"Dan Krueger" wrote in message
...
Amazing. I have always paid for ALL of the gas, bait, food, beer, etc.
when I could get away with it. The boat owner is paying for the boat,
trailer, taxes, registration(s), interest, maintenance, and the other
endless expenses. Seems like a hell of a deal to me!

I have this philosphy too and will generally offer to cover all fuel and
compromise at 50%. If I'm one of a group of guests, I'll pretty much make
sure that we pay all fuel and treat the host like a king in the food and
beverage dept. That's probably because I know what these things cost. I've
rarely or never found anyone to make that offer when I take them on my boat,
but nearly everyone offers to split the costs. Those that don't are usually
friends with whom I do mutual recreational stuff - sometimes I provide the
gear, sometimes they do and it all works out.

A buddy of mine
often used to take me fishing up north in his "walleye" boat. His
kicker crapped out so I picked up a new one for less than $1000. This
is maybe 3-4 boat payments. He was shocked but he was the one really
shelling out the big money.

I have a friend who gave me an old (late 60s) Mercury kicker on "permanent
loan" (his words). He has come with me a few times boating and fishing. He
brought the motor to use trolling, telling me he hadn't run it in 5 years
and only a couple of times since he picked it up at a garage sale 10 years
ago. He didn't even know what lower unit lube was when I asked if I should
go ahead and change it and the plugs before we left. When he found out I
changed the plugs and gear lube and filled the tank with *fresh* gas, he
told me he thought the motor was better off being used by me regularly than
sitting in his shed for years at a time. I'd have to say I agree 8-). It's
25 years old and really beat up (probably from being transported in the back
of original owner's pickup), but compression is 125 each, inside the
cowling, it looks like new and it runs like a top. I have feeling he will
never ask for it back and he's got first seat on all major fishing trips.
Plus, he pays 1/2 of the gas and oil.

DJ