| What You Need To Know Before You Sell
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| | tackle, cutesy wall plaques, and half
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| Your Boatby: James "Doc" Lewis
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| | full paint cans are NOT part of the
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| As the owner/operator of a full service
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| | boat-and look tacky. A few cleaning
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| boat detailing- yacht maintenance
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| | supplies, in their own locker is probably
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| business I can't help but chuckle
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| | all right as long as they're kept neat
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| sometimes at seeing the extremes that
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| | and clean.g) Make a list of things that
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| otherwise bright, intelligent,
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| | need attention, and get it taken care of.
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| successful, people will go to in a
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| | A few dollars spent now will pay back in
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| misguided attempt to save a few dollars.
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| | spades when the time comes to show your
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| One of the biggest mistakes that we see
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| | boat. Anything that isn't right will
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| is that people will decide to sell their
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| | stick out like the proverbial sore thumb,
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| boat without first having her completely
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| | be noticed and start the price spiraling
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| detailed.
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| | down. (if it doesn't just send them
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| According to Rob Scanlan, a well known
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| | scurrying off shaking their heads)
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| and respected Master Marine Surveyor;
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| | Hint: If you are not a woman reading this
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| "Detailing a boat is the single most
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| | and don't have a wife of your own, ask
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| important investment of time, energy and
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| | your mother or sister, or see if a friend
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| money a seller can make because a clean
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| | will loan you his for a few minutes. For
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| and shiny boat sells faster and for a lot
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| | some reason women can smell things that a
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| more money. I strongly recommended that a
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| | man would never notice. You may think
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| seller enlist professional assistance to
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| | that men buy boats but in my experience
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| do a quality (Email) (Web site)
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| | they buy the boats their women like.
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| We at BoatDocs1, do a lot of work here on
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| | Along this same line, pay particular
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| the Emerald Coast with local yacht
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| | attention to the cabin and heads.
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| brokers and know what the standards are
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| | 3. Prioritize the Job
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| for a "ready to show" boat. These
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| | With your list you are in good shape to
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| professionals know that the cosmetic
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| | decide what needs to be done and whether
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| appearance says everything to the
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| | or not you want to do the work yourself
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| prospective buyer as to the overall care
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| | or have it done by a professional.
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| and maintenance that the previous owner
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| | Most of the professional yacht
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| has given the yacht. Add to that the
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| | maintenance companies we are familiar
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| universal wisdom about first impressions
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| | with, would be happy to take a look and
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| and it's not hard to see the importance
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| | give you an estimate of what it will cost
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| of this vital first step.
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| | to have the work done right. We can do
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| Even if you intend to do most of the work
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| | part of the job, for example the
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| yourself we can offer the expertise to
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| | compounding/polishing and will gladly
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| assure that your time and money are spent
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| | help you choose the best wax to finish
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| wisely. Our trained eyes will often pick
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| | the job yourself.
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| up the little details that only a
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| | What about those little chips and dings
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| prospective buyer would notice and likely
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| | in the gelcoat?
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| balk at.
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| | Many books have been written on
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| Here is an outline of the standard
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| | fiberglass repair and it isn't the intent
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| procedures we use when preparing a yacht
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| | of this article to cover the subject in
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| to be put up for sale:
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| | any depth but many small repairs are well
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| 1. Thoroughly Wash and Dry the Boat
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| | within the reach of a fairly skilled
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| Note: For this part, pay attention to
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| | do-it-yourselfer. Like anything else
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| everything you see and unless your memory
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| | though, if you have never done it before,
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| is a lot better than mine, make notes on
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| | "consult an expert."
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| a piece of paper for later.
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| | I've been building and repairing in
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| - Wash and chamois-dry your boat top to
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| | fiberglass since I was 14 and while the
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| bottom including transom.
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| | first wooden boat I glassed was water
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| - clean Isenglass and other ports/windows
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| | tight and lasted a good many years, it
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| - wipe down and dress all aluminum
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| | was far from pretty. The small
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| stainless
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| | investment you lay out for expert repair
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| - clean and dress vinyl seats
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| | now will pay big dividends when your boat
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| - wipe down fly bridge and cockpit
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| | sells at the price you want.
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| - vacuum exterior carpet
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| | In the Emerald Coast region the standard
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| - clean and dress nonskid
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| | fees for compound/waxing run between
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| 2. Stand Back and Survey the Boat
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| | $15.00/ft. and $18.00/ft. for the topside
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| Note: Bring your list and organize it
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| | (rub-rail up) which includes a thorough
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| with the following outline
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| | cleaning and treatment of the vinyl,
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| - Put yourself in the buyers shoes, be
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| | windows, isenglass, and metal. In other
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| critical, the buyer will.a) Is it shiny?
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| | words, for the price of doing the "hard"
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| It's the first thing most people
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| | part we'll detail the entire topsides and
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| notice.b) What about the smell? People
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| | leave it in "ready-to-show" condition.
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| have a way of getting used to almost
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| | Hulls (rub-rail down) run about $8.00/ft.
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| anything. Get a second opinion and see
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| | but, of course, the boat must be out of
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| the hint below.c) Is all hardware intact
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| | the water in order to do it. (This
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| and presentable? Just because you've used
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| | walking on water with a hi-speed electric
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| that broken table for years and are
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| | buffer in hand is still beyond me, but
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| rather fond of it, to anyone else, it's
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| | I'll let you know;-)
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| just a broken table.d) What about dings,
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| | Fiberglass repair runs from $45.00 to
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| any damage to the fiberglass? Aside from
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| | $65.00 per hour and in general as with
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| the fact that broken gelcoat can let
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| | most everything else, one gets what one
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| water into the core of the lay-up and
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| | pays for. The up side to this is that
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| delaminate the fiberglass, it just plain
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| | when approached in a professional manner
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| looks BAD.e) What about rust? You are
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| | the dents and dings of ten years hard use
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| probably thinking right now; (what's a
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| | can be repaired and made to look like new
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| little rust on a boat?) Let me tell you.
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| | in an amazingly short time.
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| A little rust on a boat is a sure sign
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| | All too often we have seen people save
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| that the owner let's little things go by
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| | $300.00 or $400.00 on a detail only to
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| unnoticed and if there is one thing there
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| | loose $Thousands$ on what their boat
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| are always more. What about oil changes?
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| | could have sold for. Then too, our local
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| I wonder if he flushed out the outboard
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| | marinas are clogged with many examples of
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| after use? The object of this little
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| | boats with "For Sale" signs which were
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| exercise is to make the boat look like
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| | never given the least bit of attention to
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| you are conscientious and a stickler for
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| | make the passer by want to stop and
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| having everything perfectly "SHIP
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| | think, "Hey, I wonder what it would be
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| SHAPE."f) One more little tip that you
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| | like to call that boat mine." Some of
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| have probably already thought of. Take a
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| | these boats have sat for years when all
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| look around the boat and remove
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| | they ever really needed was a little
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| EVERYTHING that isn't part of the boat.
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| | T.L.C.
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| EXAMPLE:
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| | I remember, years ago, someone saying
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| Engine controls, compass, life jackets,
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| | something about being penny wise and
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| flare kit, and a first aid kit ARE part
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| | pound foolish? Let's not let them be
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| of the boat. Knick-knacks, fishing
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| | saying that about us.
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