[ImProudToBeAnAmerican]

Great video of the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald

[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.

[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!!

[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.

[battletank]

Please add me to the ping list! Florida boater here with a 33 SeaRay mostly used for cruising the Gulf Coast. Mostly day trips with a few overnighters. Want to do some fishing, but have zero knowledge. Now we need a fishing ping list!

[Joe Boucher]

Sailed stuart, Florida yesterday in my 22 Cape Dory with my son and a friend of his “Justin”.
First time sailing for Justin and he had a great time.
Wind out of the west at approx 11mph. And about 83 degrees/
Caught two blue fish trolling two jigs off the stern
Eoesn’t get too much better,

[Alice in Wonderland]

Please add me to you ping list.

My daughter is an oversize load escort and works mostly for Joule transporting boats all over the USA.

[illiac]

Checked with the chater company our boat is in - state of Washington - diesel is $5.25 at the dock and rising daily. Number of bookings dropping off or being cancelled.

One of their competitors had closed their doors....no money from charter income this year.....

[Mrs. B.S. Roberts]

The Mighty Vessel Amiigaf ping

[TampaDiver]

Ping me for the boating thread

[Eye of Unk]

I would love to have a sizable vessel that is mostly wind driven but also has a powerplant for getting around in tricky places, the trick is to get something that will cost you virtually nothing to spend on. Could be electric with a battery bank much like a golf cart motor or motors, charging can be wind generator and solar panel.

Optional is the propane powered diesel engine when you need serious power for against currents or such.

But here is the big picture, when America totally goes bad and Obama has a statue a mile high in every state the best place to be is offshore, beyond the territorial limits.

If you gave a cabin up in the hills google earth will find you and so can anyone, being mobile in an RV can work as long as you can get fuel.

Or just Escape from America, get far away and buy a truckload of popcorn and just watch from a safe distance.

My bolt hole is in Australia, already prepared, just have to endure the long plane trip.