Amazing what you find in the dumpsters

[eavega]

So, the family and I are on our way to Costco last night to pick up some supplies for my 40th birthday party. We went in the back way instead of the front to avoid some traffic. We are cruising by the back of the store, the dumpsters, and I spy what looks like a small boat pontoon (think a bass buggy or some such) sticking out of one of the dumpsters. I'm curious, so I tell the wife to pull over. I climb up on the side of the dumpster, and what should I find, but a little Pelican 4-person pedal boat in what looks to be pristine condition. I quickly call a neighbor who has a pickup truck to come over. We get it loaded up and back to the house. I wasn't able to take a really good look at it since we had bad storms all over the place, but I can tell you the thing is practically brand new. I found a sticker that the Returns desk put on it, with the reason for return being "Doesn't steer straight". Also listed on the sticker is "Non-resalable item" Apparently it was cheaper to toss the thing in the dumpster than to return to the manufacturer. The little boat is brand new, with a Bimini top, seat cushions, and a built in cooler. It can even take a mount for an electric motor. Someone decided to have some fun with it and drilled a couple (literally 3) of small holes in the side which I intend to patch with some SS screws and some 5200. I just had to brag about my find, b/c I'm just so jazzed that I picked up this little toy/pond boat for FREE!!!


Here is a picture of it when we got it into the truck. More pictures to come when I get it on the water, probably next weekend.

-E

 

[itsaboattime]

Re: Amazing what you find in the dumpsters

Back when I used to ebay alot I woud dumpster dive at least once a week.

Your right, people throw away some amazing stuff!!

Congrats!! Enjoy it!!

 

[seabob4]

Re: Amazing what you find in the dumpsters

Better be careful of that "Doesn't steer straight" tag. With the speed that thing can achieve, it could be disasterous!!!

 

[paultjohnson]

Re: Amazing what you find in the dumpsters

One mans garbage is another mans gold

 

[windsors03cobra]

Re: Amazing what you find in the dumpsters

Ya done good, unbelievable what gets thrown away.

 

[a70eliminator]

Re: Amazing what you find in the dumpsters

That would be perfect for fishing a pond. Peddle boat ha, one man pedals while the other man steers, I'll steer!

 

[smartwork]

Re: Amazing what you find in the dumpsters

Someone decided to have some fun with it and drilled a couple (literally 3) of small holes in the side

If this was picked up outside a retail store, the holes were probably not someone having fun, but rather intentional damage which is common practice for retail stores to do when discarding merchandise that they do not want used. Sometimes a manufacturer will instruct them to damage and discard rather than returning. Guess they under-estimated the amount of damaged they needed to do to make this item inoperable.

Good find!

 

[tx1961whaler]

Re: Amazing what you find in the dumpsters

Put a 40 HP on it.

 

[kellmike626]

Re: Amazing what you find in the dumpsters

put a 40 hp on it.

+1 :d

 

[Tig]

Re: Amazing what you find in the dumpsters

The guy that drilled the holes was probably pretty ticked when he got off shift and found the dumpster empty.

 

[lakegeorge]

Re: Amazing what you find in the dumpsters

Theres another guy on this site that had hid boat stolen from his drive by 2 guys,with a Black truck you wouldn't know anything about that would you? lol lol lol

 

[roscoe]

Re: Amazing what you find in the dumpsters

Next challenge..... how to get it registered.

 

[5150abf]

Re: Amazing what you find in the dumpsters

I work for a boat company and R&D gets alot of vendor samples, they will get put upstairs for awhile then tossed.

You would not believe the things I have pulled out of the trash, control boxes still in the box, stereos, steering wheels, steering cables, bilge pumps, dash panels, ect ect.

After a year or so of picking I was able to rebuild my boat from the keel up for @$45, even the things you have to buy are cheap.

I got a Motorguide 55 lb wireless troller new in box for $100 and a Garmin color sounder GPS for $50, $1200 worth of stuff for $150.

Alot of people give me crap for diving the dumpster btu it doesn't bother me a bit.

 

[lkbum]

Re: Amazing what you find in the dumpsters

That's probably a polyethylene hull which means those holes should be really easy to fix. This a thermoplastic and there are several sites on the web with instructions on how to "weld" this material with a hair dryer or solder gun. Here's one of hundreds of links with the basic idea. I've used a solder gun in my business to repair thick walled PE tanks several times. http://www.sportscomet.com/Water-Sports/229465.htm

 

[SeanT]

Re: Amazing what you find in the dumpsters

LOL those things never steer straight. Great find!

 

[samagy16]

Re: Amazing what you find in the dumpsters

If this was picked up outside a retail store, the holes were probably not someone having fun, but rather intentional damage which is common practice for retail stores to do when discarding merchandise that they do not want used. Sometimes a manufacturer will instruct them to damage and discard rather than returning. Guess they under-estimated the amount of damaged they needed to do to make this item inoperable.

Good find!

Actually not because they wouldn't want it used, but because they don't want to have it returned without a receipt, which most places accept and in this case they would be accepting a return twice. People often dumpster dive to return items without receipts, in the grocery business this happens a lot.

 

[nash1970]

Re: Amazing what you find in the dumpsters

I'll say it HAPPY BIRTHDAY !!!!!