By JAMMAL SMITH, Guardian Business Desk

Escalating fuel costs are making it difficult for Family Island boat charters to stay afloat in the rough waters of the local economy, with the faithfulness of wealthy customers the only thing keeping them from sinking.

"We have been very fortunate that business has still been good, because the clients we deal with have a fair share of money," said the manager of Pinder's Bonefishing, Cindy Pinder.

Her boat charter, which operates out of Abaco, has been forced to adjust its rates upward in order to maintain an even keel, financially that is. The disruptive forces are centered around a spike in fuel costs as well as insurance and other overhead expenses.

"Our costs are going up dramatically," said Pinder. "Diesel used to be less than regular gas before and now it's about the same price or even more." Ironically, the price of what was once considered the most frugal of fuels has soared above plain-old gas, given the increasing energy demands of industry, which heavily relies on diesel."

Pinder says that her company runs an "economical boat", but the current rates have tested the operation's ability to assume those increases and remain competitive.

Her fee for a full day of bonefishing and other services onboard is now $450, an increase brought in last October. The possibility of another price increase looms and is in fact under consideration, she said.

She's not the only one perusing a balance sheet.

Another Abaco charter has had to adjust its prices to weather fuel costs. Lincoln Jones, who operates out of Green Turtle Cay, said he had to raise his prices to "pick up the slack." His increase was 9.5 percent. He too has been able to retain his client, most of them well-heeled tourists undeterred by the beefier tab for a day on the water and a chance to bag their limit.

"It ain't slowing down at all, but people are not catching as much fish so that might be a problem," said Jones.

Revised fishing catch limits for tourists could be the reason why those hauls have been reduced. That might ultimately lead to a decline in business. It's worth noting that most Out Island marinas and charters have seen business rebound since the government moved to slacken fishing regulations introduced in January 2007. They had some Florida fishers vowing to boycott The Bahamas. That threat has now been removed.

Still, there's another factor that could spell tough times for charter operators like Pinder and Jones: The external cost of getting to them in the first place.

Pinder points out that airline tickets to Abaco have nearly doubled in price, and visitor families from the U.S. may increasingly opt to choose a less expensive destination. She also said that rising fuel costs has created "an island-wide domino effect."

Luckily for them, the bread and butter of the Abaco tourism industry — rich Americans — has stuck with them. That's despite those increased rates.

Still, nobody, according to Pinder, can dodge the bullets the economy is now firing forever.

"Everybody will feel the pinch of raising gas prices before everything is over and done with," she told Guardian Business Thursday. "We are on the edge of a crisis."