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Engines & Drives
Fuel is the running cost owners feel most. These are realistic figures rather than brochure numbers, based on typical cruising rather than best-case flat-water testing.
Realistic fuel burn figures for bowriders by size and engine type, plus how to cut consumption without slowing down.
An 18 ft (5.49 m) bowrider with a 115 hp four-stroke burns roughly 4-6 US gal (15-23 L) per hour at a 22 knot cruise. A 21 ft (6.40 m) boat with 250 hp stern drive burns 8-11 US gal (30-42 L) per hour at 26 knots. A 25 ft (7.62 m) boat with twin outboards can reach 18-22 US gal (68-83 L) per hour at speed.
A relaxed day of cruising, swimming and towing typically uses far less than owners expect, because the engine spends much of the day at idle or off.
Weight, trim and propeller choice matter more than engine size. An over-loaded boat with the wrong prop, running bow-high, can burn 30 percent more than the same rig set up properly.
Jet drives burn more than comparable four-stroke outboards at cruise. Older two-stroke outboards burn dramatically more than modern four-strokes.
Find the hull's efficient cruise, usually just above minimum planing speed, and stay there. Trim the bow down until the boat settles, then trim out slightly. Keep the hull clean, service the prop, and do not carry a full fuel tank you do not need.
The bowriders that come up most often when readers ask us where to start.
The world's best selling bowrider size, Light, simple and easy to tow.
US$38,000 - US$52,000 new
The refined mainstream benchmark: quiet, dry, and beautifully finished for the money.
US$72,000 - US$95,000 new
15.5 ft fibreglass Bayliner bowrider with stern drive power — entry level pricing and a classic convertible bowrider layout.
US$26,000 - US$34,000 new
Featured Boat of the Week
This week we are putting the Bayliner Bayliner DX2000 in the spotlight, and it earns the spot. At 20 ft 2 in (6.16 m) long on a 8 ft (2.44 m) beam, this is a bowrider that reads the water well and still feels roomy enough for a full day out. A 20-foot deck-boat-width bowrider with outboard power and a huge social cockpit. Power comes from 115-150 hp mercury fourstroke outboard through a outboard package, and the fibreglass hull keeps the ride settled when the afternoon breeze puts a chop on the surface.
Seating is rated for 8 people, so there is space for family, friends, towels, eskies and the tow rope without anyone climbing over gear. Owners tend to buy it for family, water ski, leisure — which is exactly where it shines. Fuel is 30 us gal (114 l), and on the second-hand and new market you should expect to land somewhere around US$42,000 - US$58,000 new depending on hours, trailer and options.
Our full deep dive covers the layout in detail: bow lounge comfort, helm ergonomics, the rear entertaining area, storage that actually swallows a weekend, plus standard features, popular options and honest notes on where the boat compromises. If the Bayliner DX2000 is on your shortlist, start there — and check back next week, because the featured boat changes every week as we complete more full model reviews.
Featured Bowrider Article
Engines & Drives
Fuel is usually the biggest running cost of a bowrider, and it is also the one you control most directly. Two identical boats can differ by forty per cent in consumption depending on how they are propped, trimmed, loaded and driven. A 4.8-5.2 m bowrider with a 90-115 hp four-stroke uses roughly 10-18 litres per hour at cruise. A 5.5-6.2 m boat with 150-200 hp uses about 18-30 litres per hour. A 7 m-plus boat with 250-350 hp typically uses 30-55 litres per hour, and twin-engine boats more again. The useful measure is litres per nautical mile rather than per hour, because it accounts for speed. Most bowriders find their best efficiency just above planing speed, commonly in the 18-25 knot range at 3,500-4,000 rpm, where the hull is fully supported but not fighting drag. Below planing speed a hull drags a large wake behind it and burns fuel inefficiently. Once on the plane, consumption per mile drops sharply, then rises again as speed climbs because drag increases rapidly. Wide-open throttle can easily double consumption for a twenty per cent speed gain. Finding your boat's efficiency window is a fifteen-minute exercise. Run at increasing rpm, note speed and fuel flow, and calculate litres per mile…
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