Are Rising Gas Prices Giving You Gas?
As summer draws closer, the 2011 antique & classic boat show season is just around the corner and we can hardly wait. Woody Boater is looking forward to covering many different boat shows during the 2011 season, from the east coast, to the west coast and even a few stops throughout the mid-west this year as well. “Snazzy” (shown above) is an award winning 1948 20′ Chris-Craft Custom from California.
For the first time tonight I heard someone comment that by July we could see gas prices spike up as high as $6.00 a gallon, lets all cross our fingers the speculators are wrong. So… We thought we would ask the question – “For those of you who are planning to attend an antique & classic boat show this year, either as a spectator or with your boat, how will the rising gas prices effect your decision to attend one of the many boat shows around the country?”
Batson Bros Shell Station
Here are a few images from boat shows around the country to enjoy while you are thinking about what to comment below.
“Miss Puddle Duck” from the 2010 Lake Tahoe Concours held at Sierra Boat Company in Carnelian Bay, California.
A cool looking Tri-Carb set up on “Little Fury II” – 2010 Lake Tahoe Concours.
“Infatuation” – 2011 Sunnyland Antique Boat Festival (Photo courtesy of Miracle Photography)
A few cool shots of “Brown Eyed Girl” from the 2011 Lake Hartwell Antique Boat Festival (Photos courtesy of Miracle Photography)
“Legacy” a very nicely restored 1948 20′ Chris-Craft Custom – Clayton Antique Boat Show 2010.
The classic boating cushions were included so you could rest your wallet, or your head after you fill up at the pumps.
Let us know what you think.
Texx
Matt, i just check with the docks in Lexington MI $4.49 @ gal. I hold 200 gal. better fill up now…
I do 3 shows that are local with my boat (100 miles), I was planning on doing Clayton NY, but may put that off because of the additional cost hauling my boat there with a 14 mpg truck.
We will be at Grand Lake, OK (leaqving from Florida) for their Mahogany and Chrome ACBS show September 30th. Maybe gas prices will be down by then! I’m still having to think about Lake Okoboji in July . . . .
Love my my Harley Ford 250 with the V10! When I tow she doesn’t go below the 10 mph’s I get when I don’t tow. But she is fast!! The KBL with triples in my special sportsman don’t do much better. Oh well, fun anyway, looks cool too..
I tow my boat with my Ford Lighting (5.4L Supercharged) and people are amazed that I get 22 MPG with it. 10 MPG in the city and 12 MPG on the freeway. Unless there is some new math out there, 10 + 12 = 22! At $4.35 a gallon for the 92 octane required for the truck, it is going to limit my boat show quota for the summer.
I usually tow with my Dodge diesel. 17mpg towing 21mpg empty and diesel here is cheaper than gas right now. $3.99/$4.15. I’ll probably follow the TEXX method and ride the Harley. Saves on fuel and stops me from buying anything BIG. I always bring a cooler full of cold beer, EZ to find a boat ride that way.
And I forgot the most important part: I will pay the price for boat gas – it’s the traveling gas that gets me to thinking. May have to do more local boating. Sunnyland’s Silver Run coming up May 20th leaving from Lake Dora – 10 fun-filled hours of cruising the central Florida Lakes and rivers! WOO HOO! Come join us, Texx -You’re guaranteed a ride in Pumpkin!
You, too, Jim!
Nothing like a good old fashioned siphon to save money on gas.
Probably got 9 MPG in old Chevy truck pulling the big Skiff and assorted stuff from Dora to Portland – 3100 miles. The Escalade ESV got 10.5 MPG pulling Gar Sedan to Michigan and back (about 4000 miles total) last year. Math (and gas price) hurts.
Still planning to attend Tahoe, Sandpoint and the International at Lake Geneva this year, with boats at each. Will soon be towing with new GMC Denali 2500HD Diesel, which will hopefully be better on fuel than beater gas pot Chevy. Either way, price of gas is complaint-worthy but won’t impact on the show plans I have made over the past year. Just have to make sure there is enough left to actually put gas in the boat, not just the tow vehicle.
I took my 1970 chris to Tavares and Apalach ( see pic I sent) Mileage probably dropped a mile to mile and half a gallon to tow…Considering the overall cost of all things show related gas isn’t adding that much yet….Unless you are like Al Benton who drove a 40′ Motor home form St. Louis to Tavares.
I’m jumping on board late on this but wanted to add that fuel prices hasn’t changed our plans for the summer (so far). They may if the price doubles over what we paid last season. The trip to Florida in the Motor Home (diesel) was around 15 cents per mile more this year than last or about a 30% increase, not enough to cause me to cancel. I may go to more shows (and boat related events) this year that ever before. We’ll adjust the budget as we go. I’ll start by buying a 5 gal Ace bucket and forego replacing that bilge pump, that should get the RV almost 500 miles down the road.
Whether you spend another $1,000 or $2,000 this season, if you love boating and attending the shows, and can afford the extra money, just do it. Why get caught up in the hand wringinging and doomsday media hype about fuel costs? Enjoy yourself, it’s later than you think.
(Oh, and one other thing. Remember that in the big scheme of owning, maintaining, and repairing a classic boat, when you think about it, $1,000 or $2,000 is chump change. We all know that.)
we live in a rural area of florida and the gas prices have already changed our local driving habits.
we were thinking about clayton because it is showcasing Hackers but probably won’t be able to do it…
we (really, it’s him but i begrudgingly get it) won’t haul the boat behind our old bus, so even if i could talk randy into taking the bus it would mean two vehicles…cheaper to stay in motels even after factoring in restaurant meals vs cooking in the bus, campground fees (excluding cracker barrel nights), etc…hate that!
we’re gonna hope for spontaneous outings with sunnyland members…just to stay closer to home but still enjoy the boat, being shown new areas, meet sunnyland members;
just trying to make lemonade…
oh, the heck with that!
got tequila?…
we’re going to do the silver run looking forward to it…
camping anyone?
I spent $600.00 alone in fuel to take two boats to the lake Hartwell show. This did not encluded food etc. or sinking boat cost:) BUT I got to see some old friends althought they were only there for a short time (Bill & Jeanny you missed supper on me. And I meet some really nice people?? isn’t that what it’s all about. And yes i will be at St. Micheals Maryland, Clayton Ny. Mooresville Nc. just to pester Pat C. and the RUD show if they have one. And I’ll count my blessings as I save money doing my on 2nd string 🙂 work on all my boats to save money to be able to go to these shows.
The boat shows and our buddies with woodies are so precious to us, I’d rather buy cheaper wine than miss any this year over gas prices.
Phil, glad to see you’re going to Mooresville-you can critique my Whoo Hoo (paint job).
Jerri
love cheap wine!
and no plans to change our Fall schedule, we’ll be up for Mooresville, wouldn’t miss it!
Given that it rains about 19 months out of the year here in the Northwest, gas prices will have no effect upon our plans to enjoy our craft for the brief summer. If it’s sunny, we’re on the water. Come the fall, we’ll have a good eight months to lick our wallet wounds and start saving up for the next summer when no doubt the oil barons will find yet another lame excuse to shaft us with $7.00 per gallon petrol.
Honestly, the real folks who are going to take it rough will be the vendors and businesses of our destinations as we will not have the extra cash for any sort of luxuries – you know, like food.
Here’s an idea – kill the cable tv since you will be out and about all summer anyways. You’ll save some cash for the fuel bill and then, come the fall, your cable tv company will be begging for you to return – they will most likely offer you some cheaper incentive to sign back up! June thru Sept, that’s four months of not shelling out $75 per month to watch garbage like Glee or some reality plop.
your cable is only $75 per month!!
Actually, our bill is $0 because we do not have any type of service. I just made a bad guess, obviously!
I pay the sewer bill to have crap piped out of our home and I certainly do not want to pay money to have shinola piped into it.
Well glad to see I’ll be running into all again in mooresville, we can all go over to Pat’s on Friday night and drink his Crown Royal, now if I could just remember where I put that Ace bucket 🙂