Plan fuel on measured consumption and a sensible reserve Estimate how much fuel you need from measured engine hours and your boat’s litres-per-hour at the speeds you expect to use. Allow additional fuel for motoring when wind or tide is unfavourable, motoring to shelter, and an extra safety reserve. If your consumption figure is uncertain, assume higher burn and plan conservative legs with fuel stops or the option to divert.
Practical steps and recommendations
- Work out realistic leg distances and expected motoring percentage for each leg, using your boat’s real fuel burn at cruising speed. Add a reserve buffer (for example enough to reach an alternate port plus time for delays). Do this per leg rather than just for the whole trip.
- Check fuel availability before you leave: marinas and fuel jetties around Spencer Gulf and on Kangaroo Island are not all open 24/7 and some only take certain payment methods. Confirm opening hours and services.
- Pick staging ports or anchorages that suit your boat and crew comfort—shorter, sheltered stages are far more forgiving than one long exposed hop. Common staging locations used by local cruisers include Port Lincoln, Tumby Bay, Port Victoria and ports on Kangaroo Island, but choose based on your route and which facilities you need.
- Monitor and plan for weather windows: Spencer Gulf can funnel winds and build a steep sea in strong northerlies or southerlies. Avoid passages in strong onshore winds or busy fronts and aim to depart so you are not approaching lee shores late in the day.
- Have at least one alternative harbour of refuge for each planned leg and check each anchorage’s holding, depth and shelter orientation for the forecast wind direction.
- Carry adequate spare fuel where possible (jerry cans stowed safely or auxiliary tanks) and ensure fuel transfer arrangements comply with safe handling practices and any marina rules.
Why this matters (plain English) Spencer Gulf is long and relatively exposed in places. If the wind and tide are against you, motoring time — and therefore fuel use — can double. Sheltered anchorages and staged legs reduce fatigue for the skipper and crew, lower risk of running low on fuel, and give you safe options if the weather changes. Knowing fuel availability avoids unpleasant diversions to fuel-starved jetties.
Important factors that change the plan
- Your boat’s actual fuel consumption and tank capacity. Small changes in speed can change burn rates noticeably.
- Forecast wind strength and direction. Headwinds and strong opposing tidal streams increase fuel use and passage time.
- Sea state and swell direction: a short steep sea will slow you and increase fuel burn compared with calm conditions.
- Crew experience and daylight: unfamiliar crews or limited daylight favour shorter, sheltered legs.
- Facilities and opening hours at the ports you plan to use — check these shortly before departure.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Using theoretical fuel figures rather than engine-hour-based measurements for your boat.
- Trying a long exposed hop because it’s shorter on paper; that can leave you motoring in bad seas with low fuel.
- Assuming every jetty sells fuel or is open; not all do and some close early.
- Forgetting that anchorage shelter depends on wind direction — a good bay in northerlies can be lousy in southerlies.
One realistic next step Before you commit to dates, run a simple fuel plan for your intended route: record your boat’s fuel burn at cruising speed over a few hours, calculate fuel needed for each leg including reserve and alternates, then check fuel availability and local weather/tide predictions for your planned days and staging ports. If you want, send me your boat’s fuel-burn per hour, tank capacity and intended route and I’ll help work the numbers into a practical stage plan.