Boat transport

Sep 27, 2006
39
Pearson 36-2 Alameda
Anyone have recommendations on west coast boat transport companies? Looking to move 36’ sail from NoCal to Seattle. After hearing from a lot people it should be under $5k, I was surprised to see the first quote come in at $9k
 
Aug 7, 2018
180
Catalina 350 Great Sodus Bay, Lake Ontario
I know NOTHING about transportation cost of a sailboat over the road but assuming its approx 800 miles, .90 cents a mile does not sound unreasonable. I did get an estimate to move a 35' from buffalo to Albany over the road @ around 5k.

It was a very time-consuming trip by water via Lake Erie, the Weiland canal, Lake Ontario, the Oswego Canal, the NYS Canal and the Hudson River. 2 weeks and motoring 95% @ 6 MPH speed limit in the canal system. The short cut over Niagra Falls would have saved me some time. . Have you considered water delivery with a captain and crew? Good luck, I am sure you will hear from fellow boaters today with more experience in that area
 
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capta

.
Jun 4, 2009
4,904
Pearson 530 Admiralty Bay, Bequia SVG
I know NOTHING about transportation cost of a sailboat over the road but assuming its approx 800 miles, .90 cents a mile does not sound unreasonable.
Am I missing something here? I thought I was pretty good @ math, but I can't get $.90 a mile for 800 miles to equal much more than $720.00? That would indeed be a pretty good deal, considering it would cost more than that to get a boat put on and off a transport trailer.
Perhaps you are one of those young fellas using that new math?
 
Jan 11, 2014
12,675
Sabre 362 113 Fair Haven, NY
Am I missing something here? I thought I was pretty good @ math, but I can't get $.90 a mile for 800 miles to equal much more than $720.00? That would indeed be a pretty good deal, considering it would cost more than that to get a boat put on and off a transport trailer.
Perhaps you are one of those young fellas using that new math?
There ya go again @capta worrying about those decimal points. :poke:
 
Mar 20, 2011
623
Hunter 31_83-87 New Orleans
Had a recent transport quote to move my 31’ boat from Houston to New Orleans of $2800 on a distance of 380 miles. Need to keep in mind yard charges on both sides to lift and load out and also rigger charges each way to remove shrouds and prep for shipment and a rigger on delivery end to install and tune. For both of these I was looking at about $800 each way.
 
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jssailem

SBO Weather and Forecasting Forum Jim & John
Oct 22, 2014
22,710
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
Joe, overland transport can have many variables.
  • The loading cost,
  • Truck and trailer
  • Permits if load is overweight/too long
  • Fuel and operating costs
  • Number of days
  • One way - no back haul or worse dead time waiting
  • Time of year
  • Experience
  • The unload
  • The value of the boat
  • Competing loads
to identify a few. Keep searching. It maybe the limits imposed by the virus or time of year that make the quote high. When trucking is hungry the rates go down. When everyone wants a truck the costs go up.

Under the present day pressures on transportation of goods drivers are getting premiums. There are firms paying new drivers signing bonuses like athletes to get the loads moved to where they are needed.

What about sailing your boat north. It has been done by others.
 
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capta

.
Jun 4, 2009
4,904
Pearson 530 Admiralty Bay, Bequia SVG
There ya go again @capta worrying about those decimal points. :poke:
Sorry. I guess it's a by-product of doing celestial for so many years. If a 4 second error in time means a mile error on the LOP, then those pesky decimal points could be important, too. lol
 
Sep 27, 2006
39
Pearson 36-2 Alameda
I appreciate the additional comments but we’ve already looked at other options and what’s involved in great detail. Trucking is the best option since we need to drop the mast soon anyway.
At this stage, I’m just looking for referrals on boat transport companies. Thx.
 
Jun 21, 2004
2,749
Beneteau 343 Slidell, LA
Joe,
Agree with you; $9K is ridiculous! The information that I have is outdated; however, seven years ago, I paid $2900 to move my boat from Charleston, NC to New Orleans, a distance of 800 miles. After adjusting for inflation, That would put you in the $3500-4000 range strictly for transport.
Front end costs include haulout, pressure wash, blocking, & yard storage.
Additional front end costs include unstepping mast & derigging as well wrapping mast, standing & running rigging with bubble wrap &
& shrink film, removing canvas, etc. And, finally loading onto flatbed trailer. You will incur several days to a few weeks yard storage
because the boat has to be ready for loadout when the truck arrives. It will take a few weeks to get a truck to the yard.
Plan on $1500 to $2000 on the front end.
Back end / Destination costs include off loading from trailer, blocking, and yard storage fees as well as restepping the mast
and installation of standing/running rigging, reinstalling canvas and finally splashing the boat. Basic back end costs could be $1000
or more depending on how much of this is DIY. Cost that are not directly related to the move are costs that are typically had
during a normal haulout. Unless your bottom & topsides are in excellent shape, you will no doubt have to repaint the bottom
and compound / wax the topsides. This work can be done at the front end or at the final destination, and again the cost will
be dependent on whether you DIY or have the yard do it. So, assuming you pay the yard to do these tasks, you can likely add
another $1500 to 2000 for a total back end cost of $2500-3000.
Total costs could range from $6500 to 9000; likely more on the West Coast. Yes, its expensive to move a boat.
The transport company that I used was Deep Water Transport in North Carolina. Their estimate was competitive and the office
staff and driver were professional and experienced They operate nationally and will likely stage your move when there is a truck in the
western region. You can call them at 252-946-1215 / 866-602-6889 or visit their website www.deepwatertransport.com
Good luck with the move.
 
Sep 27, 2006
39
Pearson 36-2 Alameda
Thx BigEasy. I’ve always heard that move costs around $5k. I just need to find who those are. I have quotes from both yards for ~$2k each. I’d be happy if I could keep everything below $10k. That to me sounds reasonable for 800 mikes.
 
Jul 27, 2011
5,134
Bavaria 38E Alamitos Bay
Anyone have recommendations on west coast boat transport companies? Looking to move 36’ sail from NoCal to Seattle. After hearing from a lot people it should be under $5k, I was surprised to see the first quote come in at $9k
In 2015 I got a quote from Dudley Boat Company in Gig Harbor to move my 38 ft boat from Ventura, CA to Tacoma, WA @ about $5,600; early last year (2019) to move the boat from Long Beach, CA to Seattle the quote from Associated Boat was around $8,000, I believe--can't find it. That's just the cost to move the boat. It does not include the yard costs of decommissioning and recommissioning, etc. So, I came up with a figure closer to $10,000 to get the job done. Here's what Dudley told me in 2015 (... move from Ventura to Tacoma cost of $ 5560 because of the width being over 12 ft it needs a Calif. Pilot.) Might be substantially less for a 36 ft yacht with a beam less than 12 ft, but figure at least $2.00 / mile flatbed rates; and I would think that there might also be a weight factor to include somewhere.

Try link below.

Home
 
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Sep 27, 2006
39
Pearson 36-2 Alameda
In 2015 I got a quote from Dudley Boat Company in Gig Harbor to move my 38 ft boat from Ventura, CA to Tacoma, WA @ about $5,600; early last year (2019) to move the boat from Long Beach, CA to Seattle the quote from Associated Boat was around $8,000, I believe--can't find it. That's just the cost to move the boat. It does not include the yard costs of decommissioning and recommissioning, etc. So, I came up with a figure closer to $10,000 to get the job done. Here's what Dudley told me in 2015 (... move form Ventura to Tacoma cost of $ 5560 because of the width being over 12 ft it needs a Calif. Pilot.) Might be substantially less for a 36 ft yacht with a beam less than 12 ft, but figure at least $2.00 / mile flatbed rates; and I would think that there might also be a weight factor to include somewhere.

Try link below.

Home
In 2015 I got a quote from Dudley Boat Company in Gig Harbor to move my 38 ft boat from Ventura, CA to Tacoma, WA @ about $5,600; early last year (2019) to move the boat from Long Beach, CA to Seattle the quote from Associated Boat was around $8,000, I believe--can't find it. That's just the cost to move the boat. It does not include the yard costs of decommissioning and recommissioning, etc. So, I came up with a figure closer to $10,000 to get the job done. Here's what Dudley told me in 2015 (... move form Ventura to Tacoma cost of $ 5560 because of the width being over 12 ft it needs a Calif. Pilot.) Might be substantially less for a 36 ft yacht with a beam less than 12 ft, but figure at least $2.00 / mile flatbed rates; and I would think that there might also be a weight factor to include somewhere.

Try link below.

Home
Thx for the response. I called Dudley and got a quote for $4k. That’s much more like it.
 
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