Fuel prices comming down but still nobody out

[Rich122]

Took an extended weekend and cruised up to Norwich CT, and still found very few boats out on the sound. We left Thursday morning and my friend(58DB) and I were the only boats out there for a 7 hour run. Ok maybe being Thursday, but Sunday was absolutely a great day and again nobody on the Thymes River and not a boat on the sound until we hit a pack of blowboats all bunched up near Exicution Rocks, (causing the usual mayhem, going slow and tacking in front of you). Fuel at American Wharf was $4.59/gal and was going down with their next shippment this week. American Wharf was empty, and I mean empty, like they didn't even have seasonal slip holders. A few more boats were out as we headed up the Hudson for home, but still far fewer for an August weekend. Just an observation I wanted to share.

But....
The Cirque Du Soel show at Foxwoods was great and Chris Rock Live at Mohegan Sun was a down right blast.

Rich

 

[VTSeaRay]

Yeah, we were out for 3-4 hrs Sunday afternoon, and I commented to my gf how few boats were out. She agreed. We saw maybe 15-25 boats, and the past 3-5 yrs where we were, on a day like yesterday we used to see, 50-100 easily this time of year.

For those familiar with Lake Champlain, we were out north of the Sand Bar to the North end of Savage Island.

-VtSeaRay

 

[KayKook]

Just the opposite here in W. Michigan. Were out all day Saturday, and all day Sunday. The most boats except for 4th of July we have seen. It's down a little bit from last year, but not by much. The gal at the gas dock said she had one of their busiest weekends for gas and diesel sales.

 

[VTSeaRay]

Maybe they were all out on Saturday here, as it was the better of the 2 days (even tho the forecasters had it the other way around). I didn't make it out Saturday as I'd planned, I had an unexpected (long story won't go into it here) brake job to do on my truck that took me twice as long as expected, once I got into it.

-VtSeaRay

 

[Nehalennia]

Well....I'm sure the prices will go back up and they'll use this Hurricane as the reason.......

 

[Pakmule]

We spent the weekend at the Burton State Park Marina on Lake Champlain and it was a zoo. Nothing stops the Canadians from boating.

 

[VTSeaRay]

We almost went up there(to Burton), it was my gf's birthday, and I gave her the helm, and pick which direction she wanted to go, she went to Sandbar.

-VtSeaRay

 

[wish2fish]

I would say there were less boats out than the past few weekends. Maybe because school is starting back up or the kids are all involved in sports like soccer/volleyball/football and the families don't go out anymore.

 

[Overextended]

Filled up at Anchor Bay Marina on Bear Creek here on the Chesapeake yesterday for $3.79/gal !!!! We thought there were a ton of folks out over the weekend in Baltimore and on the bay.

 

[Daniel P Thomas]

Left Hammond, IN Sat afternoon to run 18 miles over to meet friends in Portage for the weekend.
Commented to the admiral, that there were no, no boats out on lower Lake Michigan.
Coming back on Sunday we saw about 15 boats coming back from Chicago.
Normally on a day on Lake Michigan with 2 ft. rollers, it would be crowded. Not so this year.
Looked up my log from last year.
Aug 15, 2007 approx 70 hours on engines from May 1
Aug 16, 2008 I had 10 hours before 2 hour run to Portage.

We are paying $3.49/gal right now.
More dinghies in marina than ever before.

 

[Turtlesboat]

In the last few weekends i've noticed a HUGE increase in boats. Boats everywhere. WTH!!! I liked it better when I was the only powerboat out on the water for miles.

 

[Nehalennia]

In the last few weekends i've noticed a HUGE increase in boats. Boats everywhere. WTH!!! I liked it better when I was the only powerboat out on the water for miles.

Early in the season we didn't see as many either, but the last few weekends, there has been unbelievable VHF traffic, trying to find slips at Roche Harbor where we've gone the last two trips out.

Hit refresh to watch it live

 

[comsnark]

Gotta go with the Turtle on this one.

The last few weekends have been very busy in Jersey.

I was out yesterday. And there were a fair number of boats out -on a MONDAY. Lots of boats, lots of Jetskis. Previous years, the waters would be completely vacant on a Monday.

Gas in my area is down maybe 30 cents off the peak. A bigger factor, I think, is that weather earlier in the summer was really cruppy. The last few weekends have been perfect.

 

[STIHLBOLTS]

I don't have 25 hours on my boat either, but then I have jumped back over to the wild side and been doing more Jet Ski ridding this past summer. :grin:

 

[sbw1]

We spent 5 weeks cruising in northern Lake Michigan from late June to early August and found the boat traffic to be pretty normal. Most of the popular marinas were pretty full at the end of the day and we had to wait a day to get into Charlevoix's new city marina. Harbor Springs was filled about every day. Back in west Michigan now and our lake has been very busy on the week ends and pleasantly busy with locals water skiing week nights. Boats are going by our house as I type this reply. Early June was slow, but the weather was not great--cool and rainy.

 

[G4Titan]

This past weekend was a complete zoo... It's like the crack down in the oil price has sent everyone to the docks! I loved having the channel to myself but I guess I got a lil spolied :smt001

 

[Converse48]

Seemed like there was alot more people out this past weekend where I am on the Chesapeake.

Earlier this year it was eerily quiet.

 

[comsnark]

FWIW. . . I have noticed something about highway driving.

I tend to lock in 72-74 on cruise control and smile as I pass all the NJ speed traps waiting for "big fish". Early this summer, I noticed that I was actually passing alot of people driving 65 or under. Last few weekends. . . I am being passed on both the left and right. Still driving 72-74 on cruise control.

The "window" to buy a SUV at bargain basement prices may be drawing to a close!!

 

[JVM225]

The boat traffic was fairly light around here this season, but this past weekend it seemed to be back up to normal.

 

[VTSeaRay]

This might be stating the obvious, but I think part of what we're seeing in our area(with light traffic on the water) is at least due to two things, one is due to folks just saving for their current needs/budgets, and secondly, what they expect this winter's fuel costs to be, and they're getting ready for that major impact. I think a lot of people around here, are quite nervous about it all. As I drive around, I see many more folks with stacks of wood outside their houses this year than in years past.
I know my parents have ordered a wood pellet stove, and others are also purchasing coal stoves as alternatives.

-VtSeaRay