News & Insights 23 February 2024

Legacy giving: Think outside the box

By Dudley Savage, Yacht Donation Facilitator at AMIkids.

In 2014, I met Mr. Angus Hines, an enthusiastic yachtsman with a special love for his 72′ 1977 Hatteras Motor Yacht named Sentry.

It was on board Sentry that he found joy and fulfilment, entertained family, friends, and business.

He was also well aware of the limitations of trying to sell a boat over thirty years old and about the burden his family would face trying to sell Sentry.

70' 1977 Hatteras
The 70′ 1977 Hatteras flybridge motoryacht “Sentry”, a legacy yacht donation to AMIkids by Angus Hines.

We kept in contact. One day, after having lunch together, he looked at me and said, “I’ll leave Sentry to AMIKids in my will.” “That would be very much appreciated,” I responded, and we kept talking about other things.

As time went on, Angus and I lost contact for a while.

In late 2019, I received a call from a lawyer; she was the executor of the estate of Mr. Hines.

I immediately remembered that winter day when we met for an al fresco lunch in Florida and was humbled by the generosity and integrity of his character.

Angus was a man of his word. He enjoyed his yacht and cared for it until the day he died, and then, he gave it away. Just as we do with things that we love but cannot keep anymore, he left this historic Hatteras for others to enjoy and to help troubled kids.

The more I think about Mr. Hines’ donation, the more I respect the man. He knew just how much a 42-year-old classic yacht would contribute to changing kids’ lives all over the country,
just as it had changed his own.

As the attorney and I spoke, she also seemed moved by his generosity and intelligence.

“I wish I had known of this donation alternative before,” she told me. “I have had at least two other clients in a similar situation who would have greatly benefitted from doing something like this,” she continued.

Angus lived onboard Sentry for the last two years and charted their final voyage together by planning a legacy gift.

Angus allowed Sentry to continue to bring life-changing experiences by supporting AMIkids’ mission to help at-risk youth and their communities.

Get involved

We accept yacht donations, refit, and then lease or sell them. Our donors benefit from a safe and convenient alternative to selling or trading their yachts and obtain a reasonable tax benefit. Our lessees benefit from competitively priced and recently improved inventory with interest-free lease terms.

All proceeds help empower young lives to discover their true potential.