Gas Price Won’t Scuttle Boaters’ Big Weekend
Filling up the SUV for the Memorial Day weekend: $80.
Taking a run down to Baja in the motor home: $120.
Thinking of heading out to Catalina in the power boat? Ka-ching.
Southern California’s high-end boat owners aren’t letting the cost of gasoline spoil their holiday getaways -- they say celebrating summer’s kickoff is worth it.
Real estate salesman Dan Keller, 52, and his wife, Claudia, of Dana Point, bought 80 gallons of unleaded fuel for the Fired Up, their handsome, 29-foot dual outboard.
At $2.88 a gallon, Keller didn’t flinch when he forked over $246, which included tax. It could have been worse. His tank holds 275 gallons.
“I wouldn’t use the phrase ‘it doesn’t affect us,’ because we’re boaters,” Keller said. “But I try to use the boat when I can, because it’s a great escape for us.”
Rising fuel prices have kept the Kellers closer to their home port at Dana Point Harbor. They have curtailed trips to Santa Catalina, which can easily eat up 40 gallons.
On Thursday, they and friends were headed up the coast for a short excursion, a chance for some quiet time before the weekend’s expected crush of boats and yachts. “It’s going to be a busy weekend,” said Kyle Williams, 23, manager at the Dana Point fuel dock.
Eston Ellis, editor of Sea magazine, said its recent survey found that boaters are taking fuel costs in stride, as “one of those little inconveniences in life.”
The state’s highways also are expected to be busy, attracting 3% more motorists than last year, according to the Automobile Club of Southern California.
About 4.9 million Californians, including 3 million in Southern California, will travel at least 50 miles to holiday destinations this weekend, according to the auto club.
The average cost for a gallon of unleaded regular on Thursday was $2.37 in Los Angeles, $2.35 in Orange County, $2.37 in San Diego, $2.47 in San Francisco and $2.48 in Santa Barbara, according to the auto club. The prices are about 50 cents per gallon higher than last year.
For some, being able to drive out of town represents a slice of the California promise, said Marie Montgomery, another auto club spokeswoman.
