Long-range retirement planning

lsu79 · #1 (**permalink**) 08-29-2001

Within the next couple of years I plan on buying a sailboat in the 34''range on Lake Lanier, GA and plan to spend the last 5 years before my retirement refitting her as a liveaboard/coastal cruiser, and then have her trucked to the East coast when I retire to begin the good life. My problem is I can''t find any info on the Web regarding the expense of overland transportation. Does anyone have any ballpark figures? I was wondering if it would be cost prohibitive and advisable to sell the lake boat, and buy another one on the coast.

#2 (**permalink**) 08-29-2001

I am having a boat shipped as we speak. The boat is 38 feet and is being shipped from Maine to Maryland. I was quoted a number of prices depending on what was required. The trucking company was able to get a return ship so the costs worked out roughly like this. $1600 to load and unload the boat, on the trailor and ship to Maryland assuming the boat is less than 12 foot beam (she''s 11''-11"). If she was 12 feet in width or more than 12 feet in width, she would need a "Wide Load" car. That would have added $600 taking the costs to $2200. If they had not gotten a return shipment the cost would have been $3200. The company that I used has a hydraulic trailor so they actually can pick up and put the boat down without separate equipment so they were quite competitive with some of the other options that I considered. If the boat is in a boat yard (which the boat I am buying is not) a hydraulic truck is not necessary and normal hauler may be cheaper. I think I got a pretty fair price from the trucking company that I am using. There was a slighly cheaper (and more expensive) outfit that I had talked to, but these folks seem very professional, they had the equipment to pick the boat up and deliver her in one operation and were familiar with the boat and its prior owner.

(Anybody shipping a boat in or out of anywhere near Maine please feel free to email me because the folks I am using really seem great.)

Regards
Jeff

lsu79 · #3 (**permalink**) 08-30-2001

Thank you very much. Your detailed answer helps alot.