I'm baaaaack....

I took two similar trips in my first miata, but was alone both times, though she who I did not obey enough at that time followed me back in her own miata on one trip.

I remember getting about 30 mpg and gas was something like $1.10 to $1.30 a gallon, so the gas bill for both trips combined was lower than your single trip now.

Speaking of gasoline, I was paying the other day and heard the clerk tell a lady $347.00. I looked out and she had a large pickup truck hooked to a large boat. Yikes! I think that I will stick to paddling for a while....

Pat

You disobeyed her so badly that she followed you several thousand miles?? Man, what did you do to her?! I take it you got away?

Eric

I take the fifth, but it was not illegal. Hmmmm, to clarify, it was not illegal in the state that we were located in at the time, but that may have changed in the last 5 years. ;-)

Well, I am still breathing, I guess so. :-)

Pat

Power boating is an amazingly expensive hobby. I have a friend that was basically given full use of a moderate-sized boat with an in-board V8, only to find he couldn't afford the gas to use it.

Dana

Kayaking and canoes can be pretty expensive too, but at least 99% of the expense is in the initial purchase of the boat and accessories.

Plus kayaking, when properly done by using the torso for power and the arms as levers for the paddle, is one of the best ways to keep the spare tire gut away and is great for cardiovascular exercise.

BTW, my "kayak" has a mount for a trolling motor and battery, but ANY motorized vehicle to be operated on public Texas waters must be registered, regardless of power and speed. I am estimating that it will have a top speed of about 5 mph with the motor, or about what two decent paddlers can get it going for a while. It is a sit on top tandem model that is much more stable than fast. Perfect for fishing or playing from, not so great for long trips.

The point is, the registration process is complicated and there is very little difference in price between registering my 12 foot plastic boat with a 28 pound thrust electric trolling motor and a 30 foot high-horsepower motorboat, so even "electric power" boating is pretty expensive here.

Pat

Does it cost $300/day to operate your kayak?

That depends on whether or not a "stripper" has been hired to go along and have fun for the day. :-)

Pat

Back around 1990 I had a lake home and of course wanted a boat to go with it. So I bought a used Chriscraft Scorpian 230 (typical 350 V8 boat). I was expecting it to be hard on gas, but as the first week went by the needle on the fuel gauge took its time dropping, so I was thinking "Hey, not too bad".

Then I went to the pump and it cost an amazing amount to fill. As it turns out, it had an 80 gallon tank.

miker

"Dana H. Myers" wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com:

One of life's truisms, "If it flys, f*cks or floats, it's cheaper to rent!"

pws wrote in news:h1VJg.10583$ snipped-for-privacy@tornado.texas.rr.com:

I was going through my gas bills for the trip and see the most expensive was $3.28 at Marble Canyon, AZ and the cheapest was $2.63/gallon here in Phoenix.

As you might imagine, the larger towns had the least expensive gas.

Boat - Noun. A hole in the water you throw money into.

Nice comeback! Ya, it could easily cost $300 ;-)

Chris

99BBB

Well, it has been rumored that Houston has the best strip clubs by far in Texas, but you wouldn't know anything about that since you are a married man. ;-)

I wonder if the gas spiking is going to increase the interest in paddle boats. The popularity of kayaking and canoing was already increasing, but as Dana pointed out, operating gas-powered boats is out of the price range of a lot of people and that number of people will increase with the cost of gas.

One friend who owned a boat simply applied the old, "gas, grass or ass, nobody rides for free" rule when taking his boat out. I don't think that he ever actually *paid* for gas except when he took it out alone.

Not much miata interest today, may as well talk boats. ;-)

Pat

To answer seriously, of course not.

That is one of the beautiful things about it. Plus I can roll it down to the water on a homemade trailer without a vehicle. I could carry it down there if it was a one-person craft, but it is a bit heavy being a tandem. It will actually hold two adults and a small child or dog up front.

It doesn't have the speed thrill of a fast motorboat, but it is quiet, provides excellent exercise and can go where very few if any motorized boats can go. The total cost was about $500.00, this being a used boat and new accessories, though I do have my eye on a $300.00 paddle that feels like you are holding air when you pick it up.

Pat

Actually over here in Eastern PA, today is a good day to have a boat and a not so good day to have a Miata! The remnants of Ernesto are overhead right about now. ;-(

I think Belle is going to stay in the garage today.

Iva & Belle.) '90B Classic Red.) #3 winkin' Miata

You would have my sympathies, but we need rain SO badly.

The lake is at the lowest level in six years and it is dropping one foot every week. This is also the hottest August ever on record for Central Texas. It is so bad that there is only one public boat launch open for a fairly large lake. It is going to be madness there today, I am so glad I won't need to use it.

We are accustomed to being hot and dry in August here, but this is especially bad.

Pat

good thing global warming is just a myth, think if it was really happening .......

Chris

99BBB

Nah, the icebergs are not disappearing, the polar ice caps are not shrinking, and the sea level is not rising.

If any of this is happening, it is purely natural from volcanoes and such, just another cycle. There is no way that the actions of billions of humans would have any effect on the planet.

Now go stick your head back under the sand........Thinking is no longer encouraged in this society.

Pat