Feeling fuelish

[MoonSailer]

$40 to go to the boat

Fuel prices have affected us. We used to keep the boat on the coast but with increased insurance, slip fees and gas prices we moved to a lake. Now with the even higher gas prices it costs us $40 for a round trip to the boat. Does not sound like much but fiqure the cost of going every weekend it adds up. Our solution is that we will move closer to the lake...or maybe the coast after we retire. We use little diesel on the boat so diesel fuel is not a big factor. But we burned about 45 gallons motoring up from the coast. Again not a huge bite ut since boating is a luxury and there are a lot of other expenses to owning a boat it all adds up.

 

[Maine Sail]

We set ourselves..

Up for boating success at a young age. We live where we boat and planed it that way. I could never commute to a boat and I cringe everytime I see those Rhode Island, CT and NY state plates of folks at our marina that commute to Maine for their boating.. Many times I will ride my scooter or bike to the boat yard not because of gas but because I get to park right on the dock and I can go from house to boat including a launch ride in about 12 minutes..We just ordered a pellet insert for our house, I have a pellet stove in the barn and love it, so we can save money on heating oil for boat upgrades.. At $5.00 per gallon for #2 we'd spend about $6500.00 on oil for one winter..

 

[MoonSailer]

Boating not a Tradition in my Family

Actually I am the only member of my family that owns a boat other than a small fishing boat. Then for years we sailed on a nearby lake in a 26' sailboat. Mountains are my "natural environment" so I grew up riding horses and motorcycles in the mountains and spent very little time on the water until I grew up. But since age 20 I have always owned some kind of a boat and have owned a sailboat for the last 19 years if you consider a windsurfer a sailboat I've owned a sailboat almost continuously for the last 34 years. But with increasing costs who knows how much longer??? A kayak makes more sense for us now as no slip fees and we can use them on almost any ody of water from river to ocean. As travel costs escalate many people will have to pursue recreation close to home.

 

[Captain E]

Motorsailing with a 9.9 HP is great!

I sail in the Potomac and Chesapeake bay. I love that I have a light displacement sailboat (water ballast) Macgregor 26S. With 1/4 throttle, my new 9.9 yamaha 4 stroke highthrust is still a sipper and will push my boat at hull speed. I actually motor more so I could sail 18 NM away from my boat ramp. I keep my mast up in storage and launch at the same place. I may spend 3 gallons more, but that sure beats me spending more If I trailor my boat elswhere. Trailering is actually really not that costly since my boat is water ballast and could dump out unwanted trailering weight. People bash macgregors, but those who do never owned one. If Macgregor had a 31' trailable version, I would get one.

 

[Brian M H23]

the answer is simple

We all just need to move aboard and shove off across the ocean! No need to use gas THEN

 

[SailboatOwners.com]

Final results

Final results for the Quick Quiz ending June 22, 2008:This year my vacation plans are:57% The same as every year, regardless of fuel prices25% Less ambitious than I had hoped, based on fuel prices17% Extending further than last year, with no regard to fuel prices05% Not including my boat, due to fuel prices

 

[Allan]

Last years Prices

I topped off my 35 gal. tank last fall when deisel was around $2.00 a gal. Nothing has changed as far a the cost of sailing, I still try and get out everyday, however this summer there seem to be more thunderstorms and high wind days then the past few years. Hopefully the weather will sraighten out by August for my trip around Lake Erie. I do see a new totally electric car in the driveway very soon, for all those short jaunts around town.

 

[George]

We Don't use much

This is only our second year in sailing, and the first year we've had the boat in a slip. So we've been out sailing twice as much this year as we did last year. I only have to drive about 8 miles to the boat. The best thing about our sail boat is this. All the people that I work with have big power boats, with 454 cubic inch engines. I get alot of flack about not going to fast, and we all have to admit that sailing can be alittle bit of work. But, I just love it when they complaine about putting $250.00 in their gas tanks. I remind them that my gas tank is three gallons and I will probably have gas left over come the end of the season. Happy 4th of July everybody.

 

[jeff]

sailing

Sailing to me is an exercise in relaxation, I keep the boat within 2 minutes of home so gas is never an issue. I will normally toss the balance of a 3 gallon tank at seasons end.I dink out to it and I also have 2 kayaks about 1nautical mile away,which I use regularly ,Sometimes I yak to the boat and go for a swim or go out sailing then yak back to the racks,other times I wil just yak around what we locals call the creek.Gas prices effect us all but as far as my time on the water that is one place I can escape the climbing prices.

 

[BobM]

Hidden cost of boating...

I didn't consider the cost of fuel when choosing between having my new boat moved over land or by sea. So far I have easily spent $400 on fuel just running back and forth while working on it, plus about $1000 in parts and repairs that I might have waited on or done without that I cannot wait on or do without with a planned 3 days sail from CT to Boston. Throw in the fact that I lost all of June in a May to October season :-(Oh well, at least I know I can trust everything having taken it apart and put it back together myself...assuming I didn't screw anything up of course ;-)Plus my regular commute to the boat is 100 miles round trip, equivalent to about a third of a tank, 8 gallons of gas or about $40. Just like many other things in boating...if you start adding up the cost you will wish you hadn't. Especially with a short season...my per trip cost can easily be $250 (storage, taxes, fees, etc, etc...included).Bob

 

[Seadaddler]

Owning a Sailboat

When I go out sailing and see all those big and smallpower boats and asking myself how much $$$$ they must bespending just for the day and how much I spend for the yearit makes me tell the wife lets eat out on the way home from sailing.NickWe don't use the boat any less.