At Hollywood Marina on a recent Sunday afternoon, the can’t-be-beat South Florida winter was a whisper warmer than it usually is in mid-January — and wily motor boaters didn't let the opportunity pass by.

Not just because of the weather. Not just because the seas were calm. But also because the price of gas is low, low, low.

For those who don’t drive or watch the news, this bears celebrating: The price of a gallon of gas has fallen to levels not seen since March 2009, almost six years ago. That's not only getting more drivers to venture farther on the road, it’s having a small effect on boaters, too.

According to the American Automobile Association, fuel prices have been steadily dropping about a penny a day, with gas prices averaging $2.07 a gallon nationwide on Jan. 18. In 24 states, gas was selling at less than $2 a gallon.

Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case in Florida, where gas was averaging $2.14 on Jan. 18 — but still, that’s $1.24 a gallon less that it was selling this time last year, AAA reports.

For boaters, the cost of boat motor friendly non-ethanol gas is also decreasing.

According to Waterwayguide.com reports, prices for non-ethanol gas at Florida east coast marinas either stayed the same or dipped. The average drop was .35 cents per gallon from Jan. 12-23 alone.

The lowest price, $3.20 per gallon, was found at city-owned Hollywood Marina.

What’s not to like about those numbers?

Boaters seem to like them. But as always suspected, true boaters don’t let a few cents, or even a dollar, in the price of fuel sway them from a day on the bay or skimming over ocean waves.

Very few power boaters had second thoughts when gas was higher a year ago, or even two years ago. The difference of $10, $20, or even more for a day on the water with friends, a warm breeze at your back and a blue sky above, was worth every extra dollar put in the tank, they said.

At least that’s the case for committed boaters with some expendable income, said Tom Freeling, assistant dock master at Hollywood Marina.

“Gas prices don’t come into play too much for committed boaters. Costs for storage and maintenance are what breaks a boater,” he said.

Freeling said more industry attention that ever is going to selling boats to younger buyers.

“The 20- to 28-footer market is coming back. The marine market is targeting people who can afford recreational boating,” Freeling said.

And it is working. According to a Jan. 15 written statement from the Chicago-based National Marine Manufacturers Association, 95 percent of the boats on U.S. waters are 26 feet or less, and 72 percent of American boaters have a household income less than $100,000.

Robert Mayan, of Pembroke Pines, who purchased a Mako Pro 17 Skiff a year ago, said the difference in gas prices this year over last means he spends more time on the water and more money on fishing equipment.

On average, it costs Mayan $24 to $30 in gas for a day of fishing.

“In 2014 I paid double. Now, I buy anchors, fishing rods, hooks. As long as gas costs keep going down, I’ll be going out more,” Mayan said.

Low priced fuel is likely affecting marine businesses overall. A 2014 industry impact study prepared for the Marine Industries Association of South Florida, by Thomas Murray & Associates, showed South Florida revenue gains of $11.5 billion since 2010.

Ted Drum, president of the sprawling Lauderdale Marina complex in Fort Lauderdale, said boaters from low-end end to high are “going out” in droves. Indeed, on a recent Monday the fuel dock outside 15th Street Fisheries restaurant saw a stream of ocean vehicles from jet skis to multi-million dollar yachts.

“Based on what we see with our eyes, business is up on the water. But also, volume is up all around and business is the best it’s ever been at the restaurant,” Drum said.

Drum said the restaurant itself marked its highest volume day just a few weeks ago in all of its 36-year history.

Every little bit helps.

Tyler Corn of Hollywood, a passenger on his friend's 23-foot Sea-Doo bow-rider, said he and his buddies spent only about $15 on a recent Sunday afternoon using about an eighth of a tank of gas on the eco four-stroke twin-engine craft. To fill the 44-gallon tank, the cost would be about $100, he figured. The cost of fuel always has to be figured into owning a boat, he said.

Mostly, Corn and his friends stop and anchor for a while and savor the serenity of South Florida from the water — the way it was meant to be seen and enjoyed — and perhaps eat lunch.
He sums it up this way: “... If you have to worry about the price of gas, you shouldn’t have a boat,” he said.