Great news for folks that keep their boat in the lake!  Dustin Talley and his father Dean, LSYC members who have lived on the lake for several years, are launching Lakeside Fueling www.LakeSideFueling.com  for us!  I hate filling, hauling, and pouring gas cans – it’s the worst part of boating on this lake.  I’ve been looking for a solution to fueling our boats for some time, but getting a fixed fuel dock is extremely difficult.  I have met with them, learned about and endorse their service plans, and would like to see LSYC members work with them to try to make this an effective and economical service for everyone on the lake.  I need your help quickly getting their customer base to viable scale.

How it works:
A custom designed, pontoon boat with substantial fuel capacity, travels to your dock and fills-up your boat using an EPA and Coast Guard Approved fueling system during the week.  You get an invoice for gallons delivered, with video footage of the fueling event, and pay by credit card.  You know when they are scheduled but no need to be present; they use GPS to find your dock and confirm your boat registration number.  You can use their iPhone app or their website to adjust your fueling schedule, and even see “where is the fuel boat now” for an on-demand fill up if you are getting low.

Price:
The key to make this work is to ensure there is enough scheduled demand on our lake to do business at an economic fuel price.  They are targeting pricing comparable to marine fueling stations on lake Washington http://www.nwboatinfo.com/Lake-Union—Lake-Washington.html with delivery included.  That’s probably about a buck a gallon more than auto gas stations, but at year end you’ll get a summary receipt and filled in fuel tax refund form good for 37.5 cents per gallon back from the state http://www.dol.wa.gov/vehicleregistration/ftrefunds.html (54 gallon minimum).  Scheduled deliveries during the week are key to efficiently reaching all of us around the lake.  The more fuel we buy through this service, the lower our cost per gallon can be, so there will be discounts based on scheduled volume – let’s quickly make this new business viable so we can all use the service for years to come.

Value:
So net, it’s about $3 for a 5 gallon can delivered into your boat.  Think of the time, effort, and back strain saved driving to the gas station, filling each can, putting smelly gas cans in your car, hauling them down all the stairs to your boat, draining them into the tank.  Loosing prime sunny boat time, when the kids want to go out, while you drive to the gas station.  Or having to worry “do I have enough gas” when out on the water, or cut short a great afternoon, because I left the dock with only ¼ tank.  This way you are always full.  Considering that typical powerboat depreciates about $3000/year; If you only go out 10x depreciation is $300/trip, at 20x it’s $150/trip, even if like me you get out over 60x per year, depreciation alone is $50/trip (and this ignores fixed costs for storage, insurance, licensing,…).  An extra $3/can of gas is a bargain by comparison if it gets you out enjoying your boat more.  How often do you not go out because you are low on gas or it’s a pain to fill right now.  You’ll get more value out of your boat and your waterfront property with this service.  I think having a fuel service on our lake makes all our homes more valuable at least $1,000 maybe $10,000?.  If this business doesn’t get support from enough residents, I don’t think we will ever be able to get gas on Lake Samm – and what could be easier and better than automatic fill-ups?

Environment:
You know how much you spill from those difficult fuel cans, and it’s getting worse with the new regulated cans that are so difficult to use.  This EPA approved fueling system will mean far less gas in the lake, with a trained professional operator, splash guards, and fuel spill response equipment on-board.  These are our neighbors who live on the lake and are dedicated to improving our water quality.

Sign-Up:
As this business gets started they want to deliver dependable scheduled service.  It will take time to fill and launch the fuel boat each day, travel to each dock, fuel each boat, and get the boat back on the trailer.  They estimate 20 fill-ups per day x 5 weekdays, = 100/week.  With 1200+ boats parked on our lake, they may not be able to meet demand.  They want your feedback, how much gas you use, and how frequently you’d like a fill up.  SO I asked Dustin to put me down as customer #1 and to give LSYC members early notice of the service and account sign-up list (no obligation) to guarantee yourself a spot this summer.  http://www.lakesidefueling.com/#!beta-sign-up/c10tn   We will post this on LSYC Facebook, the web page, this week and then NextDoor LakeSamm next week.  Please give your fellow LSYC members a week to sign up, then tell all your friends.  They plan to begin fueling service in May with just 100 accounts to start “Beta-phase”.  We plan to see Dustin, Dean and the fuel boat at many of our events this Spring and Summer (soon to be announced).

I’m sure you have questions for Dustin & Dean, you can reach them directly at lakesidefueling@gmail.com

I personally am very excited for this service and I believe you all will be too.  Don’t miss the boat, and have to haul your gas all summer!  Help make your property more valuable!  Sign up now.