Fuel prices are shaping summer plans as US boaters get ready to hit the
water
[June 06, 2026] By
DEE-ANN DURBIN
DEXTER TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) — On the kind of warm, bright afternoon that
Michigan boaters wait all year for, Malik Amine and his brother readied
their family’s pontoon boat for the summer.
The cover was off and Portage Lake sparkled in the sun. But before the
brothers could leave a narrow wooden dock, they had a decision to make:
how much gasoline to put in the pontoon’s 52-gallon engine.
Recreational boaters, like motorists, are feeling a pinch from the Iran
war. U.S. gas prices have come down in recent weeks, but a gallon of
regular gas still cost an average of 34% more Friday than it did a year
earlier, according to motor club AAA. The price of diesel fuel, which is
also used by some boaters, is up 53% from last year.
Ethanol-free gas, which many boaters, classic car owners and lawn mower
users prefer, is anywhere from 20 cents to $1 per gallon more than
regular fuel, according to the National Association of Convenience
Stores, which also represents fuel retailers.
One gas station near Portage Lake, which is 60 miles west of Detroit, is
selling ethanol-free fuel for $7 per gallon. Amine said he didn't plan
to fill the boat's tank ahead of Memorial Day weekend.
“The cost is going to be a lot more than it was last year,” Amine said.
“I think it’s probably a little bit smarter to do what you need and fill
it as much as you need, because who knows when this conflict’s going to
end."
The National Marine Manufacturers Association estimates that 100 million
Americans go boating each year, contributing to an industry worth $230
billion annually. The trade group, which represents companies that make
boats, marine engines, boating equipment and accessories, said its
conversations with boaters indicate that most still plan to head out on
the water this year, but in some cases, gas prices are curtailing their
plans.
“There were a number of people within that who said, ‘I am going to have
to change my behavior’,” said Ellen Bradley, the association’s chief
brand officer. “I may not go as far. I may not as fast. I may spend more
time anchored and swimming. I may spend more time at the dock.”
Neil and Kathleen Donohoe sold their home in Colorado and now live
aboard a 50-foot, diesel-powered boat dubbed the Granuaile, which is the
Gaelic name of Grace O'Malley, a 16th century sea captain known as
Ireland's pirate queen. They’ve spent the last seven years cruising up
and down the East Coast and to the Bahamas.
Maintenance on the boat – not fuel – is typically their greatest
expense, Neil Donohoe said. But lately, the cost to fill up the boat —
which can hold 1,500 gallons — is eye-popping. They talk to other
boaters and use various marine apps to find the cheapest gas.
“It’s not driving us not to cruise, but it’s making a difference,” he
said.
This summer, the couple plan to stick around the Chesapeake Bay area
instead of heading further north. They’ve already been to Maine and to
Canada, they reasoned, and they don't feel the urge to go again while
gas prices are so high.
“It seems a little gross to spend that kind of money when so many people
are struggling,” Kathleen Donohoe said.
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Kay Worsham cleans her boat Sunday, May 31, 2026, in Dexter
Township, Mich. (AP Photo/Mike Householder)
 Gas prices are also impacting
boating-related businesses. The Seattle Sailing Club, which offers
lessons, chartered cruises and rentals, said its fuel bill has gone
up 10.7% since the beginning of the war.
Lindsey Brown, the club's office manager, said its
fleet of 30 boats usually rely on wind power, but they all have gas
or diesel backup engines. In April, the marina where the boats are
docked charged $6.50 per gallon for diesel, she said. By late May,
that had risen to $7.99 per gallon.
“We are just heading into our busy season, so we may see a more
dramatic effect on our business if the price of fuel doesn’t change
or continues to increase,” Brown said. Brown, who lives on a
sailboat at the marina, said the service she uses to pump out
wastewater just added a fuel surcharge to her bill.
It's also the busy season for Melissa Kunnert, who owns NautiMi On
the River, an ice cream and gift shop near Portage Lake. She rents
out a tiki-themed pontoon boat for parties and hosts three-hour
evening cruises for $50 a person starting after Memorial Day.
Kunnert decided not to raise her prices this summer even though it
costs more to fill up the pontoon. She wonders if the higher gas
prices affecting all forms of travel might benefit her business by
keeping more potential customers closer to home.
“I’m interested to see if we’ll have the same amount as previous
years (or) if we will have more because people don’t want to use
their gas, they want ours," Kunnert said.
In Traverse City, Michigan, a few hours north of Portage Lake,
Robert Hinds decided to add a $50 fuel surcharge to the fishing
trips he offers as the owner and operator of Central Coast Angling.
He tows his 22-foot boat from port to port on Lake Michigan
depending on where the fishing is best, so he has to fill up his
truck in addition to his boat.
Hinds said he's had multiple cancellations as customers do their own
math on gas prices. One regular customer from Nebraska didn't make
the trip this spring.
“It’s really tough. People do want to get out and I still believe
people will,” he said. “But everybody comes from different walks of
life.”
Hinds recently ruled out his own fishing trip to Wisconsin after
figuring out it would cost him $400 in diesel fuel for the truck
that tows his boat.
“I can just stay home and fish here,” he said.
___
AP Video Journalist Mike Householder contributed to this report.
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