Workboat operators face a tough time holding onto decent margins while caught in a squeeze between escalating operating costs and slumping day charter rates. How can you lessen the grip between today's rising costs and the battered charter market? Consider the benefit of slightly reduced boat speeds to capture big fuel savings. A vessel's fuel consumption is directly related to propulsion efficiency and hull resistance. Hull resistance is comprised of four factors; they are frictional, wave making, eddy, and air resistance. Other practical considerations also have considerable impact such as hull paint condition; sea state, currents, plus vessel loading and trim.