Guest Etiquette
08-24-2010, 12:49 PM
#41
I'm in my early twenties and we are all still in college. I am boatless but a couple of my friends have boats. They aren't big and I know what it cost to run them on a given weekend. I don't make a lot since I work part-time but I always make sure I give them half of what the fuel cost (we only burn about $100 a weekend) but to a college student thats a lot. I always pack my own cooler with food and beverages. I'm there during the week cleaning the boat with them when it's all over. I just always thought this was proper way of doing it.
I love the water and can't afford a boat right now, so I figure this is the next best thing to making sure I get invited out time and time again. I knew how much they appreciated the help and they knew how much I appreciated them welcoming me onboard every weekend. I guess when you get older and have that income to where you don't have to worry about people helping you out anymore, makes it kind of nice to treat your friends to a fun day on the water.
I love the water and can't afford a boat right now, so I figure this is the next best thing to making sure I get invited out time and time again. I knew how much they appreciated the help and they knew how much I appreciated them welcoming me onboard every weekend. I guess when you get older and have that income to where you don't have to worry about people helping you out anymore, makes it kind of nice to treat your friends to a fun day on the water.
08-24-2010, 12:52 PM
#42
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Not saying anything new here, but I never ask for gas $$, nor do I expect it. It is normal for my "guests" to buy sandwiches and beers....I take care of the rest. If we go out and stop somewhere with the boat, usually they will offer to pick up a drink or two, which is fine with me.
Poker runs are different. If I do a poker run I will normally set it up in advance with a buddy or two who are willing to split the entry fee, the understanding being that any winnings will also be split evenly. Seems to keep the costs down and there is some incentive to want to chip in (splitting the pot!). Otherwise I pick up all the other expenses.
Poker runs are different. If I do a poker run I will normally set it up in advance with a buddy or two who are willing to split the entry fee, the understanding being that any winnings will also be split evenly. Seems to keep the costs down and there is some incentive to want to chip in (splitting the pot!). Otherwise I pick up all the other expenses.
08-24-2010, 12:53 PM
#43
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^^^I am 23 so you dont have to tell me...
I probably should have mentioned that earlier but didnt want all the nay sayers "if you couldnt afford to fill the boat then you shouldnt have bought it" giving me a speech...i wanted to get in the perf boating world...and this is how i do it.
I probably should have mentioned that earlier but didnt want all the nay sayers "if you couldnt afford to fill the boat then you shouldnt have bought it" giving me a speech...i wanted to get in the perf boating world...and this is how i do it.
08-24-2010, 01:09 PM
#44
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Looks like someone touched a nerve - 5 pages and counting on one day! I am at somewhat of a third extreme - I am a professional and most folks seem to think that I am either loaded or everything is going on the expense account so nobody offers. Neither case is necessarily true - I just don't ask because that was not how I was brought up in boating. I will admit that this can cause an issue now and again - I recently paid admission to a poker run and gave a ride to another professional in a different field I give a lot of business to; a few weeks later, he suggests we co-host an event where he got free tickets so he can meet my clients and then sends me the catering bill!!! 
08-24-2010, 01:15 PM
#45
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Looks like someone touched a nerve - 5 pages and counting on one day!
for those of you who use the inviting guests over your house example...you dont expect them to pay for food...then how do you explain pot luck dinners...people have different view points and if someone doesnt agree with it, then thats fine.
08-24-2010, 01:20 PM
#46
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Guests are just that - guests. I do not invite people to boat with me to subsidize my hobby. I enjoy the company. I do not ask anything of those I invite to come boating with me. I find with very few exceptions that most folks offer gas money. I always decline the offer. If we stop for food/drink, most will offer to pick up my tab. I sometimes will accept that offer. If we are planning to anchor and eat on the boat, we work out who is bringing what ahead of time with everyone contributing equally.
08-24-2010, 01:29 PM
#48
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Ditto, Last weekend I took some buddies to Kemah, ran the boat hard the whole way (as usual) 66 miles round trip.
I paid the gas, they helped wash and flush and handle the lines, they bought lunch and beer between them and I got to call them my crew.
I really wouldn't have cared if they had done nothing (docking excluded), I invited them because I enjoy their company and I got to drive most of the time except for letting one get some experience behind the wheel.
I f I ride I'll buy the meal etc.
08-24-2010, 02:08 PM
#49
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I think it depends on the situation. Most of my friends have boats so we trade off a lot on which boat to take. In fact, one of my soft rules for passengers on my boat is that they must have their own boat. Of course there are some exceptions to that rule but it’s nice to have a crew that knows what to do and when to do it. If it’s just a casual weekend on our regular lake, the boat owner typically covers the fuel and everyone covers their own drinks, food, etc. Now if it’s a big poker run or out of town weekend, we usually split everything or at least try to make it even on fuel, lodging, entry fees, etc. If we win something, it’s split across the boat. I know when I ride as a passenger, I don’t feel right if I don’t pay for half (or an equal portion) of the fuel bill, lodging, entry fees, etc. I know it’s appreciated and it makes it easier on everyone. I typically get the same in return although it’s not necessarily expected.
08-24-2010, 02:16 PM
#50
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My boat is going out anyway,,,, everybody drinks different things so thats generally what I tell them to bring,,,, just what they are drinking.
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