30% better fuel economy - yep!

[Moonlighter]

OK upfront, its not a bassboat and isnt driven at WOT all the time….. its a saltwater boat, cuddy cab, heavy duty plate aluminium 18footer, with an 18 degree V all the way to the transom. Great bay and inshore boat, and offshore on good days, I have had it out 40 miles to the Great Barrier Reef off central Queensland.

I have just had a new 2022 DF115B installed. New engine, harness, binnacle, and SMG4 digital gauge. All networked via NMEA2000 to my Simrad GO7 xse and Lowrance HDS7 Gen3 and Elite FS9 displays. Kept the Suzuki 14 x 20 SS prop from the old engine as it was perfectly matched, and I had it refurbished only 18 months ago so in great condition.

Replaces a DF115 2010 model that has run flawlessly ….. It was however 13 years old, and I got a very good changeover price from my local Suzuki dealer who Ive known for many years.

So took her out on Tuesday on Moreton Bay off Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, to do the running in process, and hopefully catch a few fish.

Put over 5 hours on her. Ran flawlessly. Stayed under 4000rpm for the first 1.5hrs and then around 4-4500 for another hour. Opened her up a bit to max out 5600, but kept below WOT.

Trip distance recorded on the SMG4 was 123kms and showed 46 L of fuel used. Trip average 2.7 km/litre.Thats 6.35mpg.

The 2010 DF115 average was just under 2.1km/L.

My dealer had predicted up to 30% better fuel use and yep, he was spot on.

Sweet spot around 41-4200rpm, 22 knots, which saw 3.1km/L!! Thats 7.3mpg…..

I could see as the engine hours increased the fuel economy was gradually improving as she loosened up. Not sure its going to get much better from here but we shall see!

And yes, we did catch a few mackerel. We call them School mackerel here. These were decent sized models, about 80cm. Chunky and very tasty on the BBQ with some macadamia oil and lemon pepper.

photo of the boat on the trailer with its roof folded down and travel cover on, old Zuke still fitted. Need to get some photos on the water with the new B model on it.

31F4C0B8-7EB6-4DD2-B0BE-FCEFF587CFE8.jpeg

[Murray]

Nice looking rig. I’d love to upgrade from 90hp to 115hp, got a couple large of son-in-laws that that really make the 90hp work pulling them on skis. $16300 is holding me back, plus I only have 120 hours on the 90hp. Except for a $500 voltage/rectifier mine has also run flawlessly.

Love Mackerel fishing. I have a distance relative that commercial fishes for lobster on the east coast of Canada in season and off season fishes Mackerel to sell to the bait company. When he hits a school of Mackerel it’s pandemonium, 4 hooks per line and your pulling fish in like crazy. He needs 300 pounds to cover his cost, a couple of trips we pulled in 500 pounds. Aside from being exhausted and smelling like fish at the end of the day it was the most fun(and action) I’ve had fishing.

[Harper]

Congratulations, Grant. Nice fish, too. Much like our "smacks" (Spanish Mackerel). Good eatin'!

[Moonlighter]

Congratulations, Grant. Nice fish, too. Much like our "smacks" (Spanish Mackerel). Good eatin'!

Thanks!

Yes I believe they are similar to your Spanish Mackerel. Those ones were about 5 lbs or so.

I think Murray’s referring to what we call slimy mackerel, caught on bait jigs. Usually caught about 8” long. Our school mackerel have a min legal size of 60cm (about 24”) and the ones we caught the other day were well over that, about 32” I would say.

Fish names are strange - here, what you guys call King Mackerel, we call Spanish Mackerel. Photo attached of one I caught in January.