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Moving a 32' sailboat 1900 miles myself

9K views 32 replies 19 participants last post by  sailingdog 
#1 ·
I'm looking for advice for an affordable way to move a 32' LOA, 9' beam, 8300lb disp boat 1900 miles. The bid with hydraulic trailer was $7K.
I am an old farmer/sailor and can easily move 10,000 lbs of hay so why not a boat?
My idea is to build a cradle that will lock (strap) to the boat, use frames with rollers under the cradle then winch the entire load on an equipment trailer rated for >15000 load. I strap the whole load down and get on the road. I've called around and permits may be as much as $500 or less if I get them all myself state by state. As far as I can figure my expenses should be less than $2K.
Somebody please point out my mistaken thinking.
 
#4 ·
Some states require a bond to be posted

I'm looking for advice for an affordable way to move a 32' LOA, 9' beam, 8300lb disp boat 1900 miles. The bid with hydraulic trailer was $7K.
Where is the boat starting from and going to? When I moved mine from TX to LA I had to post a $10,000 bond because of the 9' beam of my boat.
 
#5 · (Edited)



This boat is over 11' on less than 11" of blocks you could save a bunch if you start taking off pulpits and hang the mast on the side

The rub rail is 8' to give you some scale

Your gonna have to think about height issues if you put it on a cradle without having a lowboy trailer as standard trailers are about 24"

On are local hyd boat moving truck the keel is only 8" off the highway and a 4'5" draft boat is still close to anything that may not be hanging a legal height

You will need permits for each state and what are you planing on using for a trailer as the DOT will take notice of you as the boat and trailer will be in the 12000# +++ range which will require and F350 truck at the very least

You will also save a bunch of money jsut looking for a used JOWI steel cradle as it will ROCK SOLID and fit the boat correctly

And my 29' is 8000# ++
 
#6 ·
I'm looking for advice for an affordable way to move a 32' LOA, 9' beam, 8300lb disp boat 1900 miles. The bid with hydraulic trailer was $7K.
I am an old farmer/sailor and can easily move 10,000 lbs of hay so why not a boat?/quote]
Just out of curiosity, what make boat is she - 8300lbs seems light for a 32' boat???
 
#7 ·
I have toyed with the same question for a 30' boat. The issue that I see is the gross combined weight of your setup once everything is together. A lot of flatbed trailers weigh 5000+ lbs and by the time you add the boat and cradle you will be pushing the weight rating of the truck/trailer/or combo. There was another thread on here about how a boat's rated displacement relates to its actual displacement even dry.

All of the other challenges can be dealt with unless your boat has a very tall cabin structure or a very deep keel. Getting a cradle on and off a trailer isn't that bad as long as it is very sturdy.

I assume you are insured for this sort of thing?
 
#8 ·
I'm looking for advice for an affordable way to move a 32' LOA, 9' beam, 8300lb disp boat 1900 miles. The bid with hydraulic trailer was $7K....As far as I can figure my expenses should be less than $2K.
Somebody please point out my mistaken thinking.
SailingBud,

My suggestion would be to first check around and get some other bids. $7K seems REALLY steep. If you are not in a huge hurry and can wait for a hauler that would be going your direction with an otherwise empty tuck, you can often get the price down a fair bit. You might be able to cut that estimate in half, and remember the hauler will then take care of all the permitting.
 
#9 ·
Even with a cradle the keel usually takes the load and rests on the ground. I guess you could build a cradle with a keel rest but I still don't like the idea of trying to move a boat on a cradle - I think you are asking for trouble. I concur that you should seek other bids and bite the bullet and hire it done. We pull boats all the time with a trailer and I always tell myself to be careful - these boats are top heavy and heavy and it is easy to get seriously injured.
 
#10 ·
Movin my boat

My boat is a Nantucket Clipper moving from Maine to Arkansas. I'm not in a big hurry to move her so I can take my time. In fact she is set there inside her barn till the thaw next spring so I have some time. This boat is a shallow keel boat with a 4.2' draft and I can use a low bed trailer with F-350 rated for the load. I have hauled much heavier loads. 10 cows weigh as much as this boat and they have a habit of moving around in the trailer. I don't know of any states requiring a bond, I think Mo has an insurance form to put on file. I called a permit service who bid out the permits at $600 but when I started calling DMVs I found the fees much less.
 
#11 ·
My boat is a Nantucket Clipper moving from Maine to Arkansas. I'm not in a big hurry to move her so I can take my time. In fact she is set there inside her barn till the thaw next spring so I have some time. This boat is a shallow keel boat with a 4.2' draft and I can use a low bed trailer with F-350 rated for the load. I have hauled much heavier loads. 10 cows weigh as much as this boat and they have a habit of moving around in the trailer. I don't know of any states requiring a bond, I think Mo has an insurance form to put on file. I called a permit service who bid out the permits at $600 but when I started calling DMVs I found the fees much less.
Some folks ship their boats south during the winter for races,etc, than have them retrieved in spring. If you can find a trucker that's heading south in spring to retrieve a boat, you might just get a good deal.
 
#12 ·
Snow bird sailboats. I have never thought about that. That is a good point and one I will explore. I bought this boat as a project and understood the first obstical would be the move. I am also attracted to the idea of having my own transport system in case I find a boat I want to canibalize equipment from in the future as well as moving my finished project her last 100 miles of terra firma to splash and start new adventures.
I do appreciate all comments on this thread. Excessive advice will do no harm. Thanks to all.
 
#14 ·
if your under 13' you can go almost anywhere heightwise, pulled my 36' 10k pound boat to key west 5 times with a dodge 2500 (horse farm truck), gooseneck is best, with no problem... a well built cradle, wood or metal, chained to a flat bed works fine, just make sure you put the keel or most of the weight just in front of the trailer axels... i liked traveling late at nite with no traffic, stopping for sleep during rush hours... just go sloooooooow... it is an adventure and not for the fainthearted... how can you bear waiting that long to get started, very kewl boat.....
 
#15 ·
Try uShip - The Online Shipping Marketplace - Ship Freight, Furniture, Vehicles or Moves

It worked well for us saving us money and hassle.

I'd suggest not going with the cheapest, go with the best. I wasn't sure if it was better to pay the extra bucks for a more experienced shipper until our boat was being off loaded.

That was when I talked to another guy who had just had his boat delivered from the same area. We compared prices and he saved almost $2G compared to my costs. He was thrilled.

Now that might have been an impressive bit of negotiation on his part if he hadn't been working on his mast at the time. The shipper had driven thousands of miles with a ratchet rubbing the mast. The owner was trying to 'fix' the mast track but it was so badly damaged that it needed a new section to be spliced in. Looking at the other damage to the mast I'd consider a replacement.

Now if it was just the mast maybe it wouldn't have been so bad but there was also the damage to the hull, not just marks (which we got as well but buff out) but actual damage from having the straps and supports rub up against the hull.

He seemed quite happy at the deal he got even though it turned out that the insurance the shipper had was not for damage to his boat and the owner was on the hook for all damage.

I would have been horrified if that had happened to my boat so was very happy to have paid more and saved thousands in repair and hassle.

There is real savings to be had by being very flexible on shipping date and time. You will likley have to pay more if you want it shipped soon and quickly.
 
#16 ·
edit: BTW we had a trailer for our last boat which weighed only a little less.

We would have bought a new trailer and shipped it ourselves but we no longer had a truck that could pull it and had no where to store the boat trailer for free (that was also out of the elements and free).

If we had a truck that could tow 25,000lbs we would have bought another trailer. Saves on moves and helps sell the boat when the time comes.
 
#18 ·
StarboardYacht,
I'm glad to hear that somebody else has taken this route. By the way, I can't wait, I'll be driving there Thanksgiving to bring home template parts I need to fab as well as the engine and this winter I'll be sewing sails. She can stay in the barn till I get everything else lined out like a cradle. I don't think she will be as top heavy as many but I won't take any chances. I am waiting on bids but with what they seem to be, I could own my own rig to move anytime I please. I call that freedom. If you had paid a hauler 5 times to the Keys, that would buy a decent boat. Thanks for your input.
 
#20 ·
Having a trailer for your boat will pay for itself with: hauling, repairing, storage, and its great to look out back and see it every morning keeps you motivated to git r done.... saw a guy with a homemade trailer, mounted storebought jackstands, back up to his boat unbolt the back crossmember, back up under the boat, reattach the crossmembers and use the jackstands to lift the boat, i think it was a catalina 27.... a razerback should be able to make something work....
 
#19 ·
good points Arch... however, never think any shipper will take as much care of your boat as you will.... save money & hassels decommission the boat and make it road ready yourself... i use lots of old rags and duct tape, & zip ties to pad everything... also romove everything you can from the mast... i.e. spreaders, halyards, blocks and if the mast step is facing forward,(almost always) cover it so road stuff will not find its way inside... i usually haul out in the a.m. drop the mast and start making ready, this will take most of the day to do it correctly.... wish i could get up to maine to help out, i dig that kinda stuff.......
 
#21 ·
Rik, Sailing on the lock and dam system of the Ar River is some of the best inland sailing I know.
Arch, those are good points. I have never been comfortable trusting people with jobs I think I could do. I know that if I do this move I will attend to every detail where who knows who will be hauling her if I contract with some shipper company. It will probably be a good driver but I also know horror stories of truckers doing bizzar things. This little clipper is like a family member and I haven't even raised a sail. She is my dream.
 
#22 ·
Trouble with most truckers, and I have family in that biz too, is they are focused on the end, the delivery, not the load. When I hauled my own boat it never saw 60mph, when a trucker hauls it will spend most of the day at that speed and plus. All they do is drive. That is where an experienced boat hauler is better. They will load the boat and know what to look for and take better care along the way. They still drive too fast and rough IMO.

Of course you still need to prep it. That's the most important part, next to loading, and I can't see anyone doing it properly when they are doing just for the money.
 
#23 · (Edited)
You might also check and see if it will fit inside a cargo container; if it will then you could build a cradle that will roll into the cargo container and then be blocked inside so it won't move. Once inside the cargo box it could be shipped anywhere via truck or train; if the mast is too long you could rig it to tow on a dolly behind a car or truck.


EDIT:

Cargo containers are only 7'8" wide on the interior (max); so it won't work for a boat with 9' beam
 
#27 ·
John--

Aquarius is not our yacht... Just a boat of the same, rare, type as that of the OP's that I thought he might find of interest.

FWIW...

s/v HyLyte
 
#29 ·
John--

Aquarius is not our yacht... Just a boat of the same, rare, type as that of the OP's that I thought he might find of interest.

FWIW...

s/v HyLyte
Okay, I didn't think so, and thanks for the clarification.

The guy who snagged that particular Nantucket Clipper sure bit off a mouthful. I agree that it would have been a shame to let it become "fill" for the new highway, but I wonder if he's in the water even yet?

He knew it had no rudder going in, but I'm sure it was disappointing to learn that the mizzen and main masts that came with the boat didn't actually belong to it.

The blog seemed to trail off, incomplete.
 
#28 · (Edited)
You might look at having a local boat hauler with a hydralic trailer move the boat to a hoist, where you can then put the boat on a trailer safely and sanely. My step dad did this about 3 yrs ago after building a boat for over 30 yrs. We then took the boat to where it could be fitted with a mast, and a hoist to then put her in the water. For us everything was done within 20 miles, for you it could be different.

Plus's and minus's to all ways. But a custom built trailer for 3500, moving it is easy. boat is 9+'wide, wieghs 6000 lbs, maybe 7000 with the trailer. No issues behind my dually pickup.

Picasa Web Albums - jan - Seabird II

Marty
 
#30 · (Edited)
I might be able to help

Hi. When is the earliest (weather permitting) that you could move your boat? I have a hydraulic trailer which can self-load up to a 40' sailboat and live in north Louisiana (about 30 miles from the Arkansas border). Where in Arkansas is she going? My situation is somewhat unique and we might be able to find a way which helps both of us. Steve

Note: I know forum rules do not allow sales of products and services and I am not offering such. I am not in the transport business (yet), but have been in the process of buying equipment with the goal of doing this in the future.
 
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