You are always responsible for the cost of fuel. However, depending on whether you are sailing at sea or on a riverboat, the billing terms may differ:
- For a marine charter
You pick up the boat with a full tank and must return it with a full tank. Upon your return to port, before the final inventory, you must make a stop at a gas station to fill the tank. Generally, sailboat engines run on diesel and have an output of about 30 to 50 horsepower. While cruising, an engine consumes about 5 liters per hour (on a catamaran, count on 2 engines) for a 40-foot (12-meter) boat, which comes to about 150 USD for a week, assuming you’ll be motoring for 3 hours a day (~300 USD for a catamaran). As for the price of fuel at the pump, it is roughly the same as at a roadside gas station.
On a sailboat, if you’re sailing, you won’t use any fuel, but you’ll have to use the engine for harbor maneuvers, and when the wind is too light or too strong.
- For a river charter
You pick up the boat with a full tank, and you don’t have to refuel before returning the boat. The rental company will handle refueling. However, every boat has an engine hour meter, which tracks the number of hours spent under engine power during your charter. Upon your return, the rental company will bill you for the fuel consumed (all boats run on diesel). An estimated price per hour of engine use is listed on our quotes, but may vary slightly with the price at the pump. Depending on the size of the boat, generally expect between 7 and 13 USD per hour of engine use (between 5 and 8 liters of diesel per hour). Plan on about 3 to 5 hours of cruising per day, so a fuel budget of approximately 200 to 250 USD for a week on the river.
Generally, cruising houseboats or river boats have a fuel tank capacity of 200 to 300 liters, which allows you to cruise well beyond a week without needing to refuel. If your charter is longer, don’t worry! The rivers and canals feature numerous river ports along your route where you can refuel.
