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[fishingjew]

Are we approaching the end of a era soon that power boating will be for only the rich who can afford the high fuel prices .Another nail in the coffin with the MPAs .

Recent economic modelling from Griffith University identified areas in southeast Queensland which will be hit particularly hard by rising oil prices – which feed into just about everything from transport costs to interest rates and the price of bread.
Of the 65 largest oil producing countries in the world, up to 54 have past their peak of production and are now in decline, including the USA (in 1970/71) and the North Sea (in 2001).

With the predicted fuel price rise in the next 5 years A$3 and A$4 per litre will boating be a thing of the past or will we look to the past and take up sailing to get to our favourite fishing spots no longer looking for that glassy ocean but a bit of wind to fill the sails. How will this change the shape of boats .

Your thoughts?

[MyEscape]

I think everytime fuel prices go up, it makes a difference, not only to boating however.

But, the funny(?) thing is that you tend to get used to the price and think, oh, it's only a $1.20 per litre today. It wasn't that long ago when the price was around 80-85 cents. Finally it got to a $1.00 per litre and once it broke that barrier it'll never return.

The next barrier will probably be $1.40 per litre. Price will stay there for a while and you get used to it, then it goes up again.

Yes I'm sure it will not be long until its $2.00 per litre. Be an interesting bet to take on how long it is before the $2.00 mark is reached.

boating will not be a thing of the past, but it will be a restricted activity.

Steve

[Noelm]

maybe all the new "miracle" fuels will come into play somehow, I am old enough to remember the "energy crisis" in I think the mid 70's and it was predicted then that by the 80's and 90's we would see the end of Petrol powered cars, but it never happened ,not saying that it won't mind you, but just offering a positive slant on what could be doom and gloom, so maybe we will see a reduction in big V8 Outboards and we will all have 25HP etecs or something or "Fuel Cell" technology who knows, but I just think that regardless of what the cost is, we just whinge about it for a while, "then get over it"

[winston]

Fishingjew, I believe that before the emeregence of the sail era will be the return of the displacement boat era. Will will see a substantial increase in popularity of boats such as the beautiful bay cruisers of the early to mid part of the 20th century. I am quite happy to swap my 25kt tinny for a bay cruiser moored on the water, bring it on. Cheers Winston.

[Noelm]

there is also some small advantage in "going slow" you can always have a lure out the back and get enough bait or food fish while you are going from place to place, sure it may take 10 minutes longer, but to sit on a nice seat, (or on the flybridge) with the kettle boiling and the TV on while the Auto Pilot takes you where you want to go has some positives (I reckon)

[Noelm]

hey, and maybe we all might be a bit better off when we don't wait in a mile long queue at the ramp, get all ramp raged, blow a tyre/wheel bearing, and just sit back and watch the world go by as we wave and smile to another happy boater "chug" past in his 2 cylinder 25HP diesel, Electric, sail, whatever powered craft.

[krazyfisher]

Funny thing is with the new style motors out today I am paying no more for fuel per trip now than I was 7 years ago

[Noelm]

that would be right, the fuel is much dearer, but you use a heap less, so if you take into account your wages have gone up, but the actual cost to go Fishing has remained static, then in real terms, it has gotten cheaper to run your Boat HHMM maybe I should take up politics! I don't fully understand what I just said, but I think it is right.

[FNQCairns]

This probably doesn't sound truthfull but I bought my current boat with one eye planted on what is tipped to happen in 7 to 10-12 years with fuel. I suspect much (but what I dunno)is going to come crashing down around us, certainly worried about the state of affairs in 20y for my little girl.

I was still a little bloke in the 70s when the last engery crisis hit, time told it to be another global warming type of episode, lot's of vocal experts knew what they were talking about -NOT!

But the next one might be different, business has for near 10 years now, known how much more it can take without offering anything in return and understands full well how easy it is to pay/promise/conjol our government into doing their bidding and not the peoples.

Boating cost will skyrocket - petrochemical bit's and pieces, mono even, silver rope, transport etc.... will be interesting if it does come.

Anyway I bought a big tinny that needs low power to perform and can still fish 4 in relative comfort, so even if fuel jumps x 4 relative to it's true cost today I can still go fishing half as much but with 4 bloke's and the hurt will be not much more than a today style 2 up to the reef. that's the plan:-[.

Beyond that the 90hp becomes an auxillery and I fit a mast and removable keel:) .

cheers fnq

[Noelm]

maybe we will not need any more marine Park type of things, becuase no one will be able to go fishing anyway, the fish stocks might end up like "in the old days" and we will only need a handline on an old cork and walk to the Local jetty to catch the family meal, and wade about in Rock pools to catch Lobsters and Abalone, MAYBE, but who knows, I just reckon the future does not all that rosey really, but I kind of wonder if it will just sneak up on us and we will ignore it for ages, or if it will be a "sudden death" type of thing and we will have nothing almost over night, then again we might all die of thirst before the Oceans rise and flood us, or the 'powers" that be blow us to bits, or an Asteroid slams into us causing a giant Tidal Wave or Ice Age, or AIDs does not kill us all, or....... sh!t better go now!

[on-one]

I think winston is probably right about a move to displacement boats if fuel gets really expensive, they don't need much power and can carry a lot of weight so they'd suit electric or diesel- electric options.