Gas...and guests

[Ghibli]

@ToddL I thought you were clear. I was just commenting on the "need a driver" line of thinking. @Ilivetoski I would think the expectation is different if the "guest" is catching a few sets a week as opposed to a few sets a year?

[Ilivetoski]

Not necessarily. Especially if they are doing something like coaching, videoing, if I tricked pulling for me, etc. We don't really have anyone that we ski with on a weekly or bi weekly basis but it would be all the same. When I got into tournament skiing none of the people who invited me to ski with them ever took any gas or money so I decide to do the same. In fact, I came home from college last weekend and brought a team mate with me to ski at my site. My dad paid him for gas for bringing me down.

[Ilivetoski]

@Ghibli

[6balls]

mostly it's a regular gig, and mostly my ski partners and I show up with gas when using the other's boat. Sometimes life gets in the way on a short notice ski set...no biggie. Over a season it comes out in the wash. If an out of town baller shows up as my guest (which has occurred), I'm not accepting anything. It's not b/c I need a driver, it's the hospitality. My guest, my site, let's go rip it.

[sunperch]

@Ghibli, I agree with your thinking. Even at $20 a set, I would be saving a lot of money by bumming rides. I prefer owning a boat so I don't have to ask for rides, so gladly incur the expenses, but I don't like being taken advantage of. We had to cut the free rides when one holiday weekend 8 members without boats showed up and we were the only ones there with a boat to put in the water. I hate to have to ask for $$ but I cannot subsidize others, especially when I am often hearing about their latest vacation to some tropical island.

[Waternut]

@Toddl I'm totally with you man. I'm the kind of person who just hopes the gas we burn is covered when we take my boat but you won't hear me complain if it isn't. I could sit at my house doing nothing or I could ski with friends. In my mind, skiing isn't a profitable or a breakeven activity nor is boat ownership so to expect that is ridiculous.

 

I also agree with @sunperch in that I don't want to be taken advantage of. However, if I have to pay $20-$30 in gas to pull friends on my boat because they didn't pay, I still got to go out and hang out with people I like and do something I enjoy. That's cheaper than going out for dinner and drinks, hosting a BBQ or dinner, driving a couple hours to go rock climbing, going bowling, playing golf, etc. etc. I don't know about you guys but

 

If you want to justify what you pay people for a set, let your imagination run free. If you want to justify what others owe you for their time on your boat, you need to be real careful because you dance a fine line between being friendly and being a douchebag that no one wants to be around.

[DW]

From Automotive News: (good news for the marine crowd)

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- A leading ethanol group reacted vigorously on Friday to media reports of a proposed easing of biofuel requirements next year, calling for U.S. agencies to investigate the leak of a draft Environmental Protection Agency document.

 

On Thursday, Reuters and other news outlets reported on EPA documents that showed the agency proposing a reduction in the amount of corn-based ethanol that would be required for blending into gasoline next year, a retreat from the landmark 2007 law and a major victory for the oil industry.

 

[scuppers]

@waternut - your last comment made me smile. Do that for about 25 years and come back to your post. See if you feel differently. Oh, and the apre' ski dinners, drinks, and bbqs usually end up at your house (additional expense). That is, if you not a douchebag.

[skiinxs]

I have a gas dock at my lake so no need for cans of gas. If it is offered, cash is accepted. As a matter of fact, unless I personally filled up a can of my own, it will not go into my boat. I ended up getting my boat fueled (out of cans) at a tournament a few years ago with bad gas. It smelled like it had diesel fuel in it. High pressure fuel pump, all new filters, remove the tank and flush out, way too much of my time spent correcting the results that should have been spent skiing. The only way I can guarantee that won't happen again is to not allow "unknown" fuel to be put into my boats.

[allycat]

no fuel or cash no ski but my ski buddies buy the good stuff so its okay (premium 98 )and i apreciate it there welcome anytime i am not that cashed up and can ski with my misses and kids so don t rely on other people but like the company

 

[thompjs]

@skiinxs I had a trace of diesel in a can added to my boat at a tournament. I just kept running it until it went away. I just ran that tank close to empty and refilled.

It just stunk right behind the boat when it was running.

 

I thought I was the only one.