Boat Gas Tank Size (With 60 Examples of Different Boat Models)


One of the most important things to know about a boat is the size of the gas (fuel) tank. Of course, gas tank sizes can differ between brand and model. In this article, we will walk you through the fuel capacities of different boat models in a detailed way with examples.

On average, a boat can hold around 40 gallons of gas in its fuel tank. But the range can vary from as small as 5 gallons or less for a small boat to as big as 250,000 gallons or more for a big yacht. Yet, most brands allow buyers to customize the boat accordingly, worrying less about fuel volumes.

Boats are not as fuel-efficient as cars. They consume a lot of gas compared to other vehicles due to their traversing in the waters. That’s the main reason why boats have bigger fuel tanks compared to other land-moving vehicles.

Many small boats tend to use 3-8 gallons of gas per hour at cruising speeds, while faster boats like speed and motorboats can use 25-40 gallons an hour. Depending on the boat’s weight, design, and, very importantly, the type of motor it has, the fuel burning rate changes drastically.

An older boat with an older engine will have poor fuel mileage when compared to more modern boats. Here’s a table showing the sizes of different boat models and their average fuel capacities range.

Boat ModelFuel Capacity Range
Speedboat150 – 1000 Gallons
Pontoon Boat10 – 60 Gallons
Bass Boat20 – 70 Gallons
Cabin Cruisers200 – 500 Gallons
Cuddy Cabin30 – 150 Gallons
Yacht1,000 – 350,000

Those are the average fuel capacities for different boat models. OKAY, without further ado, let’s see the fuel capacities of those different boats in a detailed way.

Related post – What Fuel Do Boats Use? Check this article to know the types of fuels used in boats and their advantages & drawbacks in a detailed way.

How Many Gallons Of Gas Does A Speedboat Hold?

On average, a speedboat can hold around 250 gallons of gas in its fuel tank. But the range can vary from 150 gallons or less for a small speedboat to 1,000 gallons or more for a big speedboat. Yet, most brands allow buyers to customize the boat to their needs, worrying less about fuel capacities.

Those values may sound very big compared to other boats, but at their burning rate (which is, by the way, around 25 – 40 gallons an hour), they are comparable with normal boats with smaller tanks. Here’s a table showing the fuel capacities of different speedboat models.

Speedboat ModelFuel Capacity
Skater 28140 Gallons
Midnight Express 34 Open300 Gallons
Mystic M3800293 Gallons
Cigarette 42 Auroris470 Gallons
Midnight Express 43 Open450 Gallons
Skater 46500 Gallons
MTI V-50550 Gallons
Cigarette 515278 Gallons
Cigarette 59 Tirranna1000 Gallons
Midnight Express 60′ Pied-A-Mer1000 Gallons

A speedboat can cost around $350,000 on average. But depending on the model, amenities, speed, and the make you are looking for, the price may vary from as low as $100,000 or low to as high as $4,000,000 or more. Also, the price drastically depends on the “BRAND” rather than just the “SPEED.”

High-performance boats, also known as go-fast boats, racing boats, cigarette boats, powerboats, etc., are speedboats used in racing, recreational, luxury, law enforcement, and many other applications. By conventional standards, a high-performance boat is one that tops 60 mph.

But many of the speedboats in the market today easily hit 80+ mph. At that speed, the fuel burns very quickly. That’s why most of the speedboats have very big tanks compared to other small boats.

Related post – How Much Does A Speedboat Cost? Check this article to know the average costs of a speed boat with 15 examples in a detailed way.

How Many Gallons Of Gas Does A Pontoon Boat Hold?

On average, a pontoon boat can hold around 30 gallons of gas in its fuel tank. But the range can vary from 10 gallons or less for a small pontoon to 60 gallons or more for a big pontoon boat. Yet, most brands allow buyers to customize the boat to their needs, worrying less about fuel capacities.

The average pontoon boat will consume around 5 gallons per hour at cruising speed. This means that a five-hour trip out on the water will take 25 gallons of gas.

And it is very common to see a pontoon boat under 20ft with less than a 10-gallon tank. Many pontoon boats come with fuel tanks that are insufficient for the boater’s needs.

Since pontoon boats are not deemed for racing or speed, many manufacturers won’t give bigger tanks. Therefore, many pontoon boat owners replace an existing tank with a bigger one or add a tank to their boat. Here’s a table showing the fuel capacities of different pontoon boat models.

Pontoon Boat ModelFuel Capacity
Harris LX 160 Cruise6.6 Gallons
Bennington 188 SVL25 Gallons
Avalon GS Cruise25 Gallons
Barletta C24UC24 Gallons
Manitou 25 Legacy SL43 Gallons
Bennington 24 R Bowrider58 Gallons
Starcraft cx 25 dl bar60 Gallons
Hampton 2680 dc25 Gallons
Playcraft Infinity 290030 Gallons
Harris Solstice 250 SLEC63 Gallons

Pontoon boats are very popular among the boats. Their simple construction of the deck on two or three pontoon tubes makes it a very special boat. Two pontoons for most of the boats, but three pontoons go under the deck if the boat becomes larger and heavier.

Common pontoon boat designs are a catamaran with two hulls or a trimaran with three hulls. Boats with three hulls are sometimes called tri-toons. Pontoon boats are used for pleasure on lakes and rivers, and in some cases, on oceans close to shore.

Different pontoon boats have different-sized tanks. Most new pontoon boats will have a fuel capacity between 20 and 35 gallons. But most used pontoon boats will not have the same capacity unless the tanks have been upgraded by the current or previous owner (source).

Related Post – Do Boat Use The Same Gas As Car? Check this article to know the difference between the boat and car gasoline in a detailed way.

How Many Gallons Of Gas Does A Bass Boat Hold?

On average, a bass boat can hold around 40 gallons of gas in its fuel tank. But the range can vary from 20 gallons or less for a small bass boat to 70 gallons or more for a big bass boat. Yet, most brands allow buyers to customize the boat to their needs, worrying less about fuel capacities.

A bass boat is a small boat that is designed and equipped primarily for bass fishing or fishing for other panfish, usually in freshwaters such as lakes, rivers, and streams. Unlike some other boats, the bass boat promised a focus on fishing and nothing more.

An average bass boat will consume between 4 – 5 gallons per hour at cruising speed. Each angler is going to have their own preferences and desires for their bass boat. So let’s get into it. Listed here, we have some of the best bass boat models on the market, so let’s see how they compare when stacked up.

Bass Boat ModelFuel Capacity
Bass Cat Puma FTD SP52 Gallons
Crestliner 1750 Bass Hawk29 Gallons
Crestliner PT 2032 Gallons
Lund Pro V Bass XS39 Gallons
Nitro Z21 Pro55 Gallons
Lund 1875 Crossover XS32 Gallons
Tracker Pro Team 190 TX21 Gallons
Skeeter FX21 LE48 Gallons
Xpress X21 Pro40 Gallons
Caymas CX 2159 Gallons

Bass boats are usually propelled by two means: an outboard motor, which moves the boat swiftly from place to place, and a trolling motor, which moves the boat at a slow pace through an area where the angler is fishing, requiring more gas.

Bass boats typically feature aerated livewells, a flat deck, and a powerful outboard engine. The whole idea of this boat is to allow for the best possible fishing experience.

The deck is completely flat, and the form of the boat is very low to the water. This allows for great control of the boat in high wind situations and in shallow waters (which is the ideal place for fishers).

Outdoor Troop

A Bass Cat Puma FTD SP has a 52-gallon fuel tank that allows for easy, stress-free adventure on the water. The maximum horsepower (max HP) of this fishing machine is 250 HP. This means that with this fuel capacity and horsepower capacity, you’ll have the ability to zoom across the water at over 70 mph.

How Many Gallons Of Gas Does A Cabin Cruiser Hold?

On average, a cabin cruiser boat can hold around 200 gallons of gas in its fuel tank. But the range can vary from 120 gallons or less for a small boat to 500 gallons or more for a big boat. Yet, most brands allow buyers to customize the boat to their needs, worrying less about fuel capacities.

Cabin cruiser boats are just like mobile mini homes that you can use to take the entire family on adventures. Even with small cabin cruisers, you have the flexibility to visit new ports, spend long weekends enjoying the boating lifestyle, or just kick back for a day of swimming and relaxing on the water.

Being bigger in size than most boats (including cuddy cabins), it burns more fuel. So cabin cruiser boats have bigger fuel capacities compared to pontoon boats, bass boats, cuddy cabins, etc. Here’s a table showing the fuel capacities of different cabin cruiser boat models.

Cabin Cruiser ModelFuel Capacity
Jeanneau Leader 33138 Gallons
Regal 33 Express Cruiser150 Gallons
Chris-Craft 34 Corsair185 Gallons
Jeanneau NC 1095 Fly212 Gallons
Back Cove 34O185 Gallons
Monterey 355SY210 Gallons
Sea Ray Sundancer 320210 Gallons
Sabre 38 Salon Express300 Gallons
Azimut Magellano 43443 Gallons
Intrepid 409 Valor450 Gallons

A cabin cruiser becomes a small yacht if the size increases furthermore, accumulating more space on board. A cabin cruiser also has an area behind the cockpit that is open to the outdoors. This makes a great area for resting in the sun or for fishing, crabbing, and more.

A cabin cruiser will generally range anywhere from $100,000.00 to $500,000.00.  Below $100,000, and you’re probably looking at a cuddy cabin and above $500,000.00, and you’re probably looking at a yacht or trawler.

Go Downsize

How Many Gallons Of Gas Does A Cuddy Cabin Hold?

On average, a cuddy cabin boat can hold around 50 gallons of gas in its fuel tank. But the range can vary from 30 gallons or less for a small cuddy to 150 gallons or more for a big cuddy. Yet, most brands allow buyers to customize the boat to their needs, worrying less about fuel capacities.

Cuddy cabin boats offer day cruisers an interior space to sleep at night. These boats are often built like bowrider boats in the center and rear of the boat, but the front holds a cabin rather than a sitting area.

In fact, the average size of a cuddy cabin is between 18 and 28 feet long. Anything larger, and you’re probably dealing with a cabin cruiser rather than a cuddy cabin. Here’s a table showing the fuel capacities of different Cuddy Cabin boat models.

Cuddy Cabin ModelFuel Capacity
Bayliner VR533 Gallons
Rinker 22MTX34 Gallons
Rinker 23QX41 Gallons
Stingray 225cr56 Gallons
Stingray 250cr68 Gallons
Crownline 264 cr75 Gallons
Sea Ray Sundeck85 Gallons
22 Sea Hunt 225 Victory87 Gallons
Rinker 29QX75 Gallons
20 Proline Hardtop300 Gallons

Cuddy cabin boats need a lot of fuel depending on the size and the usage. If you are cruising all day and want to sleep overnight, at least a 100-gallon tank is a must. Anything lower than that means you are at risk and should use the fuel accordingly.

Related post – Is Boat Fuel Expensive? Check this article to know more about the cost of the fuel that is used in boats and how they distinguish from normal gas station prices.

How Many Gallons Of Fuel Does A Yacht Hold?

On average, a yacht can hold around 25,000 gallons of fuel in its fuel tank. But the range can vary from 1,000 gallons for a small yacht to 250,000 gallons or more for a big yacht. Yet, most brands allow buyers to customize the yacht accordingly, worrying less about fuel capacities.

A yacht is a larger recreational boat or ship. The word “Yacht” came from Dutch origin and was originally defined as a light and fast sailing vessel used by the Dutch navy to find and capture pirates. On the other hand, a boat is smaller in size and can be anything from a fisherman’s boat to a sailboat.

Yacht engines are much larger in size, can produce considerably more power – in some cases up to 800hp, and are capable of running much longer distances, requiring very bigger tanks. Here’s a table showing the fuel capacities of different yacht models.

Yacht ModelFuel Capacity
Lexus LY 6501000 Gallons
Canova Sailing Superyacht3000 Gallons
Tatiana Yacht40,946 Gallons
Attila Yacht42,267 Gallons
Soaring Yacht53,626 Gallons
LANA Yacht79,251 Gallons
O’Pari yacht86,363 Gallons
Flying Fox Yacht180,297 Gallons
Azzam Yacht264,172 Gallons
Dilbar Yacht277,301 Gallons

Smaller yachts like motor yachts or motor sails can hold around 3,000ish gallons of fuel, while the larger ones have the capacity for up to 250,000 gallons. That could cost $875,000 to fill up the tank with an average fuel price of $3.50 per gallon. Imagine spending close to $1,000,000 to fill up the yacht.

According to Superyachts.com, a boat measuring more than 71 meters consumes a staggering 132 gallons of diesel an hour—and that’s only if the engine is on, but the boat isn’t moving. If you actually want to go anywhere, you will be spending over $2,440 an hour, based on cruising speeds of between 15 and 22 knots.

Lürssen’s M/Y Azzam currently holds the title of the largest superyacht in the world. That’s equivalent to refilling a typical hatchback car more than 23,800 times, and the same amount of fuel could fill up almost six Boeing 747 commercial airliners. Likewise, it would take the fuel of 3,636 London double-decker buses or 167 24-meter yachts to fill Azzam.

The Key Takeaways From The Post

A boat can hold around 40 gallons of gas in its tank on average. But the range can vary from 5 gallons or less for a small boat to 250,000 gallons or more for a big yacht. Yet, most brands allow buyers to customize the boat to their needs, worrying less about fuel capacities.

Boats are not as fuel-efficient as cars. They consume a lot of gas compared to other vehicles due to traversing in the waters. That’s one of the main reasons why most boats have bigger fuel capacities compared to other vehicles.

Many small boats tend to use 3-8 gallons of gas per hour at cruising speeds, while faster boats like speed and motorboats can use 25-40 gallons an hour.

Depending on the boat’s weight, size, model, and, very importantly, the type of motor it has, the fuel burning rate changes drastically.

Mahidhar

My name is Mahidhar, and I am passionate about boating. Every day I learn some new things about boats and share them here on the site.

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