Anyone shipped a large sailboat by rail car?

Steve Dion · Mar 4, 2011

I think that you may have some additional costs with getting the boat off the railcar and then loaded onto a truck for the short trip. I would think that there may not be much savings.

I like the idea and think it may be an easier ride over rail than over the road. I think you can get a estimate for yourself by figuring about $3/MILE. (IE: $9K) over the road.

All U Get · Mar 4, 2011

I followed a link that had boats put in containers to ship across the Atlantic. I would think once it was in a container it could be rail, truck, or boat. There are probably many sources for info. http://www.midcoastyacht.com/BoatTransport.html
All U Get

Roger Long · Mar 5, 2011

I looked into this once for a commercial boat design. It was a very short conversation. The railroad agent said, "Have you noticed all that graffiti on the sides of railroad cars?" The same kids like to throw stones and railroad spikes.

If you can't totally enclose it, this thread is over.

Tim R. · Mar 5, 2011

I used to travel by Amtrak a lot for work and kids were always throwing rocks at the trains going through urban areas.

CCrane2299 · Mar 5, 2011

I worked at the RR (BNSF) and the cars get bumped pretty hard in the yard. I don't think sail boats are intended to be accelerated as quickly as the rail car its riding on when hit by another car full of coal. I wouldn't consider it unless I wanted an insurance claim.

monkeybars · Mar 5, 2011

im a freight conductor for the largest railroad, unless your boat was steel hulled and in excess of 75-100 tons actuall weight you wouldn't even want to know the per mile freight charge,plus you need to hire another company that owns flat beds to load and support your boat plus there is severe height and width restrictions due to bridges and switch yard structure.now if it fit inside of a container like a macgregor it's doable.

Steve Kamp · Mar 5, 2011

She won't fit in a standard shipping container.

kloudie1 · Mar 5, 2011

Ya may be able to find some space on the deck of a freight ship ??

RECESS · Mar 5, 2011

I bought a dinghy from a guy in Florida that sails customer's boats from Florida to Hawaii for them and then flies back. If you want a quote from him to sail your boat through the Panama Canal and then to SF, let me know and I will PM you his contact info.

petersea · Mar 5, 2011

my advise is not to use the rail, with extra cost of crane and local transport on both origin and destination I can't see it being cost effective. The additional cost of the cradle and blocking of the boat on the rail car will be another additional cost. I feel your boat will be handled better (as others have said)on the truck then rail. Also while it may not be a big deal truck will be faster then rail. Also the truck driver will check his load (your boat) regularly as opposed to once your boat is on the rail car it will not be checked until you unload it. If you could fit in a container there would be a lot of additional cost to removing and replacing keel and mast would most likely have be cut and then spliced back together at destination.You may want to check with Catalina in Calif (or a local Catalina dealer)and see who they use as a transporter and maybe they can use your boat as a back haul and save you a few dollars.

Merlin Clark · Mar 5, 2011

Shipping containers

I believe a standard shipping container is 8'6" wide and 8' tall (outside dimensions) and you lose a few inches both ways for the door sills.

JVB · Mar 5, 2011

I would no more move my house than move a boat that large. Sell the Hunter. Buy a left coast boat.

Joe · Mar 5, 2011

It seems to me that if rail transport were practical for a boat that size you'd actually see people doing it... including boat manufacturers. But you don't!!!

There is a production boat that is designed to be packed into a container.... it is long and skinny.... Perhaps a multihull would be practical because it can be disassembled. Transportation to a from the railhead would be a serious expense also.

IMHO... I can see no reason to try to arrange overland shipment by rail when there are so many trucking companies that specialize in boat transport.

catsailor · Mar 5, 2011

Certainly it is possible to ship industrial equipment by rail (we ship refinery equipment) without putting it in a box, but as others have hinted, there are hard and fast size limits. Unlike a truck, a railcar cannot ease to one side to miss something. It varies a bit with the route, but 10'8" wide is fairly standard, and height varies up to 15'6" (subtract about 3' for the flat car).

Rail is good for heavy things, not large things.

BrianW · Mar 6, 2011

Hunter Marine is located in Florida. Check with them on how they transport their boats your size to the west coast. That will likely be your most cost effective mode. BrianW

Jtoben · Mar 6, 2011

Shipped our boat to FL from MI, then a year later back. Used an owner operated boat hauler from MI, and there was not a blemish on the boat either time. We researched proper way to prepare the boat. The owner driver took three hours to snug down and prep for transport once the boat was loaded from the travel lift. Boat was 39' with fixed 6' keel. Would not hesitate to use good trucking outfit,would be nervous about rail for jostling and lack of checking and rechecking while enroute. Good luck.