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Boat, Semi, Crane, #%$^@

2K views 15 replies 11 participants last post by  blt2ski 
#1 ·
I'm considering moving a boat via moving service to a site where I can unload it and work on it as time allows. In order for this to happen, of course, I would have to have a suitable place to put the boat once it arrived, and I would have to have a way to unload it from the tractor trailer.

Unloading, I talked to a crane service and they think they can handle the load and put it down where I want it, but I know they have no real experience with boats so I wonder what kind of things I should be considering here, what are the gotcha's they might not consider ?

Once the boat is at the site, of course, I will need to have already established a place to put it. What should I be thinking about here, I have never in my life been involved in putting a boat on the hard so all I know is that there are these thingies sticking up that the boat rests on, and that's about it. :D

I'm in the exploratory/curious stage at this point, not the actual planning stage, and I am looking for input.

Boat - 40 foot, 20k pounds displacement

Thank you!
 
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#2 ·
Might I suggest that you contact a local marina that has an experienced TravelLift operator and contract with them to instruct the crane operator on proper loading and also to help you set the boat stands. I don't know if they'll do it or not, but perhaps you can contract with a worker on the side to help out...
 
#6 ·
That sounds like a good course of action. I am a few hundred miles from the closest marina, but I think talking to someone who does this for a living is a very good idea. One of my worries with the stands, besides getting them set up to hold the boat and not fall over, of course, is that the ground may not be the best for holding the boat, it is just a field. I assume I need to prep the site before even considering putting a boat on stands, so that probably involves gravel, or some concrete pads, etc, that is the kind of thing I need to figure out I think. I'm too far away from the coast to even consider putting the boat into an established yard to work on it, the drive would be too far and I wouldn't get anything done.
 
#3 ·
I'm not sure where you are located but I bought a boat that was located in a pasture in Maine. I chose to use a boat hauler with a hyrdraulic trailer. The price for hauling the boat was identical to what I was quoted for a conventional hauler, and I did not have to pay for either a crane at the Maine end, or a travelift at the Annapolis end of the trip resulting in a big savings. While you may be able to rent a crane capable of handling 20,000 lbs, it won't be cheap.

Jeff
 
#5 ·
I'm not sure where you are located but I bought a boat that was located in a pasture in Maine. I chose to use a boat hauler with a hyrdraulic trailer. The price for hauling the boat was identical to what I was quoted for a conventional hauler, and I did not have to pay for either a crane at the Maine end, or a travelift at the Annapolis end of the trip resulting in a big savings. While you may be able to rent a crane capable of handling 20,000 lbs, it won't be cheap.

Jeff
Windy,

Let me add to Jeff's note above that the hydraulic trailer of which he speaks is capable of picking up the boat and setting it down without any need for a crane or a travellift. A hydraulic trailer is what you want, assuming you have a paved or hardpack surface that the trailer can back into and set the boat down on.

If you have to get the vessel into a back yard with no access for the trailer, then it's a crane you'll be wanting.
 
#4 ·
Well, our boat (30', 10K disp) is moved every year. The truck/transport is specially designed w/hydraulic arms. They back the boat where it is to go, and set up the stands to take the load when the trailer is moved. No crane needed to pick the boat off the truck and onto the stands/block.

The keel supports all the weight on blocks and the stands balance the boat.

The transport services I have used have been very experienced in doing this and are pretty amazing.

As noted, call around to marinas and ask what they can do...it's fairly standard stuff.

 
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#9 ·
Another vote for a boat mover that has the versatile hydraulic trailer. In addition to being able to raise/lower the boat from blocks and stands, the axles split so they can drag the trailer out from under.
 
#11 ·
Well what you are contemplating is what I did this past year. I had no luck finding an outfit that could/would haul my boat the distance I needed, so I was stuck with the flatdeck method, and a crane on my end. The crane is going to be around a thousand dollars, to pick it straight up, and put it straight down. The crane weighs 10 X what your boat does. The crane guy is going to want a SOLID base. You should be thinking about 6" of road base minimum, depending on soil conditions. Have ALOT of dunnage on hand to level the boat. A simple pick and put will still take 4 hours, unless you have lots of hands helping. Cranes around here charge by a 4 hr minimum. They also add additional charges to supply spreader bars that somehow don't come with the crane, or estimate, but are needed nonetheless. After enjoying working on your boat close to home, someone, will complain to the city bylaws, and you may get to move it again! I had to. Before I moved it, I had bylaws tell me that my new location was ok. When you get a quote from your mover guy, RECORD HIS QUOTE ON VIDEO BEFORE HE STARTS. The charge for moving my boat increased by 50% after he had unloaded it. The video saved me.
 
#12 ·
I'd hesitate to use a field.... the chances of the ground not being densely packed enough and getting soggy enough for the stands to shift is pretty high. You're much better off if you can put the boat down on firmly packed gravel or concrete instead.

Most cranes will not be able to lift 20,000 too far off axis... so the distance from the road you'd be able to put the boat would be fairly limited. IMHO, you better off putting in a concrete pad and using a hydraulic trailer.

Also, getting the quote on video is a great idea, but getting it in writing is usually sufficient. :)
 
#13 ·
RECORD HIS QUOTE ON VIDEO BEFORE HE STARTS. The charge for moving my boat increased by 50% after he had unloaded it. The video saved me.
This is so true, not a lot of honest guys out there. First people I hired used a low boy flat bed and the very first bridge they came to, they had to turn back. The boat was too tall. buyer beware.
 
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