Posted on 02/10/2012 9:37:05 AM PST by ImProudToBeAnAmerican
Weekly FR Boating Thread ~ Vol. 3 ~ Feb. 10, 2012 ~ Boat Transportation
Launching ~ Weekly FR Boating Thread ~ Vol. 1 ~ Jan. 27, 2012
Weekly FR Boating Thread ~ Vol. 2 ~ Feb 3, 2012 ~ “Off Season”
Last week’s thread had 26 posts, including the source for this week’s thread – boat transportation.
I have helped clients ship vessels of all sizes and types all over North America and overseas. Except for two small scratches, every shipping project was successful, albeit harrowing on occasion.
To help ensure your boat shipping efforts are successful, I will provide boat transportation suggestions and sources via separate posts.
Please feel free to share your experiences and comments – vessel shipping related and otherwise.
Post away, and/or ping me to sign up for this Weekly FR Boating Thread ping list.
Happy boating!
"Anything that can go wrong will go wrong" ~ Capt. Ed Murphy
Just make sure whatever boat you choose or decide to ship doesn’t sink with all your guns.
While boat transportation companies carry commercial liability insurance, I recommend obtaining separate coverage (transportation insurance rider) from your insurance company.
If possible, empty fuel, water and holding tanks.
Prep vessel for a bumpy ride – loose gear stowed below will break or damage your cabinetry.
Sailboat rigs – secure and wrap standing and running rigging – commercial plastic wrap works great.
Shipping height - lower is safer and less expensive – remove lifelines and stanchions, wheels, pedestals, dorades, antennas, biminis, dodgers, etc.
Flybridge removal – label all wires and cables.
Vessels wider than 8’6” require permits.
Vessels wider than 12’ -13’ require escorts.
Vessels higher than 13’6” require escorts.
(Shipping requirements vary from state to state.)
For the best shipping rate – you’ll need to make lots of calls.
The goal is to find a qualified shipper who needs your load to avoid running ‘empty’.
Call all shippers, boatyards on both ends of the trip, even list your vessel on UShip.com
Shipping brokers can help you obtain a lower shipping rate, but be very cautious about any who request or require a deposit.
Shippers will want to know the make and model of your vessel, weight, width, height, shipping to and from locations. If shipping on your own trailer – brake type and ball size.
If you can be flexible on shipping dates, you can save 15 – 25%. Working with a reputable shipping company is more important than getting the lowest price, of course. The purpose of shopping around is to avoid being overcharged, not necessarily to take the cheapest option.
Ballpark shipping costs: Fuel costs have a very direct relationship to the cost of vessel shipping. In general, medium sized boats, 30’ – 40’, which do not require escorts – average the price of a gallon of fuel per mile. Example: Diesel = $3.75 x 1000 miles = swag shipping cost of $3,750.
Vessels on their own trailers run less.
Vessels which require escorts cost more.
The larger the vessel, the more complicated and expensive the project.
Respect the rule of the 7 P's with all shipping efforts - Proper Prior Planning Prevents Piss Poor Projects.
Thought I would make this contribution to your thread. After the Concordia sinking - I reminisced about the one and only cruise I took with my sister on a Carnival ship. On board there was an elderly woman who was a ‘permanent’ passenger; she had determined that the access to medical staff, food and lodging was cheaper than assisted living on land.
Not as rare as I had believed.
http://notjustforseniors.blogspot.com/2009/10/cruise-ships-as-retirement-communities.html
Coastal Marine Transport, Peter Hamm, Charleston, SC 843-696-0278
Insured Boat Hauling, Charleston, SC, (Vessels with or without trailers – up to 36′/15,000 lbs), Travis McGormley, Charleston, SC 843-754-9929
American Boat Carriers/McDonnell & Associates (Beverly), Alachua, FL 800-828-3364
Anchorage Marine Service, Holland, MI 616-399-6745
Andrews Trucking, Ontario, CA 800-263-7140
Annapolis Rigging, Annapolis, MD 410-269-8035
Associated Boat Transport, Woodenville, WA 800-247-1198
Barbour Trucking, Austin, TX 800-256-5671
Boat Transport, Inc., Middlebury, IN 866-748-8952
Boats Express, Inc., Tampa, FL 800-926-2875
Bothwell Boatworks, Bothwell, Ontario 519-436-4984
Brownell Systems, Mattapoisette, MA 800-262-8428
Cam Transport, Cocoa Beach, FL 800-868-1243
Can-Am Marine Transport, Hudson, Quebec 401-864-3705
Cross Country Boat Transport, Hastings, MN 651-437-2454
Great Lakes Boat Transport, Grafton, WI 262-375-3003
J. Daniel Marine 800-488-5933
A1 Haulaboat 866-590-1156
J&E Carriers , Wilmington, NC 910-538-6637
Joule Yacht Transport , Clearwater, FL 800-237-0727
L&M Transportation Services , Raleigh, NC 800-632-3030
M&N Transportation , Armada, MI 586-784-4592
Marine Transportation Nationwide, Davidson, NC 704-784-4592
Michigan Boat Cartage, Eastpoint, MI 810-773-1000
Moger Yacht Transport , Gardena, CA , 800-533-7527
Patterson Marine Service , Pentwater, MI 616-869-6411
QMR, Ken Sieler 602-524-9144
Skipper Shipper , Jensen Beach, FL 772-225-1279
SWD Transportation , Southwest Harbor, ME , 207-244-3470
Freight Forwarding/International
Fitzgerald Freight Forwarding, Jack Fitzgerald, Savannah, GA 912-898-1069
Atlantic Container Lines 800-225-1235
Seamodal 510-832-2686
Seven Star Yacht Transport
Sol Yacht Transport 954-713-0413
Yacht Path Marine Group 561-784-6700
Please email additions and corrections to yachts@brilliantyachts.com
Nothing half as much worth doing then messing around in boats:)
Couple of boats I was interested in buying fell through when I calculated shipping costs. Wide load permits were killers too.
This week’s Weekly Boating Thread is up for your review and amusement.
Boat Transportation is the general theme.
Read and ping away!
Happy boating,
Jon
it’s always better to be in your boat with a drink on the rocks, than in the drink with your boat on the rocks
With higher fuel costs, shipping is not cheap!
I've had a couple clients spend as much on shipping (overseas) as they paid for their boats.
Need help finding a boat?
Should any FReepers or friends of FReepers opt to use my services to buy and/or sell boats, I will make a donation to FreeRepublic as my personal thank you. (This is my means of supporting Free Republic.)
Truer words have never been spoken.
“Need help finding a boat?”
I’ll keep you in mind when I start looking again. Other projects need finishing right now.
funny you should post now.....I just got off a site looking for houseboats in the SE USA.....would be interested in your thoughts
I am looking for a Guided missle cruiser. Maybe the British navy has a few I could look at.
Good to see the thread again.
Speaking of boat transport:
Be sure you find a reputable shipper - even some on yachtworld.com are unscrupulous.
We used QMR for our shipping and it was a very professional move....although the total cost from Lake Michigan to Seattle was $52,000. This was after deposits were paid to three companies who only wanted our deposit - which added another $30,000 (lawsuits in progress). This was also 6 years ago before fuel was so high.
The first transport company damaged the boat when taking off the flybridge and repairs in Seattle ran another $100,000.
Fortunately, due to an inheritance, we were able to pay for it, but used most of the money in doing so....
If I had more time (I’m working), I’d go into more detail....
"Without boating, over two-thirds of the Earth's surface would just be wasted."
What have you been looking at? We’ve been houseboaters for quite some time and are looking forward to our 15th season in a few months.
My mom and I crossed the Pacific six times in the 1950s-1961 on Military Sea Transportation Service ships. Army troops on the bow and fan tail and military dependents in tiny staterooms stacked five deep in the mid section.
Two weeks at sea from Seattle to Yokohama. MSTS was slow but we had movies every afternoon in the day room and after dark, outdoors on the fan tail for the troops.
MSTS was the Army’s navy.
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