Help on planning House Boat Trip

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kadenm

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I grew up going to Lake Powell every year with my dad and friends on our houseboat and haven't been in about 10 years now. We would always go from Wahweap all the way to San Juan Arm and find a good spot to beach. I am planning a trip with a group of friends and want to do the same thing and beach somewhere between cha and piute bay. Unfortunately my dad passed away so I can't ask his help for all the questions I have.

I am planning to rent either the 46' Expedition or 50' Nomad depending how many of my friends confirm they are coming (The nice thing with the 50' Nomad is it has a remote 100gal fuel tank). We will also be renting one ski boat and 2 jet skis. I found a lot of answers to my questions on this forum, but still need more info on how much gas I will need for a 7 day trip. I am not worried about gas for the houseboat because we will refuel at dangling rope.

For the ski boat and 2 jet skis how much fuel do you think we will need? We will be using them quite often everyday and doing a trip to Rainbow bridge as well.

And trying to get an idea for cost as well, how much fuel do you think the houseboat would use getting from Wahweap to San Juan Arm (somewhere between Cha & Piute Bay)?

Thanks!
 
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On the distance question, the San Juan River mouth is at mile marker 58, but actual boating distance from Wahweap is considerably less than that if you use the Castle Rock Cut and otherwise take direct lines along the way. It's actually more like 45 miles when you're efficient about it. From the mouth of the San Juan to Cha Canyon is about 10 miles, and it's another 10 miles from there to Piute Canyon. The boating distance from Cha Canyon to Dangling Rope is about 26 miles, and so it's 36 miles from Piute Canyon to Dangling Rope.

It's about 21 miles from Cha to Rainbow Bridge, and 31 miles from Piute to Rainbow. It's 12 miles from Rainbow Bridge to Dangling Rope. If those numbers don't seem to add up, it's because Rainbow is about 5 miles up a side canyon from the main channel. But trust me, I'd say those numbers are pretty accurate.

If you anchored the houseboat at Cha, it's roughly 110 miles as a direct round trip from Wahweap, maybe a touch more if you're not super efficient or make detours. You could easily do that with the gas you have and probably not even need the extra gas on the Nomad. In fact, I'd use that extra gas for your ski boat and toys to avoid the long trips to DR. Since a houseboat gets about 1-1.5 mpg, I'd guess you'll use about 70-110 gallons on the houseboat. You'll also use some for the generator, which is one reason I hate using the generator unless I have to. If you're nervous about the houseboat gas usage, fill it up at Dangling Rope on the way back to Wahweap.

For the ski boat, think 2 mpg or so, and so your usage depends on what you're doing. But it's going to take you about 13 gallons just to get from Cha to DR, and 5 gallons between Cha and Piute. You'd use about 10 gallons getting to Rainbow from Cha, so it's worth going the few extra miles to DR to fill up after a trip to Rainbow. (And yes, it's about 6 gallons in the ski boat from Rainbow to DR, so in effect it's a 12-gallon round trip plus time, which is an expensive--but necessary--side trip for gas.)

You'll use a lot of gas in your ski boat and jet skis pretty quickly in the long lonely distances of the San Juan... but sounds like great time!!
 
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One 53 hb and 4 fishing boats, fishing everyday for a week with some 40 mile runs. 60 gallons in 5 gallon cans is what we take. We never stop at d.r.. normal destination is the mouth of the sj.. We tow all the boats behind the hb. Ski boats will consume more but surely not more than 4 fishing boats. We always have fuel at the end to put in the hb. If Bluex2 says you'll need more then you've got to go with his numbers, but if you take 4 cans along with the toy tank, that should get you by. And stop at DR. The last thing you want to do is run out.
 
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I would consider the amount you want to travel per day. A 100gal. Of fuel at 2.8 miles per gallon is a 280 mile range divided by 7 would be a 40 mile per day average for the ski boat. Cruising at 20 miles per hour that you be about 2hrs a day. At 30mpr about 1.5 hrs a day. I have no idea of jet ski consumption, but I would definitely bring some 6 gal. cans to make a run to dr.
 
Cool thanks guys! I will plan to bring my 5 gallon cans and have some of my buddies bring theirs as well
 
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