Finding the best fuel prices

Back to the OP. Cell phones, lap tops and local knowledge has mostly removed the need for cruisers guides for us on the FL east coast and the Abacos. If and when we can ever get that window for further south than Spanish Well, Then I will pick up the latest guide and pound Pascal for the latest info.

Best savings by far is on fuel deliveries. I think the min is 500 or 1000 but we hit 2.31 p/g last time. This was with Peterson barge who pulls up,next to you. Only doable outside a marina. We are behind a house so it’s easy.

If we're running a boat that we fill with 500-900 gallons and has limited range we do very little fuel shopping. Running our 130 with nearly 10,000 gallons we care about speed of pumps and price. We can decide where along the way to fill and we'll fill a day earlier or later based on speed and price. Now, what we've also done is used the prices of other marinas to negotiate where we were. If we're at Marina A charging $3.50 and a mile away Marina B is charging $2.75, we'll call it to their attention and let them know it's 7000 gallons at $2.80 (and likely agree to $3 if that's their best offer) or it's 0.

As to Valvtech, we value it or equivalent and some other brands do have equivalents.

Waterway Guide is one of the two hardcopy books we carry on board, buy new once every couple of years so far. The other hardcopy is mostly just for backup to that, isn't as informative, not laid out as well, etc.

OTOH, we do also use ActiveCaptain and MarinaLife for info too... mostly because of info currency.

Ditto ref whose money is on the table. Deliveries, time is more important. Our own boat, I've got more time than money.

You might want to check out Top Rack, just south of Portsmouth; our last time, their fuel prices were better than Coinjock.

-Chris

When at home, we go for fuel savings and 99% of our fuel purchased is by truck. However, when cruising, there are other factors and we do try to get reasonable fuel prices but it's not something where we'll go out of our way to get the cheapest. We also find that the published prices are firm prices only for the boats getting smaller quantities.

An interesting question along this same subject. You're getting 7000 gallons and are offered a cash discount. What do you do?

An interesting question along this same subject. You're getting 7000 gallons and are offered a cash discount. What do you do?
[/QUOTE]

When I travel to the Bahamas I take a significant amount of cash so I don’t have to pay the 4% credit card surcharge. Somewhat risky I know but I hide the money pretty well. Being that my boat is not a business I would take the cash discount. I was in line behind a person who I was pretty sure was the owner of 120’ +/- Delta or Westport and he pulled out a thick wad of cash and paid for his fuel. Not sure of what exactly you are getting at but cash doesn’t mean you don’t get a receipt. Maybe you are concerned about large cash transactions being tracked by the government. Await your comments, perhaps I am not aware of something I should be.

Cash is king,,,,,, When you have cash.
$1000 cash of fuel does not get you much. Real nice tips to repeated places gets us good prices on plastic and service in the islands.
Credit card sure charge? Must be Dinners Club?

I wonder if there is a correlation between highway and waterfront fuel prices. I run a 40' diesel pusher motorhome up and down 95 several times a year and I chase fuel prices, and I will spend some time finding good prices, and there's apps for that. With a 800 mile range (with reserves) I can decide which state I buy fuel and where in the state. So far this year I'm just under $2.70 where as the average I see is about $3.00 and as high as $3.50 The savings pay for my insurance.

So again, wondering if road side prices would correlate to the nearby waterfront prices....

You could probably find cheaper fuel off the big road. As I drive around, I think about fuel cells in my van as I did years ago. Some roadside pumps are darn rite cheap. Naw, I gave up on that a while ago.

As a realtor told me years ago about the cost of anything, it's Location, Location, Location....
And how far you can to go for a supposed bargain....

Again, on the water I may be in my own camp, it's who I treat well, treats me well and who gets my business.
Even if the fuel is up a few cents, it's more than just the cost of the fuel.

I'm not going to pull out $30,000 cash and pay. I just prefer not to be that obvious that I'm carrying that amount of cash times some multiple with me. I don't live in a cash society. I'm just not comfortable with it, even though I know others are fine with it, keeping it in a safe, no more risk than everything else on the boat. I do feel when you then go walking around town, it makes you at least some small percent greater target.

Now, I'm amazed at how many places will accept a business check and we have the ability to immediately print checks on board. However, we normally will use credit cards. If that means paying $300-500 extra, then so be it. Keep in mind that isn't fully extra as you're typically receiving some level of rewards on your cards. The net cost if charged a 3% surcharge and getting 1.5% reward is then only 1.5% and you get use of the money for 30 days. More common is a 2% surcharge and a 2% reward and so no net cost of using a credit card. Overall we find very little incremental cost to using credit cards.

I strongly encourage any of you doing heavy traveling to look at the options available on business cards. Capital One and Chase have unlimited rewards cards. Others have less straightforward and/or plans with limits at one rate and then lower rates.

Brings up an interesting question. Does anyone use traveler's checks anymore? Seems credit cards have largely negated their use and because of it fewer places to use them. Primarily hotels. As to the safety of them, more so perhaps than cash, but not what you're led to believe as getting them replaced when traveling can still be a challenge. On the other side of things, as retailers, we generally do not accept them. Lots of theft of them and the verification process to be safe isn't quick or easy. Also, too many different issuers.

If you are traveling with large amount off cash over ten thousand dollars to buy fuel don't forget to declare any amount over ten thousand dollars, had a guy a few weeks ago did not declare it and customs found it while inspecting the boat before we transited the canal, customs were not very happy about it.

Back to the OP, I would like to see an Android/iPhone app, like Gas Buddy for USA auto fuel prices, done for the international marine fuel market. In fact, if enough people 'suggest' or provide feedback to Gas Buddy, maybe they will in fact create this feature.

The gas apps are basically crowd sourced DB's. Gas Buddy, Waze all the same concept. Problem is, it's the advertisers that pay for it and I suspect our numbers are too low.

What is easily and cheaply done is a FB page or forum section (hint hint) where members report prices. Needs to be organized by region and NOTHING else needs to be discussed to keep it clean.

Used Waterway Guide last week and found local Valvtec diesel for $2.99 included all taxes no credit card charges. Next best Price for same fuel was $3.60. Could have bought #2 diesel at $3.40 where we normally fuel up. Paid for some new fenders. We have learned where to buy in the most areas we normally cruise, but lazy checking local prices.

Is there some kind of guide, website, reference of marinas with fuel stations for Europe? I use 888 Harbours for Croatia, ADAC website for France & Germany, ... But is there anything where I can have all of this at one place, maybe incl prices (like I have it for the car)?