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Just wondering??????


tmacwake

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I'm curious on how the overwellmingly high gas prices have affected people. I haven't even seen the price of gas on the water yet, but I'm pretty sure it's probably a dollar more then land pumps. Also it seems increasingly difficult to even get out with the kids being involved in high school and sports and what not. I know it's 2 different issues, but just the same it effects my boat usage. The part that really bugs is that we had our 02' Sunsetter paid off and we sold it to buy the boat of our dreams, the VTX. Now it's hard to find time to get out on it. The last thing I want to do is sell it and take the 20k hit. I love our boat, but just seeing it sitting there in the garage drives me nuts sometimes. Anyway, I was just wondering if these things go through anyone else's mind or is this pretty normal.

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Pretty standard for the average boating family, I think. It seems to go in cycles with some summers seeing more use than others. This will be a "less use" summer for us with gas prices where they are but I am just finishing a stretch of next to no income as I lost my job a few months ago so money is a little tighter than normal. :( These issues have kept us from updating our boat, the Sporty works fine and best of all...it's paid for. The kids will rediscover their love of the water, just give them a little time and space. :)

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We set aside some extra $$ for gas 'cause I did not want what I know will be a large expense from keeping us off the water in our new 'Bu. If you look at the price of gas thread, most people are adjusting to still maintain filling the boat.

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Also it seems increasingly difficult to even get out with the kids being involved in high school and sports and what not.

That more than anything else has kept our usage down this year. I think that we've been out 3 or 4 times since the first of the year, & it's because of things like Track & Field & other extra curricular activities that my oldest son has discovered this year. I'm not too worried about it, but it can be frustrating to see the boat sitting there collecting dust. As NorCal stated, it can be a cyclical thing. Give it time, they'll come back around.

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Mainly with my daughters growing up, now in college, and wanting to work summer jobs, the boat does see less hours. They are at the age now though where they can bring their friends to the same place we vacation and maybe that will get more use out of the boat. The only problem is that they have a hard time talking people into going camping and half of them don't like water if it is not in a crystal clear pool. Like my daughters, many of their friends were swimteam members throughout childhood, then through highschool. But put a pair of skies on them and it's like the first time they have been in water. If they get friends to come, they end up going nuts because the is no cell phone reception within 10 miles of where we camp.

The price of gas will have no effect on us because the boat is a summertime thing that we do not put a price on. I wish now that I brought the Bu about 5 years sooner when the girls had more time to enjoy the water, but our old Winner did the job just fine. Up till we got the Bu, the Winner averaged over 150 hrs per season. With the Bu it has been steadily dropping to 50, which was last summer and a perfect weather summer too.

Edited by electricjohn
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I am maximizing engine run time that is for sure. The usage is definitely down due to my oldest just doing other stuff...kind of a bummer. Also, the weather has been very wet and cooler than normal so the family is tired of being cold and wearing a wetsuit/heater top.

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It's been the weather holding us back so far this season. One thing for certain this season is we won't be taking anyone out that doesn’t contribute cash for gas!

Due to the cost of gas and the general state of the economy, we won't be getting a new boat anytime soon either! Dontknow.gif

Edited by CTSunsetter
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So this is an interesting statement that I believe many people agree with. If I may, let me ask a few open questions to anyone that cares to answer.

I believe there is a lot of "tension", for lack of a better word, in the minds of much of the USA today. Drawn there from the fuel price spiking, the housing industry down in areas, the airline industry down in other areas, and even the water levels down in some areas. Aside from the fuel prices, most of the industry ups and downs are actually fairly typical as far as I can tell, although the media will dwell on them much more predominately if it's the popular topic or hot story trend.

In the Northeast, where I believe we are more conservative out of the gate, it seems that folks have started setting arbitrary figures to their purchases simply for the sake of being conservative.

Since less spending on each persons part simply helps to slow down the overall economy, it doesn't make alot of sense to me.

My rationale is this:

1 - Has your income really gone down?

2 - Has your job changed, so you are worried about losing it?

3 - The cost of fuel is up, therefore you think you can't afford to spend as much on a boat?

4 - The economy is bad, therefore I must be careful and not spend as much?

I really am not trying to be an a** here, so don't take it that way. I'm sure there are people in tough times, as always. What I have problems with are people that are setting what I consider arbitrary "budgets" or "budget limits" to their purchases. In talking with them, none of those 4 items apply, and it appears that the arbitrary limits are simply that....an arbitrary limit set based upon the tension level of the purchaser.

I think the fuel price is crazy. And while I am much more thoughtful of trying to combine my travels to limit fuel use, I still burn a lot. Since I'm not a "boater" but more of a "skier", in that we use a boat for skiing, not driving around, actual fuel cost is not going to stop from using the boat. I believe, perhaps incorrectly(?), that most ski/wakeboard boat owners are the same way.

So back to the questions....is there really anything that has truly changed your income or expenses to stop purchasing?

The biggest fear is fear itself.

Peter :)

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So this is an interesting statement that I believe many people agree with. If I may, let me ask a few open questions to anyone that cares to answer.

I believe there is a lot of "tension", for lack of a better word, in the minds of much of the USA today. Drawn there from the fuel price spiking, the housing industry down in areas, the airline industry down in other areas, and even the water levels down in some areas. Aside from the fuel prices, most of the industry ups and downs are actually fairly typical as far as I can tell, although the media will dwell on them much more predominately if it's the popular topic or hot story trend.

In the Northeast, where I believe we are more conservative out of the gate, it seems that folks have started setting arbitrary figures to their purchases simply for the sake of being conservative.

Since less spending on each persons part simply helps to slow down the overall economy, it doesn't make alot of sense to me.

My rationale is this:

1 - Has your income really gone down?

2 - Has your job changed, so you are worried about losing it?

3 - The cost of fuel is up, therefore you think you can't afford to spend as much on a boat?

4 - The economy is bad, therefore I must be careful and not spend as much?

I really am not trying to be an a** here, so don't take it that way. I'm sure there are people in tough times, as always. What I have problems with are people that are setting what I consider arbitrary "budgets" or "budget limits" to their purchases. In talking with them, none of those 4 items apply, and it appears that the arbitrary limits are simply that....an arbitrary limit set based upon the tension level of the purchaser.

I think the fuel price is crazy. And while I am much more thoughtful of trying to combine my travels to limit fuel use, I still burn a lot. Since I'm not a "boater" but more of a "skier", in that we use a boat for skiing, not driving around, actual fuel cost is not going to stop from using the boat. I believe, perhaps incorrectly(?), that most ski/wakeboard boat owners are the same way.

So back to the questions....is there really anything that has truly changed your income or expenses to stop purchasing?

The biggest fear is fear itself.

Peter :)

Cash is king - but the summer in Michigan is only 5 months long -- personnally coming from the auto sector there is greater risk that incomes may be adjusted -- our belief is that the industry is 18 months into a 4 year correction and more risk versus opportunity is ahead. "But" -- wakeboarding and "floating" (our favorite pastime) is about as good as it could get with the family. Daughter goes to University in the Fall, and our son is studying for freshman finals -- to my word -- this is the las true summer the family will be together.

Gas expense will be covered, as will the hotdogs and hamburgers for the friends -- for those with children, time passes asl too quickly -- find an offset, and keep them in the boat -- laugh and play hard... because the opportunity passes and family time counts. Just remember, it could always be worse.

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So back to the questions....is there really anything that has truly changed your income or expenses to stop purchasing?

Peter :)

My sales are off 30-35%...yeah my income has been affected big time. Thank god my wife went back to work.

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...is there really anything that has truly changed your income or expenses to stop purchasing?

Yes.gif Auto sales are off so much that the dealership that I worked for completely eliminated their Internet Sales Dept. Not much need for an Internet Sales Manager when you have no Internet Sales Dept. :(

The Nissan dealership just down the hill from Grass Valley (Auburn Nissan) went completely out of business. A friend of mine worked there, he was a boater...not any more. No.gif

Sacramento has lost a number of car dealers this year. And that's just one industry in one area.

I wouldn't classify reducing your expenses based on economic uncertainty as a fearful reaction, I'd call it a prudent reaction. We were lucky in that we had relatively low monthly expenses, no auto debt, no boat payment, no credit card debt,...if we had a big pile of monthly payments we would have been in serious doo-doo.

Luckily...I start a new gig on Tuesday. Yahoo.gif

Edited by NorCaliBu
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I did know that CA was hurting big along with the auto-world everywhere. I'm not in the auto business, but it seems odd that a dealer would stop internet sales...I'd have guessed that the internet would be the one of the best sales potentials. I just bought a car from a dealer ad online...

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So this is an interesting statement that I believe many people agree with. If I may, let me ask a few open questions to anyone that cares to answer.

I believe there is a lot of "tension", for lack of a better word, in the minds of much of the USA today. Drawn there from the fuel price spiking, the housing industry down in areas, the airline industry down in other areas, and even the water levels down in some areas. Aside from the fuel prices, most of the industry ups and downs are actually fairly typical as far as I can tell, although the media will dwell on them much more predominately if it's the popular topic or hot story trend.

In the Northeast, where I believe we are more conservative out of the gate, it seems that folks have started setting arbitrary figures to their purchases simply for the sake of being conservative.

Since less spending on each persons part simply helps to slow down the overall economy, it doesn't make alot of sense to me.

My rationale is this:

1 - Has your income really gone down?

2 - Has your job changed, so you are worried about losing it?

3 - The cost of fuel is up, therefore you think you can't afford to spend as much on a boat?

4 - The economy is bad, therefore I must be careful and not spend as much?

I really am not trying to be an a** here, so don't take it that way. I'm sure there are people in tough times, as always. What I have problems with are people that are setting what I consider arbitrary "budgets" or "budget limits" to their purchases. In talking with them, none of those 4 items apply, and it appears that the arbitrary limits are simply that....an arbitrary limit set based upon the tension level of the purchaser.

I think the fuel price is crazy. And while I am much more thoughtful of trying to combine my travels to limit fuel use, I still burn a lot. Since I'm not a "boater" but more of a "skier", in that we use a boat for skiing, not driving around, actual fuel cost is not going to stop from using the boat. I believe, perhaps incorrectly(?), that most ski/wakeboard boat owners are the same way.

So back to the questions....is there really anything that has truly changed your income or expenses to stop purchasing?

The biggest fear is fear itself.

Peter :)

I agree with a lot of what you state - all the doom and gloom reporting on the economy by the media makes people who are not affected feel they should be affected. The theory that "I am doing okay but my neighbor is hurting" can have profound repercussions on industries like boating and autos.

My lack of boating so far this season has been caused by two things - a colder than normal spring and two teenage kids that are active in sports and other activities. Hopefully this will change once school lets out for the summer. Gas prices will not have an impact on our boating - we love to be on the water too much to worry about the extra cost.

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...it seems odd that a dealer would stop internet sales...I'd have guessed that the internet would be the one of the best sales potentials.

You'd think. Crazy.gif The general manager there doesn't understand the internet nor it's power yet he was the one who control the dept's budget. Control freak. Refused to give control of the budget to me and made poor decisions based on his lack of knowledge. They won't be in business much longer. I give them 12 to 18 months at the most.

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I just filled up the boat today for $166. We got in another couple of hours on the river this morning and once more we were the only ones with glass everywhere. The fact that no one else was on the river had more to do with it being in the morning and that it was cold, foggy, with a light drizzle, than with the higher price of gas.

We haven't changed our boating because of gas prices, but then it is a priority for us. I enjoy it tremendously and the time with family and friends is difficult to put a price on. We all make choices, and we live a fairly simple lifestyle and have chosen to spend in this area of our lives.

As far as the kids getting busy...it does go in cycles. We used to have a house in Sunriver near Bend, and absolutely loved going there as did the kids. As they got older, they got more involved in sports, school, church, etc., and we found it harder and harder to get to the house. There were some other factors as well, but we finally decided to sell the house and we moved on. We now find time that works around everyone's schedules. The kids also can now take the boat out by themselves, which is why we keep it moored so that they don't need to trailer it.

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I always am and always have been down for boating! I have been boating since I was 6 months old (so I am told) and I love it more and more as each year passes. Rockon.gif luckily for me, all of my other sports/hobbies happen during other seasons which leaves summer wide open for boating!

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For us, fuel prices are not much of an issue when it comes to boating. The kids activities are definitely a different story. We have soccer both weekend days and practice most weeknights. It takes up a lot of our time. Luckily, the season is almost over, but it does delay the start of our boating/skiing season. The weather is also an issue. We seem to have very cool May's the last few years. This year, we have had a ton of rain to go along with the cool temps.

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This is always an interesting topic, and is obviously dominating much of the media right now.

It obviously affects each family differently, and it isn't realistic to lump everyone together, but there is one concept that I always share with my wife when she gasps at what we spend filling up our boats: (we have the old Ski Eliminator DD for watersports, and then a big 27 foot Regal open bow for cruising)

Fuel is really the best money you can spend on your boats! It means that you are getting use out of them. So many of the other expenses are fixed and outside of your control, such as initial investment, depreciation, maintenance and repairs, winterization, shrinkwrapping and storage (where applicable). Many if not all of these other expenses are going to be incurred whether or not you are out enjoying your boat and that priceless time with your family.

Just my $.02

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Just finished my weekend accounting. I do that just to see what our weekend expenses are. Total Boat fuel bill for Saturday, Sunday and Memorial Day was $203.57. Truck fuel was $92.30. Yeah, that's high....but where else can I have both college age kids and my wife all together, happy , and captive?? As they say........priceless.

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My rationale is this:

1 - Has your income really gone down?

2 - Has your job changed, so you are worried about losing it?

3 - The cost of fuel is up, therefore you think you can't afford to spend as much on a boat?

4 - The economy is bad, therefore I must be careful and not spend as much?

Peter :)

1. Yes - yearly income down 15% company wide cuts

2. Yes - In lieu of Company cut-back. it is possible that 2 employees may be laid off.

3. Yes - See 1 and 2

4. Yes - See 1 and 2 and 3

Any other questions? Whistling.gif

Edited by areamike
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Just finished my weekend accounting. I do that just to see what our weekend expenses are. Total Boat fuel bill for Saturday, Sunday and Memorial Day was $203.57. Truck fuel was $92.30. Yeah, that's high....but where else can I have both college age kids and my wife all together, happy , and captive?? As they say........priceless.

We boated for two solid days with a million kids asking to tube, wakeboard and kneeboard. I fueled up on land versus the lake which saved a buck a gallon+. We spent about $120.00 in fuel for the boat. We also met up with some friends with a pontoon boat with a 50 horse outboard - which can hardly burn through two 6 gallon tanks running all day long. The Toon served as the party deck, and the Bu was used for all the watersports. We had four families out and just did simple division on the fuel bill for both boats. Talk about a cheap, fun weekend. Lots of great families, kids, memories made, etc. We also camped for two days at the lake, which hardly costs a thing. All in all, you still can't beat the fun for the buck, IMO.

As fuel prices go up, it is time to introduce more and more of your non-boating friends to the water and have them to help split the fuel bill! :-) I go out almost every Saturday early AM to get some slalom sets in with two buddies, and they always throw me $10-$15 bucks for gas. It's a deal for me, and a deal for them and everyone has a great time.

-- Mike

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Just finished my weekend accounting. I do that just to see what our weekend expenses are. Total Boat fuel bill for Saturday, Sunday and Memorial Day was $203.57. Truck fuel was $92.30. Yeah, that's high....but where else can I have both college age kids and my wife all together, happy , and captive?? As they say........priceless.

We boated for two solid days with a million kids asking to tube, wakeboard and kneeboard. I fueled up on land versus the lake which saved a buck a gallon+. We spent about $120.00 in fuel for the boat. We also met up with some friends with a pontoon boat with a 50 horse outboard - which can hardly burn through two 6 gallon tanks running all day long. The Toon served as the party deck, and the Bu was used for all the watersports. We had four families out and just did simple division on the fuel bill for both boats. Talk about a cheap, fun weekend. Lots of great families, kids, memories made, etc. We also camped for two days at the lake, which hardly costs a thing. All in all, you still can't beat the fun for the buck, IMO.

As fuel prices go up, it is time to introduce more and more of your non-boating friends to the water and have them to help split the fuel bill! :-) I go out almost every Saturday early AM to get some slalom sets in with two buddies, and they always throw me $10-$15 bucks for gas. It's a deal for me, and a deal for them and everyone has a great time.

-- Mike

Just rob a bank.... settled..lol (joke)

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