Weekly FR Boating Thread ~ Vol. 5 ~ Feb. 24, 2012 ~ Effects of the Economy on Boating

[ImProudToBeAnAmerican]

Great video of the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald

[ImProudToBeAnAmerican]

Let me try this again:

http://youtu.be/hgI8bta-7aw

[ImProudToBeAnAmerican]

birdseye boatyard pic from atop a Burger 68’

[IMG]http://i1260.photobucket.com/albums/ii567/brilliantyachts/DSCN1670.jpg[/IMG]

[vetvetdoug]

I have a 22 foot long Sea Ray. Took it out of the slip two years ago and it is sitting in my driveway covered and hasn't seen any water except for rain. Gas at the marina is over $5/gallon. Insurance and licenses for the boat has also gone up exponentially. I don't see any relief upcoming either.

[Texas Fossil]

I recently had an exchange with a man on twitter that said his solution to being a prepper was that he bought a boat and was living full time on it. Off the grid. I guess that is a different take on why to buy a boat.

[ImProudToBeAnAmerican]

Let me try this again:

[KC Burke]

A nice morning on the boat dock sounds like a good idea.

[ImProudToBeAnAmerican]

Weekly FR Boating thread - effect of the economy on boating.

Ping!!

[ImProudToBeAnAmerican]

I have a 22 foot long Sea Ray. Took it out of the slip two years ago and it is sitting in my driveway covered and hasn't seen any water except for rain. Gas at the marina is over $5/gallon. Insurance and licenses for the boat has also gone up exponentially. I don't see any relief upcoming either.

Yes - as the market dipped down insurance flipped up.

Slip fees bounced way up, and are slowly coming down in some places. A full marina (with a waiting list) is a momentary monopoly - not good for boaters.

If you are not using your boat at least once a month - sell it! You can get your boat fix via charter or excursion boats.

When things get brighter, you can always buy another boat.

(Selling boats is hard, buying them is easy.)

[Capt. Tom]

Gas at the marina is over $5/gallon.

At 3 different times I have brought my friend's 45' Cabo, twin 800 hp Manns up from Florida or the Bahamas to Boston.

One trip I remember we fueled up in the Bahamsas, $2,000+,and refueled in St Augustine, Southport, Carolina again at Atlantic city NJ, and finally in Boston.

The fuel was averaging about 2.60/gal. It cost $8,700 for that trip. At today's prices a trip like that would be around $17,000.

When I got home from that trip I took my pickup truck to the gas station and filled it up . It came to $26. What a culture shock. - Tom

[Baynative]

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Boat will be used less for cruising and more as a swim platform in my view...

[smokingfrog]

[BlueMondaySkipper]

I recently had an exchange with a man on twitter that said his solution to being a prepper was that he bought a boat and was living full time on it. Off the grid. I guess that is a different take on why to buy a boat.

Living on the boat has been my fall-back position for some time. If things go south I can retreat to the boat and live there. If that happens I do need to get it hauled from my current water because I'm land-locked for the next few years.

Regarding boating and the economy, that is absolutely true. As gas prices have gone up the number of boaters has gone down. On one hand, I hate paying so much for gas, but on the other, I like the water better when it's less crowded. We have two boats, a 22 and 50 footer. The big one uses a lot more fuel, but can also be enjoyed thoroughly in the slip. Of course, my marina is a lot like a state park, and not just 4000' of dock with a parking lot. If only the water didn't freeze it would be perfect.

[taildragger]

You think boating is bad? You should see General Aviation. I have literally seen airplanes given away or sold to next to nothing.

For you boaters...

Google Boat+LPG or Boat+Propane or Boat+CNG...

You will find in Europe firm in the business of converting pleasure boats to these cheaper fuels. Yes availability is a problem.

However, if we can ever vote this socialist out of office, their is no telling what technological advances will not be still born or will advance without the threat of even bigger government messing with their business plans...

[NavyCanDo]

We are selling our boat this year. Washington has laid on so many charges, and fees, and now a new State law that requires boat operators to carry a Washington State Boater Education card, which you get after taking a class that you pay for. The clincher was when we saw this last summer on our favorite lake a team of 4 officers going from boat to boat in the day-marina, spending about 10 min on each boat looking for reasons to hand out citations, which they did for every boat during the time we were watching them. Launch fees also rose from $10 to $20 bucks over the last 2 years.

[Ax]

I unloaded my 21’ SeaFox about five years ago. I could no longer afford the marina fees and the gas for it. Plus, we were getting tired of sitting off shore, broiling in the Florida sun and pulling in nothing but junk fish. We were lucky to get as much for it as we did.

[smokingfrog]

[Texas Fossil]

Wonder how many private blue water sailors there really are?