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Old 06-08-2022, 03:34 PM   #1
sharpshooter
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Boat fuel price question

Everyone, knows each week the fuel price goes up. Just wondering at what price per gallon would you stop going offshore? $5, $6, $7, $8 a gallon? I've noticed the increased number of boats gathering at the local sand bar areas getting larger by the week. 2 years ago fuel was about $2/gal.. Out of Clwr. or Anclote a MG "round" trip to the north end burned about 200 gallons for a total $400 cost. With 4 divers it was about $100 each. Let's say it was a boat on a trailer that used regular gas. Not Ethanol free gas. The same trip of 200 gallons at todays $4.70/gallon would be a total of $940. With 4 divers it's now $235 each. Lord help those paying marina fuel prices down in the Florida Keys. One of my friends just got back from Marathon. Marina gas was $6.40/gallon. At least for diving he wasn't travelling the distances we do here in the local area.
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Old 06-08-2022, 03:42 PM   #2
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Re: Boat fuel price question

I dont think I can put a price on the enjoyment I get while boating, so I cannot answer your question. If it gets too much, I supposed there are those who will sell their boats and take up bowling!! Im not one of them...
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Old 06-08-2022, 07:02 PM   #3
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Re: Boat fuel price question

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I dont think I can put a price on the enjoyment I get while boating, so I cannot answer your question. If it gets too much, I supposed there are those who will sell their boats and take up bowling!! I'm not one of them...
Sorry, I should have asked about people that do 75-90 total trip miles or more on a day trip on a regular basis. Maybe, you only do a total 20-30 mile run or less for the day. Where I live. We usually do a 75-90 total mile run for the day. Big difference in fuel cost. The MG trips I'm on average a 200-240 mile total trip. So, what's your average total trip miles when you go out? What's your MPG cruising? I just noticed you live on the other Florida coast. I didn't think your side travels far. Unless, you go the Islands or Dry Tortugas. Trying to compare apples to apples and oranges to oranges. That's why I posted my question on the Florida Gulf Coast section not the Florida East Coast section. Thanks for your reply anyway.

Last edited by sharpshooter; 06-08-2022 at 07:35 PM. Reason: update
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Old 06-09-2022, 10:28 AM   #4
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Re: Boat fuel price question

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Sorry, I should have asked about people that do 75-90 total trip miles or more on a day trip on a regular basis. Maybe, you only do a total 20-30 mile run or less for the day. Where I live. We usually do a 75-90 total mile run for the day. Big difference in fuel cost. The MG trips I'm on average a 200-240 mile total trip. So, what's your average total trip miles when you go out? What's your MPG cruising? I just noticed you live on the other Florida coast. I didn't think your side travels far. Unless, you go the Islands or Dry Tortugas. Trying to compare apples to apples and oranges to oranges. That's why I posted my question on the Florida Gulf Coast section not the Florida East Coast section. Thanks for your reply anyway.
I used to love the gas bill when I lived in Delray Beach/Boca Raton area....1 mile idle to the inlet, 1/4 mile offshore to the reef and then turn north or south and go the desired distance from the inlet to get away from the boat traffic. If we did a trip out deeper, we may use 10-20 gallons of gas for the day, most times it was 5 gallons or less....leave the dock at 8, 2 dives, boat, fish and lobster cleaned by 12.

To answer your question relating to our area, I will never stop going offshore....just depends upon how frequent or how far. For me, 1-2 trips a month is usual, would like to do more, but between weather, time and having divers lined up, it doesn't normally happen. Since the wife doesn't do offshore trips, the boat does make frequent trips to the beach or out to lunch/dinner between offshore trips though. I don't look at how much gas cost per gallon, I prefer to look at it as how much it cost me per hour or day as entertainment cost.....when you start comparing it to other activities, it makes it more palatable. $200 per person for a 12 hour ($16/hr) trip to the middle grounds doesn't seem so bad when compared to the price of a Lightning game, plus parking or the price of a decent meal. If I was taking my boat offshore 5-6 times a month or jumping on others boats and diving 2-3 times a week, then I might be a little more concerned.

I know you may be in a little different situation as you're mainly a boat ho (nothing wrong with that), but for the people that own a boat, there is a lot more that goes into it past the fuel cost. If you don't live on the water, you have to have an adequate tow vehicle and trailer and a place to park the boat or you go the marina/dry storage route. If you do live on the water, most do it for the convenience of having a boat on the lift, so you have the cost of the dock/lift and higher flood/wind insurance cost. Realistically, when you look at it, the price for fuel is very small compared to the rest of the cost of the boat, insurance, electronics and related safety gear, etc that goes along with it. If you took all those cost and amortized them to break it down to what it actually cost per trip without fuel, for most, it would be thousands of dollars. So, one could also say the more you use the boat, the cheaper it becomes (on a per trip basis).

Last edited by Diverboy067; 06-09-2022 at 01:16 PM.
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Old 06-09-2022, 02:34 PM   #5
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Re: Boat fuel price question

Diverboy067, you make a few good points. I've owned about 6 boats and the last 3 being twin engine. I also captained a Ocean Sport 55 for 3 years and a Millennia 49 CC for the same owner. So, I am quite familiar with "boat ownership/maintenance and cost up keep". I still remember all the prep work and after trip work. Sold my last boat quite a few years ago when all the new fish laws started. The size requirements keep increasing and bag limits shrinking. It is what it is. I still enjoy being on and under the water. I help my diving boat buddies when they need me. I'm lucky that I know a lot of boat owners. I also, belong to a hunting club in northern Ga.. So, that's another hobby. I'm fortunate at almost 70 years old that I'm pretty active and healthy. People always think I'm late 50's. Lots of people retire in their early 60's like me and not being active have passed. So, enjoy life while you can. Like they say, tomorrow isn't promised to anyone. One last note. I often wonder why divers will spend thousands on dive gear. $500 or more on a spear gun. A few more hundred on extra spear shafts. Then, have old sun dried and cracked rubber bands that look several years old on their gun. Take care.

Last edited by sharpshooter; 06-09-2022 at 02:50 PM.
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Old 06-14-2022, 06:20 PM   #6
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Re: Boat fuel price question

When I sold my boat last year, fuel was $2.85 a gallon and while it wasn't a small expense, it was far from the biggest expense. For us, we sat down and looked at the total cost of ownership and realized we can spend 10 to 14 days a month abroad at a dive resort; we are both pilots and very fortunate to have free access to the cockpit jumpseats.

By the time you take into account the time involved in upkeep of the boat it is a significant commitment. Living out of suitcase half the month and then spending days off crawling around on a boat lift, popping lower units, fixing things- it reminded me too much of work.

For me the, the coup de grace was having two weekends off a month, planning a good trip to the MG and then Mr. weather doesn't want to cooperate on that weekend. So the boat sits dormant on the lift for another two weeks or makes very expensive runs to Palm Pavillion for rum runners. I do love going to the MGs however...

I will say this, on heavy offshore trips and with a fairly heavy sea state, I have seen .6 nmpg. For reference, a 737 Max at twice the weight of a fully loaded semi-truck traveling at 80% of the speed of sound burns the same amount of fuel per mile. Just something that always ran in the back of my head.
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Old 06-14-2022, 08:19 PM   #7
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Re: Boat fuel price question

Always thought it was funny how they calculated jet fuel in pounds and calculated boat fuel in MPG.
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Old 06-14-2022, 10:42 PM   #8
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Re: Boat fuel price question

That’s because of weight and balance. A 737 has several fuel tanks. Where the fuel is stored depends on the passenger load and cargo
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Old 06-15-2022, 02:26 AM   #9
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Re: Boat fuel price question

I know why they do it, just thought it was funny. Alot of times when were heading out diving, people ask how much gas we have.....I tell them in pounds. Their eyes get really big when you give them a number as most don't realize how much a gallon weighs.
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Old 06-15-2022, 06:05 AM   #10
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Re: Boat fuel price question

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That’s because of weight and balance. A 737 has several fuel tanks. Where the fuel is stored depends on the passenger load and cargo
Exactly, weight is needed to calc %MAC.
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Old 06-17-2022, 07:32 PM   #11
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Re: Boat fuel price question

Brian and Rich both make very good points. I guess it all comes down to ROI - I am now finding myself (now that I am boatless) picking and choosing my days and trips, not going out as much, but we are all bringing an extra tank and staying out longer.
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Old 06-20-2022, 12:45 AM   #12
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Re: Boat fuel price question

Gas prices here in Los Angeles is just under $7 per gallon. A run to Catalina Island is an average of 60 miles with driving around included. $400 on fuel alone. Then there is food, drinks, bait and tackle-

Oh yeah, forgot about these items:
*storage
*insurance (boat, trailer, truck)
*Boats US
*Maintenance (boat, truck, trailer)
*yearly taxes on all three
*California yearly Luxury tax on the boat

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