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Old     (silvermustang35)      Join Date: Jul 2008       01-29-2012, 8:11 AM Reply   
I figured i'd start this thread up (because if I didn't, it would still get started) and see everybody's thoughts about gas prices. All the media (as usual) is reporting it will be 5 bucks by memorial day. I think we have had this same thread for the past 3 years with the same quotes from media. If thats the case, are you all getting out, curbing your habits or being like me and still riding as much as you can.
Last year we made a couple more runs that I wanted to the dock and back to pick up people. I'll prolly enforce the everybody meets at one time deal. Just thought i'd see where everybody else stood on this.
Old     (fman)      Join Date: Nov 2008       01-29-2012, 8:16 AM Reply   
If it hits $5 at the pumps for vehicles, it will be $6-6.50 a gallon at the Marinas. I am sure at best we will be looking at $4.50/gallon this summer. I paid $5.79/gallon last yeat at lake Shasta, it was costing me $175-$225 every time I filled the boat up.

I always try and look at the positive effects it has on boating.... the higher it goes, the less boats are on the water, which equates to better riding conditions and less crowds. Nor-Cal might be in for a rough boating season, high gas prices and if our rain pattern continues, no water in the lakes.... we at 5" total rainfall this year, 7" down from normal and only at 45% normal snowpack.

Last edited by fman; 01-29-2012 at 8:19 AM.
Old     (silvermustang35)      Join Date: Jul 2008       01-29-2012, 8:36 AM Reply   
Yeah, it will be higher of course for marinas. I trailer every time so fuel up at a station before hitting the water. That sounds about right for fill up for me too. I usually dont let it get under half. I dont like the sticker shock haha. I usually top it off every day we ride so I was putting close to $1200 a month in gas. We burned through probably 90 gallons of gas a week I think is what I figured up. Higher price for gas but more butter. We have had nothing but rain this past fall/winter. I'm about over it.
Old     (loudontn)      Join Date: Feb 2005       01-29-2012, 8:44 AM Reply   
Ugh, Greg, come on! Gas is going to be fine and lower than ever this summer!

#wishfulthinking
Old     (silvermustang35)      Join Date: Jul 2008       01-29-2012, 8:49 AM Reply   
Thats the point Cody! I really think its the same stuff we go through every year and its no where near $5 bucks a gallon. Its that media hype to scare people and then it doesnt happen. Not that im complaining! I keep my same stance as last year, as i'm guessing you do too haha...I'll at least agree with the gas will be fine, and wishful for sure about the lower than ever this summer. I just want above freezing and im hitting the water!
Old     (pprior)      Join Date: Jan 2012       01-29-2012, 12:28 PM Reply   
Invest in oil stocks. That way you make money on higher prices AND you get the less boats on the lake. Win/win.
Old     (kenteck)      Join Date: Jan 2005       01-31-2012, 1:01 PM Reply   
Gas prices & the media, funny every time they mention on the news that gas price are going up and expect to pay X amount at the pump by spring, I see the gas stations start to raise their prices, like since they said it will go up in the news, its ok to start to raise prices. Also I see gas stations giving a dollar off per gallon if you buy this or that, well if they can afford to give away an extra dollar at the pump, what does that tell you?
There are 3 stations down the street on one corner as of today,
Arco, 3.31,
Union 76, 3.57
ma & pa is at 3.51 per gallon

what I don’t get is why would someone pay 3.57 per gallon instead of driving across the street for 3.31? is the gas better, last I seen it all comes from the same place. Oh yeah, the media says the experts are where they get there information from, WHO are the experts? People from the future? I know, they are the people controlling the oil stock market (speculators)
Old     (stuntmonkey)      Join Date: Feb 2009       01-31-2012, 1:48 PM Reply   
lol $5/gallon. Quit complaining. Its about that price everywhere outside the united states.
Old     (cadunkle)      Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: NJ       01-31-2012, 5:34 PM Reply   
It's gonna be expensive, but it always is. Personally I'll be going through my carb and dialing in my tune. I know the carb is jetted rich. Probably drop a couple jet sizes primary and secondary, maybe try restricting my idle feed restrictions to lean out the idle a little as it smells a bit rich. Also will be trying to run a bit more timing without getting into detonation. I run about 6 GPH now, which I guess isn't bad for a 454 in a 23' boat but there is room for improvement.

Beyond that, I'll just keep on riding. Just minimize my day to day expenses where possible and all winter because I'd rather be on the water. Funny thing last year where I vacation on a lake... I filled the boat when I got into town and a quickly realized 91 octane on the water was about $.25 cheaper than 89 in town! I was bringing the cans I intended to use to fill the boat with gas from land to the fuel dock instead and using them to fill the truck!
Old     (tdc_worm)      Join Date: Sep 2002       01-31-2012, 6:46 PM Reply   
dont care. say gas costs $1 more per gallon this summer than last. say you have 4 riders and burn 40 gallons in fuel and split it 4 ways. if gas was $4 last summer and $5 this summer, that difference is $10 per rider ($40 vs $50). Now if your riders couldn't afford $40, they cant afford $50 either.

if you are kind enough to pay for the boat and give up free rides as well, the above scenario is $160 vs $200, and again, if you cant afford one, you cant afford the other....

another approach: say you burn 40 gallons at the rate of 6 gallons per hour (taken from above), that is 6hrs 40mins of time on the water (assuming the boat is running the WHOLE time, which it isnt). at $5 per gallon, that comes out to $7.5 dollars per hour that it is costing you to be outdoors, have fun, progress, enjoy comradery, and enjoy the company of some of the fairer sex while scantily clad. where else are you going to have that kind of fun for only $7.50 per hour? the bar? the bowling alley? dave & busters? the pistol range? the tiddie bar? nope, nope, nope, nope, and HELL NOPE!.

take the low end ski resort window price of a ticket for $80. most resorts' chairs turn from 9am to 4pm. that is 7 hours or $11.43 per hour...and most people dont go first chair to last. still way cheaper...

of course the price is higher for the owner, but you didnt buy the boat assuming your friends were going to pay for it, did you?
Old     (da_moose)      Join Date: Feb 2004       01-31-2012, 7:23 PM Reply   
What else need to be said
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Old     (cadunkle)      Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: NJ       01-31-2012, 7:47 PM Reply   
I don't know how you figure $7.50/hr. An hour of pure riding is more like $30/hr at $5/gal. Figure realistically with turnarounds, changing riders, etc. maybe 1/2 that. So $15/hr maybe? Still... Your points are valid. $15/hr is cheap for this kind of fun. Worth every penny.

Some more out of my arse math... Typically I'll burn about 25-30 gallons for a day on the water IIRC. That's 4-5 GPH average and maybe a 6 hour average day on the water. At $4/gal that's $120 tops. Crew of 4... $30/head. My usage may be different than most though as every time my boat is wet it's pulling someone. 30-60 minute break on longer days to eat lunch and swim. Many times I hit the river I never turn the engine off and we ride the whole time, hot rotations. Add $15 ramp fee... It's expensive but if I ride one day it's cheaper than going to a bar like many of my friends prefer to do. Cost varies with how you use your boat, but compared to other things to do it's not bad, and much more fun.
Old     (cadunkle)      Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: NJ       01-31-2012, 7:49 PM Reply   
Quote:
Originally Posted by da_moose View Post
What else need to be said
As I say to my Ford buddies... You can live in your car but you can't race your house.
Old     (tdc_worm)      Join Date: Sep 2002       01-31-2012, 8:28 PM Reply   
[QUOTE=cadunkle;1729172]I don't know how you figure $7.50/hr. An hour of pure riding is more like $30/hr at $5/gal. Figure realistically with turnarounds, changing riders, etc. maybe 1/2 that. So $15/hr maybe? Still... Your points are valid. $15/hr is cheap for this kind of fun. Worth every penny./QUOTE]

40 gallons * $5 per gallon = $200 total
$200 total / 4 riders = $50 per rider
40 gallons / 6 GPH = 6.66667 hrs boat time
$50 per rider / $6.66667 hrs = $7.5 per rider per hour

all numbers are semi assumptions, but can give you a rough estimate of how much its costing a person to have fun per hour. when you compare to other forms of recreation, it puts it in perspective.

another way to look it at: do you know why soccer is the most popular sport in the world? because it is the least expensive sport in the world. in underdeveloped countries they play with balled up shirts for soccer balls and any random object as a goal. Everyone has free access to it. every other sport requires equipment and resources. the equipment and resources to play watersports are vastly more expensive, but still the $/hr is much less than a lot of others, assuming you are not the owner and dont expect your friends to pay for your boat....
Old     (tonyv420)      Join Date: Jul 2007       02-01-2012, 11:26 AM Reply   
even high gas prices can't hold me back, from doing what I love and work for! Really, I only work so I can play, otherwise I would be happy being homeless (in Hawaii ! ) LOL!
Old     (Bill_Dad)      Join Date: Apr 2010       02-01-2012, 2:11 PM Reply   
you guys are so lucky, you need to come to australia if you are worried about gas prices. **** our xstar was totally empty and i filled it up, costing around $320.00 to fill.
The US has enjoyed low gas prices for years whilst smaller countries like australia have endured over the top gas prices.
So next time you think gas is expensive just consider what others around the world are paying at the pump for gas, im sure it will make your day alot better
Old     (cadunkle)      Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: NJ       02-01-2012, 4:11 PM Reply   
High gas prices in those socialist countries are due to high taxes, not high cost of the fuel itself. You want cheaper gas then stop being socialist.

A quick googling shows Australian fuel tax is $1.56 US dollars per gallon vs $0.105 per gallon where I live. So if your current prices are $5.81 USD per gallon the actual cost of the fuel is $3.87 per gallon ... only slightly higher than prices here in the States. I paid $3.45/gal last week for 93 octane, adjusted to not include taxes. 87 should be around $3.25/gal. So your fuel is $.62/gal more expensive. That could be attributed to any number of local supply, refinery, and distribution circumstances that I'm not aware of, not being familiar with Australia. Do the math for any country with high fuel prices and you'll see similar results for most. It's local taxes that create great variations in the prices we pay.
Old     (cadunkle)      Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: NJ       02-01-2012, 4:14 PM Reply   
Thanks tdc_worm... Duh! I wan't figuring cost per rider per day not cost per rider per hour.
Old     (jjaszkow)      Join Date: Apr 2010       02-02-2012, 5:36 AM Reply   
Quote:
vs $0.105 per gallon where I live.
Where are you finding these sorts of gas taxes in the US? While our taxes are cheaper than many countries, I am unaware of anywhere in the US that is paying less than $0.264 per gallon. While your point is still valid, many countries pay much more than we do for fuel (less tax). I think that most of Europe is around $5/gal before factoring in tax.

That said, I don't see us getting to $5/gal this summer, but even if we do, it won't change my boating habits. The season is too short and too fun to worry about that.
Old     (cadunkle)      Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: NJ       02-02-2012, 5:45 AM Reply   
Sorry Joe, I was in fact wrong on gas tax here. It's actually $0.145/gal. I'm in NJ.

http://www.newjerseygasprices.com/Tax_Info.aspx
Old     (silvermustang35)      Join Date: Jul 2008       02-02-2012, 5:58 AM Reply   
Quote:
That said, I don't see us getting to $5/gal this summer, but even if we do, it won't change my boating habits. The season is too short and too fun to worry about that.


--
I agree with Joe on this. I'm not changing my habits. Means less people on the water, so higher water premium for less traffic
Old     (jjaszkow)      Join Date: Apr 2010       02-02-2012, 6:10 AM Reply   
Cory, you are forgetting to factor in the federal component. This graphic from the same site provides a better representation of what gas tax is in each state: http://www.newjerseygasprices.com/USA_Tax_Map.aspx . I don't think it factors in local and state sales taxes, so the actual numbers might be higher yet.

Personally, I'd like to pay Venezuela's gas prices to fill my boat.

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