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I saw fuel vary last year from a $1.75 to over $3.00 along my limited 300 mile range. .
I just pulled some current Florida numbers. Let's say you're sitting in Fort Lauderdale and heading north. In Fort Lauderdale, you can plan and pay as little as $1.95 for a fuel truck delivery or wait until you're in North Palm and pay $3.08 at Old Port Cove. If you're low on fuel and have to purchase at Port Canaveral then it's $2.77 at Ocean Club, but wait for Jacksonville and pay $2.30 at Lambs. Or if you plan it right then wait for Brunswick, GA and pay $1.84 at Ocean Petroleum. So, by filling in Fort Lauderdale and next in Brunswick, I could average $1.90 per gallon or by filling at a marina in Fort Lauderdale or Palm and then again in Canaveral I could have averaged $2.90 per gallon. By planning my fuel purchases I could save 34% on that trip or probably about $400 by selecting the least expensive fuel options. That is without changing my cruising habits at all.
We consume a lot of fuel and we aren't going to slow down to displacement speeds but we definitely are aware of fuel pricing.
Also, if you're filling, buying larger quantities, you open up the possibility of many discounts. Last, don't hesitate to ask. If we're planning on docking at Ess-Kay in Brewerton and Winter Harbor, across the canal is 10 cents a gallon cheaper, we won't hesitate to ask Ess-Kay to match. We could just as easily the next morning on our way out fuel at Winter Harbor. Oh, and we're not about to pay the price at Brewerton Boat Yard which is 70 cents higher. Now, typically for 10 cents a gallon, we're not going to inconvenience ourselves, just ask for a courtesy match, but for 70 cents a gallon we sure will.
Our biggest disparity is cruising regularly to the Bahamas. Right now the going rate there is around $4 versus the $1.95 above in Fort Lauderdale. In our ideal world we leave home full and arrive back home with 20% of a tank.