Defender sale

TBeyer · Post by **TBeyer** » Mon Mar 26, 2007 10:04 am

Has any one attended the clearance sale at Defender in the past? Did you find it worth while to go? I dont have any must haves for the boat this year other than headsail and furler, but there are a few nice to haves, so we are undecided if it is worth the 400ml round trip. Is it more of a vendor show also, they list 100 factory reps on hand.
Thanks Ted

Figment · Post by **Figment** » Mon Mar 26, 2007 11:02 am

400 miles seems like a long way to travel for the Defender sale, but if you have a few big-ticket items in mind, it may be worth it.

Yes, they do actually have that many factory reps on site. It's grown into a smallish boat show, except that the reps all actually know what they're talking about, and they actually have the product on hand to sell to you that day.

Beware that buying at the sale triggers the 6% CT sales tax, which tends to offset the shipment savings pretty quickly. The discounts are usually enough to offset the tax, but then you're burning some dinosaurs to get there and back, so it still may not make sense to attend on a strict cost basis unless you're planning on spending $1200 or so. Of course it's hard to pin a price tag on the information gleaned from the factory reps, so it's a multifaceted question.

It can become a bit of a zoo, depending on the day. I'm going Friday, just for bottom paint and maybe new rubrail cushion for the dinghy. If I only buy the paint then the savings aren't enough to pay for the gas to get there, so maybe I'll do the rubrail cushion just to tip the scale in my favor. Yeah, that's the ticket!

Post by **Tim** » Mon Mar 26, 2007 1:11 pm

How do you account for the number of years taken off your life from the mental stress of all these viability calculations? ;<)

FloatingMoneyPit · Post by **FloatingMoneyPit** » Mon Mar 26, 2007 1:22 pm

200 mi is a long way if you're going just for the heck of it. I made the trek from Brooklyn two years in a row (maybe 120 mi), but I had huge shopping lists with me and wanted to compare many of the products side-by-side in person. Some of the Defender staff are very knowledgeable. They also have a clearance section with plenty of stuff that isn't on the website. I picked up a whole bunch of teak items at huge savings and a funky German tricolor light for 1/3 cost.
If you're in the market for an inflatable, then it's a must-go -- assuming they finished renovating the dinghy showroom.
Otherwise, if you know what you want, you can just order online at the show prices and save yourself a trip.

Mark.Wilme · Post by **Mark.Wilme** » Mon Mar 26, 2007 9:32 pm

We are going Friday too - I need chain, rode, a bruce anchor, bottom paint for both boats, flares and some other stuff.

Looks like I might bump into Figment while we are there.

The Shipping on the anchor, chain and flares may make it worthwhile.

Will be looking for a nice place for lunch and also a beach which we promised our 4yr old.

Some of the discounted misc items could be a good buy too ...

Chris Campbell · Post by **Chris Campbell** » Tue Mar 27, 2007 9:05 am

Is the sale only in house, not on line as well? I was planning to buy a few things on the web site, but there's no way I can get there in person... Hmm.

Figment · Post by **Figment** » Tue Mar 27, 2007 9:44 am

I'm told that if you call in an order they'll honor the sale pricing, but that's really third-hand information.

The real value of attending the sale is the access to the factory reps and the odd bits in the clearance aisle. If you already know what you want and the shipment isn't overly costly, it may be best to let your fingers do the walking.

The Good Goose · Post by **The Good Goose** » Wed Mar 28, 2007 9:02 am

Mark

The nicest beach near the defender sale is Harkness State Park. Beautiful lawns surrounding a mansion sloping to the sound. No swimming there so if you are thinking of swimming go to the waterford town beach next door. Access is next to the Eugene O'Neil theater. Mapquest should get you there. Best bet for food is probably Niantic Although I can't think of a great spot There. Freds Shanty in New london is my favorite On the Thames river great fish and chips and fish sandwiches all seating is outdoors you can walk the docks and look at boats as well. I don't think you'll pay admission to either beach this time of year.

Hope this helps
Brock

Steve Laume · Post by **Steve Laume** » Wed Mar 28, 2007 9:53 am

You can absolutly call in any order you want and still recieve the sale pricing. If you ship out of state there is no sales tax so you quickly make up the shipping costs. Well maybe not on chain. I live close by so I try to get there each year. I have learned not to go on the weekend. I try for Thurs morning to check the blow out on display items. It pays to go if you need to talk to reps, buy chain or batteries. If you do go have a list of items you know you want with part numbers so you can drop it off while you shop the rest of the store. I like to stop in ahead of the sale so I know my way around and what I am looking for on the big day. Definitly a trip to see but I don't think it would be worth a 400 mile trip to get there. Call in the order and spend the time messing with your boat wouldbe my advice, Steve.

Rick · Post by **Rick** » Wed Mar 28, 2007 4:42 pm

FYI - The Defender Warehouse Sale postcard I got says that the savings are available by phone, fax, web or in-person.

bhartley · Post by **bhartley** » Sun Apr 01, 2007 10:47 pm

We finally got our massive Defender order in tonight in time for their Midnight deadline. It has been accumulating for the past few weeks. It will probably take several weeks to arrive which forces me to spend more time on prep. If the stuff was already here, the bottom would have been painted without ever seeing a scraper.

April was always time to start planning for summer as a kid (way back in the 70's...). I used to pour over the Defender catalog and then beg and plead my dad to take me there so I could order my stuff. Usually a new yacht timer or foul weather gear I'd been saving up for. They used to be in a total dive warehouse in New Rochelle, NY right on the Boston Post Road. Dad would drive in circles around the block while I waited for them to pull my order.

Times have certainly changed for Defender (and my budget!).

Happy Spring Commissioning to all!

Bly

Figment · Post by **Figment** » Mon Apr 02, 2007 9:33 am

It's still a dangerous place, though probably not in the same way.
My innocent little run for bottom paint and dinghy guard got a lot more expensive when new foulies, a roll of sunbrella, and a bunch of other miscellaneous supplies jumped into the cart.
Some day I'll learn.

Post by **Tim** » Mon Apr 02, 2007 10:40 am

Figment wrote:Some day I'll learn.

Naah...

Figment wrote:My innocent little run for bottom paint and dinghy guard got a lot more expensive when new foulies, a roll of sunbrella, and a bunch of other miscellaneous supplies jumped into the cart.

Gee, it's almost as if they might have figured that people attending the sale might do exactly that. D'ya s'pose? Hmm... ;<)

Figment · Post by **Figment** » Mon Apr 02, 2007 12:18 pm

I am a spineless jellyfish.

Mark.Wilme · Post by **Mark.Wilme** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 8:02 pm

"Spineless Jellyfish". Me too

60ft BBB and 250ft rode
Whole set of flares
Weems and Plath clock and barometer
5 gallons ACT
Couple of interior lights
3M polishing compound and "wax"
3ft engine hose
Pair Figawi boots
New plastic "glasses"
Chaffe guards

The only thing I wanted and didn't get was my new 33lb Delta anchor.

Figment · Post by **Figment** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 8:27 pm

5 gallons!

Mark.Wilme · Post by **Mark.Wilme** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 8:48 pm

Yea, my sis-in-law and I are stripping the Elite 32 completely (Gee there's a job !) And then I need paint for the 381. I may be half a gallopn too much.

Good call on the beach BTW - thanks from a 4 year old !

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