Tampa Bay marinas, boaters feeling gas price pains
By Barrett Tryon
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TAMPA, Florida (WFTS) — High gas prices are hitting drivers at the pump, but the pain is also being felt at the marina as boaters hit the water for the Easter holiday weekend.
Fuel prices for boats are typically higher than what people put in their cars. However, it is a lot tougher to tell the difference these days.
A lot of the rental shops talked to Tampa Bay 28 on Saturday and said the same thing: prices have not stopped people from coming in. But they all agreed they are watching gas prices closely and said their own prices will go up if they cannot catch a break soon.
Garrett Sherman is a dockmaster at the Riverwalk in Tampa. He is the first and last person people see as they dock downtown.
“I get to work in this nice weather. I get to view all of these beautiful boats,” Sherman said.
He explained that people show up at all times of the day, which means he hears a lot about how much it costs to top off the tank.
“There’s a common acronym when you own a boat, which is B-O-A-T, bring out another thousand,” Sherman joked.
Visitor Brad Gordee experienced the rising costs firsthand when planning his family vacation.
“I booked this trip for my daughter’s 18th birthday like two months ago, and the captain on the boat was kind of like, ‘oh, you know, I don’t know if I should charge you guys a surcharge for fuel or not,'” Gordee said.
Even with surcharges and pricier trips to the pump, the costs do not appear to be stopping boaters from enjoying the water.
“You need it. You have to have it. If it’s expensive, it’s going to put a dent into the old bank account. It’s too bad. Hopefully they get lower,” visitor Kirk Olimb said.
Prices no one can seem to motor away from — whether it’s by land or sea.
“Whether they’re out there boating, they’re not really thinking about it. They’re just thinking about I’m out here for a fun day,” Sherman said.
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