Fuel costs could sink many boaters
GENEVIEVE REILLY
It's made Scott Berardo grateful he never decided to upgrade his single engine powerboat to a twin engine.
It's made Phil Levine happy that he takes to the seas under sail power.
And it may make "boat pooling" a popular option.
"It" is the rising cost of gasoline, which while high enough for most on dry land, is even costlier at boat docks.
"I think that everyone's going to be going out less," said Berardo, a boat owner for about 20 years. "It's a real concern."
Berardo, who wasn't even sure what gas was selling for at the docks, was washing his boat and prepping it for a summer in the water on Wednesday at Captain's Cove Marina in Bridgeport. There, gas at the dock was going for $4.40 a gallon and diesel was selling for $4.60.
"I've heard from some people that they're going to do more group activities," said Bruce Williams, vice president of Captain's Cove.
Much like car pooling, he said, a bunch of friends will go out on one boat one weekend, and someone else's the next, sharing the expenses.
"Or, they just plan to come down and sit on the boat at the dock for the social aspects," Williams said. "Some people started doing that last year."
Of course, there are always exceptions, like a New Jersey couple who flew in a private helicopter to the marina last week to oversee the launch of their catamaran.
Berardo's not one of those people, however.
With the yellow and blue helicopter parked not too far from where he was working on "North Zeron II," he said he normally doesn't take long boat trips anyway — the longest will be a hop over Long Island Sound to Port Jefferson or North Port, Long Island.
"I'll just do short stuff — go out to Southport and turn around and come back," Berardo said.
Levine, a Stratford resident and former Bridgeport teacher, was heading out with some friends on his sailboat Wednesday morning.
His take on the gas prices?
"I put three gallons of gas in at the beginning of the summer, and I take two gallons out at the end," Levine said. "I do a lot of sailing."
Williams said about half the boats at Captain's Cove are sailboats, and gas prices obviously won't have much of an effect on the segment of boaters.
He added he's surprised that there hasn't been a trend away from power boats to sail boats., something that occurred back in the '70s, when gas was in short supply.
"It doesn't seem like that's happening yet," Williams said. "There's actually more of a trend to small to midsize power boats."
At Rivers End Marina in Shelton, owner Bernie Shaw said he's heard that not too many people will be taking their boats out on the water.
"They're putting them in the water and using them more as a 'condo' because the price of fuel is just too expensive," Shaw said. "There are a few people using them, but not many."
There are 80 boat slips at his marina, and Shaw said right now gas is $4.25 "and I know it's going up when I get my next tank [fill]."
Boaters aren't the only ones who may be staying close to home this summer.
"Consumers are digging deeper to pay these prices and curtailing spending in other areas to do it," said Gene Guilford, head of the Independent Connecticut Petroleum Association. "For most, it is not just as simple as some believe, just use less, as for most of us that isn't a choice. We buy less of other things to afford gas," he said.
Guilford said it would not surprise him to "see people staying closer to home for summer at the rate these prices are going up."
Should long car trips be shelved or plane rides out of state be out of the question, the state is promoting attractions in Connecticut with the slogan "Closer than you think."
"The state has taken the lead on this," said Cathy Sidor, executive director of the Coastal Fairfield County Convention and Visitors Bureau. "We're talking about things that are just a gas tank away."
Her bureau, she said, has been heavily promoting area destinations in New York City neighborhoods.
"We're following their lead," Sidor said. "Fortunately, our board decided to do a special offers book. We have 22 hotel packages and discounts at restaurants and attractions that complements what the state is doing."
She said she thinks a good barometer of what is to come for the summer will be the state wide "open house" at museums, galleries and other attractions.
On that day, admission will be free and should be a gauge of whether visitors will be coming from out of state or locals.
Back at Captain's Cove, Williams is also in a wait-and-see mode as the Memorial Day weekend — the unofficial start of the summer season — is just a week away.
"A lot of people haven't had the chance to get their boats in the water yet," he said, "so we haven't really felt the effect of the gas prices — yet. We'll see that in about a month."
And while it might mean the boaters are taking to the water less often, it doesn't mean a business slowdown at the Cove, Williams said, which also offers fishing charters, boat cruises, a restaurant and shops.
"It does mean, oddly enough, that we're busier, because people tend to stay within the area and we offer a lot of attractions," he said.
GENEVIEVE REILLY
It's made Scott Berardo grateful he never decided to upgrade his single engine powerboat to a twin engine.
It's made Phil Levine happy that he takes to the seas under sail power.
And it may make "boat pooling" a popular option.
"It" is the rising cost of gasoline, which while high enough for most on dry land, is even costlier at boat docks.
"I think that everyone's going to be going out less," said Berardo, a boat owner for about 20 years. "It's a real concern."
Berardo, who wasn't even sure what gas was selling for at the docks, was washing his boat and prepping it for a summer in the water on Wednesday at Captain's Cove Marina in Bridgeport. There, gas at the dock was going for $4.40 a gallon and diesel was selling for $4.60.
"I've heard from some people that they're going to do more group activities," said Bruce Williams, vice president of Captain's Cove.
Much like car pooling, he said, a bunch of friends will go out on one boat one weekend, and someone else's the next, sharing the expenses.
"Or, they just plan to come down and sit on the boat at the dock for the social aspects," Williams said. "Some people started doing that last year."
Of course, there are always exceptions, like a New Jersey couple who flew in a private helicopter to the marina last week to oversee the launch of their catamaran.
Berardo's not one of those people, however.
With the yellow and blue helicopter parked not too far from where he was working on "North Zeron II," he said he normally doesn't take long boat trips anyway — the longest will be a hop over Long Island Sound to Port Jefferson or North Port, Long Island.
"I'll just do short stuff — go out to Southport and turn around and come back," Berardo said.
Levine, a Stratford resident and former Bridgeport teacher, was heading out with some friends on his sailboat Wednesday morning.
His take on the gas prices?
"I put three gallons of gas in at the beginning of the summer, and I take two gallons out at the end," Levine said. "I do a lot of sailing."
Williams said about half the boats at Captain's Cove are sailboats, and gas prices obviously won't have much of an effect on the segment of boaters.
He added he's surprised that there hasn't been a trend away from power boats to sail boats., something that occurred back in the '70s, when gas was in short supply.
"It doesn't seem like that's happening yet," Williams said. "There's actually more of a trend to small to midsize power boats."
At Rivers End Marina in Shelton, owner Bernie Shaw said he's heard that not too many people will be taking their boats out on the water.
"They're putting them in the water and using them more as a 'condo' because the price of fuel is just too expensive," Shaw said. "There are a few people using them, but not many."
There are 80 boat slips at his marina, and Shaw said right now gas is $4.25 "and I know it's going up when I get my next tank [fill]."
Boaters aren't the only ones who may be staying close to home this summer.
"Consumers are digging deeper to pay these prices and curtailing spending in other areas to do it," said Gene Guilford, head of the Independent Connecticut Petroleum Association. "For most, it is not just as simple as some believe, just use less, as for most of us that isn't a choice. We buy less of other things to afford gas," he said.
Guilford said it would not surprise him to "see people staying closer to home for summer at the rate these prices are going up."
Should long car trips be shelved or plane rides out of state be out of the question, the state is promoting attractions in Connecticut with the slogan "Closer than you think."
"The state has taken the lead on this," said Cathy Sidor, executive director of the Coastal Fairfield County Convention and Visitors Bureau. "We're talking about things that are just a gas tank away."
Her bureau, she said, has been heavily promoting area destinations in New York City neighborhoods.
"We're following their lead," Sidor said. "Fortunately, our board decided to do a special offers book. We have 22 hotel packages and discounts at restaurants and attractions that complements what the state is doing."
She said she thinks a good barometer of what is to come for the summer will be the state wide "open house" at museums, galleries and other attractions.
On that day, admission will be free and should be a gauge of whether visitors will be coming from out of state or locals.
Back at Captain's Cove, Williams is also in a wait-and-see mode as the Memorial Day weekend — the unofficial start of the summer season — is just a week away.
"A lot of people haven't had the chance to get their boats in the water yet," he said, "so we haven't really felt the effect of the gas prices — yet. We'll see that in about a month."
And while it might mean the boaters are taking to the water less often, it doesn't mean a business slowdown at the Cove, Williams said, which also offers fishing charters, boat cruises, a restaurant and shops.
"It does mean, oddly enough, that we're busier, because people tend to stay within the area and we offer a lot of attractions," he said.
