Not feeling it this year

[Raider Ronnie]

Usually I'm in a big hurry to get in the water for early april.
Not so much this year !

Cost of slip up another $7 per ft from $130 to $137 per ft x 28 = $3836
Cost of fuel up atleast $1.50 a gal and who knows how high it will go !
Cost of haul ($400) no doubt will up with higher fuel prices, $450 + ?
Life raft inspect/repack $500-700
Permits $$$
Boat maintenance / prep another $500 + ?
Probably over $6000 just to get boat in the water not including my 1st fill up

Now add in the fact that thanks to catch shares , draggers have been hammering Stellwagen Bank since early fall and were still out there 3-4 weeks ago when I was on a friends commercial boat and saw them in action, anyone that thinks there is going to be much cod to catch has got to be smoking something

Economy is in the toilet and don't see it getting better any time soon, especially with this Hope & Change administration !
Full time job went from one of the busiest places around from when I started there in the late 1980s to wondering if we got enough work to stay busy from week to week, and wondering how much worse things are going to get,and we've got a small fraction of a crew working from years past.

Really can't get motivated to get boat ready and don't really want to part with $ to get it in the water.
Got repeat charters waiting on word to send deposits but just like every other of the many charters I talk with, no ones phone is ringing with new clients.

Anyone else in the same boat ?

 

[F/V First Team]

I'm on a mooring, so no rate increase there but I'll probably have another "inspection" due, just re-did the whole thing last year including an additional stone.
Fuel is stupidly expensive, should have filled up last year before I hauled out (doh)
Cost of hauling isn't that high, but it does add up quickly. Been seriously considering building a trailer, but then I'd need something to haul it with. Not to mention licensing and insurance headaches.
No life raft, but probably will be one on the next boat, can't wait for that little nugget of goodness.
Already bought my license, just have to rig up 400 traps and splice a pallet of rope for everything, painting buoys tomorrow.
Still need to buff and polish the boat, sand and paint the bottom, touch up the propeller and running gear, finish re-finishing interior, add cabinetry and other modifications.
And then there's bait and breaking in a green horn (a 5-potter who fancies himself a fisherman).

Probably will be around the same total that you just gave, hopefully less.

Then there's the inevitable trap war this summer... that should be fun

 

[Raider Ronnie]

I'm on a mooring, so no rate increase there but I'll probably have another "inspection" due, just re-did the whole thing last year including an additional stone.
Fuel is stupidly expensive, should have filled up last year before I hauled out (doh)
Cost of hauling isn't that high, but it does add up quickly. Been seriously considering building a trailer, but then I'd need something to haul it with. Not to mention licensing and insurance headaches.
No life raft, but probably will be one on the next boat, can't wait for that little nugget of goodness.
Already bought my license, just have to rig up 400 traps and splice a pallet of rope for everything, painting buoys tomorrow.
Still need to buff and polish the boat, sand and paint the bottom, touch up the propeller and running gear, finish re-finishing interior, add cabinetry and other modifications.
And then there's bait and breaking in a green horn (a 5-potter who fancies himself a fisherman).

Probably will be around the same total that you just gave, hopefully less.

Then there's the inevitable trap war this summer... that should be fun

Travis,
How bad is the boat building business up there ?

 

[F/V First Team]

Could be better

 

[Downeaster]

Travis,
How bad is the boat building business up there ?

Could be better

Very little new build interest but there is repair/upgrade work for the commercials. The new builds are driven mostly by the out-of-state sports.

 

[WoundUpMarine]

Then there's the inevitable trap war this summer... that should be fun

travis, do guys get cut a lot up there? i heard a few years back of a few buddies of mine getting cut a lot down in my area, but havent heard of anyone really fighting the past summer or two

 

[captainlarry84]

Freeport LI

Same here fuel is currently $4.79 a gallon gas $4.89. Time to pull the throttles back.

 

[FVSD]

Raider Ronnie-I'm feeling the exact same way, for some reason I can't get motivated this year. I'm was figuring....$4800.00 with a free dock and no repack. Basically a $1000 repair and $3800 of BS (seatow, licenses, battery, seacock etc....).

At least I'm not the only one.

 

[Powderpro]

High fuel prices are an economy killer, and I think they are going to make a bad economy even worse; I'm usually a very optimistic person, but overall, things aren't looking very good. I'm hoping that Hope and Change is out of office this January.

 

[CEShawn]

I'm definitely not feeling it this year. First off I was supposed to be at sea during this summer but now am due back for the whole season. Same time that news came in, found out that my marina decided to not have any charter boats this season after one boat caused us a few problems last year, can't blame them. Then thought I had an active buyer but I think I told him what I thought about the BUC value on downeast boats, the same thing my bank and insurance told me.

 

[F/V First Team]

travis, do guys get cut a lot up there? i heard a few years back of a few buddies of mine getting cut a lot down in my area, but havent heard of anyone really fighting the past summer or two

Not really in my area, but I'm pushing this year, going twice as far down the bay as I normally do and over to the Eastern side towards Stonington.

Should be fun times

Luckily I'm fairly well-known and well-liked so we'll see.

And with fuel prices being so high I guess it's a good thing that I can idle at 9 mph, chug right on down the bay.

 

[pjitty]

What is BUC value???

Joe D

 

[Blitzen]

I think you hit the nail on the head, I feel that there a lot of people today that are working harder, longer and in more stressful positions to live their lives the way that they are accustom and with everything from food to fuel and everything in between costing more it has to make you wonder where or when things will turnaround. If we just keep printing money to pay for all our debt and the value of the Dollar keeps declining against other currencies nothing is going to change for the better.

 

[offshore31]

Blitzen, you're a mind reader. Most of the guys I work with have never been this stressed, and putting in more hours than ever. everything costs more, with no end in sight. it seems like everyone's trying to pull every last penny out of my pocket. hard to get excited about launching with the bills. slip, 4300. bottom paint, etc to splash, another grand. then close to 5/gal and having to run 20sh miles for almost no fish. hard to be motivated.

on the other hand, as a friend of mine says, it's a good day because i woke up on the right side of the dirt.

 

[tunamojo]

i'm hoping that hope and change is out of office this january.

x2 .........

 

[F/V First Team]

Maybe you guys shouldn't have voted for them... :roll:

 

[CEShawn]

BUC Guide is some valuation of used boats... sort of funny because my bank and my insurance company didn't accept the value of it as there wasn't enough data on my boat... This guy quoted it, same as the surveyor price. The thing is in about having 5 downeast hulls surveyed through different surveyors, downeast prices are the hardest and usually just let you use what you want to. Someone feel free to correct me about the BUC guide and downeast boats. Perhaps in two or so years things have changed...

 

[Blitzen]

Maybe you guys shouldn't have voted for them... :roll:

Funny, I haven't met a soul yet that will admit that they voted for him. Have you seen any of the hope and change bumper stickers around?

 

[F/V First Team]

The Ex voted for him, that's the only soul I've known that did

I have seen a few stickers around, pulled a '12 bumper sticker off of a car as I was leaving the local pub the other night...

Clowns

 

[BillD]

Funny, I haven't met a soul yet that will admit that they voted for him. Have you seen any of the hope and change bumper stickers around?

I'd be surpised if more than 20% of the members on THIS forum voted for the "Kenyan" and his Chicago "community action" group of activists!

Back to waking up on "this side of the grass". All well and good as long as you are "under your own power" !!!!