By Len Bose
Buying a Pre-Owned Duffy Boat.
The first step is finding a slip:
If you are fortunate enough to own a waterfront home, you can forward to step 2. Please note if you already own a boat, and you do not wish to go boatless ask yourself if you have enough room on the dock for two boats.
Finding a slip in Southern California is a high hurdle to jump it takes work! You will need to to locate every marina operator in your area and personally walk in to ask if there are any available slips and if can you sign up on a waiting list. Each month revisit each office, smile drop your card off, and a couple of Gourmet cookies. “Thank you please keep me in mind should something become available.
Post an ad on Craigs List that you are purchasing a Duffy and would agree for the slip owner to use the boat.
Purchase a boat with a transferable slip, you then have two choices to keep that boat or flip it. Then purchase what you want.
Network every friend you have and let them know you are looking for a slip along with walking/boating past residents' homes looking for “Slip for Rent Signs”.
Now that you have found a slip you are halfway there to owning your own boat, yet this is a VERY uncomfortable time for you. You have paid down your first and last slip payment which could easily be north of $ 2,000. Now you have to find the boat you want, and just not any boat. This could take a couple of months if you are lucky the next week!
2. New or Pre-Owned Boats:
If you completed step 1 this is an easy decision. At the time of writing Duffy is only a couple of months out from building you the boat that you want with no compromises. You get everything in the boat just as you want, colors, and options.
Buying a New Duffy boat is very similar to purchasing a new car and warranty. Many Duffy buyers do not want to compromise and they are more comfortable receiving a warranty. If that's you, then by all means purchase a NEW boat. NOW if you are like me I have followed the advice of one of my favorite customers. “I purchase my cars pre-owned, well cared for, and keep them for 10 years”. New Duffy’s will depreciate the moment they arrive in your slip. The amount of deprecation is based on how far out the Duffy production schedule is. If a new boat buyer can receive a new boat in less than two months, that new boat that you just tied up has dropped in value by
15,000 dollars.
If that makes you pucker a little then that is when you give me a call to review my listing or make an appointment with me to walk the docks and touch a feel what you can purchase for $10,000, $20,000, $30,000, $40,000 or $ 55,000. New boats are at
$ 69,000 with a couple of options you are at $ 72,000.
When you first approach a boat, that is for sale, notice the condition of the windows. Ask yourself if is that something you can live with for a while or do you need to purchase new windows, windows are in the $ 4,200-4,600 not installed.
B. Ask the seller if the boat is under Duffy Care, if it is ask for a copy of the boat's last inspection report. In my opinion "Duffy Care" is a MUST have "No Brainer" I would ask the seller "Why do you not have Duffy Care?" If the seller complains about the cost, then you have some very good insight into how they have cared for the boat. Should a seller say "I have my big boat crew maintain the Duffy" That's an acceptable answer. Once you have a report you will need help understanding the recommendations. What you should keep from doing is asking for a quote to repair all the recommendations on the report. This will blow the deal apart and you could be walking away from a good boat. This is a good time to ask what is coming with the boat, Coast Guard safety equipment, Life Jackets, pillows, and electric cord.
C. What to look for within the inspection report? How old are the batteries, if they are older than five years odds are good you will be replacing them within the next two years. If you are purchasing a boat 2008 or newer the boat will have the “Duffy Power Rudder. Power Rudders do not like fishing lines or any other type of line that has wrapped around the prop. When looking at the boat ask the seller if you can inspect the power rudder. Lift up the helm seat cushion, focus on the base of the motor, and lift up the white cap. If the base is dry and clean then the odds are very good everything will check out and the motor is in good condition. Should you find grease, oil, water, or corrosion then you should have a Duffy Tec do an inspection.
Going back to the inspection report note the recommendation if any on the urethane base lip seals and lower seal. When the seals are out it is normally due to water intrusion. Replacing seals costs roughly $ 4,000.
D. Your next step should be a test drive/trial run. By this point, I highly recommend you have come to an agreement on the price for the boat with the conditions of a trial run and inspection report. It's best not to show up with the whole family, dog, and wine on a cheese platter. Asking the seller to demonstrate the stereo, refrigerator, navigational lights, interior lights, horn, windless, and searchlight. Your trial run should not be more than thirty minutes. Listen for any loud noises, whines, if you hear a sound like you are making margaritas well then that's a big red flag. The boats do whine a little in reverse, if the noise is loud then there is some type of problem. Go full speed for a half hour and note if the battery meter has come out of the black, if the meter has come out of the black then you will need batteries soon, if the boat stops running well then you will need batteries now. Some older straight-drive boats with two motor belts will make the meter come out of the black, these boats take a lot of juice and should be idled back. Another item to look for is the actuator/controller system. If the boat is surging, stopping, or stalling then the odds are you the boat will need to replace the actuator or controller.
E. We have talked about the “Duffy Report” These are completed annually, if it's a clean report then I would go with that report. If the seller is not on Duffy Care then I would schedule a haul out and full inspection for Duffy $650. If you are purchasing the boat out of the Newport Beach Harbor then I would recommend asking a Duffy Tec to come out and complete an in-the-water survey.
CLOSING
A. This can be very simple with only a couple of items to be aware of, and if you do not take care of these items it could turn up to be a headache. Go online to https://tax.ocgov.com/tcweb/search_page.asp and check if the property taxes have been paid. If the seller has an updated registration then that should cover that question. Note the Pink slip or registration on how the vessel is titled. Should it read Jane Smith and Jeff Smith then your cashier's check should be made out to both names and both signatures should be on the pink slip. If it's Jane Smith or Jeff Smith then one name works. If the title is in a trust then you will need a copy of the trust to transfer the title into your name. If the seller is deceased then that can be tricky, it could take the boat months to change the title. Most of the time I can tell if the seller is being truthful, they have shown you that death certificate and the paperwork that they are the executors of the will or trust. I just have them sign the owner's name on the pink slip. Now if it starts to get confusing call a DMV title company I use Reliable Documentation at (949) 209-8870 for all my big boat title work.
B. Keep the deal clean, never do any work on the boat until you have the title. Vacate the slip ASAP, do not assume that any trailer will work for a Duffy if you are leaving the area. If the boat comes with a cover place the cover over the boat and securely tie the cover down to the trailer. If you do not have a boat cover and are traveling more than 25 miles it will be best to take the windows and Surrey off before going on the road.
By LEN BOSE
Duffy Care is a no-brainer, in other words, it is the best value in town and a must if you are a Duffy owner.
For roughly three thousand dollars a year, you receive monthly bottom cleaning, interior cleaning, and inspection. This means you have the Duffy crew check the battery water level and systems while making recommendations on what you should consider fixing. At the end of the year, you will receive the “Full Spa” treatment which is worth the price of purchase alone. Complete inside and outside detailing, clean the bottom, and complete the “Out of the Water” inspection report.
NOW this is where I can HELP YOU, when you receive a monthly or annual inspection report along with a quote for the recommended repairs and find it shocking, no pun, let me come to your boat and advise you on the questions to ask regarding the quote. Some items you can put off, other vendors can complete the job for much less in a shorter period.
I will save you hundreds of dollars and offer this service for FREE. My father always told me “You don’t get something for free” Well, My goal is to get to know you and your boat. You tell your friends about me, and when the time comes to sell your boat you call Len Bose Yacht Sales and see if I can help you sell your boat.
One of my favorite sayings is “HAVE A GOOD DUFFY DAY” and that's what I want to achieve!
Appraisals & Vessel Evaluations:
Should you find yourself in need of an Appraisal or Vessel Evaluation because of a dissolving partnership, marriage, or Death in the Family I can HELP you. If you are just wondering what your boat is worth, I will come by and give you a free appraisal, after looking at your boat, over the phone, should you require a written evaluation there is a fee.
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