Buying an outboard in the U.S.

[scott craven]

Everything i read leads me to believe that you can buy a new
outboard in the states for anywhere from 30-50% cheaper.
Is it import duty,and if so why so much more in Canada ?
Would it be feasible to tow a boat(less power) down south and
have a new one installed, pay the duty taxes etc. ?
Do you think you'd still be ahead ?

 

[salmonkiller01]

A freind of mine bought a grady down south and put new power on , i think it was 16000us motor , guages and install for a yamaha 200 4-s.
I do not know about warranty transferability, or the duties but still seemed cheaper than buying locally.

 

[Rum Buddies]

jsut call the registar of imported vehicles - they will tell you everything you need to know.

 

[Degree of Freedom]

How about towing your boat down there on the pretense of going on a fishing trip...repowering, and coming back...skip the duties
Oops..did I just say that on a public forum?[8D]

 

[fishin_magician]

quote:Originally posted by Backatit

How about towing your boat down there on the pretense of going on a fishing trip...repowering, and coming back...skip the duties
Oops..did I just say that on a public forum?[8D]

yep...or run the boat down and get it done there..run back over the line!

 

[reel easy]

Just a point of interest, there is a Yamaha dealer on the San Juan Islands.

 

[explorer185]

www.islandsmarinecenter.com

 

[Time]

A couple of years ago when I was looking for a boat, I recall that one (or more) American dealers located close to the border had notices on their websites that Yamaha USA would not provide warranty coverage on motors bought in Canada. May have been a holdover from when the US dollar was much stronger than the Canadian dollar.

But you got me curious, so, a bit of surfing, using Yamaha as the subject:
Yamaha Canadas website includes a warranty statement, covers motors sold by Yamaha Canada's dealers.
Yamaha US website, couldn't find an equivalent document, they seemed to be upselling extended service plans, but the references are all to Yamaha US..

Price comparison - Yamaha 115, US MSRP- 10,290. Canadian MSRP- 12,338

Actual selling advertised price on IBoats, 8,400 US.
You can check locally for your price.

I hate getting hosed by "local" dealers as much as the next guy, but I also know glitches can happen with any new product. Probably warranty work wouldn't be covered in Canada on a US purchased motor, and vice versa, manufacturers protecting their retail dealers.

If you learn differently, please post. I'll be looking for a new motor, probably next year.

 

[bhemi]

Mercury may cover warranties on US engines. I had the tail end of an extended warranty on my Mercs when I brought my boat up from the states ( 2004). My mechanic thought they would honor it. Unfortunately my repairs were caused by the stupid previous owner not mechanical failure.

 

[battaglino]

It is funny how times have changed it use to be that we went to Canada to purchase Honda outboards due to the price difference. I may have purchased outboard in BC a few years back (statute of limitations has passed) and I can't remember if I paid the duty. Down here each state has such diffent prices for the used boat Florada is 30% cheaper than anywhere else. I think it is due to the old people purchasing boats when they retire and think they are going to do all this boating and realize how much work it is.

 

[Fishinnut]

Wow, times have changed. It used to be, tow your boat to Canada and get it done cheap. I would say the San Juans woudl probably be the highest place to get a motor. I wonder if you bought it and had it shppied how that would work. Here is a link to the cheapest outboards that I know of. Check it out.

http://www.edsmarinesuperstore.com/suzuki_outboards.htm

 

[5-Salt Fever]

Buy it in Oregon and you pay no sales tax.

 

[scott craven]

quote:Originally posted by Backatit

How about towing your boat down there on the pretense of going on a fishing trip...repowering, and coming back...skip the duties
Oops..did I just say that on a public forum?[8D]

I thought about that, but if they wanted to get sticky at the border
i'll bet they could run the serial numbers and check where the motor was sold. That would however be the best scenario if you got away with it!

 

[Rum Buddies]

I don't think coming back you'd have any problems - as Canada customs never even left their desk when I imported my boat.

Going into the states I guarantee you'd get a monster hassle from the US customs D*ck heads - they are so scared of their own shadow they will look for any excuse to detain you.

 

[battaglino]

Papa Swiss that is because you never know what you Canadians will bring into our country. I have had just the opposite problems with Canadian customs I get hassled every time by those trainee girls they have working the summer in Victoria. It kills me that they always ask me what I am going to be doing while in Canada when I am towing a 25 foot boat. I always tell them that I am just going to do a little sight seeing. That could be why they hassle me. We where stuck there for 2 hours after everyone was gone at the ferry dock and when I asked her what she was looking for see said mace. What the hell would I want to bring mace in too go fishing?

 

[SIR]

Hey Bat,

Sorry you had a rough time at the border. Please don't hold our government employies against us, they outnumber the general population by at least 2 to 1 so there is not much we can do about them. Hopefully you had enough fun on our side of the border to put up with them again!!!

Not sure if you've been up Desolation Sound way yet. It's a GREAT place to trailer a smaller boat to as the waters are very protected, there are five marine parks, dozens of island and the warmest ocean water in Canada. Lot's of prawns, crab, oysters, clams and by BC standards "okay" salmon fishing. Toba and Butte inlets are much like the Scandanavian fjords with huge mountains and lot's of waterfalls. The grizzly bears in Butte are a once in a lifetime experience in the fall. Last year we were standing about 30' from three grizzlies chowing down on salmon, VERY cool!

Hope you keep coming to Canada despite how hard our respective governments are trying to make it....

 

[pescaru]

Just bought a Yamaha kicker in december, went to SG to get warranty transfered....cant do. Yam USA warranty not transferable over the line. Any problems with it I guess will have to drive Seattle.
Vic

 

[Last Chance]

I'm not sure what problem you could possibly have with a Yam kicker that would justify a trip to Seattle? They just don't seem to have expensive problems, I know guys that have run the sh*t out of them, they just seem to keep going. Hit 'em hard with Fluid Film, I know on the few that I have had the linkages on the carb and choke like to seize up, but if I could save a good lump by having on shipped up from the line, I would. A bigger motor tho, I wouldn't chance it.

 

[battaglino]

SIR

It has never discoraged me I even married a Canadian. I even work for the most despised goverment agency the IRS. So I have no problem with people doing there job just do it faster please. I have not fished the east side of VI in about 15 years the West Side has been so good to me over the past 15 years. But I may need a change one of these years. We fished winter harbor last year and had a blast and would love to go back but Frosty the owner of the cabin we stayed at died over the winter. He had heart problems but could not get you doctors to work on him for 6 months which was about a month too long. Joe

 

[battaglino]

CS I don't know if he sold his cabin or the lease. He was asking quite a bit for it. He was one mean SOB but that is what made him so charming. It is kind of sad that if he had lived in the US he could have got the operation and would have been fine.

I saw your boat up there when we where fishing last year. The name is rather catching. I assume that was at winter harbor.