I remember growing up a “river rat,” being on the Ohio River with my parents and sister, aunts, uncles and cousins at least every weekend through the summer and we even have a picture or two of us wearing our winter coats on the boat. We were dedicated rats.
As I recall, there may have been one or two things my dad would complain about and the price of gas for our car was one of those – and I could never figure out who the heck Ethyl was and why she aggravated my dad.
But, I never heard him complain about gas for our boat. As a matter of fact, I think he looked forward to getting gas, as we always stopped at the same place on Harrods Creek here in Louisville. The man that worked the pump sometimes could be grumpy or maybe he just looked grumpy. He reminded me of a pirate and not the kind in the movies. But looking back, my dad enjoyed those minutes chatting with him while our boat filled up.
And I don’t really hear people complaining about gas today for their boats either; yes, it is safe to say the price has jumped just a bit since the prices of my youth. I filled up my car yesterday and it was $3.79 per gallon here by my house. I didn’t like it, but I filled her up anyway. But I know, had it been my honey and me filling up our boat for a day on the river, neither of us would have even thought twice about the price.
We would be thinking of the day ahead, the relaxation, the enjoyment of being on the river in our boat. We’d be chatting, excited and wondering who we might see out there and if we would tie up with anyone that day. I would be making sure we had our provisions for our adventure, while he pumped the gas in to our get-a-way vehicle. Our boat.
I just don’t think boaters are going to worry too much about the price of gas. The trade off is way worth it and if the rest of them are like us they will find different places to stop, maybe tie off with friends, or just spend quiet time lounging. Most of the time boats are not running constantly, it seems.
So, I thought I would look up and see what the difference in gas prices are today from oh how about last year? According to GasBuddy.com today our national average price was $3.84, and a year ago today it was $3.58. That is $.26 per gallon more, unless you are styling on a yacht, you really are not going to use that much gas anyway and besides the chances are good that engine will not be going all the time you are out. Who does that anyway? Just full throttle, zipping up-river and down-river, back and forth, just burning up all their gas? Nobody that I know, right off.
Common sense will help out with the prices, too. Keeping the engine maintained, the propeller clean and working good would be a good start. Some may choose to stay a bit closer to home, the marina, or the dock. However you choose to make your gas go a bit farther is smart. Besides the farther we can make the gas go, the longer we stay out. As I said, common sense is a good thing.
By making sure you have the boating accessories you need, the provisions you demand, and the company you like to keep the best will always make for a great day out on the water. Make sure you follow your boating safety tips, keep those life jackets nearby (or better yet…ON), your boat insurance is up to date and go for it. Yep, you may pay just a bit extra but it is worth it for today, tomorrow and beyond. As I said before – We are dedicated rats.
So, I think boaters will keep right on boating, the “river rats” will still be relaxing on the water, meeting up with old friends, making new friends and from time to time for me, kind of wishing the old pirate was still pumping gas on Harrods Creek.
Keep Boating and feel free to share your adventures with me, or even if you need to complain about the price of gas you are paying to get out on your boat… complain right here. We’ve got plenty of room.
