Boat Donation
Save the Time and Expense of Selling
- Donation is easy - complete the entire transaction in just a few days, saving money on insurance, storage, maintenance, repairs, and depreciation
- No paperwork headaches – we provide all paperwork and official tax receipt
- No hassles – no sales commissions, no test drives, no phone calls or visits from strangers, no haggling
Tax Deduction Maximizes the Boat's Value
Tax law changes implemented in 2005 benefit individuals donating to SUNY Maritime College and other reputable organizations that will, through our diverse waterfront activities, make “significant intervening use” of the boats and equipment. This means 100% of the fair market value of the vessel, as determined by a qualified appraiser you select, is tax deductible.
Support Maritime Students and Programs
Your boat will be used to support a wide variety of programs from providing waterfront access for youth to training top collegiate sailors.
BOAT & EQUIPMENT DONATION PROCESS
Donating a Boat and Equipment to Maritime College is Easy
Contact us – Call Rob Crafa at 718-409-7460 or email waterfront@sunymaritime.edu with two representative photos of the boat and a description including:
- Year/Make/Model/Location
- Condition/Outstanding Issues
- Does the boat have a road-worthy trailer?
- A for-sale listing or link
Arrange donation - Arrange for your surveyor to appraise the value of the boat, complete straightforward paperwork (we provide all necessary paperwork and can walk you through process), and let us know when you would like us to pick up the boat. If an appraisal for your donation is needed, contact The National Association of Marine Surveyors (NAMS) or The Society of Accredited Marine Surveyors (SAMS) for a boat. For valuing sail donations, contact a local sail loft.
Claim tax deduction - Receive an official letter acknowledging the tax deductible donation and an IRS form to be submitted with the tax return.
EXAMPLES OF BOATS & EQUIPMENT SOUGHT
Maritime College seeks donations of sail and motor boats in good condition that meet one of our many waterfront program needs including:
- High performance sailboats 34’ – 45’ (i.e. J105, J44) used by the offshore sailing team.
- Cruising or racing sailboats with auxiliary power, such as the recently donated Beneteau 50 to support recreational and community programs.
- Day sailors (i.e. Colgate 26’, Sonar 23 or J-24) for match racing, learn-to-sail, and recreational sailing programs
- Powerboats including run-abouts for use as safety/coach boats and to teach safe power boating (i.e. Boston Whalers) and cruising boats also for teaching safe power boating and for using as race committee
- Sails and equipment such as radios, GPS
- Kayaks, canoes and dinghies
Examples of recent donations include:
1989 J44 “Charlie V” – offshore sailing team race boat
2001 J105 “Privateer” (formerly “Morning Glory”) – offshore sailing team race boat
1979 J24 “Milk Bone” – converted to IC24
1999 Pursuit 25 – held for sale to benefit programs
FAQS
Is my donation tax deductible?
How is the value of my donated boat or equipment determined?
What forms do I have to complete?
What other additional resources are available about boat donations?
Sailboats, motorboats, equipment (i.e. used sails), kayaks/canoes, dinghies. Click to see examples of recent donations and boat donation guidelines.
Is my donation tax deductible?
Yes, 100% of the fair market value of your donation is tax deductible.
For additional information see Internal Revenue Service Publication 526: Charitable Contributions.
How is the value of my donated boat or equipment determined?
The value of donated boats and equipment (or groups of similar items such as sails) over $5,000 is determined by a qualified appraiser you select. This avoids research and guesswork for you and eliminates a potential conflict of interest for a charity eager to attract the potential donation with an inflated appraisal. If you need an appraisal for your donation contact The National Association of Marine Surveyors (NAMS) or The Society of Accredited Marine Surveyors (SAMS) for a boat or your local sail loft for valuing donated sails.
For donated vessels that we are not able to make significant intervening use of or material improvements to, we may accept them as Held for Sale. In this case the value is determined by the amount we report to you and the Internal Revenue Service that we sold the boat for. This eliminates the guesswork and risk of you determining the value of your donation and can immediately eliminate additional expenses and avoid the hassle of selling the boat yourself. The tax deductible value of held for sale donations, however is often lower than donors may think their boat is worth. For an idea of what your boat may appraise for compare similar boats in classified ads such as at www.yachtworld.com
For additional information see page five of the Internal Revenue Service Publication 561: Determining the Value of Donated Property.
Donations to the Maritime College Waterfront will be used to support a variety of waterfront activities such as learn to sail programs, college and high school sailing and crew teams, summer camp and safe powerboat handling courses. When the vessel no longer meets our program needs it is sold to provide the financial support necessary to operate these activities. We will not accept a boat without telling you what our plans are for it upfront.
What forms do I have to complete?
There are just three simple donation forms which are very straight forward and can be completed in a matter of minutes. Please, for your sake, DO NOT complete the forms until both you and SUNY Maritime College are willing to proceed with the donation.
The forms are:
- Deed of Gift (USCG Form 1340) – complete the basic boat description and have the donor’s signature notarized.
- Noncash Charitable Contributions (IRS Form 8283 Noncash Charitable Contributions and Instructions for Form 8283) – complete with donor’s social security number and boat description. Appraiser signs the document and the SUNY Maritime Foundation signs and returns to the donor.
- Proof of Ownership – original, up-to-date, transferrable proof of ownership such as a state registration, state title free of liens and/or USCG Certificate of Documentation need to be signed.
What other additional resources are available about boat donations?
Tax Deductible Donations
Internal Revenue Service Publication 526: Charitable Contributions.
Internal Revenue Service Publication 4303: A Donor’s Guide to Car Donations (applies equally to boat donations).
Determining the Value of Donated Property
Internal Revenue Service Publication 561: Determining the Value of Donated Property (page 5 talks specifically about boats).
Claiming Tax Deduction
Internal Revenue Service Form 8283 Noncash Charitable Contributions and Instructions for Form 8283
BOATS & EQUIPMENT FOR SALE
Available Now:
2005 J109 Morning Glory $99,000
1996 Steiger Craft 21 Center Console $6,000
Coming in Spring 2025:
2002 Yamaha Jetboat
2001 Wellcraft 24’ Walkaround
2003 J105 Little Fish/Fair Hope (Spring 2025)
For more information contact Rob Crafa Waterfront Director at 718-409-7460 or rcrafa@sunymaritime.edu