4campnuts
Southern NH
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Joined: 05/23/2005
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We are boat owners as well and our take is this: If we are using our boat anyway and we invite guests to come along, we do not expect nor will we accept gas money. In the situation of the OP, since you used the jet skis by yourself, I do think it would have been appropriate to chip in gas money.
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johntank
Oxford, Ms 38655 USA
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Joined: 06/17/2003
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funfoodie wrote:On our last trip, two families brought their jet skis and shared them with the group. The kids and I got to ride them for the 1st time and had a blast.
I know that maintaining and fueling them is not cheap. I felt that I should have offered a contribution, but wasn't sure if I would be insulting the families.
Should I send a thank you card & a fuel card as an appreciation gesture? Should I have offered a constribution to fuel in person?
As a ex-boat owner, a thank you note to them telling them how much you enjoyed their hospitally would be great, now as far as the fuel card that is your call. JMHO
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WKAYL
Loveland, Colorado
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I'm not a boat owner, but I have 3 ATVs. When I bring them I do not expect any money for fuel. I know there is no comparison in the amount of fuel an ATV uses compaired to a boat. I use the rule my dad taught me. If they offer once, you say no. If they offer a second time, say yes. If they don't offer at all, all I hope is that they had fun. My older brother had ATVs before I did (he also had jet skies). He always let someone ride one when he went out. I now know why, it is a good feeling that someone can enjoy your toys as much as you do.
There is no place to boondock in Colorado. Repeat after me, there is no place to boondock in Colorado.
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Lil'Darlin1972
michigan
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We have a boat and will often invite friends out for a day on the lake. We would never expect gas money as we invited them.
However, we did go on a group trip last summer and we took our boat. It was used everyday for fishing/tubing/cruising and the other 3 families all chipped in for gas. We had decided as a group ahead of time to use out boat rather than rent one of the older boats the campground offered.
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symbasden
WI
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Joined: 07/29/2003
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Having a camper I'm really not too concerned about friends that come with sharing in my costs of owning the camper. I have those costs anyway. I do appreciate it when they throw in a 20 to cover some of the additional gas that I burned to bring them a nice bed but it isn't necessary as I would be doing that anyway for my bed.
I have a few friends with a boat and they feel the same way, they aren't worried about passengers making the payments on the boat. However, they don't invite passengers back very often that don't share in the operating (gas costs, overnight slip fees) costs. When we go out on our friends boat we always give them money equal to 1/2 the gas cost or if we are going out multiple days we pay to fill it up one of the days.
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NebraskaNative
Nebraska
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Joined: 06/21/2007
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Sometimes a nice/sincere thank you can be worth $$ by itself. ESPECIALLY when it comes directly from the kids that enjoyed the rides.
I won't accept cash when we have our boat out, but I LOVE it when the kids will say 'thank you' and actually mean it. Not the forced 'thanks' but the true ones...
Now - if the parents want to leave a case of beer.... errrr, soda, that's another story...
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Star Gazer
Nicholasville, Kentucky
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I don't expect it from my guests but if they offer a little bit that is fine.
However most people don't have a clue as to what a boat burns. I had a BIL give me a $20 at the gas pumps his first time with us, when the pump stopped at about $750 he was shocked. He said good thing he didn't offer to fill us up 
As for Sea Doos, if your running them along with your kids, sure offer to put some fuel in them, those things can burn it quickly when your playing hard.
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jlee745
West Central Georgia
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We were never worried about the gas either(before gas prices went up) but we did take note of the ones that thanked us and at least offered gas and they would get invited again. With us living so close to the lake(15 miles) and campgrounds we have had so many people that like to invite themselves out. Now that gas has gotten so high(gas on the lake this summer was 4.50 &4.75) if someone invited themselves we would say sure come on out but if you don't mind we need you to chip in for some gas money.(Most of the time they would never show up)At least this way we weeded out some of the users.
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