Does rising fuel = boat downsize

[insideout]

Gday all, with all the ballyhoo about fuel prices going up,made you seriously think about downsizing your vessel?
I own a medium- large boat, and have not been able to use it lately due to this , that ,and the other.
Initially when i bought it, i thought maybe every 2 weeks, i will be able to go fishing, but now it seems only every 2 months i get out.
So i have been toying with the idea of downsizing, not only because the fuel is going up, but i hate gazing out the back door and seeing a (at new) $140,000 boat sitting there, pleading to take it out to play.
What makes it worse is in a year , we could be seeing prices up to $1.70+ a litre, which means the time between trips will not be dictated by weather, but money. For it is hard enough to find deccies now, let alone ones that help pay at fill up time.
Penny for your thoughts

[PinHead]

I had a 30' boat and downsized..not due to fuel costs but the associated costs with it sitting in the water and where we went with it...I believe the price of fuel is a minor cost in boating/fishing.

[Wahoo]

no, not down size, but am thinking of going a bit bigger very soon

Daz

[wags on the water]

no, not down size, but am thinking of going a bit bigger very soon

Daz


Daz, I've been considering that as well.

[leezor]

no, not down size, but am thinking of going a bit bigger very soon

Daz

Nope, not me - Have just put a deposit on a bigger one ;D

[Wahoo]

Nope, not me - Have just put a deposit on a bigger one ;D



Haha, im still at phone call stage:-/

Daz

[leezor]

Haha, im still at phone call stage:-/

Daz

What sort of boat are you in the market for Daz?

[Wahoo]

What sort of boat are you in the market for Daz?


Pm will be on its way


Daz

[kingtin]

Yup. I've been thinking about downsizing, although I do have a tinny anyway. My whittley sea legend 650 hasn't been in the water for 6 months due to ill health and weather. The kids suffer from sea sickness, the boat is really too big for just me and the deckie, and it just seems a waste it sitting there. The price of petrol will not influence my decision and neither will the money...........it just seems a waste that it's not getting used (only 96 hrs in 2 yrs) and I can't see things getting any better with the deckie's on-call work interfering (I have to look after the kids). Although I'm undecided at the moment, if you walked down my drive with 65k, I might just consider it.

kev

[PinHead]

Yup. I've been thinking about downsizing, although I do have a tinny anyway. My whittley sea legend 650 hasn't been in the water for 6 months due to ill health and weather. The kids suffer from sea sickness, the boat is really too big for just me and the deckie, and it just seems a waste it sitting there. The price of petrol will not influence my decision and neither will the money...........it just seems a waste that it's not getting used (only 96 hrs in 2 yrs) and I can't see things getting any better with the deckie's on-call work interfering (I have to look after the kids). Although I'm undecided at the moment, if you walked down my drive with 65k, I might just consider it.

kev

you beat me kev, I only did 70 hours in almost 2 1/2 years.

[hoodunnit]

my mates all understand how much it costs to run a decent size boat,an extra $30 dollars a trip is still a lot cheaper than a charter.if in sold my boat i`d want to upgrade.

[ozbee]

sorry guys 70 hours in 3 months you just need to move north.

[Chimo]

Kev

Some boats on the GC would be lucky to do 3 hrs a yr.

If you sold it and stuck the $s in Super at the moment you would only get a negative return until this sub prime stuff is over so you might as well use the time to polish the boat and do a few odd jobs on the boat so you can use it later and it will be all shiny.

Cheers
Chimo

[gawby]

Kev,

I have had my yalta about 12 mths now and done only 70 hrs so i suppose i get out twice as much as you.

Mate, when you are feeling good and want a deckie i would be more than happy to go for another ride in your whittley and share all costs.

Do not even think about selling it.

As for the cost off fuel, i do not care as it is a pittance for something i like doing. (FISHING) when i get around to it.

Graeme

[FNQCairns]

Yeah sort of, I see the price of fuel over the last year or so as the thin edge of the wedge, I was building a nice 5.5m traditional hull up into an extra heavy wave squasher and was going to need to power it with a large 4cyl for it to cope well.

Was a good plan when I believed fuel would pretty much follow inflation but it started to follow fresh food, groceries and house prices in it's inflation rate.


Anyway the next thought was to buy the biggest and lightest boat I could find, as a result I could then couple it with the most modest of outboard engines and I could finance it all myself given the time it will take to pull it together.

So I now own a big (ballroom sized internaly) ultra low cost to own for many years ahead reef boat, that will go everywhere a 100k rig will, just without the style or grace and for an approximate 20k all up price tag.

Now apart from fuel/oil the only money I must throw at it for the next 5/10 years will be to fix any broken bits or to spend by CHOICE on a piece of equipment for it.

So yes fuel started it and combined with other current day factors changed my outlook greatly - I bought a bigger boat:) but if fuel doubles or continues to follow the other family cost of living indicators like food/heathcare and housing by continuing to exhibit rampant inflation rates into the future I am insulated better overall under this plan I believe.

cheers fnq

[kingtin]

I suppose that you're right Chimo and Graeme, and Graeme, you're welcome to a trip any time.

I had a dream a while ago.............if you saw me putting the rig to bed, you would know where I'm coming from ;D I have to climb onto the bow via the winch post and drag the cover over it whilst I work my way up the narrow "walk around". The deckie 'feeds the cover from the port side whilst I "abseil" down the starboard, gripping the cover and using nothing but my body weight to descend and the weight of the cover to counteract my descent. I dreamed that I had got so fat that the speed of my descent increased to the level where I broke both legs as I landed in the next door neighbours front yard ::) 60 this year and climbing that height to cover a boat?...........I must be mad!

But yes, you're right, I'll probably regret selling it, and even just looking at it gives me pleasure, despite it not going anywhere for a while. Once the weather cools, I'll be climbing all over it with stainless polish and a buffer ;D

kev