Now You Can Buy a Certified Pre-Owned Hinckley
Hinckleys are certainly among the most beautiful yachts on the planet and, with their patented JetStick controls, among the most fun to drive. Most people would like to think about owning one. (I know I fit in that category, ever since I tested Dasher, hull number one of the Picnic Boat, in Southwest Harbor, Maine, back in 1994.) The basic problem, of course, is that they’re also expensive. The obvious solution: Buy a used one. But then, even with a good survey, do you really know what you’re getting?
Now Hinckley has an answer to that question: Certified Pre-Owned Hinckleys. In a new program similar to that used in the luxury car market for years, Hinckley is rolling out its “Certified Pre-Owned” program for used Hinckleys, offering extended warranties and assurance to used-boat buyers that their boat has been maintained up to factory standards.
Hinckley President Peter O’Connell just outlined the program at a Hinckley owners’ rendezvous at the Ocean Reef Club in Key Largo. Hinckley has already maintained many of the Hinckleys on the brokerage market, O’Connell said. “We know these boats, we know that they’ve been properly serviced, we represent them in the marketplace, so our confidence in them is very high. Extending specific warranties to a new owner is easy for us and it feels like a good way to welcome a new owner into our brand family.”
For a Hinckley to qualify for the Certified Pre-Owned program, it must have been serviced in one of the company’s seven service yards, or in a yard authorized to service Hinckley yachts. It must then undergo an inspection and be listed for sale by a Hinckley sales office. There is no cost involved to either the buyer or seller.
Warranties depend on the age of the boat. Platinum coverage, for boats less than five years old, provides a lifetime warranty for the hull and deck and a warranty to the powertrain equal to the original manufacturer’s, plus two years. Gold coverage, for boats 5 to 10 years old, provides a hull and deck warranty for 12 years from the original build, plus two years of powertrain coverage. Silver coverage for boats more than ten years old provides for a one-year powertrain warranty.
