Fatty Knees Buyer's Guide
The Fatty Knees is a Hess-designed tender built first by Edey & Duff and later revived by Fatty Knees Boat Co., and on the used market it is a small, hand-laid fiberglass lapstrake dinghy valued for rowing, towing, and sailing rather than as a powered runabout. A buyer shopping used Fatty Knees boats is looking at a 7-, 8-, or 9-foot boat with a daggerboard, kick-up rudder, and teak inner rail, and the 8-foot model is the one most often encountered.
Layouts on the Used Market
The boats come as 7-foot, 8-foot, and 9-foot hulls, with the 8-footer the most popular size per the later builder's note anchor. The 8-foot version weighs 100 pounds, carries two rowing stations, a 50-square-foot sail plan, and an offset port-side mount for a 2-hp outboard. The 7-foot boat is noted by owners for a wide beam that helps keep things steady when boarding, and the 9-foot version extends the same lapstrake hull form. A 7-inch skeg runs aft for directional stability across all layouts.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
Each boat should be assessed on its own fitted gear. The consequential items are the sailing rig with 50 square feet of sail on the 8-footer, the kick-up rudder, the daggerboard, and the 2-hp outboard mount to port; a teak inner rail is a standard beauty and grip feature. Beyond those, canvas and oars are the owner-fitted pieces that determine day-to-day usability.
What to Inspect
Inspection centers on confirming the boat is intact and unmodified in harmful ways. Check the hand-laid lapstrake hull for clean, fair strakes and no crazing at the chines. Confirm the teak inner rail is sound and not rotten at fastenings. Verify the kick-up rudder pivots freely and the daggerboard trunk is dry. On the 8-footer, confirm two rowing stations, the 50-square-foot sail, and the offset port outboard mount are present and undamaged.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
These tenders are typically found in the United States. For a buyer, the practical checklist is short:
- Confirm hull strakes are fair and uncrazed
- Test kick-up rudder and daggerboard motion
- Check teak rail for rot at fasteners
- Verify 2-hp port outboard mount is intact
- Match size and sail rig to your tender needs
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Fatty Knees. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 1 row
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 26 | 1 | $1,750 | — |
Where they're listed
Fatty Knees listings appear across 1 country. United States has the most listings with 1.
Country view
1 listings · 1 country| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $1,750 | 1 | 1 | 100.0% |