On 10 Apr 2007 16:36:15 -0700, "Chuck Gould"
wrote:

ower boaters and bass boaters say gas prices would have to reach
$3.26 and $3.17 respectively before they would use their boats less
often. That's 50 cents more per gallon than they said last year.

Horse feathers.

I'm already hearing bass tournement types saying they are cutting back
on the number of tourneys they will be attending this year and will
only be doing local and state tourneys rather than out of state
tourneys.

And my club is starting a share a ride program for fishing this year
becaue of fuel prices.

Short Wave Sportfishing wrote:
On 10 Apr 2007 16:36:15 -0700, "Chuck Gould"
wrote:

ower boaters and bass boaters say gas prices would have to reach
$3.26 and $3.17 respectively before they would use their boats less
often. That's 50 cents more per gallon than they said last year.

Horse feathers.

I'm already hearing bass tournement types saying they are cutting back
on the number of tourneys they will be attending this year and will
only be doing local and state tourneys rather than out of state
tourneys.

And my club is starting a share a ride program for fishing this year
becaue of fuel prices.




Sssssshhhh...that's bad for the boat business.

last year, fuel prices weren't really much different than now, and
even higher. We went out several times last year and I calculated
the cost of fuel and food for a days worth of fun, and it was still a
whole lot better value than hauling the family to 6-Flags. Planning on
doing the same this year too.

Tim wrote:



last year, fuel prices weren't really much different than now, and
even higher. We went out several times last year and I calculated
the cost of fuel and food for a days worth of fun, and it was still a
whole lot better value than hauling the family to 6-Flags. Planning on
doing the same this year too.



If you like to fish and have to travel some distance to enjoy your sport
on a regular basis, then the fuel costs mount up rapidly.

On 10 Apr 2007 17:36:40 -0700, "Tim" wrote:

last year, fuel prices weren't really much different than now, and
even higher. We went out several times last year and I calculated
the cost of fuel and food for a days worth of fun, and it was still a
whole lot better value than hauling the family to 6-Flags. Planning on
doing the same this year too.

You can't just consider the boat - you have to consider travel time
and the tow.

I do't know about your area, but around here, we're already at last
year's highs for gas and it's only half way through April. I heard
via the grape vine that the marinas that pump gas are already charging
$3.40 to as much as $3.60 per gallon and that they are having trouble
getting a delivery price break on less than 10,000 gallons. A lot of
them only have 5,000 tanks so they may be getting hammered at the
wholesale level.

On Apr 10, 8:24 pm, Short Wave Sportfishing wrote:


You can't just consider the boat - you have to consider travel time
and the tow.



True, and I have. the travel 'n tow for me is about an hr and a half
one way (60mi) I can go to a smaller lake 40 mi (1 hr) or I can go
two hrs (90 mi )and hit the Ohio river, Car got approx 15 mpg while
towing,a nd the type of boating I did was with a 4-cyl 3.0 chevy and
we never used over 10 gal of gas at a time on a full day at the lake.

So my expenses for a full day at the lake was less than $100.00 with
fuel being the obvious winner in the expense dept.

Now If I was to take the wife and daughter to 6-Flags, that would be 3
hrs travel one way and about $30.00 a pop to get in, plus what ever
side shows one would want to see, and eating $4.50 hot dogs and $3.00
cups of soda isn't a thrill for me, neither is fighting a crowd of
thousands, or standing in some cattle stall line for an hr or so just
to ride some whilie-gig. Plus getting home a lot later, and feeling a
lot more tired....

On 11 Apr 2007 03:18:03 -0700, "Tim" wrote:


You can't just consider the boat - you have to consider travel time
and the tow.

True, and I have. the travel 'n tow for me is about an hr and a half
one way (60mi) I can go to a smaller lake 40 mi (1 hr) or I can go
two hrs (90 mi )and hit the Ohio river, Car got approx 15 mpg while
towing,a nd the type of boating I did was with a 4-cyl 3.0 chevy and
we never used over 10 gal of gas at a time on a full day at the lake.

True, but you are dealing with a bigger, heavier boat with more
horsepower now.

And I would imagine that as a small business owner, you can write off
some of the costs with "petty cash" expenses.

~~ cough cough ~~

Not that you would do that. :)

~~ cough cough ~~

And I would imagine that as a small business owner, you can write off
some of the costs with "petty cash" expenses.

~~ cough cough ~~

Not that you would do that. :)

~~ cough cough ~~



Er ... well....

On Apr 11, 7:11 am, Short Wave Sportfishing wrote:


True, but you are dealing with a bigger, heavier boat with more
horsepower now.



Yes, To and I haven't had any experience with baoting with it yet
this year.

it will hog the fuel much more, but then again not being cramped up
and a better riding craft will help make up for the extra fuel, I
trust.

On Apr 10, 5:07?pm, Short Wave Sportfishing wrote:
On 10 Apr 2007 16:36:15 -0700, "Chuck Gould"

wrote:
ower boaters and bass boaters say gas prices would have to reach
$3.26 and $3.17 respectively before they would use their boats less
often. That's 50 cents more per gallon than they said last year.

Horse feathers.

I'm already hearing bass tournement types saying they are cutting back
on the number of tourneys they will be attending this year and will
only be doing local and state tourneys rather than out of state
tourneys.

And my club is starting a share a ride program for fishing this year
becaue of fuel prices.


Everybody will have a different individual perspective. I thought
perhaps the survey results would stir up discussion, and they
have. :-)

I don't have an enormous fuel bill, primarily because I only burn
about 2 gph.
As we begin considering options for our "retirement" boat (purchase is
still several years away) I have been wrestling with the prospect of
perhaps burning a lot more fuel at a future price of a lot more per
gallon.

I keep coming back around to this line of reasoning, (and I don't know
whether it makes any sense to people who are burning a lot of fuel-
because I can't say I've been there, done that):

When you've got maybe $100k- $150k invested in a walkaround fishboat
and outboard, or perhaps $200k -$1mm or more invested in a somewhat
larger cruising boat- would the fact that fuel costs increased from
(for example) $2500 for a summer to (for example) $5000 be sufficient
reason to curtail the use of the boat?

The old adage, "Fuel is the least expensive thing you will ever put
into a boat" may not be as true as it once was, but when all of the
other costs associated with boating are factored in it doesn't seem
like it should be a deal breaker in a lot of cases.