[MedSailor]

Rather than just look locally, I'm looking all over on Yachtworld for the perfect boat. Problem is, I don't really know if a boat that is far away is a viable option or not.

I've heard shipping quotes ranging from $1-5/mile. A 5x spread? That's not very helpful... I also don't trust the "ship my boat" estimator on yachtworld. They would seem to have a vested interest in making shipping look cheap so that more boats are bought and sold.

Any potential boat would be shipped to near the Seattle area. Anyone know what it would cost to ship something from the SF bay area, San Diego, or Ft Lauderdale FL? I was thinking something that is 25,000lb or so, 13ft wide and 45 feet long.

Any good or bad shipping companies, or wisdom for those who have shipped a boat?

MedSailor

 

[SloopJonB]

In 2003 I had a Columbia 43 hauled from SF Bay to Vancouver. It cost $3800 or a little over $4/mile.

I don't know who said $1/mile - private people delivering a small boat they just sold charge that. That wouldn't even cover the fuel for a big truck these days.

Check with Dudley Transport (or Trucking) - they're in Everett IIRC. I used them and they were great - totally recommend them. There's a titling office in Anacortes I used as well who were also great.

From Florida you're going to be well into 5 figures I think.

There are sites on the web where truckers bid on jobs - might be worth checking out to see what they are bidding for similar loads/distance.

Just checked - they moved.

http://www.dudleyboats.com/index.html

 

[SailRedemption]

I had my Kaufman 47 shipped from Alameda, CA to New Orleans, LA in Jan. I was quoted for just under 9k to ship it. It was another 3-4k for the marina over there to prep it for shipping. So you are looking at the worst case from Seattle from FL, you may have to figure another grand for the extra distance maybe. I used J Daniel Marine transport, great people to work with and they send you awesome picture updates along the way.

Dudley transport was close in price too, but the schedule didn't work out. Buy they were good people as well.

Sent from my HTC6500LVW using Tapatalk

 

[Minnewaska]

There a many costs involved with trucking a boat, beyond a simple mileage charge. Permits, tolls, chase vehicles, etc. They all depend on the size of the boat and the roads to be traveled. Then add all deck prep work, along with stepping the mast and retuning the rig. The bigger boats may need there keel dropped too. It adds up.

 

[tdoster]

Every transport is different. Some boats are going to be more or less than others and it depends on how much you want/can do yourself on both sides to decommission and recommission the boat on the other end. Beam, height and weight are the biggest considerations. US Boat Haulers is the best I have used and can do as little or as much as you need. Welcome to US Boat Haulers

uship is a great place to get an idea of how much it will be to ship your particular boat, but keep in mind that some of the quotes may come from brokers and not the actual shippers. I do recommend that you work directly with a shipper instead of a broker.

 

[hotdogs]

I'm going to echo the comments about $1/mile being impossible. That will cover the driver or the fuel, but not both. After fixed costs, profit, etc. you are probably looking at something closer to $5/mile.

 

[benesailor]

Find a hauler that you are comfortable with. Call the big marinas in the areas you are considering and get their opinion! They know who the bad ones are.
I shipped from Palm Beach to NY. Can't remember the shipper; they were TOTAL idiots. The truck driver had no idea how to ship a boat. 350 lbs, could'nt climb a ladder. His assistant knew a little. I litterally packed it on the trailer. 4 of us carried the mast onto the trailer. The guys in the marina were pissed. What was i to do? all ready had the boat out and taken apart. Money committed. The boat showed in one piece with no issues except covered in diesel soot and some scuffs on the bottom from the pads.

I packed and unpacked, unstepped and stepped it. $8k ($5.70 a mile) for the trip. Costs extra coming into NY as they need an escort vehicle. They also had restrictions on what time they could drive thru cities and night time travel. Cost another $1k for picking/placing on trailer/stepping/unstepping mast. Crackerboy Boat works were champs during the whole thing.

 

[jrd22]

My son had his Bayfield 36 (LOA 41', beam 12', app. 20,000 lbs) shipped from NC to Anacortes, WA about a year ago, I think it was around $11-12K just for trucking. He got a lot of quotes from Uship that were cheaper but it turned out that most of them were planning to haul it with a 1-ton pickup truck. He decided to use Dudley on my recommendation because I know the owner, but it didn't turn out very well. Apparently Dudley is basically out of the business (or maybe he sold it) and they turned the job over to another company. There was some serious damage to the hull because it was loaded incorrectly and no one would stand behind it (Dudley flat out said they didn't ship it so they weren't liable even though they were the company my son contracted with). Had to eat the repair bill after a lot of hassle. I wouldn't recommend Dudley, unless under new management.

 

[SloopJonB]

That's a shame, both for your son as well as the news - they were great to me - a seamless experience at a good price.

Another one bites the dust.

Does it seem to you that companies that change hands seldom, if ever, improve, only deteriorate?

 

[jimgo]

If you're on the east coast, especially in the northeast, try NJ Boat Hauler, All Aboard Marine Transport, Home Page. I used them and was very pleased. Good prices, the guy had moved a LOT of sailboats before, and he was an amazing driver. I still can't believe he got his truck into the lot where the boat was, and that he was able to get my boat out without hitting anything. Really impressive!

 

[SailRedemption]

My son had his Bayfield 36 (LOA 41', beam 12', app. 20,000 lbs) shipped from NC to Anacortes, WA about a year ago, I think it was around $11-12K just for trucking. He got a lot of quotes from Uship that were cheaper but it turned out that most of them were planning to haul it with a 1-ton pickup truck. He decided to use Dudley on my recommendation because I know the owner, but it didn't turn out very well. Apparently Dudley is basically out of the business (or maybe he sold it) and they turned the job over to another company. There was some serious damage to the hull because it was loaded incorrectly and no one would stand behind it (Dudley flat out said they didn't ship it so they weren't liable even though they were the company my son contracted with). Had to eat the repair bill after a lot of hassle. I wouldn't recommend Dudley, unless under new management.

Yea, I think that is how he does it.. Because he was calling people to "see if they could work the dates for a cheaper price" so I guess that makes sense. Well glad I didn't go with them. Sorry to hear about the damage though, that's never good.

Sent from my HTC6500LVW using Tapatalk

 

[sailordave]

While I've never shipped my boat... I used to crew for a guy who shipped his 48' boat.
What drove up the costs was not so much Length, or Width, but HEIGHT. That determines what roads you can travel more than anything else.
Definitely check around, get references and make sure the boat and the truck are well insured.

 

[Moody38CC]

Back in 2006 I used an outfit named MacDonald in south Florida to haul my Moody 38 (38 loa; 12.6 wide; 18k lbs) from Holland, MI, to Deltaville, VA. In making the arrangements, the nice lady at MacDonald told me that if I could be patient, I would save a lot in letting her schedule the haul. She would have the boat brought back to the east coast in connection with her truck and driver taking something out to the mid-west. If I needed the boat now, I would basically have to pay the full fare out and back, whereas shipping the boat back in connection with something going out west would cut the cost close to half because the truck would be generating revenue heading to the mid-west. That was fine with me. The cost for the transport was right at $2600. Cost to have the boat prepared (mostly wrapping the mast) for shipment and loaded and the same at the receiving end cost more than the transport. I was not in a position to do any of the work myself . I could not write the check to MacDonald fast enough when they quoted $2600.

Within three or four weeks of talking to MacDonald, the lady called me to say they would pick the boat up in 3-4 days. I notified both yards and marinas. The transport driver or MacDonald called me daily after the pickup just to say all was going fine. Took three days. No problems; no damage, no nothing.

I recommend MacDonald. I could hardly have gotten the boat from Holland, MI, to NYC for that price, let alone to VA.

 

[benesailor]

Moody38CC, I was told pretty much the same thing. I was also told to ship in the opposite season. IE. Go north in the fall and south in the spring. Trucks don't like to run empty.

In addition; from some of the comments. I have found that sometimes the truck companies are not the same as the contractors. This is what happened to me. I did insure the load just in case. Found out the day they arrived.

Height is huge when shipping. Nothing over 11' 6". I was at 12' and was fine and that was with lifelines up.

 

[Moody38CC]

Yes, height is just as critical as width. Within reason, length is not that important, but height and width are. Think low underpasses and narrow roads. The trucking company will determine the route, but if one's boat exceeds the standard width and height for highways, and the figures cited by benesailor look good, the cost rises dramatically as special permits are needed as well as chase and lead cars. If you truck a boat, you will need to know the lowest height configuration you can reduce your boat to. In my case, the yard removed the helm and chart plotter (on top of the binnacle).

Check your insurance policy--most do not cover land transport over a certain distance unless you are providing the transport. I bought a policy from the transportation company for a small amount.

 

[TJC45]

Large trucking companies spend a lot of money on logistics software and the experts to design their routes. Key is to keep the truck loaded and moving. To do that requires having the truck always in the right place at the right time. This reduces the cost to trucker and to the shipper, but is no simple task.

With shipping a large boat the logistics become much more complicated. Backhaul opportunities are very limited. And because the operating cost of the truck and driver are virtually the same loaded or unloaded those empty miles add up very quickly. For this reason, if you can work a deal where the company can reduce your cost by matching your trip with another - go for it! It would be worth the wait.

 

[capttb]

I've always been curious about using Dockwise to move a boat upcoast, float on/float off, no rigging hassles etc. might not be too bad. I know they used to load in Ensenada.
Pacific West Coast :: DYT Yacht Transport

 

[Maine_bill]

Jimgo,
You said you used NJ Boat Hauler to transport a boat..
How long ago did you use them?
Wrote for a quote but haven't heard back.. I would like to talk to them because they can save me money on "both ends" of the trip...
They say I don't have to use a travel lift or crane to load/unload the boat.. That saves some cash, if the cost to transport is in line with others.
Thanks
Bill

 

[parks]

Have you considered buying a trailer and hauling it overland yourself? I am offering a 3-axle,32'x7 1/2' (tire to tire) trailer used to support a 6-ton, 34' Irwin Citation sailboat during rebuild and haul it to coast. Heavy steel I beams, 14 adjustable support pads, lights, electric brakes, removable 5th wheel gooseneck, 6 new (driven only 500 miles) heavy-duty tires, on blocks to protect tires. Use as your portable "dry dock" or to haul your boat to new location with dually pick-up truck. See classified ad on this Sailnet site. I'd be glad to correspond with you if you think this option might be helpful. Parks

 

[benesailor]

Have you considered buying a trailer and hauling it overland yourself? I am offering a 3-axle,32'x7 1/2' (tire to tire) trailer used to support a 6-ton, 34' Irwin Citation sailboat during rebuild and haul it to coast. Heavy steel I beams, 14 adjustable support pads, lights, electric brakes, removable 5th wheel gooseneck, 6 new (driven only 500 miles) heavy-duty tires, on blocks to protect tires. Use as your portable "dry dock" or to haul your boat to new location with dually pick-up truck. See classified ad on this Sailnet site. I'd be glad to correspond with you if you think this option might be helpful. Parks

Now there is an idea; i never thought about that. If you knew that you would ship the boat more than once it would pay to have a trailer built. I'll have to remember that.