Harry wrote:

I dunno, Chuckster. I usually burn 20-30 gallons in a day of fishing
for
the paltry takings in Chesapeake Bay. For $90, my wife and I can head
out to any of many first-class restaurants and enjoy a first-class
seafood dinner WITH a bottle of wine. I suspect I will cut back on
fishing and spend my Bay boating time cruising and enjoy more time out
on the Shenandoah paddling a canoe.
*******************

You go boating to catch fish? :-)

I'm happy to spend $XXX per day of use for my boat because it is even
more enjoyable than sharing a bottle of wine in a restaurant.

But then again I'm halfway immune from high fuel prices.
Buring about 2 gph means I can boat all day for $100, even if diesel
hits $5 a gallon. Now of course somebody will say, "But it takes you
all day to get anywhere!" and they wouldn't be totally incorrect- but
I'm still realizing fuel economy of about 4nmpg. Besides, being out on
the boat is the payoff, whether you ever "get anywhwere", catch
anything, or not.