How To Plan A Weekend In Bimini On One Tank Of Fuel

The Swift Trawler 47 Is Built For Mid-Range Cruising With Excellent Fuel Consumption — perfect for a weekend voyage.

If you’re the type of boater who craves a Great Loop experience or to travel long and slow along the coasts, then a trawler makes sense. Beneteau designed the Swift Trawler for mid-range cruising. The Swift Trawler 47, in particular, can cruise at 8 knots for a long-range of 970 miles.

The ST 47 is an ideal boat for families as it provides ample space on board for maximum comfort. Yet performance isn’t sacrificed and stands out as a prominent feature. The ST 47 boasts incredible versatility of performance, allowing boaters to be flexible with travel plans. With a fuel capacity of 510 gallons, the Swift Trawler 47 can easily take you and the family on a roundtrip vacation to Bimini on one tank of fuel. Here’s a breakdown of the ST 47 fuel consumption.

Swift Trawler 47 Fuel Consumption

Bimini is known as the gateway to The Bahamas and a boater-friendly chain of islands. It’s the ideal Caribbean destination for new boaters who want to embark on a first-time Bahamas crossing. It’s about 50 nautical miles from Fort Lauderdale to Bimini. When you fuel the 510-gallon tank completely, the ST 47 can run at high speed (20+ knots) to average about 2.5 hours each way. During that time, you can also run the Genset for 50 hours to enjoy air-conditioned comfort during your trip.

If you’re not in a rush to get to your Caribbean destination, the ST 47 can run at low speed (8.5 knots) to average about 5 hours each way. For comparison, a different full displacement trawler would take nearly 7 hours to drive to Bimini, making a weekend getaway a lot more difficult and time-consuming. In keeping with the outstanding performance of the range, the Swift Trawler 47’s fuel consumption is very reasonable and highlights its unique functionality to run efficiently and handle well at both high and low speeds.

The ST 47 lets you enjoy an entirely autonomous trip with the only hassle being customs upon arrival and return. We created a conservative fuel consumption estimation to help you plan your trip.

Weekend In Bimini: ST 47 Estimated Fuel Consumption

Plan A Weekend In Bimini On One Tank Of Fuel

While a winter escape to Bimini is ideal, a summer escape offers beautiful sunsets and calm waters. If you depart from Fort Lauderdale on a Friday afternoon in June, you’ll arrive in Bimini before sunset and vice versa for the return trip (if you run at high speed). This lets you boat safely while maximizing your time in the Caribbean. Once you get to Bimini, you won’t need to re-fuel — there would be about a 15% fuel reserve leftover at the end of the round trip.

Invite family or friends along for the perfect weekend escape. The ST 47 is designed to entertain guests thanks to ample space throughout the vessel. The standard 3-cabin, 2-head layout can comfortably sleep 6 people. There’s also a convertible berth to accommodate up to 8 guests. The owner’s cabin is especially spacious with a walkaround island berth, ensuite head, storage space under the bed, and two hanging lockers.

An L-shaped galley is conveniently located where guests may convene for meals and offers plenty of refrigeration capacity so you won’t need to re-provision once you’re in The Bahamas. Take full advantage of a galley equipped with a double basin sink, a gas oven, and a 3-burner hob. Go all out and stock the two-drawer fridge with seafood, meat, vegetables, and beverages, while there’s extra storage space for pantry items. The upper deck includes a summer kitchen with a Kenyon electric grill and another mini-fridge. You’ll be set to enjoy breakfast, lunch, and dinner on the water.

The Swift Trawler 47 is just one model in a range of Beneteau trawlers —including the ST 50, ST 41, and ST 35 — that offers excellent fuel efficiency and long ocean adventures. Plan a comfortable roundtrip vacation to Bimini on one tank of fuel with the Swift Trawler 47, available for sale with Denison Yachting. Contact Denison yacht broker Brian Nobles to schedule a showing of this fuel-efficient trawler.

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