Back to the main site

How high would gas have to go before you stopped boating?

G

goldnrod24

Moderator
Messages
3,153
Reaction score
2,304
The forum here is pretty slow, so I thought I'd poke a stick in the bees' nest.

What would fuel prices have to become for you to stop boating? I have a 24 footer with a 454 and when I got it in '94, I could boat all weekend for $100. It has a 55 gallon tank. Today, it's more like $200/weekend and I use it less and less.

I sold my 16' Donzi last summer and in that I could burn through $125 worth of gas in one weekend and that was pretty much a 2 seater; certainly not a family boat.

So, on a pontoon, a gallon of gas can get me from the launch to our favorite sandbar where we could hang all day. No tubing on that one gallon, but certainly to the sandbar and back. Plenty of fun for all right there, so there's not a huge compromise.

Given that situation, gas could go to $100/gallon and my weekend expenses wouldn't rise significantly.

How do you figure it?
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I dont know what the economic threshold is going to be. However, I will say this. If I have the money in my pocket and it wont hurt my household budget, I will probably still be out there as often as I can.
 
WOW Goldnrod, that's a stick to the heart. Fuel is the biggest expense for a weekend at the lake, tow vehicles, boat, seadoo's. I try to justify it as part of the cost of having fun. Living in northeast kansas means our season is fairly short compared to you folks down south. Since we love the lake so much i'm not sure there is a price one could put on it. Like Amr7333 put it, as long as it doesn't put us in a pinch we'll still be going. In fact we are planning on going more often this year, as last year we had high water problems at Perry lake. Hopefully or new pontoon will give us more fun per gallon than the speed boats we've had in the past. If it gets tight, i guess we'll start with leaving the seadoo's at home..sigh!
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I guess as long as I have an income I WILL boat. We boat at Lake Cumberland Ky. about 200 miles away from home. Gas is our biggest expense. We use 60-100 gallons of gas each trip between our car and boats. We'll make about 20 trips there this year..... Man, 5.00/gal will hurt, but I live for "Lake Time"....
 
I believe gas prices are politically motivated based mostly on greed. :angry: Boating is our retreat from everyday life. B) We won't change our time on the water based on gas prices. That being said...at some point, inventing a new form of propulsion might be in order. :D
 
Last edited by a moderator:
You can't put a price on fun. I have a motorcycle to ride to work during the summer so save alot of money on gas. I live on a non ski lake so gas goes a long way. My family are on the pontoon every day as long as the weather is good. Flynn
 
The only good thing about high gas prices is that it sure keeps traffic on both the road and especially the lake to a minimum.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top