Boating tips for getting the most from a tank of gas

Leave “junk” home: Clean out the boat and don’t load it with unneeded weight.

De-water: At 8.33 pounds a gallon, why top off the water tank when you’re going out for a single afternoon?

Tune engine: Think of it as an investment that pays big dividends over the course of the season.

Tune prop: A boat that goes 50 mph with a like-new prop and only 45 mph with a prop that’s dinged and out of pitch has lost 10 percent of its speed while using the same amount of fuel. That translates into a 10 percent loss in fuel economy.

Clean hull: A fouled bottom is like a dull knife; it takes a lot more effort — fuel — to push it through the water.

Stay trim: Either by using trim tabs or with weight distribution.

Hoist sails: If you own a sailboat, all of the above apply, but the real savings begin when the engine is shut off and the sails are raised.