BoatBanter.com - View Single Post - Despite fuel prices, towboat captains report no general nationwide decrease in boating

Reginald P. Smithers III

jps wrote:
In article .com,
says...
jps wrote:
In article . com,
says...
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Press Contact: Scott Croft, 703-461-2864,
Date: August 29, 2006

BOATU.S. SAYS SUMMER BOATING SEASON WAS BETTER THAN EXPECTED
"Better Than Expected"?

They must've expected very little traffic in the San Juans. My brother
owns land on a channel that's very popular for transiting between San
Juan island areas. He reports that small vessel traffic is WAY DOWN.

Where he usually sees lots of 30' to 50' vessels, he said there's next
to nothing. That either means folks are staying close to the dock or
limiting the number of destinations. The 60' and up crowd was still
there in what seemed normal numbers.

The following marinas in the San Juans and Gulf Islands were sold out,
or nearly sold out, by 6 PM each night during our
cruise in late July and early Aug:

Langley
Oak Harbor
Friday Harbor
IMC on Lopez
Islander Resort on Lopez
Port Browning
Both marinas in Telegraph Harbour
Ganges
Deer Harbor
Rosario
Roche Harbor

And the nights spent in state parks? Every mooring buoy gone and lots
of folks at anchor.

No, they weren't all 60-footers , either. Lots of 30-50 footers....(we
know because we're competing for the same slips)

We did talk to a lot of people who were staying a bit closer to home
this year. Doing just the San Juans instead of the San Juans and the
Gulf Islands- or doing the Gulf Islands instead of pressing on to the
Discovery Islands or Desolation Sound. People weren't going as far or
as fast, but they were out there.

I'm sure your brother reported his observations from shore very
accurately, but they disagree with my observations out amongst 'em.

He's just south of Poll Pass and sees all the traffic. His report as of
the past several weekends is that traffic is way off normal for this
time of year. He said it looks like post-Labor Day up there.

I don't doubt your experiences but it probably reinforces my theory that
folks weren't moving about. Rather, they were spending more time at one
or each destination.

jps
That has been my observation in a much smaller body of water. Still
lots of boats, they just aren't doing the "sunday drive". They find a
destination and enjoy their time there. The raft-ups which is always
popular with the party crowd, were as large as ever.