Interesting 4 day, 3 night cruise.

Splendid weather.

Our general destination was about 60 miles from Seattle. We
encountered a "cruise in" sponsored by a large cruising club. I know
several people associated with the group and we were bs-ing about
things in general when one of the organizers mentioned, "We originally
had close to 40 boat scheduled to make the Memorial Day Cruise, but as
the date got closer more and more them dropped out. We wound up with
16 boats instead of 40. Almost everybody who dropped out mentioned
fuel costs as either the main reason or one of the more important
reasons for cancelling."

Interesting.

We stopped at Bainbride Island on the way back to Seattle today,
(Bainbridge is just a few miles from Seattle), and Eagle Harbor was
*jammed* until very late on Monday afternoon. Looks like people are
going boating, but not going as far.

A possible upside may be that the casual, once-in-a-while, jerkaround
boaters might not be out at all this year. The amount of goofball
nonsense on the VHF, bogus Maydays, kids playing with the radio, and
just plain clueless VHF operation seemed to be way, way down. Either
the screwballs have migrated to text messagin one another or there are
fewer of them on the water........

I love it. Every time fuel costs go up, my single diesel trawler's
value goes up. Fuel is probably the least cost of cruising for me.
Insurance and maintenance are way up there, dockage also.

I went to the Florida Keys by boat this past weekend for 3 days. We slept on
the boat, and managed to fish only one and half days due to rough sea
conditions.

Fuel burn was 270 gallons...100 gallons each way, and 70 gallons heading to
and from the fishing grounds, and trolling for 8 hours.


Fuel costs were $960 ($3.57/gallon), the slip was $170 for two nights, and
drinks, food, and provisions were under $200. Total=around $1400.

If I had gotten a hotel on Memorial Day weekend for two nights, it would
have cost me $500, and a fishing charter would have been $900 for one day
and $500 for the second day. We would have had to go out to breakfast,
lunch, and dinner rather than bring our own food, which would have added
another $300 to the tab for 3 days. Gas for the car ride would have run
another $100. Total=$2300.

Boating and fishing on a liveaboard is still cheaper than a hotel, dining
out, and hiring a fishing guide. I'm surprised that so many boaters who own
large expensive live-aboards would cite "higher fuel costs" as the reason
for cancelling a planned trip that involved travelling only 120 miles
round-trip. An extra $1/gallon at the pump would have added less than $150
to their trip.





"Chuck Gould" wrote in message
oups.com...
Interesting 4 day, 3 night cruise.

Splendid weather.

Our general destination was about 60 miles from Seattle. We
encountered a "cruise in" sponsored by a large cruising club. I know
several people associated with the group and we were bs-ing about
things in general when one of the organizers mentioned, "We originally
had close to 40 boat scheduled to make the Memorial Day Cruise, but as
the date got closer more and more them dropped out. We wound up with
16 boats instead of 40. Almost everybody who dropped out mentioned
fuel costs as either the main reason or one of the more important
reasons for cancelling."

Interesting.

We stopped at Bainbride Island on the way back to Seattle today,
(Bainbridge is just a few miles from Seattle), and Eagle Harbor was
*jammed* until very late on Monday afternoon. Looks like people are
going boating, but not going as far.

A possible upside may be that the casual, once-in-a-while, jerkaround
boaters might not be out at all this year. The amount of goofball
nonsense on the VHF, bogus Maydays, kids playing with the radio, and
just plain clueless VHF operation seemed to be way, way down. Either
the screwballs have migrated to text messagin one another or there are
fewer of them on the water........

NOYB wrote:
I went to the Florida Keys by boat this past weekend for 3 days. We slept on
the boat, and managed to fish only one and half days due to rough sea
conditions.

Fuel burn was 270 gallons...100 gallons each way, and 70 gallons heading to
and from the fishing grounds, and trolling for 8 hours.


Fuel costs were $960 ($3.57/gallon), the slip was $170 for two nights, and
drinks, food, and provisions were under $200. Total=around $1400.

If I had gotten a hotel on Memorial Day weekend for two nights, it would
have cost me $500, and a fishing charter would have been $900 for one day
and $500 for the second day. We would have had to go out to breakfast,
lunch, and dinner rather than bring our own food, which would have added
another $300 to the tab for 3 days. Gas for the car ride would have run
another $100. Total=$2300.

Boating and fishing on a liveaboard is still cheaper than a hotel, dining
out, and hiring a fishing guide. I'm surprised that so many boaters who own
large expensive live-aboards would cite "higher fuel costs" as the reason
for cancelling a planned trip that involved travelling only 120 miles
round-trip. An extra $1/gallon at the pump would have added less than $150
to their trip.



In February, I flew down to Ft. Lauderdale. Cost me $250 round trip.
I went charter fishing one day with three other guys, cost me $275.
One night of the hotel was around $300.
Ate maybe $50 of food that day, probably half that.

I think your numbers are a bit off.

On Tue, 29 May 2007 11:31:01 GMT, "NOYB" wrote:

fishing charter would have been $900 for one day
and $500 for the second day

Where is this and what were you fishing for?

"HK" wrote in message
...

In February, I flew down to Ft. Lauderdale. Cost me $250 round trip.
I went charter fishing one day with three other guys, cost me $275.

Cost *you* personally $275...or $275 each? There were 4 of us.



One night of the hotel was around $300.

Which is more than the $250/night that I cited.

Ate maybe $50 of food that day, probably half that.

Once again, you're talking about just *you*. Multiply by the four of us.


I think your numbers are a bit off.

Yes, if you're only thinking about yourself.

By my calculations, your trip cost you $875 for two days and one
night...with a day of fishing.

My trip cost around $1400 but was divided by four people (actually 3 adults
and my son).

"Short Wave Sportfishing" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 29 May 2007 11:31:01 GMT, "NOYB" wrote:

fishing charter would have been $900 for one day
and $500 for the second day

Where is this and what were you fishing for?

Florida Keys. Offshore for dolphin, wahoo, tuna, sailfish, etc. Most
charters on a 30+ foot boat costs $800-900 for 7-8 hours...plus a $100 tip.

"Short Wave Sportfishing" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 29 May 2007 11:31:01 GMT, "NOYB" wrote:

fishing charter would have been $900 for one day
and $500 for the second day

Where is this and what were you fishing for?

Fishing was tough due to 7-9' seas with a 6 second period on day one, and
5-7' seas with a 5 second period on day two. Wind was blowing 20-25 knots
steady out of the northeast against the stream for over a week. Even at
night, winds were 15-20.

NOYB wrote:
"HK" wrote in message
...

In February, I flew down to Ft. Lauderdale. Cost me $250 round trip.
I went charter fishing one day with three other guys, cost me $275.

Cost *you* personally $275...or $275 each? There were 4 of us.


Just me.






One night of the hotel was around $300.

Which is more than the $250/night that I cited.


Yeah, and I got a "rate." It was a $500 a night room. Don't ask.





Ate maybe $50 of food that day, probably half that.

Once again, you're talking about just *you*. Multiply by the four of us.

I think your numbers are a bit off.

Yes, if you're only thinking about yourself.

By my calculations, your trip cost you $875 for two days and one
night...with a day of fishing.

My trip cost around $1400 but was divided by four people (actually 3 adults
and my son).


Actually, I have just as much fun on the the "head boat" charters out of
Haulover Inlet, since they only have to head a mile or so offshore for
some terrific fishing. Those run about $30 for a half day.

"HK" wrote in message
. ..
NOYB wrote:
"HK" wrote in message
...

In February, I flew down to Ft. Lauderdale. Cost me $250 round trip.
I went charter fishing one day with three other guys, cost me $275.

Cost *you* personally $275...or $275 each? There were 4 of us.


Just me.


Then the rate that I cited was spot on. $275*3 plus tip is over $900.






One night of the hotel was around $300.

Which is more than the $250/night that I cited.


Yeah, and I got a "rate." It was a $500 a night room. Don't ask.


Feb. in South Florida. That's the going rate for the 4 and 5 star places.
The $250/night in the Keys on Memorial Day weekend is for a pretty spartan
place.





Ate maybe $50 of food that day, probably half that.

Once again, you're talking about just *you*. Multiply by the four of us.

I think your numbers are a bit off.

Yes, if you're only thinking about yourself.

By my calculations, your trip cost you $875 for two days and one
night...with a day of fishing.

My trip cost around $1400 but was divided by four people (actually 3
adults and my son).


Actually, I have just as much fun on the the "head boat" charters out of
Haulover Inlet, since they only have to head a mile or so offshore for
some terrific fishing. Those run about $30 for a half day.


Headboats don't troll for dolphin, wahoo, and tuna. I know that "anything
can happen" on a bottom trip, but you have a lot better chance trolling for
those fish until you find them, and then chunking 'em up once you do find
them.

I love trailering over to the east coast to fish, because quality fish are
caught just a few miles from shore. But I'm not targeting bottom species if
I make that trek. I'm after pelagics.