We just received a press release from Hunter Marine announcing the introduction of a certified pre-owned boat program. Here's how it works: Hunter sailboats up to seven years old can be subjected to a 160 point inspection and reconditioning program. Following that process, it will be re-sold with a one year warranty on key parts and components. Eighteen Hunter dealers are participating and will offer the certified boats. To our knowledge this is the first program of its kind in the industry. It should have an interesting ripple effect in the market: dealers should have more capacity for trade-ins on new boats, and we think resale value could be higher for well-maintained, late model Hunters. It also provides some security for a first-time buyer... I know I would have appreciated a warranty when I bought my 35.5. We'll try to get our hands on a list of the participating dealers. Meanwhile, what do you think?
On the other hand, I can tell you first-hand that aftermarket parts are tough to sell when you've got to know the boat's year of manufacture. We've just about given up on the Catalina 30 because it seems no two were built alike. I'm curious though, because I gather you have bought and sold both Hunters and Catalinas -- what's your experience been?
