Just Ducky tour vessels up for auction

Pittsburgh’s only amphibious tour boat company has closed and will liquidate its assets during a September auction.

Just Ducky Tours has turned its vessels and equipment over to Uptown-based Harry Davis & Company for an online auction scheduled for Sept. 23-25.

Stanford Davis, the company CEO, said Just Ducky owners Michael Cohen and Chris D’Addario originally wanted to sell the entire company to another operator who would keep the business in Pittsburgh. The company canceled tours at the end of the season last year because of declining ticket sales following a July 2018 duck boat incident in Missouri that killed 17. After delaying its opening this year, the company announced in June that the 2019 season was canceled.

“An operation is more than just owning the equipment,” Davis said. “You’ve got to have tour guides, pilots to run the boats and everything else. We talked to a number of people about coming and doing an operation here in Pittsburgh. We so far have not been able to locate that person.”

Davis said he would be selling 182 lots, including eight vessels, one trolley, a small machine shop and spare parts. Potential buyers can view the lots on the company website. The company will also announce several dates in the future when buyers can inspect the equipment, which is being stored in a North Side warehouse.

Just Ducky Tours opened in 1997 and in 2013 celebrated its millionth customer. In its last year of business, according to Davis, 110,000 people took the tours, which included views of the city from the rivers and streets.

The World War II era duck boats, which can hold up to 30 passengers, were common in the Golden Triangle during warm-weather months. The tour’s hosts were well known for encouraging passengers to quack at passers-by.

Davis said the auction company has been in Pittsburgh since 1955 and conducted sales in every state except Alaska. This is its first duck boat sale.

“We have sold tow boats, the tugs going up and down the river,” Davis said. “We’ve never sold nor do I know of anyone who’s sold this type of vehicle.”