Party boat prices

[TogRipper]

It seems all the party boats all increased their fares at the same time?
It seems they all decided to raise the fare 5 dollars to 70.
Seems odd as every other service provided or product sold in other industries have different prices for competition.
For example, barbers, plumbeers, charter boats, and others who provide service all have different prices when shopping for a service.
Anyone else have a thought on this?
Gerry if this needs to be moved to another part of the subject board please do so.
Thanks!

[Reel Class]

Originally Posted by TogRipper

It seems all the party boats all increased their fares at the same time?
It seems they all decided to raise the fare 5 dollars to 70.
Seems odd as every other service provided or product sold in other industries have different prices for competition.
For example, barbers, plumbeers, charter boats, and others who provide service all have different prices when shopping for a service.
Anyone else have a thought on this?
Gerry if this needs to be moved to another part of the subject board please do so.
Thanks!

Fuel prices have increased, as have prices for slips throughout the state. Insurance premiums change, as do the cost of actually running the business and keeping a boat in EXCELLENT condition so that customers are safe and have an enjoyable experience. Maintaining a boat costs A LOT OF MONEY, I should know!!!!!

[Hanis]

Bait prices are going through the roof as well

[jakesdad]

As a small business owner, you at cost increases until it doesn't make it economically feasible. At that point you raise you price. Can you imagine a mate collecting fares of $67.50. Over the past few years insurance, dockage, bait, fuel, maintenance and all the other components that make up a business have gone up.

If we want to have a thriving industry, these captains deserve to make a profit, if they don't we will lose them all.

[vikesdad]

Life has gotten more expensive for the captains. Milk, chicken, beef, pasta..these guys have to put food on their own tables...Bigger concern is that these guys have to raise prices in a time where the fishing is getting worse. Guys that are meat fisherman will just not go if fishing is up and down. Dads that were thinking about taking two of their kids will have to drop down to taking one of their kids or go less. That's not the Captains fault, it's just life. I believe in these guys and support them 100%. A sponsor on this boat didn't allow me to pay for my son when he was about 7 years old. His quote was " we need more kids to come out fishing, I'll happily take your fare but he rides for free". They are not being greedy by raising prices, they're doing it because they have to.

[Finprof]

A counter-example would be gasoline stations who tend to charge the same price in the same area. This happens most often with commodity items that is hard to discriminate on quality.

[Capt Sal]

Originally Posted by TogRipper

It seems all the party boats all increased their fares at the same time?
It seems they all decided to raise the fare 5 dollars to 70.
Seems odd as every other service provided or product sold in other industries have different prices for competition.
For example, barbers, plumbeers, charter boats, and others who provide service all have different prices when shopping for a service.
Anyone else have a thought on this?
Gerry if this needs to be moved to another part of the subject board please do so.
Thanks!

Maybe they raised the price of diesel and the party boats have to get it from the marina there in.????

[AndyS]

Trolling Mo-Jo's, who is buying bait ?
Fuel prices have dropped in the last 10 years.

[Capt. Debbie]

I don't think this is question of what justifies the price increase. That's easy to see.

I think the question posed here is an implication of anti-trust (mention of competitive $ Differences) collusion because there was an "coordinated" across the board increase for all of them. Is some one or some group synchronizing the PB fare prices? This is the question I believe is posed.

Having run a few businesses I think I can say that competitors watch their competition AND ADJUST. I see my boating school competitors now offer Senior Citizen & Military discounts I have had for a decade. Also I had offered review courses for internet students since day one, now my competitors do.

I'm sure if bench massages by real Masseuses on PB's became offered and popular they all would offer that soon off. LOL A nice shoulder massage after a hard fish fight is nice- right?

Originally Posted by TogRipper

It seems all the party boats all increased their fares at the same time?
It seems they all decided to raise the fare 5 dollars to 70.
Seems odd as every other service provided or product sold in other industries have different prices for competition.
For example, barbers, plumbeers, charter boats, and others who provide service all have different prices when shopping for a service.
Anyone else have a thought on this?
Gerry if this needs to be moved to another part of the subject board please do so.
Thanks!

Originally Posted by TogRipper

It seems all the party boats all increased their fares at the same time?
It seems they all decided to raise the fare 5 dollars to 70.
Seems odd as every other service provided or product sold in other industries have different prices for competition.
For example, barbers, plumbeers, charter boats, and others who provide service all have different prices when shopping for a service.
Anyone else have a thought on this?
Gerry if this needs to be moved to another part of the subject board please do so.
Thanks!

Here's my take regarding comparable prices. With ports, these boats sit side by side, most with prices published. Don't think barbers, plumbers and even charter boats have a similar situation. If there's five boats side by side and one has a cheaper price, whose going to get most of the business from people who don't fish that often. I'm sure that factors into it whether it's agreed to by all or not.

More so here's my take regarding prices in general. This is where regulations are killing these businesses. People are talking about bait and gas prices. This is a capital intensive business, how much does the boat cost and what kind of mortgage do these operators assume. Interest and principal payments alone must be significant and are due whether they sail or not. Factor in property and casualty insurance, crew costs (even if they get tips), slip rental, winter storage, repairs and maintenance, ancillary equipment. All these are significant costs, required just to be in the game before the first fare steps on board and incremental to operating costs like fuel and bait.

Now factor in how many less people are sailing these days due to regulations and try absorbing what are predominantly fixed costs into presumably lesser fares and truthfully I'm amazed prices haven't increased more. Now factor in how short the season is in this area of the country, legitimate bad weather days, days with not enough fares to sail because the weather man botches the forecast and how limited the time frame is for these owners to scratch out a profit to justify their existence. And when every marina turns into a high end water front real estate development, high end marina which doesn't cater to recreational or party boats or another 9th Ave. Pier in Belmar, I don't think anyone will be concerned if they charged comparable prices to eke out a living. Most people by that time won't even remember what a party boat was.