POLK CITY, Iowa —
It's the proverbial calm before the storm at Saylorville Lake; a relatively quiet Wednesday ahead of the busiest weekend of the year.
And it's not just drivers, but boaters, who are also being hit by high gas prices.
For Jake Sargent, he is out on the water today, and ready to shoot off fireworks for onlookers for his day job this weekend. He has no problem paying whatever necessary to get that pontoon going.
"We knew that gas prices are going to be high, but it's kind of the price that you're gonna have to take to have fun like that out there," he said.
Gas for boats runs about two dollars more than what vehicles pay at the pump: $6.43 per gallon is the current price at the Saylorville Lake Marina.
"It's a non-ethanol blend with a marine fuel additive that does drive the cost up more than what you see for E15 at your typical gas pump," said Mike Slatterly, general manager at Saylorville Lake Marina.
But no price will put people like Sargent away.
"It could be 10 bucks a gallon, and you know what? You're gonna pay it because it's the cost of the entertainment kind of, so I don't think it's as big of a deal out here," he said.
If it's your first time out on the water this weekend, make sure you come out early and be prepared. Slatterly says there will probably be plenty of lines at boat ramps and across the grounds from the restaurant to the marina.