Guest Etiquette
 

I have had discussions on this topic with many people and opinions vary...So here is the scenario:

You invite guests onboard your go-fast boat. Do the guests help pay for gas, bring food, bring alcohol, or nothing?

I have always wondered this (sorry if this topic has been covered before)...Personally I tell guests upfront that they have to split the cost of everything including: food, fuel, and alcohol. Honestly our boat doesnt consume much fuel so it ends up being only $25 per person for fuel. I also expect to split the cost of food, etc, as weekend would become too expensive to manage. On our boat we also dont charge females to come onboard (IDK why). For poker runs it is expected that everyone splits gas and entry fees.

What do you guys do?

The owner of the boat covers the fuel and guest pay or provided everything else like food, docking fees etc. If someone offers some money for fuel to help that is always appreciated but not expected. On the other hand if a bunch of guys are going out for the day fishing then all cost of the trip is split evenly and if you catch a fish that is able to be sold, the money is also split evenly.

It is tacky to ask for fuel money. You enjoy driving your boat don't you? You should pay for the gas IMO. I do hint that it would be appreciated if a guest could provide some beverages and bring at least enough money to pay his own way if going ashore for dinner, etc. is planned. Money offered is also appreciated but I never ask for gas money. Also, if they don't already have enough sense, all guest are asked to remove shoes before boarding.

As a recreational boat owner, you need to know the difference between a passenger and a passenger for hire. Otherwise you may find yourself at odds with the authorities, a circumstance that could lead to fines and/or inadequate insurance coverage.

The Federal Safe Boating Act of 1971 advises that a passenger is a guest onboard a vessel that is being used exclusively for recreational purposes (non-commercial) who does not contribute any consideration, either directly or indirectly, for his or her passage. If there is consideration paid, the boat is a commercial venture and the captain and any crew must have the U.S. Coast Guard license designated for that purpose. This sounds simple enough, but there are shades of gray that can cause the unwary captain some difficulty.

For instance, if you take out a group of people for an afternoon on the water, charging each a certain amount of money for the privilege, it is an obvious case of passengers for hire. But what if your passengers decide to chip in for gas? Are they contributing consideration? What about if they bring food or beer?

For legal purposes, "consideration" includes economic benefits, inducements, rights or profits accruing to the owner and/or the captain. In 1999 Congress refined that definition to permit voluntary sharing of expenses on a voyage via contributions of money, fuel, food, drinks or supplies.

The key word, here, is "voluntary." If a passenger offers to help with expenses in some way, that is a voluntary act. If, on the other hand the owner/captain initiates the topic with a requirement for a contribution or even a suggestion that a contribution would be appreciated, the donation would no longer be considered a voluntary sharing of expenses, and the passenger(s) would then become passenger(s) for hire.

Keep on the right side of the law. If your passengers volunteer to share expenses, express your appreciation, but let them know they are under no obligation nor is there any expectation that they do so.

thats a good point. i have never heard of this law before. nice post. thanks.

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.

i am now starting to agree with members, the cost of gas should be covered by the owner because you guys are right...guests shouldnt have to help support my hobby.

i do agree though that food and beverages should be split equally.

sometimes though when the same guests are aboard, it seems as though they should start to cover additional expenses as they frequent the boat as much as the owner...

My invited guests pay for nothing on my boat. Lunch or a couple cocktails afterwords are always appreciated, but I expect nothing.

plus one :cool:

I dont require anything from my guests. I am going to be out there anyway with or without them and already budget my weekend to cover 100% of it. The people i invite is because i enjoy their company and know it will be a good time. I was always refuse gas money but if someone wants to pick up the tab for dockage or dinner thats a nice way for them to say thanks and i do appreciate it. Luckily pretty much all my friends are boaters and it all seems to work out, no one gets left on the dock and its always a good time.

Knot4Me is spot on with what we do:

I will not accept money for fuel - ever.

My wife and I only drink liquor and most people drink beer so they generally bring their own anyways, but we always have a case or two of the generic stuff on board (Bud Light/Yengling). Truth is most people that come on board bring beer and end up leaving some of it so alot of the beer is "house beer".

If we go to lunch I will certainly ALLOW people to buy our lunch but will always put up a fight.

The people that come on my boat are good friends of mine, and most of us have known each other since we were in elementary school so none of us worry about a few dollars between us.

Poker Runs - I pay for fuel, dockage, and Captain/Mate entry fee - if others want to join they have to pay their individual fee.

Never asked or expected anything from passengers.But keep in mind your friends become your responsibility once you leave the dock.I am the exception but I do not allow alcohol on my boat.And if there is ever an accident expect to be sued by all of your friends,passengers.

We've never accepted money for fuel and never will. We'd be out on the boat regardless of who else is in it. If someone wants to pay for lunch, fine. Generally speaking, guests are going to be doing things my way, which includes where we go, where we dock/anchor, and pretty much their entire journey.

If we're out with other family or close friends, we tell them ahead of time what we're planning to do, whether it be anchoring/swimming or heading out for food at a restaurant. I want them to be prepared, so bring what you want for food/drink and some towels. It doesn't cost me anything extra (usually) to have another couple or a few extra people aboard.

Now it's a little different for those that have friends that meet up with your for watersports in pleasure boats. Same with fishing trips.

we allow alcohol onboard but the operator (usually my brother) never drinks...

i also want to mention, we dont collect gas money that we dont intend to use that day...typically we go to the gas dock with 3/4 tank. typically we consume about 1/4 gas each trip. so we fill up to full and by the end of the day returning to the marina we are around 3/4 tank again.

its almost like splitting gas money in a car...

ya know what is funny about the fuel thing is i also always (always) refuse fuel money but occasionally a few of my friends are wise to this and i have had some of them get creative and stash money somewhere in the cabin where they know i will find it. Had a buddy along for a poker run whose boat had broke down that week i had plenty of room as i run a light crew anyway. After the run he tried handing me some cash several times and i refused several times. Like i said i was doing the run anyway and he was a good guy to have on the boat, wasnt gonna leave him on the dock because i know if my boat was down he would certainly have room for me. Anyway we were up at the last stop party and at the end of the night before they left he snuck back to the boat and hid some money in my sink. I didnt really get it at first when i ran across it but after i called his girlfriend (who was an X of mine) she confirmed it. Wasnt really sure what to do with it at that point but he really went through some effort to do that. He's a customer to so i made sure it came back around to him. There two kind of passengers, those that get it . . . . and those that dont.

I never charge anyone for fuel and most times not for food or beer. Although I appreciate when some one brings food beer or pays dock fees. I always look at it as I am going any way and if you want to come thats fine I am going with or with out you thats why I usually cover every thing. Plus most of the people that boat with me on a regular basis are close friends who all pitched in on the boat when we had the boat redone so they are always welcome at no charge.

Good point. I've seen firsthand the best of friends sue one another over a boating accident. That is one of many reasons I carry a multi-million dollar PLUP.

IMO it kind of depends on what your social circle looks like. I just graduated from law school, and so did many of my friends. None of us are "well-off" right now, but we all have money (some more than others). My friends sort of get in line and call me to reserve a slot on my boat, which is fine for me. I kind of plan what type of trip I'm going to have (crazy party with girls everywhere, or smaller social gatherings with a couple of beers) based on who is coming out on a particular trip.

Our typical outages consist of me getting to the marina around 10am, washing the boat, cleaning the interior, starting the boat, getting it warmed up, and getting it splashed (it is in rack storage). More so for time than anything they stop and pick up the beer, subs, pop, and water for the evening. I would be more than happy to contribute to the cost, but I'm never asked to (and I have tried).

I generally stop and get fuel every trip out. I would rather pick up the $60-80 that I know I'm going to spend that day than put a couple of hundred in the gas tank and carry around a ton of gas, but I never expect any contributions at the gas dock. I don't currently refuse any, but that's mainly because of my financial situation and the financial situation of my friends. If I were more established and making a lot more money I would be almost embarrassed to take any money from them to cover the relatively small ($80 bux) fuel bill, but right now, when we're all in the "same boat" (pun intended!) I'll gladly take a $20 spot from a willing contributor!

these are my feelings exactly...if i made more money it wouldnt be an issue but since all of our friends, like you make similar money and enjoy eachothers company...we split the fuel. there are some friends that use others and there are some that dont...i like to surround myself with those that dont. the friends that make a contribution are more than welcome back.

Only thing I EVER ask boat guests for is respect of my rules and my property. If they cannot comply with those two requests, they find themselves as one time only guests.

If someone wants to buy me lunch or dinner, great and thanks.

If someone who "doesn't get it" wants to offer me 20 bucks for gas, I just smile and politely refuse.
If a friend descides that they are giving the gas boy their VISA card before I can give him mine, I will say thank you very much but you don't have to do that. Its then their descision whether they continue to do so.

I figured I would make this my first post as I don't have a boat yet, but am selling a jetski and officially started my boat hunt for next season.....

.....For boating, I would never ask for gas money. I wouldn't provide food or alcohol other than what I bring, which I would share because I buy a case of beer. There is no way I'd even attempt at drinking that myself. Also, I'm a fan of docking up at restaurants so I never really bring food anyway. I meet up with my uncle using my ski and always bring him some Firefly to say thanks for letting me hang out on the boat. I also get invites from a friend to go out on his boat, but never do because he expects me to split gas with him. I'll pass on that.

Ain't that the truth!!!

Speaking of "passenger etiquette" I have a much harder time getting first (and sometimes second and even third timers) to understand how to properly behave and "lend a hand" on the boat.

The worst passenger is "Mr. My-Dad-Used-To-Have-A-Boat," and he is a know-it-all that can't be told "no" and wants to do EVERYTHING (but can't seem to tie a knot at the dock).

I rarely need a hand docking my boat, unless it is crazy windy (and even then I'm generally ok, my boat has very good dock manners). I can't stand when passengers get nervous when you get close to a dock or pylon that you plan to use while docking the boat, and then they shove you away from it. That and shoes are the two biggest no-no's on my boat.

Last weekend a friend of mine got his though... it was HILARIOUS!!! He IS "Mr. My-Dad-Used-To-Have-A-Boat."

I know he's overly anxious to help, and I know that once he gets his mind set on "helping" I can't talk him out of it, so I explained to him that I was going to use the pylon at the end of the dock to pivot off of to bring the boat in. There was already a boat in the well, and it's only about an extra 8-10"s wide. I wanted to stay nice and tight to the dock. He said "what's that mean?" And I explained that it means NOT to push me away from the dock, just keep the boat tight to it and pull it down toward the hi-low.

Well... hahaha... he was at the stern of the boat and I couldn't tell what the heck he was doing (but remember, you can't tell him anything... he knows everything!!!). I asked him "are you pushing us away or pulling us in closer?" (mind you the boat was completely off at this point, and we were "home." All that was left to do was to grab two lines and tie it up) He didn't respond, but the boat kept drifting further and further away from the dock. I was waiting for him to pull us in when SPLASH!!! in he went. It was HILARIOUS and he was PISSED!!! The boat that was sitting next to us in the well that I was trying to respect its space was filled with women and all 10 or so of them were cracking up, as were the two other girls on my boat. He blamed everyone but himself as everyone cracked up and ignored his moronic whining. He left and went to the car and pouted, but I still thought it was hilarious.

for some of us including me...our boat doesnt consume a lot of fuel relatively speaking (comparing our fastech to a twin 1075 cigarette), so the $20 is appreciated as it usually costs us around $100 to top off from around 3/4 tank. for some members i can see its a joke as it probably costs some around 1k to fill. for others it doesnt.

I never charge for gas. Luckily my friends generally offer to pick up sandwiches and supply the beer/alcohol. Last summer I did not have to buy one case of beer from the liquor store because there was always tons of left over beer after the day's fun and they always just say "keep it." Thats when I get to sit on the couch and start crackin' open some cans!

+1. You dont invite someone over for dinner and give them half the grocery shopping list either. If you invite someone as a guest, cost is on you. I've never thought of charging a guest for anything.:eek:

My point was it costs 5 to 6 hundred bucks to fill my boat with gas. I will burn that easy on the average poker run so is the 20 spot really going to make a difference. Someone who doesn't "get it" might think 20 bucks is alot of gas. To those who do "get it" would for the most part, not bother offering you 20 bucks for gas as they would realize that might be enough fuel to warm up the motor and get off the trailer. They might offer to pay the entire gas bill for the poker run though. Thats all.

i understood your point and i dont argue it...im actually agreeing with you, but you have to keep in mind some of us like me...it doesnt cost as much to fill the boat. so the $20 off actually is of value. just my 0.02

very good and valid points. When i was younger i could see it working out within my group of friends in this way.

If you invite them the gas is on you.....If they invite themselves....well that's another story! Bring your own dang beer and food! Of course most of my friends are conservatives and understand this principle...

I have never charged for gas or poker run fees All of my friends know how expensive this can be so they pick up all of land based costs (drinks and food)

I had a friend at the house once and we were talking about it and I said ok lets sit here and every minute hand me $5 and see how long it takes till you dont want to pay for gas anymore LOL.

Alot of casual friend have no idea on what it costs to run a offshore boat I think they would choke on a $600 fillup.

The liabiliy issue raises its head in all things

I have some big parties at the house and this year took a year off and everyone said just charge everyone. Not that I would but to show the girlfiend I asked my insurance agent he pitched a fit and questioned my sanity. Charging for anything changes all of your liability issues.

Great thread!
Agree 100% with the expect nothing from your guests. Those that get it and bring food, drinks, etc. are the ones that get multiple invites and usually go out of their way to be appreciative.
As a passenger (in this hobby it happens sometimes more than we would like :) ), I always go out of my way to take someone to dinner, provide food or drinks, and in a few situations where I did multiple poker runs with the same person, slip the fuel dock attendant my credit card to pay for the fuel.
That really pissed him off and made me laugh! I know he really appreciated it!

Well there's your problem right there!!!!! :eek:

I never ask nor accept gas money. I'm going out no matter what. My friends and I usually fight over the lunch bill,but thats about it. The funny thing is nobody ever hangs around on sunday night,when I'm still cleaning the boat at 9pm. I did a Poker Run a few weeks ago,a buddy with a 382 Formula couldn't make it, but let his 21 year old son take the boat.( He is very responsible).I have to commend him,dad said you pay for gas and you can do the run.He got about 9-10 of his buddys to pony up $100 each and had a great time. Quite the entrepenuer.

Good point.
Since it costs me + 3500.00 to fill my boat I wouldnt have any company if I started asking for splits on fuel.:lolhit:

To me, inviting someone on your boat equates to inviting them into your home, and all the same etiquette applies.

Everyone I boat with has boats, so it's a no brainer.... `

I like all the feedback...this has turned into a good thread. thanks.

my invited guests pay for nothing on my boat gas , lunch ,cocktails I expect nothing. If you need guest to pay for your fuel you prolly dont need to own a boat .:lolhit:

i disagree...finding fellow offshore boaters is hard enough. to put restrictions and guidelines as to how a boat owner affords there boat makes it even harder. just my opinion.

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.

+1:drink:

Well, I can honestly say I have seen BOTH worlds on the fill up issue. I just went from a single 496 22 ft bowrider to a twin 496 32 ft boat. For years I could run the whole weekend and burn maybe $100 worth of gas. Now however, it costs me on average $250-$350 a weekend for gas. I'm still in the consensus that I will not ask nor accept gas from guests. The food and beverages are up to the individual, but gas in on ME. Most of my guests are boat owners as well, but they are in the $100 weekend category. Boating is just more fun with FRIENDS.