSTS - TOTAL COST OF FUEL AUGUST 2005 – AUGUST 2008

(With update September 2014)

We got a particular email a long time ago. Short and sweet, it asked were we still so cocky cruising on a powerboat now that fuel has gone through the roof? (….Well words to that effect.) I tried to respond a couple of times but my email just bounced.

Contrary to what might seem likely, we are usually not even aware of how much in total we spend on fuel. (Though that situation could change if we ever found we needed it but didn't have enough money to pay for it.) We have not so far had to consider the price of diesel as a factor in our cruising plans.

But that email started me thinking. What have we paid for diesel in the 3 years we’ve been cruising in Southeast Asia? Assuming there are others out there who wouldn’t mind knowing how much fuel costs when cruising long distance on a powerboat, I thought I would drag out the logbooks and put together a few details.

Remember though, when cruising by power or sail, fuel is not necessarily a big slice of your budget. For some reasons why this is so, have a look at the article on this site on the overall costs of power cruising.

[UPDATE SEPTEMBER 2014: I can't give you any meaningful information on the fuel costs of cruising because I don't cruise much any more. But diesel is still relatively inexpensive in Southeast Asia. The diesel pump price here in Sabah (Borneo) is currently 2.10 Malaysian ringgits per litre and 2.80 ringgits at the fuel barge (approximately 3 ringgits to the Australian dollar).]

FUEL PURCHASES - CRUISING SE ASIA - 2005 - 2008
YEAR	DATE	PLACE	LITRES*	PRICE ($A)*	TOTAL COST*	ENGINE HRS
2005	16-Aug	Australia	2,700	80c/litre	$2,173.50	2047.4
	28-Sep	Indonesia	370	40c/litre	$148.00	2250.5
	8-Oct	Indonesia	1,350	80c/litre	$1,080.00	2259.3
	24-Nov	Malaysia	1,750	53c/litre	$1,406.00	2498.5
2005 TOTAL			6,170		$4,807.50	451.1

2006	14-Nov	Malaysia	2,000	69c/litre	$1,321.00	2814.2
2006 TOTAL			2,000		$1,321.00	315.7

2007	15-Feb	Malaysia	1,000	67c/litre	$670.00	2938.7
	10-May	Malaysia	1,000	62c/litre	$620.00	3024.1
	23-Jul	Brunei	2,151	28c/litre	$602.00	3242.1
2007 TOTAL			4,151		$1,892.00	427.9

2008	20-Mar	Malaysia	1,050	94c/litre	$1,010.00	3426.2
2008 TO DATE TOTAL			1,050		$1,010.00	184.1
GRAND TOTAL			13,371		$9,030.50	1378.8
(As at 20 August 2008)
*Per Litre prices were computed (and rounded up or down) separately from Total Cost figures. Hence slight differences. Both used approximate exchange rates applicable at those dates.

NOTES:

In 2005, we crossed from Australia through Indonesia to Singapore, Malaysia and on to Thailand, a trip of approximately 5,000 nautical miles in 5 months. During the first part of that passage, although we had more than enough diesel to get to Singapore, we became aware of hoarding as prices began to rise, so we decided to buy extra fuel wherever it was available. This left us with a surplus for 2006.
In 2006 we cruised around the many islands off Phuket, in Phang Nga Bay and between Langkawi and Thailand. We spent much of the wet season anchored at Phuket and doing some land travel.
In 2007 we retraced our steps down the Malacca Straits, around the corner at Singapore into the across the South China Sea, to Sarawak in Malaysian Borneo, Brunei and Sabah in Malaysian Borneo. We spent nearly 6 months berthed in a marina in Sabah.
In 2008 We came across the Balabac Straits to Palawan in the Philippines. We have been anchored at Puerto Princesa for a couple of months, doing some maintenance, some land travel on the island and a three week trip to Vietnam (by air.) By this time we reckon we have clocked up about 9,000nm on our Southeast Asian adventure.

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