Feeling Sicker by the Gallon

Now every gallon counts: Eric Slaughter, co-owner of District-based Capital Yacht Charters, has begun asking passengers to limit their numbers on the upper deck of his pleasure boats to help smooth out the ride and conserve fuel.

"It's a small thing," said Slaughter of the new policy, "but it can save you gallons an hour and that can go back into your pocket."

Saving a few gallons can mean a lot to the operator of a boat that can burn more than 80 gallons on a three-hour cruise.

Thanks to the run-up in diesel prices, Slaughter pays $400 more this year for the 1,000 gallons of fuel it takes to operate his fleet. And his boats burn fuel at a rapid clip. Celebrity, a 100-foot luxury yacht with a full dining room and dance hall, burns an average 25 gallons an hour.

Last year, Slaughter said he paid $1.89 a gallon for a bulk delivery of diesel. His last fill-up cost him $2.29 a gallon, a 21 percent jump. That's a bargain compared to the $2.59 a gallon charged at James Creek Marina, the closest boat fueling station.

To avoid passing on his higher costs to customers, Slaughter has done everything he can to ensure that his boats glide more efficiently down the Potomac -- stopping short of throwing the plush red "early bordello" couches off his cruiser called "Finished Business."

He's taken heavy tools and spare parts off his yachts. He's reduced the amount of drinking water he takes on board by 500 gallons. He spends extra money to regularly maintain and clean his engines so they burn less gas.

All of this saves the charter company about 5 percent in fuel costs, Slaughter said. To make up for the rest, Slaughter and his business partner, Lisa-Lisbeth Finney, work round-the-clock to take care of chores that would otherwise be done by paid employees.

They've also made the difficult decision to limit the number of free rides they offer to nonprofits and charities for fundraisers.

"As fuel goes up," said Slaughter, "that is one of the thousand points of lights that gets dimmed a little bit."

-- Mark Chediak

Deliveries: A $60,000 Hit

Driving around is what David Guernsey's company does. Each day he sends out a fleet of 100 vehicles that travel an average of 135 miles delivering office products and furniture across the Washington region. That means he's paying gas for 13,500 miles of driving every day and 3.4 million miles a year.