Pontoon Boat & Deck Boat Forum

As boating season nears for those of not blessed with a year round season, what is everyone seeing regarding gas prices at your local marina/fuel dock?

I checked one of the places on my lake yesterday and they are at $6.99 for non-ethanol. About what I expected, but certainly not great. I paid right around $4 - $4.50 last season.

I rarely buy gas from the on-lake marinas, so I will have to check. Off lake, non-ethanol is $4.27, and regular is $3.82.

Double whammy for those who are going to have to buy gas since they can't just stay off the water..... Gotta justify paying 20% over new retail for that used boat last year.

Marc K wrote: ↑

Thu Mar 17, 2022 6:53 pm

I rarely buy gas from the on-lake marinas, so I will have to check. Off lake, non-ethanol is $4.27, and regular is $3.82.

I'll gladly pay the on-water upcharge for the convenience of not having to trailer my boat, or lug gas cans to the dock. There are about 300 boats in our marina, each paying $3200-4000 a year. And each year I'll see a couple of families heading to their boat with multiple 5-gallon cans. Seems to me that if you're willing to pay that much for a slip, you'd have enough $$ and/or be willing to pay for the convenience not having to haul around those cans. Not to mention it's against the rules at our docks to bring your own fuel.

steve1313 wrote: ↑

Mon Mar 21, 2022 5:58 am

Marc K wrote: ↑

Thu Mar 17, 2022 6:53 pm

I rarely buy gas from the on-lake marinas, so I will have to check. Off lake, non-ethanol is $4.27, and regular is $3.82.

I'll gladly pay the on-water upcharge for the convenience of not having to trailer my boat, or lug gas cans to the dock. There are about 300 boats in our marina, each paying $3200-4000 a year. And each year I'll see a couple of families heading to their boat with multiple 5-gallon cans. Seems to me that if you're willing to pay that much for a slip, you'd have enough $$ and/or be willing to pay for the convenience not having to haul around those cans. Not to mention it's against the rules at our docks to bring your own fuel.

I get that, Steve.

I rotate a fair amount of fuel through my boathouse and shop for emergencies, generators, mowers, lake fire pump, etc. I'm only 68, so carrying a pair of 5-gallon cans is not a strain yet. I have a little 12v electric fuel pump to fill the boat while it's still on the lift, with the gas cans on the dock. This works well for me and I save a little beer money since I'm hauling fuel home for other stuff anyway.

Marc

I carry my 5 gallon cans to my dock. I use a gorilla wheelbarrow. It can carry 4 of the 5 gallon jugs down the hill to the dock. It is not a big deal to do and saves me a trip to the marina which is not real close by. I use a shaker siphon to fill the boats. Plus I am putting fuel in multiple boats. I keep the pontoon around 3/4 full, the dual console a little above 1/2 and the waverunner mostly full. That way any of the boats are ready to go even if it is a long trip.

Gas prices are crazy in CA, just under or over $6.00. But compared to a gallon of Starbucks regular coffee at $19.60 not to bad

I just paid 5.57/9 per gallon for ethanol free 89 octane at the River Haven Marina in Homosassa Fl yesterday PM.
A half-tank of gas cost me $123.55.

Marc K wrote: ↑

Mon Mar 21, 2022 6:07 pm

I rotate a fair amount of fuel through my boathouse and shop for emergencies, generators, mowers, lake fire pump, etc. I'm only 68, so carrying a pair of 5-gallon cans is not a strain yet. I have a little 12v electric fuel pump to fill the boat while it's still on the lift, with the gas cans on the dock. This works well for me and I save a little beer money since I'm hauling fuel home for other stuff anyway.

Marc

I do the exact same thing - 2 5gal cans and a battery pump. The station with marine gas is a block away and much cheaper than dock gas.

-Paul

Our boats still aren't in the water at our marina. They're getting them out. I suspect they'll be in by this weekend so i'll be curious to see what the on the water prices are, but even if we go out every weekend, it's a pontoon. We're not guzzling gas on this thing. Even running out to our usual spots and back it's only about a 1/2 tank every 3 trips. I could probably putt around all summer on 1 tank LOL.

But we can't fill up at our docks, if we do, we're out and i'm ok with that rule.

wiread wrote: ↑

Tue Apr 19, 2022 2:38 pm

Our boats still aren't in the water at our marina. They're getting them out. I suspect they'll be in by this weekend so i'll be curious to see what the on the water prices are, but even if we go out every weekend, it's a pontoon. We're not guzzling gas on this thing. Even running out to our usual spots and back it's only about a 1/2 tank every 3 trips. I could probably putt around all summer on 1 tank LOL.

But we can't fill up at our docks, if we do, we're out and i'm ok with that rule.

A different perspective and usage pattern than mine for sure!

Marc K wrote: ↑

Tue Apr 19, 2022 7:08 pm

wiread wrote: ↑

Tue Apr 19, 2022 2:38 pm

Our boats still aren't in the water at our marina. They're getting them out. I suspect they'll be in by this weekend so i'll be curious to see what the on the water prices are, but even if we go out every weekend, it's a pontoon. We're not guzzling gas on this thing. Even running out to our usual spots and back it's only about a 1/2 tank every 3 trips. I could probably putt around all summer on 1 tank LOL.

But we can't fill up at our docks, if we do, we're out and i'm ok with that rule.

A different perspective and usage pattern than mine for sure!

Mine too; for damn sure!

my friend has a big wake boarding boat, he probably spends as much on gas in one weekend as i do all summer LOL.

Just got the email on Monday, our boat is in the water, now if it can get out of the 40's and hope some of these 30MPH winds actually blow the clouds away one day, I'll get out and use it. It's funny, in the fall, If it's near 50, i'm out there enjoying the river and lakes. Spring? I wait until it's 70 and sunny to head out.

Weather was good enough to come down for the weekend yesterday....a full month earlier than last year which seemed to be a short summer in SC. Little under a half tank of premium from QT in the truck at $4.30, $70. Little over half a tank of 90 ethanol free in the boat from the lake shop on the way down at $4.80, $100. Might cruise by the self service pumps on the water at one of the campgrounds where we'll gas up the rest of the year to see what it's running there.
*Edit* $4.65 at the self serve lake pump.

On the plus side I took my filler neck off for the second time back in November while I was putting a couple subwoofers in to see if I could figure out why I can only dribble gas in. First time was shortening the fill hose to make sure it had a good slope and checking the vent lines for p traps. Seriously, have had to pump at the rate of like a gallon a minute and keep cramming paper towels around the nozzle and gas still would push out or pour out with any kind of harder squeeze. Have a nice gas stain on my rear deck from filling up on the water and getting it everywhere. The neck has two metal prongs in it I guess to keep the nozzle from going too deep and hitting this needle thing that pokes down in it that is connected to the tank with a 1/4" line. Can't figure out what it's for since the main vent line T's to the front and rear of the tank and vents back into the side of the filler neck. Maybe the needle helps with the pressure wave that makes the pump kick off, don't know. Anyway I cut the needle off flush with the top of the neck, probably should've filled down the prongs too so the gas nozzle would go in further but didn't. Yesterday it took gas as hard as I could feed it and didn't leak a drop. Was sooooo happy.

The place on my lake that was $6.99 dropped to $5.99 for non ethanol.

But the marina I typically use is only $4.99 and that almost seems like a bargain! Their fuel is 10% ethanol, but it's ValvTect fuel made for marine engines. I've used it almost exclusively in my boats for the last 7 years without an issue.

https://www.valvtect.com/markets/marine ... -gasoline/