# Anyone own a 28' Baha Cruiser w/ single inboard?



## russh (Feb 12, 2007)

I bought an older 1989 Baha Cruiser 277 in super good condition this year. It has a single 454CI inboard and the fuel mileage is bad. I figured I am using 1.35 gallons per mile. Wide open it's running @ 4000RPM which seems low as if the prop needs to be resized. I rarely run it above 3200RPM and it's running @ 18MPH which again seems slower than it should be running.

If anyone else is running one of these can you tell me what your mileage is, WOT RPM, top speed.


Thanks Russ


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## Popspastime (Apr 1, 2014)

Altho I've never owned one I have run many. They do eat the fuel and are not built to jump out of the water and plane. It's more of a displacement hull and runs down in it. I don't know what size trim tabs you have but you need to try to get the bow high while your running. I seem to remember 15 to 17 gph "Gal per hour" depending on the seas and around 26 mph at 3200 rpm's. with 7-8 on board. Your top rpm should be around 5200 so it seems you may be a bit over propped. It's not a speed boat and does burn some fuel for sure, but they are good safe sea worthy boats.

Pops


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## Misdirection (Jul 16, 2012)

I have twin 454's in my Wellcraft, but they are 8.1l, not the 7.4's you have. With my inboards, my WOT is 4200-4400 rpm's and that is in line with my owners manual. 18 mph is probably correct for your boat with the prop on it. You could probably go to a 4 blade or a 2 pitch higher and gain some speed, but would loose power at the low end which is what allows you to be on plane and plow thru the waves. I had a smaller Baha with a 350 in it and my cruise was also 18 mph...their nice boats, just not speed demons.

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## Misdirection (Jul 16, 2012)

And I would die for 1.35 mpg! I get .8 to 1.0 :-(

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## Misdirection (Jul 16, 2012)

Not your specific boat...but read this...

http://www.thehulltruth.com/archive/t-164362.html


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## russh (Feb 12, 2007)

Misdirection said:


> And I would die for 1.35 mpg! I get .8 to 1.0 :-(
> 
> Sent from my DROID RAZR using Ohub Campfire mobile app


You have that reversed, I burn 1.35 gallons per mile.

Great riding boat in rough water. I have 30" tabs but I have had no reason to even put them down. They create drag so I was afraid I would use even more fuel by putting them down. I've owned many boats so I know how to use the tabs but on this boat if I am running around 3200RPM and I put the tabs down a little bit my RPM's and speed both drop which means to me I have burning more fuel.


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## russh (Feb 12, 2007)

Misdirection said:


> Not your specific boat...but read this...
> 
> http://www.thehulltruth.com/archive/t-164362.html
> 
> ...


I have been a THT member for 10+ years but I never seen that thread you gave me the link to. It appears I'm running about the same as others with a comparable boat. Looks like I just need to slow it down.

What are "the secondaries"? Is that when the 4 barrel kicks in?


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## Misdirection (Jul 16, 2012)

russh said:


> You have that reversed, I burn 1.35 gallons per mile.
> 
> Great riding boat in rough water. I have 30" tabs but I have had no reason to even put them down. They create drag so I was afraid I would use even more fuel by putting them down. I've owned many boats so I know how to use the tabs but on this boat if I am running around 3200RPM and I put the tabs down a little bit my RPM's and speed both drop which means to me I have burning more fuel.


So your getting about .75 mpg. That's a little worse than I'm getting depending upon the day. While I'm running twins, my boat weights almost twice as much as yours. I'm about 18,000 lbs boat, motor, fuel, and fishing buddies.

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## Misdirection (Jul 16, 2012)

russh said:


> I have been a THT member for 10+ years but I never seen that thread you gave me the link to. It appears I'm running about the same as others with a comparable boat. Looks like I just need to slow it down.
> 
> What are "the secondaries"? Is that when the 4 barrel kicks in?


The secondaries are when the 4 barrel kicks in. Usually around 3400 rpm or slightly above. Your best fuel milage is going to be around 3200 rpm with a boat full of buddies who share in the cost of fuel. I know I went thru about 600 gallons of fuel last year...but I did have a few 60 mile round trip fishing trips in there...

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## russh (Feb 12, 2007)

I messed around with the trim tabs today and was very surprised that I was able to gain 4 MPH running @ 3200RPM by putting the tabs down a little bit. The boat leveled out and wasn't running with the stern real low like usual. I figured lowering the tabs would create more drag but they seem to have lessoned the hull drag. Running with the tabs down and keeping the boat around 3000-3200RPM made a drastic difference in fuel usage. Where I have been fishing it would take about a 1/2 a tank to get there and back, today it took just a little more than 1/4 tank. I never expected that much of a difference. Thank you for your suggestions!!


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