NORTHPORT, Ala. (WIAT) – Gasoline prices continue to soar and higher, and the pain at the pump isn’t just affecting motorists on the road. Boaters on Lake Tuscaloosa also pay more to put gas in their tanks.
Leigh-Ann Stewart says high gas prices are ridiculous. She spent $150 at Pier 43 to fill up her tank on her pontoon boat to go boating on Lake Tuscaloosa with her friends on Friday. It costs more than $5 a gallon to pump gasoline.
“It’s going to limit people’s vacations and their time with family and it’s going to end up being a big deal for people. People will have to stay at home and it will affect the economy because people have nowhere to go because gas prices are too high,” Stewart said.
Dale Phillips, general manager at Pier 43, says he’s happy to see customers putting boats out on the water on Friday morning to enjoy the lake and the warm weather. Although gasoline is more expensive, he believes customers will pay higher prices to enjoy the lake.
“People have invested in their gear and in their enjoyment of being on the water, so I think people will pay the high prices for a while and they won’t like it and we don’t want to pay it for ours to deliver tanks, but I think people will pay for it for a while and we’ll see what the future brings,” Phillips said.
According to Phillips, boaters spend on average between $80 and $100 to fill up tanks on boats.
