Boat Donation & Boats for Sale | SUNY Maritime College

Why Boat Donation Makes Good Sense

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 classified ads, 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.

Feel Good

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 to discuss the donation process and any questions. Submit the Boat Donation Information Form along with pictures or e-mail Rob Crafa a recent for sale listing. We will determine if donating your boat or equipment is right for you and Maritime College. Examples of recent donations and boat donation guidelines are below.
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. Contact a local sail loft for valuing donated sails.
Claim tax deduction - Receive an official letter acknowledging the tax deductible donation and an IRS form to be submitted with the tax return.

RECENT DONATIONS AND EXAMPLES OF BOATS AND 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 racing sailboats 34’ – 45’ (i.e. J105, J44)
Cruising or racing sailboats with auxiliary power, such as the recently donated Beneteau 50 that are used by the offshore sailing team.
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

Unsure whether your boat fits our program? Complete the Boat Donation Information form or contact Rob Crafa via e-mail or phone 718-409-7460.

The wide variety of waterfront programs enables Maritime College to make “significant intervening use” of a variety of boats which enables donors to maximize the value of their boat. 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

2002 Shamrock 26 – material improvement sale to benefit programs

Boat & Equipment Donation: Frequently Asked Questions

What can I donate?

Is my donation tax deductible?

How is the value of my donated boat or equipment determined?

How will my donation be used?

What is the donation process?

What forms do I have to complete?

What other additional resources are available about boat donations?

What can I donate?

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.

We will not accept a boat without telling you what our plans are for it upfront.

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.

How will my donation be used?

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 is the donation process?

Donating your boat and equipment to the Maritime College Waterfront Fund is as easy as 1-2-3:

Contact us – Call Rob Crafa at 718-409-7460 to discuss the donation process and answer any questions you may have. You can also submit the Boat Donation Information Form along with a couple of pictures or e-mail Rob Crafa a recent for sale listing. We will work together to determine if donating your boat or equipment is right for you and SUNY Maritime College. Click to see examples of recent donations and boat donation guidelines.
Arrange donation - arrange a surveyor to appraise the value of your 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 you need an appraisal for your donation visit 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.
Claim Tax Deduction - receive official letter acknowledging tax deductible donation and IRS form to be submitted with your tax return

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.