If you are anything like us, you physically can’t fill up your car at the petrol station by paying at the pump. This is due to the credit card hold being set by the garage at £99.

Similarly to fuel for cars, petrol and diesel for boats most recently has rocketed. Since we bought Bluetooth in 2020 we have tracked the cost of fuel. We thought you might be interested to see the summary.

How much has fuel increased for boaters?

The first time we filled Bluetooth’s tank was in July 2020, during the first summer of Covid. Diesel cost 97p per litre. Through the remainder of the 2020 season, there was a negligible rise in the price of fuel. In October 2020 it dropped to the lowest rate we have ever paid, 94p a litre.

During our 2021 season, the price seemed to even out. We saw prices running from just under £1 through to £1.08.

Then in 2022, the rate has risen sharply. The chart below shows clearly how the rate has pretty much doubled since we started to buy fuel in 2020.

All-inclusive fuel RIB rental

As you may know, Bluetooth RIB has a new Volvo Penta diesel inboard engine. If you didn’t you can read more about this here. We are fortunate as this type of engine is great at times of high fuel prices.

A diesel inboard is a lot more economical to run than a petrol outboard. Speaking with some of our fellow RIB rental operators we were astounded at how much their current fuel bills were.

We made a business decision early on that we wanted to make it simple for our charter guests to be able to calculate the cost of their trip. The price you see is the price you pay. It’s inclusive of fuel, VAT and a skipper if required. We are hopeful that despite the rocketing price of fuel, we can continue to offer you fuel-inclusive rates. We do hope that fuel surcharges won’t be a sign of things to come.

If you are looking for a bareboat or skippered RIB charter in the Solent area get in touch.
We offer half-day, full-day and multi-day for both leisure and commercial charter guests.

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