ITEM PHOTO BY OWEN O’ROURKE
George Gallup on his 52-foot boat called the Resolute, at the Lynn Yacht Club.
BY DILLON DURST
LYNN — Lower gas prices and good weather are expected to draw more boaters to local waters this summer.
Captain James Perry, Lynn’s harbormaster, said he’s anticipating more vessels will hit the water starting in June thanks to lower fuel prices.
The price of regular gasoline per gallon was $2.36 on Monday, down from $2.72 for the same time last year, a 13 percent drop , according to AAA.
Lynn Yacht Club Commodore Paul Petrowski said more people are discovering boating as a hobby.
Recent weather hasn’t been favorable for preparing vessels, said Ken Bornstein, an instructor for Lynn’s U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary. But he said he thinks lots of boaters are excited to hit the water after months of preparation.
De-winterizing, engine maintenance, sanding, polishing and waxing are all time-consuming parts of getting a craft ready to go for the season, he added, and most people only have time to prep on weekends.
“There’s some boats that haven’t even been uncovered yet,” Bornstein said. “It’s a very involved process.”
George Gallup, a marine surveyor, launched his boat, “Resolute,” a 41-foot Island Trader, on Tuesday at the Lynn Yacht Club, where he’s a member. The 67-year-old Lynn resident and former Swampscott Yacht Club commodore said spring weather hindered his preparation, but added that his craft is almost ready to take out on the water. He and his wife, Maureen, bought the vessel eight years ago and have invested nearly $175,000 to rebuild it. Gallup said they did 90 percent of the repair work themselves, while other areas were left up to professionals. He said every year the wood on his boat is sanded bare, re-painted, re-polished and waxed.
“There’s thousands and thousands of hours of work put in there,” he said, pointing to the boat. “It’s a lot of work, but it’s well worth it.”
Gallup said higher prices last year, “boats became condos on the water,” he said, because owners wanted to enjoy the luxury of their vessels, but didn’t want to spend the money to operate them.
He loves when families buy boats and take their children out to sea, he added.
“It teaches the kids respect for the water and it’s a great family atmosphere,” he said. “That’s how I grew up.”
Dillon Durst can be reached at [email protected].
