BOAT-COMPARATOR Guide
Fuel on a rental boat: understanding (and controlling) the real budget
Full-to-full, flat fees, hourly burn: how rental-boat fuel gets billed, and the reflexes that avoid the cold shower at return.
It is the line that surprises new renters most: on a motorboat, fuel often costs 30-50% of the rental price. Understanding it before departure means steering your budget like your boat.
The three billing systems
Full-to-full (the healthiest): leave full, return full — you pay exactly what you burned, at the harbour pump. Gauge reading: the operator estimates consumption and bills at return; check the per-litre rate BEFORE. Flat fee: simple but rarely in your favour if you cruise little. The method is on the listing or one question away — Boat-Comparator displays it when the platform publishes it.
The orders of magnitude
At cruising speed: a 6 hp license-free boat burns 3-5 L/h; a 150 hp RIB, 25-35 L/h; a 250 hp, 40-60 L/h; a twin-engine motorboat, 60-100 L/h. At €2/L on the pontoon, a mile-hungry RIB day quickly runs to €150-250 of fuel.
The money-saving reflexes
Economic speed: just above planing (the operator gives you the revs) saves an immediate 30% versus full throttle. A smart programme: two long anchorages beat one distant round trip flat out. Gauge photos at departure and return, systematically, for billing without debate.
Special cases
Sailboats (auxiliary engine: a few litres a day) and license-free boats (often included) are the surprise-free categories. Skippered yachts bill actual fuel at day's end — ask for the programme's estimate at booking.