How many boats are Going to be parked.

[DDelle338]

  How many of you have boats that are not going to get wet this summer due to the price of fuel? I haven't had a boat in several years (11) now but I remember having to shell out $4.00-$4.75 for a gallon of gas at a marina. I miss my boats alot, but I think I'd hate owning them now because I couldn't afford to use them.

[Dixie Dude]

I keep my boat at my son-in-laws barn.  I pick it up on Friday's for the weekend when I use it.  I fill it with my vehicle when going to the lake.  I do not use marina gas.  It is too expensive.  I have a fish and ski boat.  We fish begining after hunting season in February and then use it in the summer for swimming, the kids to swim, ski, or tube.  It is rated for 7 people and has an inboard/outboard engine.  It only gets about 4-5mpg on the lake.  Fishing uses less gas, use trolling motor more. 

[rockbilly]

DDelle.  I hate to admit it, but I have a 20 ft Skeeter sitting on a trailer in my back yard that hasn't been in the water in several years.  The boat is a 1990 model, I blew the motor in 1998, had a new 175 Merc and new trolling motor put on it, then ran it less than 25 hours before parking it.  The sad thing, I had the boat tarped and under a shed, but had to move it out. the tarp got ripped in a wind storm and I never did anything to replace it, when I finally took a look I had several wild house cats living in the boat, (I guess they were attracted by the rats that ate the wiring out) the cats had killed everything imaginable and drug it in, so it looks like a bone yard under the console.  I am at the point that I am about to give the boat away to a friends son just so it won't set out there and rot...........................Also sad, there is more rods, reels and fishing tackle stored in the garage than I can haul in my truck, my wife said it is good garage sale merchandise.

I was really passionate about fishing for many years, fished at least three times a week, made a tournament someplace almost every week-end (year round) but woke up one morning and the passion was gone.

[Graybeard]

Two or three years back I was thinking about getting back into fishing some and was toying with the idea of a boat and trying to decide just what to get. Then a better idea came to me. I cleared off the swamp on my land and had a pond built instead of buying a boat. It cost me less than a boat would have and doesn't require gas as the boat would. Now I can either walk down there or take my four wheeler to ride down which is my usual means to go down to the pond.

I can fish on my own land and not need to spend money on gas for my truck or a boat. For me it seemed a no brainer.

[TribReady]

With so many kids activities in addition to work, we never get out too much in the summer anyway, so in my case, the price of gas won't do anything to hinder me from boating/tubing/skiing
It's great fun with the family and really not that much $$ when you finally add it all up for the summer.

All that being said, the canoes may get a little wetter this summer also though 

[Sourdough]

My boats will see the usual trips this summer.  The riverboat will probably see less action than the rafts or canoes, but most years other people pay for the gas anyway.  It's a steady request of "Rog, We've got family coming up visiting, will you take us out fishing on the Gulkana River, or the Chena, or the Salcha rivers?  We'll pay for all the gas".  "OK, let's go".

[dakotashooter2]

Mine will get used there just won't be a much running around as there used to be. I'm also going to invest in 2 additional batteries to power the trolling motor. I also have a car topper that may see more action than normal.

[30-06man]

Mine will get used there just won't be a much running around as there used to be. I'm also going to invest in 2 additional batteries to power the trolling motor. I also have a car topper that may see more action than normal.

Sold my boats about 2years back. I had a nice Pontoon boat with a 50hp Mercury 1993 model and a 14ft Jon boat with a 15hp 4stroke Mercury. I am planning on getting another Jon boat with only a 9.9hp 4stroke Mercury and just use it and still fish in my pond.

[kevthebassman]

I have a little 14 ft Jon boat with a 1960 Wizard 12 horse motor that runs like a dream and will put the boat, (containing me and my fishing buddy, our rods and tackle boxes, a tent and a BIG cooler and an extra can of gas) up on a plane and scoot us along at 25 miles an hour.  Life is good.

[magooch]

My boats of choice are kayaks; they get tremendous gas mileage.  In fact, the only gas involved in operating these fabulous craft, comes from the operator.  The paddles can get a little spendy though.

 

[GRIMJIM]

I have an older tracker with a 150 horse mercury. Not the greatest when it comes to fuel efficiency but a lot of fun to drive. I didn't have a chance to take it out last year but I will have it out at least a couple of times this year. I don't run it every weekend or anything so the price of gas doesn't really matter to me.

[torpedoman]

Boat be damned I'm worried that my pick up may be parked.

[TIMBERTRAMP]

I do most of my boating/fishing out of a canoe,since since that tends to be the most practical craft for the brooks,rivers,ponds that I fish this year however I am planning to do some trolling however using a 12ft al/vee hull with a 10hp motor so I shouldn't,t  be burning up to much gas,it seems on the larger lakes near where I live in maine there has been a competition  to have the largest fastest boat on the lake I wonder if that will hold true again this year,as it seems they all buy there gas at the same station I fuel my car at, have you ever been struck behind someone trying to get a truck towing a 23ft boat though a crowded  mobilemart, I thought the taxes placed on the gas sold at marinas was to help pay for the upkeep of waterways and that's why it was so expensive maybe I won't have to wait as long to fuel up my car or truck this summer, as a aside in the past i've done some camping/fishing trips up north into canada which I won't be doing this year d/t the price or fuel  and the weak dollar-tt

[Chilachuck]

Well, gas prices fell behind inflation so relative prices were falling even while the dollar amount was rising, and people kept getting bigger and more comfortable boats, that take more gas.

Now we are back to where we were as kids when we had to scrimp to get a full tank of gas, and we cannot drive 500 miles just to go crappie fishing.

I'm thinking of getting a sit on top type kayak. They are stable, fast, and don't require gymnastics to get into.

[burntmuch]

Im using my boat, the walleye arnt gonna come find me.  Hopefully more drifting than trolling

[plumberroy]

My boats of choice are kayaks; they get tremendous gas mileage.  In fact, the only gas involved in operating these fabulous craft, comes from the operator.  The paddles can get a little spendy though.

and they are the best boats to get to where the big smallies hide

I'm thinking of getting a sit on top type kayak. They are stable, fast, and don't require gymnastics to get into.

If you get a set on top kayak  put sunblock on the top of your feet and ankles (voice of experiance)
Roy

[Chilachuck]

Magooch, I forgot to mention, get one of those toy paddles with the Indian head on it. I used one for my Kayak for a long time and it worked fine. Much cheaper than a two blade, and easier on the carpal tunnels. (The shortest standard canoe paddle is still too long for a kayak. Maybe you could cut most of the shaft off and put a "T" on the top and it would work?)