Boat fuel cost calculator for multi-leg trips

Estimate fuel use and cost for a fishing trip from distance, speed, fuel burn, and price.

Account for wind, waves, detours, and idling with adjustment factors, then combine round trips or multiple legs in one calculation.

Enter any two values per leg; the third is calculated automatically
Supports L/h and L/nm fuel-burn inputs
Share multi-leg conditions with a URL

How to use the calculator

  1. Choose the distance unit (nm or km) and fuel-burn unit (L/h or L/nm); use a preset if it helps you start.
  2. For each leg, enter any two of distance, speed, and time and let the tool calculate the remaining field.
  3. Enter fuel burn, fuel price, and idle time, then adjust the safety and idle factors if needed.
  4. Review estimated fuel use, fuel cost, and the per-leg breakdown, then copy a share link to reuse the same conditions.

Examples

Coastal round trip (nm / kt, L/h)

Input

Port -> Fishing ground 18nm / 12kt
Fishing ground -> Port 18nm / 11kt
Fuel burn 20L/h
Fuel price 155JPY/L
Idle time 35 min
Safety factor 1.15
Idle factor 0.30

Output

Estimated fuel use 76.2L
Estimated fuel cost JPY 11,805

Lake route (km / km/h, L/nm)

Input

Outbound 12km / 24km/h
Return 12km / 22km/h
Fuel burn 1.2L/nm
Fuel price 160JPY/L
Idle time 20 min
Safety factor 1.10
Idle factor 0.30

Output

Estimated fuel use 18.7L
Estimated fuel cost JPY 2,999

With catch weight

Input

Same conditions as Example 1
Catch weight 120kg

Output

Cost per kg JPY 98/kg

Glossary

nm

A nautical mile; 1 nm equals 1.852 km.

kt

A knot; 1 kt means 1 nautical mile per hour.

L/h

Fuel use per hour of running time.

L/nm

Fuel use per nautical mile. If you enter distance in km, the tool converts it to nm internally first.

Safety factor

A multiplier that conservatively covers wind, waves, detours, and handling losses.

Formulas

  • Time = distance / speed
  • Speed = distance / time
  • Distance = speed × time
  • Running fuel (L/h mode) = fuel burn × total travel time
  • Running fuel (L/nm mode) = fuel burn × total distance in nm
  • Total fuel = (running fuel + idling fuel) × safety factor

Frequently asked questions

Do wind and waves usually increase fuel use?

Often. Use the safety factor as a conservative allowance. A rough guide is Calm 1.05, Normal 1.15, or Rough 1.30, but adjust it for your vessel and conditions.

Which fuel-burn unit should I use?

Use L/h when your fuel data is time-based, and L/nm when it is distance-based.

Can I calculate round trips or multiple routes?

Yes. Add as many legs as you need, or use the same-distance return-leg shortcut when the outbound and return distances match.

How is idling fuel handled?

Idling fuel is estimated as a ratio of running fuel burn per hour. In L/nm mode, the tool derives an L/h equivalent from the weighted average speed.

Can I use this tool globally?

Yes. The page supports multiple languages, unit switching, locale-aware number formatting, and RTL layouts. Currency display is fixed to JPY in version 1.

Important notes

  • Actual fuel burn can change sharply with wind, waves, current, payload, hull condition, RPM, and handling.
  • This tool provides an estimate only. Increase the safety factor for a more conservative result.
  • Measured values for your own vessel or engine in L/h or L/nm are more reliable than presets.
  • Currency display is fixed to JPY in version 1. Even outside Japan, enter the fuel price in JPY per liter.