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Gas prices, supply chain issues affecting boating businesses | Cerro Gordo County

CLEAR LAKE, Iowa – With the long holiday weekend in sight, you might be looking to get the boat ready. But with the cost of everything going up, it might take a hit on your summer fun.

At Clear Lake Boats, Cody Maulsby is gearing up for the upcoming weekend. The chilly spring set them back a bit at the start of the season, but business is back to where they’re at normally. They supply gas for boats through a pump located on their main dock. With gas prices skyrocketing over the past few months, gas is now $6.45/gallon. Typically, Maulsby says their gas is a bit higher compared to gas pumps on land. Still, the prices aren’t exactly good for business.

“Especially for rentals, we cover the first tank of fuel. If you rent a boat from us, we’re paying for the first tank, you use it all day, comes back with gas so we have to fill up again. It’s not breaking us by any means, but it’s definitely not helping.”

In addition, supply chain issues and high demand are causing challenges to inventory. 

“That year COVID hit was one of our record sales years. Ever since then, it’s been hard to get inventory back. That’s where we’re at right now. We don’t have much to sell right now. Everything that comes in is sold or sells right away, so we’re not sitting on a lot of inventory.”

With President Biden floating the idea of a gas tax holiday, Maulsby believes it could help with costs. In addition, he’s noticed prices have gone down about 15 cents over the last two weeks, so he’s hopeful that trend continues.

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