Now that I have a boat everyone wants to be my friend.

[BRICH1260]

Re: Now that I have a boat everyone wants to be my friend.

People that want to go out on the lake and consistantly show up without fuel money, food or drinks or some other contribution to the cause, don`t get invited after awhile on my boat. These are usally the same people that show up to the dock late and always want to go in early. I`ve got enough friends that are more considerate to put up with the muchers.

Now I do factor in that some friends help me out in other ways, maybe aside from boating. For those people my treating them to a day on the lake is a way of repaying the favor.

 

[kfa4303]

Re: Now that I have a boat everyone wants to be my friend.

No a##, no grass, no cash = No ride Not really, but kinda. Maybe back in the day when gas was cheaper, gas money wasn't such a big deal, but not so much nowadays. My neighbor has a big 'ol, 20+ ft. cabin cruiser with all the bells and whistles that he takes out with the family almost every weekend. They have a great time, and zoom all over the place, but he said they can spend over $300+ on fuel in a weekend and that was last summer!!!!! Yikers! and I'm complaining about my little 6 gallon tank! I think most folks just don't realize how much it really takes to keep even a little boat up and running. I know I can easily spend $50 on a simple little day trip for 2 without even trying. You'd have to catch an awful lot of fish to make it worth while, but I'm veggie so I don't even eat them anymore. I basically just go out feed them really nice bait on a string for my own amusement, I guess. LOL!

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Now that I have a boat everyone wants to be my friend.

the question of getting/giving contributions is also a function of age. When we were 14-15, if you didn't have a boat, you just sat on the gas dock with your paper route/lawn mowing money. a guy with a boat would come buy, you hop in and buy some gas, adn you all go off skiing. he gets someone to spot or drive while he skis, you get to go boating for an hour or so. 40 years later, I don't care if my guest pays for gas, and I'd never ask. If they offer, I decline, but appreciate the gesture.

In college, when you went on a road trip, each passenger pitched in for gas (unless he brought the beer). 35 years later, if some friends and I are going out of town for a concert or to go hunting, I wouldn't dream of asking them to pitch in for gas. (Tolls are different b/c that's just what you do.) But my college age children still do. If I wasn't so nice about the boat, or if they used it constantly, I'd have them put some gas in, too, and they'd get their friends to help out.

I like the analogy about the heating oil

 

[jdlough]

Re: Now that I have a boat everyone wants to be my friend.

I can get my own gas. It's easy enough, and I was going out anyway.

The nearest live bait store is over 30 miles away. My Son-in-Law usually shows up with live eels or bloodworms. It is much appreciated.

 

[jigngrub]

Re: Now that I have a boat everyone wants to be my friend.

Make sure your friends are with you when you pull up to the gas pump and ask "who wants to chip in for gas?" The ones that don't chip in should be excluded from the next couple of trips and they might get the point.

 

[Silver Eagle]

Re: Now that I have a boat everyone wants to be my friend.

I always say I'll buy the gas you buy the eat's. works most of the time.We never know what's for lunch/ good lunch longer trip.

 

[roscoe]

Re: Now that I have a boat everyone wants to be my friend.

Saw a boat a couple years ago, had a sticker on the side of the outboard that read " This motor consumes $54 of gas per hour"

I'm guessing it was a hint to his friends.

 

[vi]

Re: Now that I have a boat everyone wants to be my friend.

Hey Come boating with me if your in Lake Mead area ,guy like you there is always room for on my boat!!!Vic

 

[90stingray]

Re: Now that I have a boat everyone wants to be my friend.

I planned a guys trip out on the lake with a two weeks notice with a day that worked with everyone. The idea was just to drink beers and hangout with my buddies... i provided the truck, boat, gas, beer, and snacks... everything was in the driveway ready to go and one by one everyone texted and cancelled on me I thought that would have been a packed boat! If someone offered the same to me i would have been there helping with anything i could... i guess non boaters just don't love being on the water as much as i do. I was bummed out... not that no one wanted to go. But that i didn't end up going to the lake.

 

[johnsonjam02]

Re: Now that I have a boat everyone wants to be my friend.

It is not so much about gas money. Money is pretty easy to come by. I get a direct deposit every two weeks. But gas is not autodeposited in my tank. It is getting harder every boating season to find 100% gas. Our lakes don't have gas docks. So to have an extra 5 gallons sitting in the truck would be a big help. Pulling the boat all over town searching for good gas is a pain.
I am also trying to figure out how to operate this new to me boat. I drive for a few minutes and I have someone asking if they can drive. I bought the boat so that I can take my wife and kids boating. I am not yet comfortable enough with the boat to do that.
My friends do invite themselves. I start off thinking it would be worth it so I can concentrate on the controls while they watch for other boats and objects in the water. I have taken the boat out three times. A total of 6 hours. I have probably only been at the wheel 2 out of 6 hours.

 

[ENSIGN]

Re: Now that I have a boat everyone wants to be my friend.

Unless it's close family get some cash from your cheap (friends)

 

[jasoutside]

Re: Now that I have a boat everyone wants to be my friend.

Interesting thread...

Here's me...

If you come for a ride on my boat, you are my guest and I am glad to have you aboard. Let's just go have a great day on the water, K?

If you offer me cash for gas, I appreciate the offer but I'll likely say "thanks but keep it." (If fuel is $4 a gal, I may take you up on the generous offer)

If you bring along brownies and KoolAid, great (cuz they will go perfect with the roast beef sammiges I brought)! Let's eat!

Certainly neither are required for a ticket to ride though.

 

[roscoe]

Re: Now that I have a boat everyone wants to be my friend.

Hey there johnson, just take the boat out by yourself, get comfortable with it, have a little alone time with the new girl.

If anyone finds out, and wants to go along, LIE to them, tell them there is something wrong with it and you are just driving it to the shop. If they want to tag along to the shop, they have to pay the repair bill. LOL

Or tell them you are just going to practice backing the trailer, and launch and load a few times so you get comfortable with it.

Try this website to find non-ethanol gas in your area.



http://pure-gas.org/

 

[roscoe]

Re: Now that I have a boat everyone wants to be my friend.

I planned a guys trip out on the lake with a two weeks notice with a day that worked with everyone. The idea was just to drink beers and hangout with my buddies... i provided the truck, boat, gas, beer, and snacks... everything was in the driveway ready to go and one by one everyone texted and cancelled on me I thought that would have been a packed boat! If someone offered the same to me i would have been there helping with anything i could... i guess non boaters just don't love being on the water as much as i do. I was bummed out... not that no one wanted to go. But that i didn't end up going to the lake.

This is what people do these days.
Very selfish.
Make commitments they have no intention to keep.
They (think) they have nothing to lose by saying they will go, then back out if something else pops up.

What they are losing, over time, is your respect, friendship, and of course future invitations to the lake.

And the whole texting to cancel out thing, tells you a lot. They don't even have the stomach to call you and
talk to you.


They just ruined your day, and could care less.

sorry

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Now that I have a boat everyone wants to be my friend.

You can use e-10 in your boat if you use it in 30-60 days, or add some stabilizer. There are a million discussions on this here. I'd buy th epure gas only if it's convenient and you don't use the boat much.

I worry about this: "so I can concentrate on the controls while they watch for other boats and objects in the water" YOU, and ONLY YOU, have to concentrate on the controls AND keep a look out. If you can't do that yet, which is fine, leave the distractions on the shore. You don't turn a 15 year old with a learner's permit loose in the car with 5 friends, for the same reason. Shut off the cell phone and stereo, too.

There is no substitute for experience. Sounds to me you are moving too fast. You need more "behind the wheel."

 

[BonairII]

Re: Now that I have a boat everyone wants to be my friend.

(If fuel is $4 a gal, I may take you up on the generous offer)

What do you mean IF gas is $4 bucks a gallon? It's around $3.90 per gallon near me.

I've only taken a buddy fishing once so far(boat is pretty new to me) and he pitched in for gas cause he knows boating ain't cheap.

Those who believe "you're going out anyway" so no need to pitch in for gas thing, is crazy. With that thinking, I guess it's ok to carpool to work and not pay for gas. They're going to work anyway, right.


I think of this way...
If I'm responsible for towing, launching, driving,and fixing the boat(should we break down) and my insurance is going to be sued should you get hurt....the least a "friend" could do is split the gas etc.

 

[River_Lizard]

Re: Now that I have a boat everyone wants to be my friend.

I have a simple rule.

If I invite them to go boating with me I don't expect a thing.

If they invite themselves to go boating with me, then I expect some help with fuel cost or food/drinks.

Boatless people I usually ask for donations. Boat owners that I know from the river I don't expect a dime, I would just hope the invite goes both ways down the road and I can get a ride on their boat.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Now that I have a boat everyone wants to be my friend.

It is not so much about gas money. Money is pretty easy to come by. I get a direct deposit every two weeks. But gas is not autodeposited in my tank. It is getting harder every boating season to find 100% gas. Our lakes don't have gas docks. So to have an extra 5 gallons sitting in the truck would be a big help. Pulling the boat all over town searching for good gas is a pain.
I am also trying to figure out how to operate this new to me boat. I drive for a few minutes and I have someone asking if they can drive. I bought the boat so that I can take my wife and kids boating. I am not yet comfortable enough with the boat to do that.
My friends do invite themselves. I start off thinking it would be worth it so I can concentrate on the controls while they watch for other boats and objects in the water. I have taken the boat out three times. A total of 6 hours. I have probably only been at the wheel 2 out of 6 hours.

What is this with letting your friends run your recreation. Let them know in certain terms that nobody drives this boat but me. Guess who gets stuck with the bill if they make some bonehead move and damage the engine or hull. If they aren't around to help with anything else they darned sure are not going to be around to fix and/or pay for what they broke. It's your boat -- your rules. Let them be the captain and you will no longer have fun boating. If you insist on being polite, tell them your insurance does not cover someone else driving the boat. Period -- done deal. If they are inviting themselves you have every right to say no. All it takes is a littlebackbone. If you are still learning to run the boat, then a boatful of ungrateful friends is not a way for you to do that. Taking one person who is an experienced boater is a wise alternative. When you know your boat, know the rules, and feel safe operating it then INVITE people to go along if you wish. Unless these folks are sitting on your doorstep, they will never know you are gone unless you tell them. If that's the case, don't tell them.

 

[Viking62]

Re: Now that I have a boat everyone wants to be my friend.

As a rule nobody drives my boat but me. There are a couple exceptions though. My brother is one and I have one GOOD friend who I ask every time we go out "you wanna drive". He drove it once shortly after I bought and since then always reply's "its your boat".
We seem to take a lot kids out for tubing, boarding etc. My kids want them to come. Most parents offer gas money and most are very thankful. Personally I don't accept money but love the thanks and the kids excitement. Lots of times their parents will treat everyone to ice creams. Good enough for me.
If I felt I was being taken advantage of things would change.

Oh and I'm left handed. When and where?

 

[UncleWillie]

Re: Now that I have a boat everyone wants to be my friend.

... There is no right answer of course, except perhaps that no one wants to be taken advantage of or for granted.

If you are the kind of person who likes taking friends out, and you have friends in the first place, boating is supposed to be a relaxing social event, no different than having people over for a cook-out. Take the same approach. BYOB or my keg? Everyone bring something, or just come? Both ways work.

The comparison to the Cookout would be valid if your friends invited themselves over for steaks, insisted they get to operate the grill, drank your keg, and didn't help clean up, but just said Thanks and that they would be back next weekend, and this was all OK with you!