Lets go diving , I have a boat in Key West

[Wookie]

I see your point.

"Please consider a voluntary contribution of 1/n of the fuel costs. Your contribution may serve as a token to remind the captain you are still in the water."

This would be walking a thin line, but on the legal side of it in my opinion, which carries zero weight. I am neither a lawyer nor a CG investigator. I know some, though.

 

[Lorenzoid]

Like a lot of things involving the law, I suspect there is no way to "know" whether the proposed wording passes muster until you are fined, you challenge it before a court or whatever administrative agency is involved, and you get a ruling. If I were a prosecutor, I think I would argue that any mention of an amount smacks of asking for money. I bet if you were to say "please consider a voluntary contribution toward fuel costs," you would be on better footing. Maybe if they watch you fill the tank at the dock and make sure they happen to notice the bill, you could get close to the amount you have in mind.

 

[Tug]

Like a lot of things involving the law, I suspect there is no way to "know" whether the proposed wording passes muster until you are fined, you challenge it before a court or whatever administrative agency is involved, and you get a ruling. If I were a prosecutor, I think I would argue that any mention of an amount smacks of asking for money. I bet if you were to say "please consider a voluntary contribution toward fuel costs," you would be on better footing. Maybe if they watch you fill the tank at the dock and make sure they happen to notice the bill, you could get close to the amount you have in mind.

this pretty much mirrors my thoughts and why if I had a boat I'd only take out friends who understand how things work.... but I don't own a boat so I'll just leave it up to the shop owner to fill the boat and hope the divers tip me with a cold beer when we return to the dock

 

[Lorenzoid]

I'll add that I'm not a boat guy, and the first time an acquaintance took me and a group of friends out on his shiny new motor yacht, when we stopped at the fuel dock on the way out I was shocked at what I saw him pay. Now that I think back on it, it may have been no coincidence that I found myself standing near the pump when he paid. In fact, a number of us happened to be standing there. Smart guy. He had bought that boat with gains from stock in his employer's company, a small fish at the time he bought the stock, but by the time he sold it Home Depot had spread across the US.

 

[TMHeimer]

Had to mention I read years ago that Peter Lynch (at the time mgr. of Fidelity Magellan Fund, at the time the biggest mutual fund) said one of his biggest mistakes was not buying a tiny start up company in Atl. called Home Depot.

 

[Schwob]

Had to mention I read years ago that Peter Lynch (at the time mgr. of Fidelity Magellan Fund, at the time the biggest mutual fund) said one of his biggest mistakes was not buying a tiny start up company in Atl. called Home Depot.

Peter Lynch doesn't need to feel so bad. Most of us probably made all those mistakes all the time. Or else we'd be diving on the reef around our island or such...

 

[Wookie]

If everyone could do it, it wouldn't be special.