Fuel Price Impact on Boaters

[Sunspot Baby]

See this link on CNN today.

Boaters affected by rising fuel costs - CNN.com

George

[knottybuoyz]

Marina gas here is avg $1.45 (Cdn) per litre or approx. $5.50 (Cdn) per US gallon. Right now that's only 15 cents more than we paid at the highest price marina on the Rideau Canal two years ago. I suspect it'll be much higher when we enter the Rideau this year.

We've reduced the number of evening cruises to cut back on fuel costs but not totally eliminated them. (we seem to be spending a whole lot more on replacement propellers & prop repairs) I suspect we'll have an extremely hard time selling our 25' express cruiser next year with the high price of fuel. Just our luck! @ 1 lt per Km (2.5 nautical miles per gallon) it'll be a hard sell but not as bad as some of those 40+ foot Searays we see sitting in the marina (floating condo's) or on the hard in the storage yard!

[Joli]

It's killing the powerboaters around here. When a half hour local trip, dinner cruise, now costs $150 in fuel the guys are reluctant to go. More boats are sitting, the marina's are empty, and the lake is much less busy then it used to be.

The bad news is fuel is predicted to be $7~8/gallon by 2010.

[Vasco]

Funny thing with the cost of fuel. We passed a couple of trawlers coming home this year. They were going slow to conserve fuel.

[cooper]

Its the way of it...we are paying $1.80 unleaded and going up...time to get a sail boat...
I have seen boats that cost a few hundred dollars an hour to run, sitting idle. It was always going to be the way. Sadly power boats use a large amount of fuel per distance traveled. There is already a shift to non planning boats, with efficient heavy displacement hulls and low horsepower. Big props and reduction gearboxes. Old style small trawlers with 80 HP engines are starting to sell in the leisure market. The difference between "flash" and not doing it at all. A full day to travel, not a few hours.The alternative will to be ...go like cars....very light weight,small boats that take less to get them to plane. Problem being cars have reasonably constant "surfaces". We cant flatten the oceans.

[sneuman]

I did a story about this in December for NPR. Fuel wasn't quite as much a concern, but the boat market was already crashing. Brunswick and other companies were going into hunker-down mode.

I have noticed fewer powerboaters ... though I still see a fair number of 50 gph cigarette boats on the water. What's up with that? I also see sailboats motoring, far from port in fair winds. Can't figure that one either.

I liked the photo from the CNN link. I'm sure most of us could afford those boats, eh? Just goes to show you why the non-boating public thinks we're all rich playboys!

[cat man do]

This last boat (46 ft powercat) I ran over to Vanuatu blew me away with its fuel usage.



It was using something ridiculous like 60 lph to do 14 to 16 knots and they thought that was good.

Something like 6000 litres to do a 1000nm run


I was figuring on about 1200nm for the same run at 10 knots.

Fair enough, I cant cary 60 pax. but still, seemed a lot.

Dave

[David M]

The only good thing I can think of is that crude over $140/bbl might help save the oceans fisheries. Most of the countries that are depleting the oceans with unsustainable fish harvesting, also don't have the populations with the incomes to pay for expensive fish. Perhaps when ocean fish typically costs over twenty dollars a pound that the US will stop doing this as well? On the other hand, expensive oil would be a good thing for cruisers who catch their own fish.

Eventually, only the wealthy will be able to afford boats that burn hundreds of gallons of fuel per day. The market for power boats typically purchased by middle class people will certainly go south. Brands like Bayliner, SeaRay, Regal, Maxum, Four Winns, Wellcraft, Boston Whalers etc will certainly shrink in sales significantly. I would imagine that businesses like West Marine and boat yards will feel the hit as well.

[speciald@ocens.]

I paid $6.50/ gallon in Bermuda this year for duty-free diesel. The locals pay more - why are we complaining? Remember that when gas was 32 cents/gallon a Porsche 911 cost $6000 - they now start at $72,000!!!

[exfishnz]

Originally Posted by Vasco

We passed a couple of trawlers coming home this year.

Were they the Nordhav'n excessive windage/freeboard type?

Originally Posted by cooper

we are paying $1.80 unleaded and going up

Not talking petrol, but when you convert the currency, diesel is interestingly cheaper in NZ at $1.83 NZD p/ltr which is $1.46 AUD (vs $1.78 AUD p/ltr in OZ).

with efficient heavy displacement hulls and low horsepower. Big props and reduction gearboxes. Old style small trawlers with 80 HP engines are starting to sell in the leisure market. The difference between "flash" and not doing it at all. A full day to travel, not a few hours.

Agree 100%.

Below is a pic of an 1960's style 90' steel north sea trawler (converted for charter use). Note her reduced sail rig. Also, she's a bit high (wheelhouse) & beamy (but real trawlers are like that to carry the fish loads) vs a pleasure one designed for economy.

[cooper]

Its interesting what you say exfish...Diesel is more expensive than petrol here and going up faster..It is also tied into a "world market" from which they get their price....

[exfishnz]

Originally Posted by cooper

Its interesting what you say exfish...Diesel is more expensive than petrol here

In NZ, its the reverse.

I can only quote how it was when I was still over there (a few years back now). Diesel vehicle (<= 4.5 ton) rego was approx $400 NZD[1], the extra tax paid was a levy for the fuel. Standard car rego was approx $200 NZD (vs approx $500 AUD here in OZ). When I was fishing, there was no fuel levy on the boat (because its not used on the roads). Also, given we were part of a group of local commercial boats (consuming high quantity of fuel), we were able to get a significant discount on the pump price. If we visited another port, then the discount would still apply (as we used the same supplier, who would just send the fuel trucks).

and going up faster..It is also tied into a "world market" from which they get their price....

That's true. I think OZ & NZ are based on the Singaporean exchange.

If you want really cheap fuel, then go fill up at Venezuela, I've read its only a few cents p/ltr.

Cardlink PriceWatch provides a snapshot of the fuel transaction prices throughout New Zealand.

Edit: [1] it is possible it may have been a bit higher, but I don't think by much.

[fastcat435]

In order to address the problem of the high cost of diesel we have under development a 42 ft eco power cat that will be hybrid powered the tops speed will be around 11 knots and a fuel consumption of one gallon or 4 liters per hour at a cruise speed of 7/8 knots.
This cat will have wave piercing hulls ,Ocean crossing capability and will have a width of 15 ft so most European and American channels can be traveled.
This cat will have 2 large bedrooms each with a California King sized bed and plenty space for entertaining.
The 10 Kw electric motors will be of the Pod drive type and will function as rudders
Weight of this Powercat will be in the region of 7000 kilo or 16000 lbs
she will be build in epoxy thru infusion with basalt fibers in order to save weight.
Greetings
Gideon

[senormechanico]

Originally Posted by sneuman

I also see sailboats motoring, far from port in fair winds. Can't figure that one either.

I see that around here a lot more than I used to, so I have come to the conclusion that they're charterers who would normally take a power boat but are trying to save fuel with a sailboat. They probably have no idea how to sail.

Steve B.

[Inthewind]

In my business, I get alot of free fuel (fuel Filtering/Polishing) and one of my boats runs on veggie oil (Free). So fuel prices have not effected me even with my vehicles. However I see alot less big power boats on the water hauling azz. People are still boating but they are not going as far as they used to and they are on the hook. I am seeing alot more sailboats really sailing.LOL