What is the best deal on boat gear you've ever gotten?

[Pau Hana]

I have a knack for finding pretty solid deals on boat gear, and often at the most opportune time. Yesterday was a good deal day!

Our icemaker crapped out earlier this year, and I've been doing my best to justify the $1300 price tag that U-line wants for their unit.

I was persuing Craigslist, and found the unicorn- a nearly new U-line icemaker for $60! I hightailed it over, picked it up, and found it's not only a newer model with greater capacity, but fits into its assigned space perfectly. I have to rework the trim wood, but that is an easy fix.

So, to my question- what deals have you run across?

 

[Pack Mule]

Not any on boat gear but good deals on boat lumber :
180 board ft of 5/4 Burmese teak @ $15 board ft and all the African mahogany I want for $ 3.00 bf .
Only because I work for a hardwood lumber company.

 

[rwidman]

Back when West Marine was matching prices I needed an anchor. Defender had the one I wanted for $55 on a good sale. It was $115 at West Marine so I asked them to match Defender's price which they did. I had to pay tax of course but no shipping. Then I pulled out my West Marine rewards coupon and saved another $10.

 

[O C Diver]

Bought 3 Webasto air conditioners (12k BTU) for less than $2k with free shipping from Imarineusa.com during fall inventory reduction.

Ted

 

[High Wire]

Went to a local yard sale where the owner was selling fishing tackle. There was a stack of empty boxes on top of one box with the lid on. Under the lid the box was full of fishing reels. In the box among other things was a Penn international 80SW 2-speed reel with a tag $50. I thought it said 350, picked it up, looked at it then looked at the tag again. $50 really? I asked the owner who confirmed. SOLD!!! Put it on eBay and it went for $520.

 

[Dougcole]

I'm an independent sales rep, selling outdoor apparel and footwear. I traded a sample set (which I get at 60% off of wholesale) to Sailorman in Fort Lauderdale for a brand new Caribe Light 10. My cost was around $500.

I get tons of industry deals on Outdoor gear. My friends and family say I never pay full price for anything...not entirely true, but close.

I like to barter, it works out good for everyone.

 

[MYTraveler]

Years ago, in the early days of marine GPS, a company named something like Apelco made a chartplotter -- monochrome and very rudimentary, but high tech for its time, which WM carried for something like $500. A customer had returned one, which, for whatever reason, WM put it on the bargain table for something like 50% off, but AS-Is. I asked to have it fired up and the electronics department guy tried for an hour, with no success. He said I could have it for $50, but no returns. I offered something like $25, he accepted, I sent it to the factory for repairs and got a working unit for no additional cost.

 

[alormaria]

$.25 for 300 foot of braided 5/8" anchor line. I love young blonde cashiers.

 

[ksanders]

$.25 for 300 foot of braided 5/8" anchor line. I love young blonde cashiers.

Al, you didn't really do that...did you?

Not trying to play holier than thou, but if a cashier makes a mistake of that magnitude I bring it to their attention.

Same thing if someone drops a 20 out of their pocket in the line in front of me, or if the cashier hands back too much change.

While this sounds like a "great deal" my money says you did the right thing.

 

[hmason]

Bought a 50 amp 125/250 power cord 50'. The blue LED on the plug didn't work but the cord did. I called the manufacturer and they sent me a free second cord at no charge and told me to keep the first one. The LED on the second one failed in a few weeks---they sent me a third cord at no charge. I sold the first cord to a dockmate for $250.

 

[healhustler]

I would go to yard sales of the rich when I was living on Key Biscayne, just off Miami. When the wives were having garage cleanout day, I always got excellent bargains on boat and dock accessories because so much of the property was waterfront. At the last one, I got four 12 x 30 inch fenders and six 50' x 1" unused black dock lines for $15. The husband must've killed her when he got home from his golf game.

 

[FF]

Dania flea market had a 6 inch Chelsea Ships Clock that was gross with corrosion.

I figured the brass case was worth the $10.00 price.

Amazed when after winding, it worked!

Went to have it cleaned and oiled , only to be told its not possible , only new $600 guts would restore it.

Since it keeps good time , I just wind it weekly ,

and will install electric battery strike guts , should it ever be required.

 

[k9medic]

Stopped by a yard sale and saw two bags labeled "scuba crap" listed for $100

The zippers in the bags were corroded shut so I asked what was in the bags. The lady told me at least 3 masks and a bunch of other stuff that she didn't know about.

I told her I would give her $40 for both bags and she accepted.

I got home and ripped the bags open to find 2 Dacor BC's, three regulators, three masks, and two depth gauges.

I sold the duplicates on Craigslist and made about $500 on the sale.

 

[alormaria]

Al, you didn't really do that...did you?

Not trying to play holier than thou, but if a cashier makes a mistake of that magnitude I bring it to their attention.

Same thing if someone drops a 20 out of their pocket in the line in front of me, or if the cashier hands back too much change.

While this sounds like a "great deal" my money says you did the right thing.

I did bring it to her attention. She rolled her eyes, popped her bubble gum and pointed at the sale sticker that read $.25/yadee yadee yadah.

I said "Oh Key Doe Key".

 

[MartySchwartz]

Not trying to play holier than thou, but if a cashier makes a mistake of that magnitude I bring it to their attention.

One time I tried to let a cashier know she charger me $0.25/quart for oil when the price was $2.50 (two cases for 48 quarts). She rudely argued with me so I let her convince me...

As to the best deal I ever got. Walked into the local used marine place here in Poulsbo WA and saw a fireboy 700 cubic-foot FE241 fire bottle for $198 (was $1950 new at West Marine at the time). Snapped it up and for another $8 had it re-certified. Still in my engine room today.

Good to keep yer eyes open sometimes (well, OK, all the time).

Marty...........................