Higher marine fuel prices greet Memorial Day boaters in Grand Traverse County

Higher marine fuel prices met Memorial Day boaters at Duncan L. Clinch Marina, where gasoline climbed to $6.49 a gallon and diesel to $5.79, sharp jumps from about $5.39 and $3.94 at this time last year. Even with the increase, marina staff said traffic on the water has stayed steady and customers are still fueling up for the holiday weekend.

The local price shock landed well above broader fuel costs in the region. AAA listed Michigan’s average gas price at $4.632 a gallon and diesel at $6.018 on May 25, while the Traverse City metro average sat at $4.332 for regular gas and $5.223 for diesel. That left Clinch Marina’s fuel dock carrying a premium that hit recreational boaters, charter operators and other waterfront businesses in Grand Traverse County just as the summer season began to build.

Rebecca Boynton, the marina’s assistant harbormaster, said the higher prices have not kept people off the water. Marina staff also said slip reservations were filling earlier than usual, a sign that demand for boating access remains strong even as fuel costs rise. Boynton’s comments point to the same tradeoff many boaters are making now: absorb the higher price or cut back on time on the bay.

The pressure is not limited to private boaters. The City of Traverse City says Clinch Marina is city-owned and operated, governed by the Michigan State Waterways Commission, and originally built in 1960-61 to provide slips for out-of-town visitors. Its fuel operation is built around heavy seasonal demand. A city fuel bid for 2026 called for about 70,000 gallons of unleaded mid-grade gasoline without ethanol and about 50,000 gallons of dyed diesel, with gasoline delivered to an 8,000-gallon tank on a keep-full basis. The bid names Shane Dilloway as marina dockmaster.

For the broader waterfront economy, that matters beyond the dock. Fuel prices ripple into slip rentals, charter schedules, marina revenue, restaurant traffic and the pace of summer business from Clinch Park to Boardman Avenue and across nearby harbor communities. When boaters decide whether to launch, stay out longer or make fewer trips, the effects reach the operators who depend on steady waterfront traffic.

The immediate question for Grand Traverse County is whether this spike fades or becomes part of the season. So far, weather appears to matter more than fuel costs in determining who heads out, and the early reservation pace suggests the region’s boating demand is still intact. If warm conditions hold and traffic keeps rising through June, marinas around Traverse City may continue to see solid business even with prices running well above last season.