Are we getting hosed??

[US27inKS]

Our club decided to discontinue allowing us to launch boats the way we had been. In the past, those of us on cradles would hire a crane service to transfer boats from the cradle to club owned trailers. At the end of the day, all the boats that were launched or pulled split the cost of the crane's hourly charge. The cost to pull boats averaged about $120 each, and about $85 to launch. Without any frame of reference for what it should cost, I'm looking for opinions.

Cradle boats below 27' in length - $9.00 per foot
boats 28 or 29 ft - $10.50 per foot
boats 30 ft or longer - $12.50 per foot

This makes my 27 foot boat $243.00 but a 30 foot boat $375.00. Does this sound about right?

[sailingdog]

My marina charges $6 per foot for hauling or launching the boat. IMHO, you're getting hosed... but it varies by geographic area.

[mccary]

My marina (well the local marina close by where I get the boat hauled) charged me $324 for a 27' boat (works out to $12/foot). That includes both haul and launch and blocking and power wash fees.

[tommays]

Here it is pretty much ONE price per foot

And goes from 7 to 15 dollars per foot depending on the marina


The real rip off comes from mast stepping which can be as high as 15 dollars per foot of mast EACH way

Now i understand if you steeping a triple spreader 20k carbon rig its gonna cost some money BUT trying to get 500 dollars to step a J24 mast is just stupid when 2 guys can do it on the water DIY in 2 hours going really slow

[mgmhead]

Just got my bill for spring launch, four men @ 1/2 hour each (two man hours) X $75 per hour. They don't charge extra for the travel lift but do charge for paint brushes and rags.

The Fall haul out, power wash and block for winter storage is $15 per foot. We also pay a seasonal fee for boat stands, $45 each, and a 34 footer requires eight stands.

Hope the info helps...MGM

[kwaltersmi]

My spring launch and fall haul-out along with powerwash are included with my winter storage fees.

[pschoonveld]

If I understood, you're in a different situation to everyone here that posted. A club I know is in the same situation. You have a boat, on the hard, in a cradle, farther away from the water than a travelift will roll.

You need 2 hoists to get into the water: one from the cradle to the trailer, one from the trailer into the water. If the price includes the whole cost, I think you're getting a bargain. Even if they are floating it off the trailer, the consensus here is $6-$15/ft just for a one-way hoist run.

Having said that, I would consider selling the cradle and buying a trailer.

Of course, I have a trailer I'm trying to sell. If you're interested in a fine 10 ton (20k lb) trailer, custom setup for a sailboat (formerly holding an Ericson 27), sitting in the Grand Rapids, MI area, PM me.

[US27inKS]

Well it sounds like they're in the ballpark, if not a little high. The trailer guys are really getting hosed IMO. The same marina is charging them similar rates (maybe $2 a foot less) to drag their boat down to the ramp and float it off.

I don't really understand why the different rates for bigger boats. Isn't it enough for them to pay more just based on length without having to pay a higher per foot rate?

[JimsCAL]

Before my club purchased it's own rig, the hauler we used charged $5/foot (each way) for haul and launch. He had two rigs - one for boats stored on cradles and one for boats using jackstands. If those costs are for a "round trip", the prices are a tad high, but not unreasonable.

[WouldaShoulda]

Originally Posted by US27inKS

I don't really understand why the different rates for bigger boats. Isn't it enough for them to pay more just based on length without having to pay a higher per foot rate?

Just so long as they are stickin' it to THE MAN that's all I care!!