Still afloat, no matter the cost

Boaters not deterred by gas prices

PEORIA – Despite rising gas prices, Jim Cook’s boats just keep getting bigger. The Hanna City resident is on his eighth and largest boat, called “Fool’s Fun.”

He knows the bigger the boat gets, the more expensive it costs to run, especially with how high gas prices are – more than $3 for regular gasoline throughout the Tri-County Area.


But that still doesn’t stop Cook from pumping $1,500 into a double V-8 engine speedboat that gets one mile per gallon.

Thursday afternoon, the boat was propped up on cement blocks at Detweiler Municipal Marina at 2 Caroline St. For a rare moment this summer, it didn’t cost Cook a cent.

Like Cook, boaters across the region appear to be enjoying their favorite hobby despite record-high gas prices this spring.

Peoria Journal Star