With Memorial Day weekend approaching and lakes about to come alive with activity, boaters in Waterford say rising gas prices are hitting their wallets — but not their plans.
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Jacob and Belle Bailey say they are eager to get back on the water, even if it costs significantly more this year.
"My initial reaction was this was going to be expensive," Jacob Bailey said.
Hi wife, Belle, agreed.
"I thought the same thing. I thought this is going to be a crazy summer with these gas prices, but it's going to be worth it," Belle Bailey said.
The couple uses premium gas to fill up, and last week, it cost them over five dollars per gallon. Bailey estimates the added costs will be substantial.
"This one's got 97 gallons, so it's quite a bit. Just shy of 100 gallons," Jacob said beside his boat. "Average per fill, we're thinking it's going to be $600 to $700, when at average, it's probably around $450. We could be seeing 75% to almost double what we normally pay."
Even so, the family says the expense is not enough to keep them off the water. Their favorite activity is wake surfing, and they plan to be out on the lake come Memorial Day.
"Last year, I was surfing pregnant. Nine months pregnant. And now she's here, so it's going to be a great joy," Belle said.
Jacob Bailey said boating is about more than recreation — it is about connection.
"It's just such a good bonding activity for everybody. Talk to many other boaters, and they'll pretty much say the same thing. Once you got that boat life in you, it never really goes away," Jacob Bailey said.
"They always say, boat money is completely different than your regular money… so you'll do just about anything to get on the water," Jacob Bailey said.
Raz Crocker, who co-owns Sunset Boats in Waterford, says the business picks up, winterizes, and stores pontoons during the off-season. He does not expect rising fuel prices to dramatically change how often customers use their boats on inland lakes.
"You can literally trailer to a boat ramp anywhere around here to a lake within minutes, and be on the water. So, it's a lifestyle," Crocker said.
"It's probably not going to affect, in my opinion, their boating lifestyle on inland lakes. Because the boats today — modern boats — don't tend to burn a lot of fuel, especially pontoon boats," Crocker said.
What Crocker is noticing, however, is the rising cost of hauling boats back to customers at the start of the season.
"Yes, we forecast cost increases with our insurance, truck payments, and business costs, but we did not expect a 75 percent rise in fuel costs. It's highly noticeable on our bottom line," Crocker said.
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