Gas Money

[AirTool]

but should i have ti buy larger life jackets and just keep for future riders or just tell them if they want to ride buy a jacket.

Here is a hint, accumulate this gear in the off season and save a bunch. Buy off ebay (new) and maybe ski-it-again for used. I've paid full price for only one or two items when I had too. My boat barn looks like sun & ski showroom. I admit I've spent some $$ but it accumulated of a few years and now I have gear for almost everyone. I've paid as little as 80% off.

[Cam003]

I do two things for this issue that i have had myself.
1. i wear a t-shirt that says my boat doesnt run on "thanks"
2. i drive everyone i can fit in my tovehichle to the gas station with the boat in tow, and i dont get out of the truck at the pump.

[SamHamm]

I can afford to operate the boat. especially since its 100% paid. what i can't afford is moochers. im 27 years old. we do things differently here in alabama than what i feel ya'll do in other places. we have game day parties on the dock and who knows who is going to show up. also, if you own a 196 or 200 you can't comment in this thread.
p.s. if someone lived with me they'd be paying rent. and i'm gracious enough to have a the full line of 2011 system murrays and 2012 boards to accomadate guests, as well as vests and lines.

Nice to see another bama guy on here. I'm only 22 though.

[SkiTower]

Here is a hint, accumulate this gear in the off season and save a bunch. Buy off ebay (new) and maybe ski-it-again for used. I've paid full price for only one or two items when I had too. My boat barn looks like sun & ski showroom. I admit I've spent some $$ but it accumulated of a few years and now I have gear for almost everyone. I've paid as little as 80% off.

agreed. no, you shouldn't have to buy your buddy a vest, but you will want to build a collection of 'good enough' gear to accommodate any guests you may have. You can't expect everybody you invite to have their own gear. Anybody that rides regularly will want to invest in better gear (especially if they have access to a boat without the cost). You can get some basic jackets fairly cheap this time of year.

[gride]

Sam, where do you live/ride? I'm down here in mobile.

[SamHamm]

Sam, where do you live/ride? I'm down here in mobile.

Im in Birmingham.

[swankster]

Decisions

1. Of course, guests do not pay.
2. 16 year old son takes boater safety course, and I teach him how to drive.
3. Wife gets refresher driving course from a friend. A old friend of mine taught her how to drive years ago and it worked out great. She could put the ski handle on top of a throw-able cushion floating in the water and drive a straight line. And with someone else teaching her, we had no arguments. Unfortunately, she just doesn't like the crowded TX lakes, and I have to get her past that.
4. Freeloading "friends" are asked to contribute and not invited back if they choose otherwise. In TX they don't just show up or call to ask if they can come out, they wait for your invite them and drop hints when you don't. Maybe they are trying to get in under decision 1 but ....(Sorry the boat is full)
5. Search for better friends either with boats or fruitful, rather than thankful, attitudes

[cedarcreek216]

How about new friends with a house on Cedar Creek? We are always looking for new fun people to hang out with on and off the water. We live in Frisco but have a place on Cedar Creek. We have a 216V and it would be nice to see what the 230 is all about.

Decisions

1. Of course, guests do not pay.
2. 16 year old son takes boater safety course, and I teach him how to drive.
3. Wife gets refresher driving course from a friend. A old friend of mine taught her how to drive years ago and it worked out great. She could put the ski handle on top of a throw-able cushion floating in the water and drive a straight line. And with someone else teaching her, we had no arguments. Unfortunately, she just doesn't like the crowded TX lakes, and I have to get her past that.
4. Freeloading "friends" are asked to contribute and not invited back if they choose otherwise. In TX they don't just show up or call to ask if they can come out, they wait for your invite them and drop hints when you don't. Maybe they are trying to get in under decision 1 but ....(Sorry the boat is full)
5. Search for better friends either with boats or fruitful, rather than thankful, attitudes

[AllianceBJJ]

We live in Frisco and keep our 230 at Pier 121 in the Colony....

How about new friends with a house on Cedar Creek? We are always looking for new fun people to hang out with on and off the water. We live in Frisco but have a place on Cedar Creek. We have a 216V and it would be nice to see what the 230 is all about.

[cedarcreek216]

We live in Frisco and keep our 230 at Pier 121 in the Colony....

Even though we have a boat house and lift at the lake house, we dry store ours off Business 121 so we can get more use out of it during the week and on weekends we can't make it to the lake. Do you happen to drive a white Tahoe with a Nautique sticker on the back windshield? We saw this car at a stop light the other day and thought we should meet that couple.

We fortunately have great friends that pretty much always either bring the food and drink for the day or give gas money. The gas money issue is a touchy one though. We have friends that have an Xstar and when they ask people to go out they include in the invite that everyone is to bring their own food and drink as well as money for gas. Even if you are already planning on chipping in and doing what they ask, it's just a turn off and they rarely have people on their boat. For us, it's not worth going alone all the time to put a requirement on gas money, regardless of how nice it is to get it. Like most posters have said, we tend to invite those that respect this idea more than we invite those that don't.

[AllianceBJJ]

We drive a white Yukon with a "Nautique" sticker at the top of the rear window and live around the Lebanon and Legacy area.

We are always up to meet some more Nautique folks in the area and add some more people to the crew. We usually do EARLY mornings as the sun is coming up.

[cedarcreek216]

We drive a white Yukon with a "Nautique" sticker at the top of the rear window and live around the Lebanon and Legacy area.

We are always up to meet some more Nautique folks in the area and add some more people to the crew. We usually do EARLY mornings as the sun is coming up.

Yep, that was you guys. We have a white Armada with the same sticker in the same place. Saw you this past weekend at the light at Legacy and Lebanon. We live at Teel and Lebanon.

[AllianceBJJ]

Not too far away, we are in Heritage Lakes.

[GoBig]

I'm spending between $100 and $150 per week on gas. One guy that rides with me (a former Nautique owner) always leaves cash. Everybody else, nothing. ... I do drop hints from time to time about how much I'm spending, but they don't pick up on it.

Stop hanging out with Democrats. They expect everything and want you to pay for it.

[DanielC]

Keep hanging out with the Dems. Convince them of the error of their ways.