Moving my sailboat from the west coats to the east coast

[Tony Bravado]

Hello, My wife and I live on our Islander 40 in Everett, WA. We may have to move next year to New Jersey and we would like to ship our boat across country. I'm trying to find some information for which company I should hire should I have to move. Does anyone have any recommendations or referrals? Maybe some good/bad experiences?

 

[egodsey]

Last year I used uShip (http://www.uship.com) to move my Hunter 25.5 from Arkansas to Texas. Obviously a Hunter 25.5 is significantly smaller than an Islander 40 ... and Arkansas to Texas is not coast to coast ... but uShip has a very neat scheme that enablers shippers to bid on your job.

It is up to you to vet the various bidders ... check experience, references, insurance, etc. ... but you have to do that anyway. What uShip provides is the ability to ensure that you are not paying too much for job.

In the end I used a local Texas shipper who had extensive experience hauling sailboats. FYI, they were not the lowest bidder on uShip. I was very satisfied with the job they did. In the end I paid uShip less than half of where the biddding started. And the opening bids were on par with the quotes I had received by contacting shippers on my own.

 

[Sail123]

Don't forget the Panama Canal! Life is an adventure!

 

[Nodak7]

Tony I used these guys last year to move my boat from Michigan to ND. Very good to work with and reasonable.


Jeanne Lewis
Cross Country Boat Transport Inc.
23310 Lillehei Ave
Hastings Mn, 55033

651-437-2454
www.ccbti.com
Boatjockey@aol.com


Good Luck!

 

[KD3PC]

be really careful with u-ship if you have ANY time restraints on either end...having tried two house moves via their folks....both were no shows...the third they tried to charge me triple, because they "forgot" their truck...

stick with someone who knows boats and make sure you have time on each end, just in case..

 

[Nodak7]

be really careful with u-ship if you have ANY time restraints on either end...having tried two house moves via their folks....both were no shows...the third they tried to charge me triple, because they "forgot" their truck...

stick with someone who knows boats and make sure you have time on each end, just in case..

KD I initially looked at U-Ship but had some concerns about timing and the shippers that contacted me. Finally decided to go to a dedicated boat shipper (see above). Worked good. The only issue I had was getting the boat loaded in a timely manner and that was a yard issue not the shipper.

 

[tkanzler]

If it were me, I'd make damn sure the trucking outfit is highly experienced and/or specializes in hauling big boats. Everybody can move anything (just ask them) until you find out the hard way they haven't a clue, or don't care. Or both.

Maybe put a call into Hunter, Catalina, Island Packet, etc. and ask their shipping manager if they can recommend a trucking outfit.

And make sure their insurance is sound. I've never heard of a boat being shipped long distance without damage of some sort.

 

[Scott B]

Or check with the local Hunter dealer. They ship from FLA to your area, so the trucking Comapny may have an empty truck heading back to the East Coast and you could get a better deal? esp. if you're flexible on timing...... just guessing but worth a try and you'll know they can handle the bigger boats.

 

[Tony Bravado]

Nice. Thanks all for the quick replies! It's still a little ways off. should know in April where I'm moving.

 

[maxxx]

Two years ago I had Derek Leslie move my Oday 28. He did a fantastic job with the prep, move and setup. Try his website at sailorsmovingsailors.com phone is 615-456-9069 He also provided the best price of the 5 or 6 companies I called. I would highly recommend him and good luck!! max

 

[Tony Bravado]

Also, What kind of price range am I looking at?

 

[Ed Schenck]

I'll guess that you will pay a minimum of $5000. And that assumes your shipper carries a boat both ways. I shipped 1200 miles from Florida to Lake Erie for $3000. That was better by $500. than any of the U-Ship offers.

Then there's the cost of the haulout and boat prep. Figure at least $1500. Be sure to wrap the mast twice. Wrap under the wire and then again over the wire. Otherwise all that rattling will severely scar the aluminum. In my case the paint. :cry:

 

[KD3PC]

at least $2 per mile, both ways unless as Ed says, they can find a boat for the other way...then they may cut you some slack, Plus trailer and load fees and time. If fuel stays where it is, else you may pay a fuel surcharge on top of mileage.

 

[seadaddler]

Call

Like already mentioned call one of the boat haulers that Hunter or Catalina uses and get a price,they wanted $5000 from NY to Florida back in 2008 plus prep and rerigging both ways,1400 miles and they always get return trips.
I sailed from NY to Florida and what a great adventure.
Nick

 

[Steve Dion]

I think the standard fare is about $3/mile (plus loading/unloading etc). I would think if you can get one of those haulers that haul boats from the east to the west, you may find one that does not want to go home empty.

 

[AtlanticAl]

Sell the boat and buy another one on the east coast, either that or sail her there through panama, take you 55 days at a 100 miles a day. If you move it overland, will cost you a quarter of the boats value. You need to buy a permit to move it through every state you want to move it through, and you need someone to haul the boat, and a safety vehicle to folllow it. Every five hundred miles, they all need to book into a hotel and you have to pay for that, unless you are going to pay for double crew, you can buy that boat for about 50k, cost you between 10-20k to ship it.

 

[reworb]

Several years ago I used Joule Yacht Transportation. Catalina uses them as well as Island Packet as do I believe Beneteau and Hunter. They are very professional, my boat came though perfect from the Los Angeles to Florida trip. It was a 28 footer and at that time I think cost about 4 or 5 thousand (I don't remember) I just bought a Beneteau 311, 600 road miles from home Joule quoted me $2,243 for the move. I listed on uship and received lower bids, none of the bidders inspired a lot of confidence, had I trucked the boat I would have used Joule again.

Having the rig taken down and put back up, on and off loading and the inevitable lay days at yards on either end would have added about $2,500 to the bill.

Joule offer free estimates on there website or by phone. I hired a delivery skipper to bring the boat across the Gulf of Mexico.

What ever you estimate, remember to add an additional couple thousand then you will be close to the cost.

 

[Cayennita]

Go to a local boat dealer and find out if they have a boat getting shipped from east to west. That trucker will give you a big discount. Rather make some money than going back empty. Also don't forget that there is ship transport available. In some, you can go along and work on the bottom while under way. No need to remove the mast, etc.

 

[Tony Bravado]

Sell the boat and buy another one on the east coast, either that or sail her there through panama, take you 55 days at a 100 miles a day. If you move it overland, will cost you a quarter of the boats value. You need to buy a permit to move it through every state you want to move it through, and you need someone to haul the boat, and a safety vehicle to folllow it. Every five hundred miles, they all need to book into a hotel and you have to pay for that, unless you are going to pay for double crew, you can buy that boat for about 50k, cost you between 10-20k to ship it.

My work will pay to move everything i own.. or at least most of it. If that were not the case I would absolutely sell it.

 

[vetch]

There is a guy looking for a back haul from Seattle area to Florida on the Seattle Craigslist right now. Bit his haul leaves like next week so it dosent sound right for you.