QCC 400X

I trid to sell a 600 once on P-net
it was only three years old, and like new and I was asking $1600. I got a few nibbles that wanted to make offers.

I gave it to my son for zip.



I wouldn’t pay much more then a grand for it, but like the poster above says, don’t buy anything sight unseen.



Jack L

On second thought…
…I tend to agree with Jack, a grand is about right. If it was kevlar/carbon or lighter and had a smart trak rudder (not the old style), then maybe 1500.

Make sure
To check the gelcoat for spider cracks.

Best way to ship
is to go and get it

Just a grand?
Why is a composite QCC in good condition worth so much less than any other brand composite in good condition?



Why such greater depreciation?

10 years old !!!
jack L

Distance
I was factoring in distance - it takes a lower price to entice me to drive a long distance to look at a boat I may or may not buy.

Same for me.
But that doesn’t determine the market value of a boat, only the portio of the total cost of acquisition that I’m willing to pay for it.



That portion may be much greater for someone living more locally.

Yes, but you buy and sell boats…
for profit. I would hope that most people are like myself and put a price on it that will not only help pay for their new boat, but help another paddler get a decent boat at a fair price.



jack L

You may have me confused with another
poster. I’ve never sold a boat for an unfair price.

In Spring of 2012

– Last Updated: Sep-23-13 6:48 AM EST –

we sold my wife's mint condition 2006 QCC 400X, with fibergalss layup and Feathercraft rudder for $1650.00.

Deal included: a well used Seals Extreme Tour skirt, a Seals cockpit cover, a well traveled Werner Camano fibergalss paddle and a Werner paddle bag.

Used a p-net ad to sell the boat and accessories.

Hope this information helps.

Average Price
I have been looking for a QCC 400x or Swift Caspian Sea (same boat) since April of this year. By searching national Craigslist ads, I found seven 400x’s for sale with an average price of $1,379. Note that these are the listing prices and the selling price may have been less. The prices ranged from $900 to $2,400. One kayak has been listed since May for $1,950.



I assume that you are interested in the 14-year-old 400x in Montana that is for sale for $1,650. I would say they are asking too much for it. I did find an eight-year-old 400x about 50 miles from me, but the guy wanted $2,400 for it which I thought was ridiculous. When I told him it was too expensive, he replied “These boats are not loosing value, they are actually gaining. It does not matter how old the boat is but the condition.” I disagree with this statement. While condition does matter, age is a factor in depreciation in that no matter how well cared for, rubber and plastic degrade over time. Also, the Feathercraft rudder on the kayak you are looking at is not nearly as nice as a SmartTrack rudder.

Do not ship it
It would take $100’s for the seller to pack it safely and you will have no way of knowing if it’s damaged in transit until you accept it and unwrap it, at which point the shipper is absolved because you accepted it.



Half retail is fair yr best off combining a trip with seeing it and be willing to drive away w/o it if you don’t like the condition/price.



It’s a buyers market

I have to chime in hear in regards
to the Smart Track Rudder.

I would never have another kayak with a Smart Track Rudder

If you are only putting a hundred miles or so a year on one they are fine, but if you are putting on a thousand or more miles a season or a lot of miles in salt water you better have a big box full of spare parts and be ready for a lot of anguish.



Each side of the rudder system has thirteen parts and normally to replace or work on a side you might have to take half them apart.

The cables will start to rust and will end up having a strand break after a few years if you do much salt water paddling.

But the worst is when the aluminum housing disintegrates as if a metal eating termite has got at it.( there is evidently a galvanic action between the aluminum and the salt water)

We have had five different QCC’s over the years, and I probably have had more experience changing the rudders and rudder parts out then any one on P-net.

I sent pictures of the last ones, (off two different boats) to Steve a few years ago, and he sent me two new sets.

Already on one of the new ones one of the mounting bolts has come out of its hole, and I had to retap it and use a larger diameter bolt.



If any one wants to swap their Epic 18 or QCC-700 with a different rudder system for my QCC-700, I’ll gladly put a new rudder housing on it and make the swap if the boats are in equal shape.



I wish we still had web shots and I would post a bunch of pictures.



Jack L

Used/new
I too looked for a used Q400 for over a year, including constantly checking the QCC site for a demo model. It seemed there just weren’t that many used ones for sale, and I experienced the same random pricing combined with long travel times. I came close several times, but never found one. I never did see one listed at QCC (this tells me people like them a lot, and rarely return them).



Eventually I ordered one during the QCC winter sale. Between the big discount of around 17-20%, a $100 p-net discount, and a free rudder, a new Q400S in kevlar/carbon was about 2500, spread over multiple payments. I even had them add a front bulkhead (the 400S had no front hatch). If you can wait, it’s something to think about.

Agreed
I like the rudder but the footbraces have a hell of a legacy.

Different strokes …
The QCC does not look like a typical sea kayak, so I’d suspect that there are some, perhaps a fair number of folks, who pass them over when looking for boat. That may depress the resale value.



Not saying anything about these boats, never saw one live and in person. And I know those who do have them seem to rave about them.



It’s kind of like my Nordlow: the resale value is not as high as you would think it should be for such a well built boat. The reason is that the market for that kind of boat is not that big.



Boats that have a broad appeal to a wider audience will sell for more, for the simple reason that there are more potential buyers.

rust
I have had a Q700 with SmartTrack about 4 years and paddle about twice a week, 2 to 3 hours each time, always in salt water. I had to replace the spring that pulls the rudder down a couple of years ago, but other than that everything worked fine.



Until today, when after reading your post and going out for a paddle, a cable snapped. Also, the other day one of the bolts that holds a hatch strap fell off due to rust.



Fortunately I have the instructions you kindly sent me a year or two ago for replacing the cable.



The SmartTrack system has been very nice to use, though it does seem excessively complex.

Not to steal the original post, but
and it has nothing to do with the Smart track rudders, but you can expect to replace almost all the stainless hardware within a few years.

Almost all my rudder cable keeper bolts have rusted off and many of the pins in the perimeter line hold downs have rusted.

I kind of suspect that it is the crap coming from china, and it might be happening to other boats also.



I have picture of that nonsense too.



Jack L

QCC 400X
Thank you for all the responses! I kayak with a friend who has a fiberglass QCC 400X with rudder system and really like her boat. The person who has the other QCC 400X, that I am interested in buying, is her friend, so very reliable re: condition and I absolutely trust her. I live in WA and the kayak is in the Midwest. She hasn’t used her kayak is years and has been just storing it, as the lakes where she live are too rocky for fiberglass. I currently only kayak fresh water lakes and rivers, so don’t have to worry about the salt water effects on the rudder system.