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Moving your boat from one place to another

3K views 20 replies 11 participants last post by  aeventyr60 
#1 ·
Sometimes one has to move a boat from one place to another. This is how others do it (other than me):

These guys send it by ship:



This poor bugger had to drive his all the way:



Must be a tough decision :)

Both pics taken in Auckland Harbour yesterday
 
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#3 ·
Actually, considering the wear and tear on the boat when I was doing winters in the Carib and summers in Greece, I think it's quite logical to use the transport ships. Not only is it a lot less transport time, but it gives the crew a few weeks off to rest up between seasons, which two TransAts a year do not.
It's not like we trashed the boats and gear, but it's over 10k of sailing beyond a busy charter season on both ends, which does put wear on the rigs, the sails and general equipment, that shipping does not.
If they would paint the bottom while underway, it would further add to the economy of shipping the boats.
If I could afford it, I'd love a couple of weeks bumming around the parts of Europe far from the water, while my boat was making it's way across the ocean, safe and sound aboard a transport ship. I see no shame in that.
 
#4 ·
If I were making a lifetime bucket list voyage, I could see building one of these transport ships into the mix. I have no real desire to circumnavigate, but I would love to leave New England, circumnav the Atlantic Gyre to the Caribbean, through the Panama canal, down to the Galapagos and across the South Pacific. Once to Australia, I would have little interest to press further. Sending her home at that point or maybe to the Caribbean/Europe would be terrific.

Naturally, given the cost, it would be a once in a lifetime exercise, but so would that theoretical multi-year voyage. Still dreaming for now.
 
#5 ·
Hmmm....at $800/ft, it would be $22400 to send my boat. I wonder if the cost is less for US to Europe. I'd love to find out but I would actually be embarassed to call them and ask what it would cost to send my $6000 value boat.
I want to do the trip from southern England up to the northern Lochs and across a canal to the west and then across to Ireland. Then a hop across the channel and up the coast to the Rhine and up the Rhine and other waterways and down the Danube to Turkey and then west along the Med and then thru the Canal du Midi. I want to do it on MY boat. It would be a multiyear trip done in Summers.
So, would it be better to ship my 28' boat or better to buy an older boat in the UK? There are some interesting Bilge Keel boats in the UK.
 
#6 ·
There are a number of European vessels designed to do the sort of trips you are describing. They are shoal draft, either bilge keelers or board boats and the mast(s) are set up with tabernacles that enable one to lower the mast(s) with only the crew pretty easily; no crane or other help needed.
I couldn't tell you what these boats are selling for, but if you were attentive to weather and since it's all coastal or inland voyaging, you wouldn't need a top dollar (pound/euro) boat.
 
#8 ·
Different propositions for sure. I'm not convinced there is always a huge price difference, particularly if you can quantify the wear and tear.

Having a crew deliver can allow a bit more flexibility on the schedule, as the transport ships have fixed routes and they don't leave very often. Having a crew also means you have someone to finish up arrangements at each end. Someone still needs to meet the ship in port, when she needs to be loaded and splashed.

On the other hand, the transport ships are likely a bit more reliable to keep the schedule they set. I also think I would sooner put my boat on a transport ship than sail there around the horn of Africa and up the Red Sea to the Med these days. Even sending it with a crew doesn't sound all that secure.

Had a friend buy his boat in England and had it shipped aboard a transport to Newport. He was very pleased.
 
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