Have Fuel Cost Caused You To Change Plans Or Habits?

[Brian Degulis]

Hello All I passed a road side diesel pump today with a price of $4.41!!! I'm curious to know if your current or future plans or habits have changed in response to this. Of course I want to know about your boating plans but don't limit it to that and if you have made changes please share them along with the results.

Brian

 

[SKYCHENEY]

Even at $5 diesel, I'm not going to worry about it. I'm going to use the boat just as if it were $2. Our season is so short, I usually only get 80-100hrs/yr anyway. I figure my total cost for fuel will be about $3000 more that last year. I can't think of anything else that I could spend that on that would bring any more enjoyment than using the boat.

 

[captddis]

I am definately going to stay closer to home. This summer vacation, I will go to fewer places and stay longer. My port engine is still not broken in yet @ 105 HR.When it gets some more hours on it, I may start doing some 10 kt traveling. I never would believe fuel would go from 1.50 to 5.00+ in 3 years!

 

[MikeP]

Like Sky, our "season" is short - not weather-wise here on the CHesapeake but because of our personal situation whereby we are essentially on the boat for only about 3 months per year since we live in Mexico City. The price of fuel, though annoying, is not that big an issue based on our usage. We never ran the boat routinely on plane since purchase, always preferring the slower cruise of around 10K so our operational pattern hasn't changed at all.

I suspect that the price of fuel will never be a deciding factor for using the boat but, of course, I could be wrong since I used to joke that someday the price of diesel might rise to $5 a gallon, never ACTUALLY believing it could happen.

 

[Jaxfishgyd]

We normally use the boat once or twice a week from May thru August but usually for short rides or to go downtown to eat. We will anchor out overnight a lot on weekends. That will not change too much.

But not even thinking of doing any trips to Daytona Beach or Savannah Ga like we had hoped to.

 

[SeaEric]

Ditto the above. The cost of fuel for me is a smaller piece of the boating puzzle. At less than 50 hours per season, the fuel is not an issue.

On the other hand, if the gold chain/go fast boat crowd is less evident this season, I shall see the fuel price rise as a plus.

 

[captddis]

Ditto the above. The cost of fuel for me is a smaller piece of the boating puzzle. At less than 50 hours per season, the fuel is not an issue.

On the other hand, if the gold chain/go fast boat crowd is less evident this season, I shall see the fuel price rise as a plus.[/QUOTE



If it would keep the rude clueless blowboaters home, I would not mind the increase so much. Maybe a wind tax is in order, blowboats must contribute to global warming by using up the breeze.

 

[whaler23]

I'm pulling my old Century Resorter out of the barn next week, having it painted and freshened up motor wise (old 318) and going to use it more than the big boat...Still a gas guzzler but not too bad considering I fill it at the pump at 3.37/gallon right now in Southern MD.

 

[captddis]

People say that the extra cost of fuel is not an issue and they will ignore it. Fine if you have a large income. It is not just the fuel that has gone up 400%. My insurance has gone up 300% in the last 3 years. Dockage has gone up 300%+ in the last 4 years. Bottom jobs have gone up 250 to 300%. My homeowners insurance has gone up 350%. My yacht club has gone up 300% in the last 3 years. On and on. While I am self employed I have not been able to raise my rates any near that much. It is not just me either, 25 years ago I got in with a bunch of young surgeons and have maintained their Hatts all these years. They are selling their boats as they can no longer afford them.

I own everything I have and my wife makes a decent income as well, but it is hard to do what we have always done and it sucks. I have had boats since I was 8 and am 46 now, I always felt that I made a decent living and would bump the rates a little here and there and maintain the same standard of living. Somehow it is not working that way any longer.

I will always have a boat, That is one reason I keep my old Chris Craft, If tha day comes that we have to sell the Hatt. The 31 CC will be there and costs next to nothing to own. Of course by then gas will be 20.00 a gal! And we will have sent all our money to China and India.

 

[(Nobody You Know)]

People say that the extra cost of fuel is not an issue and they will ignore it. Fine if you have a large income. It is not just the fuel that has gone up 400%. My insurance has gone up 300% in the last 3 years. Dockage has gone up 300%+ in the last 4 years. Bottom jobs have gone up 250 to 300%. My homeowners insurance has gone up 350%. My yacht club has gone up 300% in the last 3 years. On and on. While I am self employed I have not been able to raise my rates any near that much. It is not just me either, 25 years ago I got in with a bunch of young surgeons and have maintained their Hatts all these years.

Well said Dave!

For what it's worth we learned two years ago that we can back down our 3208 Caterpillers to 1500 to 1600 RPMs, make 9 kts. and drop our fuel consumption significantly (sorry don't have the exact numbers in front of me).
Why 1500-1600? It's important to keep the engines in the acceptable temperature range (185 degrees). However, I always run them hard for a couple of short spurts during the day.

FWIW, after making the run back to North Myrtle Beach next month our summer plans are for short overnighters like Bald Head or Wilmington. Tough.

 

[Trojan]

It's going to suck. I'm planning on 3 major trips this summer. I know I will be like said, spending more time in the short run ports than before. I too have a 24ft Wellcraft with a small block that will be getting a work out. Fixed income really sucks. Everything goes up but the income. I'm just installing a new larger deck in front of the boat dock so I can spend more time there with cookouts. The marina swimming pool is going to get a workout also. I live 35 miles from the boat so I'm going to spend more time on the boat than on the farm. Other than that no changes. I hope my new props will help on the fuel. But I have not received them yet. Some time in late May for them. If fuel goes much higher the boat is going to become a floating cottage. AKA. Dock Queen. Yuck!
BILL

 

[Angela]

I'm sort of wishing I had bought a sailboat instead. I have to admit...that 50' cat is looking pretty good these days and has caught my eye.

 

[Pascal]

Angela is getting the Cat bug! she's been hanging around with Naomi and Susan

on a typical week end, we use around 10 gallons in winter, 20 in summer if we run the AC over night... we are lucky to have a few nice anchorages within 5 miles of the slip so not much need to go further.

a week end out on the boat is still cheaper than anything else... restaurant and a movie cost twice as much!

In addition to slowing down, shopping around for fuel helps too... while most fuel docks are well over $4.5, delivery is cheaper. I did some calling around two days ago to refuel a 70 footer i'm taking to Nantucket at the end of next week and found one delivery service at just under $4. in this case, 0.50 a gallon means $600 savings!

 

[SKYCHENEY]

I just paid $3.64 for off-road at the quarry. That would suggest that $4 off of the truck or barge is not out of line. $5 is what they charge when they are the only game in town.

 

[Brian Degulis]

In past years we would do 2 or 3 Tampa to Key West trips that's 440 NM round trip so for me 660 Gals @ $2640 to much this year maybe we will do 1 trip maybe even slow down a little more. I can run 1000 RPM forever with no problems and make 9 kts @ about 11 GPH. I will definetly be staying closer to home and slowing down. I'm not on a fixed income and for some reason bussiness is very good so I guess I could change nothing and still afford the fuel. But for me it's just not worth $3500 to do a Key West trip or at least not 3 times. I'm glad I'm not into fishing at least with cruising you can make adjustments to deal with fuel costs without taking to much of the enjoyment out of it.

Brian

 

[Silverado6x6]

I'm a buyer and these fuel hogs are going at fire sale prices while the wind pushers are getting gold plated. Necessity is the mother of invention is the way I see the way things will go. If I had a diesel I would look into getting an edge on bio-diesel fuels.

 

[Rickysa]

Has it caused us to change plans?....you bet....100%

$1000 for a day of fishing?....not likely

I haven't even seen the boat in months.

Quite frankly, I'm not sure what we are going to be able to do.....about a lot of things.

 

[67hat34c]

Not going to take any long trips. Mabe some very short runs to the boat anchoring places to just hang out. Fishing will be limited to better weather and will have to spend less on beer and food. Fuel prices have tarnished boating for me. Cant enjoy just running it when it hurts so much. I think we will see a lul in the skyrocketing marina costs as I dont think to many are going to go condo in the near future. Dont think there are too many people willing to fork our any capitol to purchase a wet slip and pay a maint. fee.

Boating it turning into short runs with a lot of sitting around. Sure hope the price of beer does not start to climb too high.

To add insult to injury I have seen TV ads for "Ethanol Fuel, the Renewable Alternative Fuel" BUNCH OF A HOLES, THEY ARE ONE OF THE CAUSES OF FOOD PRICE INCREASES.

 

[34Hatt]

Oh Yeah Last year was 120 hrs with most of the time doing 22-24 kts!!
So that was a lot of miles not going to happen this year. Like others said its not just the fuel EVERYTHING HAS GONE UP!!! If that not enough my wife's job is now part time since they sell high end swiss watches that seem's to have dropped in sale's go figure!!!!

 

[yachtsmanbill]

See, none of you east coast guys took me up on that 10,000 gallons of fuel off that tug in Charleston last year! A buck a gallon. I still think I shouldve leased a tanker to store it, but its all gone now. ws