Interstate Boat Transporting

LuvBoating

Senior Chief Petty Officer
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Mar 16, 2009
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If our 20' 1992 Celebrity 200 Cuddy w/5.7L I/O continues running good this summer, we want to have it taken to northern Colorado from Jacksonville, FL next May. We plan on moving to there then. Wife and I are too old and inexperience to haul the boat that far ourselves. Even if we were younger than 70, we'd still have it shipped. It will be on a boat trailer.

Basically, we know nothing about this subject, other than whomever can give us a quote, we have to have the length, width, height and weight of the boat to give them. There are people that will hook it up to their truck or motorhome and transport it...…..but, to Colorado is quite far from here. I was told that some companies will use a trailer or flat-bed to transport boats. At the time of transporting, we'd already have a storage spot set up and paid for there. A

Anyone with any helpful knowledge of this, please reply.
 

Scott Danforth

Grumpy Vintage Moderator still playing with boats
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Most bonded and insured companies will flat-bed it.

you will need to have it wrapped for the trip.
 

ajgraz

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Are you looking for a low price, or for top service?
 

JimS123

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When I was building factories I often found used process equipment at a fraction of the price of new. Once I made the deal I used uship.com to have it transported to the plant. Never had a problem with them. They usually outsourced with private vendors. I always had flatbed deliveries and negotiated the terms with the driver personally on the phone. Give them a try.
 

LuvBoating

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Mar 16, 2009
Messages
718
Most bonded and insured companies will flat-bed it.

you will need to have it wrapped for the trip.

Yes, I read about having it wrapped, but no deck cover or full cover is allowed. Also read that, if the wrapping comes loose, the transporting person can take all of the wrapping off due to possible damage to the boat. Which means the boat would be totally in any kind of weather.
 

LuvBoating

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Here's a photo of our 1992 20' Celebrity Cuddy Cabin. Photo was taken at Boat/RV Storage before being put into Dry Storage.
 

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Scott Danforth

Grumpy Vintage Moderator still playing with boats
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Yes, I read about having it wrapped, but no deck cover or full cover is allowed. Also read that, if the wrapping comes loose, the transporting person can take all of the wrapping off due to possible damage to the boat. Which means the boat would be totally in any kind of weather.

that is why you need to take it to someone who wraps for transport and not just for storage. its about an extra 50% more because they take the time to re-inforce all the rub-areas and keep the wrap from coming loose in the first place.
 

Lowlysubaruguy

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Dec 3, 2012
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Ebay has opened up a lot of shipping possibilities. Id see if you can find some vehicle and vessel shippers with good feedback and get prices from them, Insure the boat and trailer on your own as well and have it shipped. many shippers are looking for cargo thats flexible on dates so they can fill a carrier to the max before commiting to a date often times there prices can be quite affordable I have had a few cars shipped without issues. Your boats not going to put them oversized but there is one hang up with boat transportation that is different than cars which would be state inspections for invasive species carried on boats and trailers between states. The shipper will have to be aware of these and a few other possible issues. I would bet there are more empty boat haulers leaving Florida than coming to it so its possible you will find ones with empty loads are looking for anyone to help offset there costs.
 

LuvBoating

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Not nearly as easy as wife and I thought it would be to find someone. Guess most boats from Florida are transported to East Coast states much, much more than to Rocky Mountain or Plains states. We have been encountered by a question, "why would anyone want to leave Florida and go back to a snow state or go to a snow state period?"

So, will just have to keep looking.
 

ahicks

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Sep 16, 2013
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I think you've been conned. There are a LOT of boats, including some much larger than what you are looking at, that are shipped back and forth between Florida and the Great Lakes area seasonally.

I recently shipped a Goldwing after a sale on Ebay (from Florida central Gulf coast to Brazil), and the driver that picked it up had just returned from delivering a boat from Miami to someplace in California. He was based in Miami, using a leased Ford pickup.

To answer the question why move, ask any snowbird. It's not that difficult to answer. The short answer is because you can. The longer answer involves the miserable Florida summer weather, and shoveling snow in the winter.....
 

Lightwin 3

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May 18, 2010
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300
I shipped a boat (19'Center Console) from MN to AZ.

Since I was moving, the moving company (Allied) contracted it and it was shipped flatbed.

Scott Danforth is right, there is a difference in wrap from storage to transport.

I would contact a moving company to see if they have shippers on contract. THey do this stuff all the time.
 

LuvBoating

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Well, still looking into this. What we DO know is that, if (could be a big "if") our boat is still operating good, by the end of this summer, we definitely want to have it wherever we move to. Most likely, that "wherever" will end up being on the northern end of The Front Range in Colorado or southeastern Wyoming (Cheyenne). We visit both areas this summer for a week. We already know what the winter weather is like there, since we lived south of Denver, in Parker, for 5 1/2 years.

One thing for sure, the boating we done in Colorado lakes was much, much easier than it is here in Jacksonville, FL. Just way too much navigational things to learn here!
 

LuvBoating

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Mar 16, 2009
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Both of the batteries are out of our boat and in our apt. outside closet. After taking them out, I done a complete charge of both and both are in great condition. Also, bought an electric wench that is the size we need and "pulling power". Will install it and the rod holders in Colorado. Had rod holders on it, but took them. Just never did any saltwater fishing and got rid of all our saltwater fishing gear.

The boat is completely winterized, as in fogging, additive to fuel filter, block drain and fuel additive to gas tank. As far as we are concerned, this boat will never see the "brackish" water of St Johns River again. We will still have to rent an outdoor space at a Boat/RV Storage in Colorado, but that won't happen for a few months. Plan on having it transported just after Mother's Day Weekend. Will put batteries back in, before transporting, but will take electric wench with us......not a moving company.

So, still have to get quotes from two different websites on transporting it. Will also have to see if we can afford to have it shrink-wrapped, but do know, as already stated, the driver will not allow the cockpit cover or full cover on it in transporting. We don't want to get our boat wet inside, but if we can't afford the shrink wrap, it might have to get wet.

We actually had thought about selling it here, but, from the looks of the boats (ages) in our dry storage, it won't sell here. To old and nobody here wants a cuddy cabin.

Any thoughts?
 

briangcc

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Jul 10, 2012
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Any chance you could tow it yourself? It's only 20' so any full sized pickup should do along with some SUV's.

So it takes you a bit of time to get out West....think of it as a traveling vacation. And you can toss the boat in the water as you go to break up the trip some.
 

LuvBoating

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Nope, taking it ourselves isn't going to happen. We have absolutely no experience towing a boat that far and don't know the freeway system going that way. If we happen to miss an on/off ramp or whatever...…...could be dangerous trying to figure out where we are. Anyway, I will be 70 by then. Wife will be 71. She has never towed anything anywhere.
 

LuvBoating

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Not sure why you're so afraid of towing. Thousands of people lots older than you are towing much bigger RVs all over the country in their retirement. It's pretty easy. Google will navigate you so you don't miss an exit. So will Rand McNally if you're afraid of technology. 70 is not old by any stretch - unless you believe it is.

We simply don't have any kind of experience hauling a boat, or anything else for that fact, that far. And, at 70, we just don't want to take the chance of anything happening to us, our vehicle or the boat. 70 is not old, compared to someone that is 85 or 90, but to a 20, 30, 40 or even 50 year old, we are old and have some of the aches/pains to prove it.

Years ago, I could haul a horse trailer, but again, that was only 30 or so miles to somewhere. I just don't feel comfortable having either of us take it there. Besides, our tow vehicle, a 2005 Dodge Durango, that we pulled the boat with many times, is just too old and too many miles. If it was to break down on the freeway or at a motel, well...…….don't even want to think about that with a boat/trailer hooked up to it.
 

LuvBoating

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Mar 16, 2009
Messages
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30 miles or 3000 miles, towing is towing. But you are 100% correct that your Durango is inadequate.

However, our 2005 Durango does pull our boat and quite good. Just the distance would bother me. Really do wonder what the age is of trucks that do transport boats for people.
 

ahicks

Captain
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Sep 16, 2013
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I think you're right looking into having it pulled. If you had more experience pulling it might be a different matter.

You are going to make absolutely sure whoever is pulling your boat is well insured, as well as the boat and trailer themselves. From there it makes little difference how old the truck they use is, or if the driver is 25 or 75.

Biggest part of this call for me would be towed on the ground, or loaded on a flat bed. If on the ground, you would want to make sure the trailer is well serviced and with tires no more than 4-5 years old.

As far as covering, if that's going to get too expensive, I'd consider having it done uncovered. Leaving it open for a week or 2 is not going to damage anything. As long as everything is secured to prevent stuff blowing out or blowing open (like removable cushions, engine cover, etc.), I'd go for it. Pay to have it detailed when it arrives at it's new destination if you like.
 
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