Shipping A Boat & Trailer

[onewhippedpuppy]

We sold our immaculate 23' Monterrey on Saturday, and are looking nationwide for a new 26'-27' bowrider. Being in KS, there are a lot of options on the E and W coast, which is a nice solid 20+ hour drive. I've shipped a lot of cars over the years, but never a boat. Has anyone had a boat with trailer shipped via a shipping company? If so, what are the pros and cons, and could you share your experiences? Any companies to recommend? If I take this route I will fly out to inspect the boat in person, definitely not buying something sight unseen.

 

[alldodge]

Haven't done a boat, but many have gone on forums and asked the question of "Anyone going from A to B with an empty trailer hitch?" The site of OSO does it this way a lot, and most get responses. Major down side is if the trailer was not up to the trip and it breaks down.

A boat/trailer can be done just like most other vehicles, there are many haulers. They can put the whole unit on a car hauler or flat bed

 

[robert graham]

Check with any freight company who has a flat bed truck....

 

[Scott Danforth]

I would look in your back yard. boats around St Louis are lower cost than the same boat on the coasts

 

[onewhippedpuppy]

Thanks for the feedback guys. Scott, unfortunately I've been hard pressed to find anything regionally, but I'm also pretty picky and looking for a few specific boats. After officially selling my boat last weekend I've expanded the search to open up some additional options.

 

[ahicks]

Call me paranoid, but there is no way on God's earth I would give anyone a dollar for a used something like this (a boat, a car, an RV, etc), that I haven't seen and touched in person. This kind of money can bring out the bad guys in droves.... I don't care how careful you are.

There is also no way on God's earth I would release a boat to a shipping company that wasn't paid for entirely, and no cashier's checks allowed. Bank transfer or cash much preferred.

I'm all for shopping nation wide for a major purchase like this one (actually love the process), but it's a given there WILL be a road trip involved as part of any purchase made. And yes, I'm pretty careful with this kind of thing prior to that visit. One of the bigger things is asking for a picture of the title. You want to make absolutely sure whoever is selling this boat is legally entitled to do that. Divorces can play hell with title work for instance, as can multiple or corporate names on the title. Point being, getting stuff like that taken care of on a long distance basis, if it's even possible, can be frustrating as .... well you know.

Best of luck, and be careful!

 

[jkust]

Shopping nationwide is actually frustrating if you come from a high cost boat state and get to see what other states pay for their boats. Our prices are almost laughable like the garage sale that thinks their stuff is made of gold but that they sell for those high prices. You can't visit every boat across the country that looks to be a good deal and so many times even when you buy locally, the first boat isn't as advertised.
I buy all of my cars and suv's from the south and ship them to my house because they are so much cheaper as well and don't have any rust at all. Trying to use one of the shipping broking services showed me that a low shipping offer on your part means it will take longer for someone to pick up your vehicle and ship it. Sure there is the option to ship cheaply, if someone will take the load.

 

[Scott Danforth]

Thanks for the feedback guys. Scott, unfortunately I've been hard pressed to find anything regionally, but I'm also pretty picky and looking for a few specific boats. After officially selling my boat last weekend I've expanded the search to open up some additional options.

the key for looking for boats in the KS/MO area is to start looking now and in the next two weeks. have your financing/money/approval from the wife lines up.. Midwest is still covered in snow and ice, coastal areas are 25% higher. when you find the boat you want jump in the car and go see it.

 

[onewhippedpuppy]

ahicks, I totally agree! That's why I'm headed to VA next Saturday. Plane tickets are cheap compared to getting ripped off on a big purchase like a boat. But if the price is right I'll pay to have it shipped to KS, rather than spend a solid 40 hours in the truck.

Scott I mostly agree, I've been window shopping for a year. But when you're picky about condition and only really considering a few different models, opening up your search to the entire USA definitely helps. There's a relatively small window between people bringing their boats out of storage and listing them for sale and the buying hysteria that occurs each year around Memorial Day.

 

[Mischief Managed]

I have never had a boat shipped, but I had a car shipped a couple of years ago and it was reasonably-priced and painless. I have bought a boat long-distance and a truck long distance and made road trips to bring them home. Those road trips were really fun and another road trip would be my first choice. Good luck!

 

[R055]

A 26-27' boat is pretty big. Only way to get it onto a flatbed trailer would be using 2 forklift I believe. Guessing you would be charged 1500-2000 for that load and you would have to figure out a way to load it and unload it.

Work not allowing you to make the 3-4 day trip to pick it up yourself?

 

[onewhippedpuppy]

A 26-27' boat is pretty big. Only way to get it onto a flatbed trailer would be using 2 forklift I believe. Guessing you would be charged 1500-2000 for that load and you would have to figure out a way to load it and unload it.

Work not allowing you to make the 3-4 day trip to pick it up yourself?

The boat I'm looking at now actually has a trailer, so it could easily be towed or put on a flatbed. It does look like $1500 is about the right price to ship from the East coast to the Midwest.

Yeah time is the biggest constraint, right now if I buy the boat in question it's a solid 4 days worth of driving round-trip.

 

[ahicks]

The boat I'm looking at now actually has a trailer, so it could easily be towed or put on a flatbed. It does look like $1500 is about the right price to ship from the East coast to the Midwest.

Yeah time is the biggest constraint, right now if I buy the boat in question it's a solid 4 days worth of driving round-trip.

The way to look at that is as less of a chore and more of an adventure! Just think of the grin on your face at the point you're finally headed home with the boat you've been looking for forever....

Just don't allow yourself to fall in love with the boat until you've had a chance to look over both it and the title work carefully. As mentioned, trying to resolve title issues long distance, after the money has been exchanged, can be a challenge......

 

[Lookwhat followedmehome]

Try UShip at Uship.com . I have used them move a boat on a trailer from Northern Michigan to the KC area and had excellent luck. I've also used them to haul classic cars with flawless results You register with UShip, post your load with pictures, length, height, weight etc and then private carriers will bid on the load. A carrier can move the boat and trailer on a flat bed for you but you'll have to make arrangements for loading and unloading by crane or forklift etc. Moving it on a flatbed is preferable to a haul away move in case the trailer is not up to a long distance drive.
Make sure that any boat covers and loose items in the boat are secured to withstand highway speeds.
You can also scroll through carriers and offer your load to likely ones instead of waiting for carriers to come to you. Pricing can often be negotiated.
Make sure the carrier you choose has proper insurance to cover your shipment.

 

[alldodge]

^^^^ Looks like a sales pitch to me, only thing missing is a logo and link

 

[ahicks]

Uship is actually a popular option for getting bikes and cars moved. I've used the service for those. I see no reason why boats couldn't be handled just as easily. Just be careful of the cheapest bids and exercise due diligence on a company you're considering.

As far as moving it on it's own trailer, it shouldn't take much to have the trailer serviced and get a good going over at a local qualified dealer prior to making the trip. Depending on it's age, new tires might be part of a good plan too. Then make sure there's road service available on the trip. That can be really cheap piece of mind.

If you decide to go flat bed, many larger marinas are equipped with very large 4 wheel cranes that use slings front and rear. Often they're used to launch and retrieve boats right from the water. I would think somebody with one of those could load a flatbed in about 10 minutes.

 

[pullin]

If the boat is moored at a marina large enough to have a service department, check with them. When I bought my Sea Ray 270, I got the names of some companies from the marina and from the surveyor. The boat came with a trailer, but I was concerned about weight and the trailer's condition. FWIW, moving it 130 miles was bid at $1200.00 using their trailer. This included removing from the water at the old marina and launching at the new.