Boaters Stay Docked Over High Fuel Prices

It Isn't Just On The Highways That Drivers Feel The Pinch; Fishermen Are In The Same Boat

(CBS)  Lately, when Steve and Carolyn Cohen hit the water, they don’t have much company - except for those who are already home, CBS News correspondent Ben Tracy reports.

"There's just like nobody out at all. There's just like a couple power boats that are out,” Carolyn said. “So we like have definitely noticed that it's dropped off."

Boaters are drowning in high fuel prices - nearly $6 per gallon at one dock near Los Angeles. To save on gas, boaters are taking shorter trips, slowing down, or turning to the marine version of the hybrid.

"If you are a boater and you're worried about the cost of gas, get out of boating,” said boater Joe Vinetz.

And some are. They’re turning docks into floating parking lots.

"What has business been like lately?” Tracy asked.

“Dead,” said boat salesman Gerry Purcell.

Because of gas prices?

“Yeah,” Purcell said.

Purcell’s business has been cut in half by fuel costs and falling home prices, which make people less likely to splurge on big-ticket items.

Brunswick, the largest boat-maker in the world, announced it is suspending production at many of it its plants this month. Marinemax, the nation’s No. 1 boat retailer, says its profits are down 50 percent.

It's one thing to have to cut back on pleasure cruising, but imagine if you were a commercial fisherman and your livelihood depended on keeping it fueled up.

Pete Ancich is a third-generation commercial fisherman. His profits are now snared by the 2,000 gallons it takes to fuel his voyages each month.

"Our profits are just shrinking by the second,” he said. “If there are any left."

The price at the fuel dock has jumped 100 percent in the past year. Two hundred dollars worth of diesel now flows through the pump every minute.

"So you put 1,800 gallons in - almost $9,000?” Tracy asked.

“That's right,” Ancich said.

He’s scaled back his crew, and only heads out on the days the fish are likely to be biting.

"Could you see it getting to a point where the prices are so high that it makes more sense to leave the boat here?” Tracy asked.

“Absolutely,” Ancich said. "Yeah, tie it up."

As fuel prices continue to climb, a lot of people could be in the same boat.

[toolmangler-2009]

In this time of crisis, we need the Best.
We need Experience. We need Hillary and Bill.

Posted by JTait2 at 08:39 PM : Jul 04, 2008


Man are you thick!

[whiskyrocker]

JTait2

Hillary is finished! Get over it.

[whiskyrocker]

Everybody''s suffering

[toolmangler-2009]

Boo, hoo! I feel sooooo sorry for boat owners not being able to go out on the ocean and have a good time. Such a crime.
Posted by cdfoxtrot at 10:37 PM : Jul 03, 2008


a lot of those are small family fishing businesses, wait till the price of you next seafood meal goes through the roof. then remember what you said.

[toolmangler-2009]

It''s only the low-income boaters that are hurt, (that is 50% of us). The wealthy have no fuel crisis.

[berniepeders]

Funny, my boat hasn''t used a nickels worth of gas in over ten years. It''s called a CANOE. You take these things called "paddles" and put them in the water and sort of pull them back towards you, and the boat moves through the water. Is that magic, or what?
Peace

[brianbwb-2009]

One solution, partially solar powered houseboats.

Consolidate the energy usage to one locus, and when it is time for vacation, no need to leave the house consuming energy, and use a car, consuming even more, just fire up the whole house, and gtf outta Dodge, not even a need to pack.

Go out and catch your own dinner, and head out to international waters for those other pleasures that are illegal in the US.

The entire west coast, Hawaii, and Asia for the westerners, the entire east coast, the Carribbean, and Europe for the easterners.

[brianbwb-2009]

One solution, partially solar powered houseboats.

Consolidate the energy usage to one locus, and when it is time for vacation, no need to leave the house consuming energy, and use a car, consuming even more, just fire up the whole house, and gtf outta Dodge, not even a need to pack.

Go out and catch your own dinner, and head out to international waters for those other pleasures that are illegal in the US.

The entire west coast, Hawaii, and Asia for the westerners, the entire east coast, the Carribbean, and Europe for the easterners.

[beehive21-2009]

We smell smoke on the horizon.

[noaanhc]

cdfoxtrot

Excuse me,but if you read the whole story,some people such as fisherman earn a living out on the water and it is rising fuel prices that may put a lot of them out of a job.I feel very sorry for those people for they are hurting as much as we are.

[cdfoxtrot]

Boo, hoo! I feel sooooo sorry for boat owners not being able to go out on the ocean and have a good time. Such a crime.