Boat transportation from Gulf to Michigan

[Reelalure]

I think my wife and I have found our dream boat and we are getting close to the end of our year long search. Like most dreams this one is a little more than we planned for but we think it’s the right boat for our family. I am looking for advice on how to get a 37 footer tug back from the west side of FL to southwest Michigan. I have two options pull the fly bridge and send it via a truck, or make part of the trip myself and pay a captain to take it up through Alabama and out the Chicago River. We want to do this in early April. Is going against the current an acceptable thing to do that time of year? Would we have to worry about high water in the spring really delaying a trip like that or making it impossible to pass in typical years? How big of a job is it to pull the flybridge from a boat? Does anyone have any experience doing that with their boat? I think Shipping it is going to be our best option but I don’t really know how to go about getting some shipping quotes any suggestions would be great. It would either be from Ft Myers Fl to Grand Haven Mi or Mobile Al to Grand Haven Mi. All advice would be appreciated! I would love to bring it home ourselves but unfortunately we don’t have the vacation time yet, at some point we will be making the trip going the correct direction.

 

[Bacchus]

First a big welcome aboard TF.
I had my MS transported but no bridge to contend with. Bestxadvice is talk to local yards to see who they recommend. I wanted a local firm in case I needed to settle any issues they would be local and I could sit on their door step.
Others that had to remove bridge recommend having the receiving yard send a tech to take it apart. Others have said the extra cost worth it in the long run.
I have heard a few horror stories where the un supervised origination yard just cut all wires to remove the bridge with no tagging, diagrams, photos etc.
Be onsite yourself or have a reliable rep present to supervise is suggested.

 

[Olebird]

Hi Scott,



I went through a similar quoting exercise recently. Suggest you start at "UShip" (website). Will give you some idea of the kinds of questions you'll need to answer to get a proposal.

Once you get a few proposals you can start checking out respondents with customers and the yards you intend to use for loading and unloading.

Heard some horror stories regarding bridge removal. Best advice I heard was to have the guy who will put it back together - take it a part! Worth every penny if its a complex bridge set up. Congrats on finding your boat! Good luck with your move.

 

[Rufus]

M&B Yacht Transport out of Menominee are a family owned operation and are very capable, honest people. They've been around a long time and know their stuff. Give them a call and they'll give you their take on the best departure location, routing, height issues, cost projection, etc. Ask them what they think about an escort pole truck versus removing the flybridge. We moved our 44 from Lake Travis near Austin Texas to Green Bay using an escort pole truck, although that was 15 years ago.

https://www.quicktransportsolutions...higan/mb-yacht-transport-inc-usdot-291468.php

 

[Comodave]

A friend of mine had his Californian trucked from California to Texas with the bridge removed. He said it took several years running down the problems induced by removing the bridge. I agree that it would be best to have the person who is going to reinstall the bridge remove it so he will know how it came apart. If you are going to run it, what does it have for power since you will be running against the current?

 

[Reelalure]

The boat has 330 hp and can cruise at 15 knots so it has enough power, any idea how much extra fuel going against the flow would require? 25% 50% I don't have any idea how much current flows through the Chicago/Illinois and Tombigbee. I did not realize that once you got to Tennessee river the current direction changed and it was down hill until the Mississippi. Would making this trip in the spring be a bad idea even with a professional?

Thanks for everyone's help.

 

[OldDan1943]

May I suggest you and mate and captain take it up on its bottom. Think of the knowledge and experience you will gain.
Yup, high water and swift currents. Just take it real slow. Take some heavy sweaters and rain coats.

The only problem might be with fixed bridges and high water.
You can always take a cut to the ocean for a few days.

 

[Nopistn]

May I suggest you and mate and captain take it up on its bottom. Think of the knowledge and experience you will gain.
Yup, high water and swift currents. Just take it real slow. Take some heavy sweaters and rain coats.

The only problem might be with fixed bridges and high water.
You can always take a cut to the ocean for a few days.

I'm cruising my new (to me) boat home and having a blast.
Highly recommend.

 

[O C Diver]

Maybe another option:
I'm wondering if you can bring it to Mobile Alabama and have it set in a cradle on a flat deck barge for the trip to Chicago. Maybe you would have to go to New Orleans, but a fair amount of freight goes up the river to Chicago. Haven't a clue who you should contact, but it would seem the least intrusive and cost wise cheaper than paying a captain for more than a month plus all expenses.

Ted

Edit:
Air draft may be an issue getting all the way to Chicago. Do you know what you're bridge clearance is with everything easily lowered?

 

[jleonard]

I'm not going to suggest a method.
However IF you decide to have it trucked, do lots of shopping.
A friend of mine saved $1000 when he had a 30 foot boat shipped from RI to FL 2 years ago. He found a guy who had to drive empty to FL to pick up a boat and the timing was right for the trucker and him.
It had 2 advantages:
He saved about 30% on the shipping.
He got his boat delivered on time cause the trucker had to pick up the next boat on a deadline.

Good luck!!

 

[Ken E.]

....Best advice I heard was to have the guy who will put it back together - take it a part! Worth every penny if its a complex bridge set up. Congrats on finding your boat! Good luck with your move.

Concur with that. Eliminates a lot of finger pointing down the road about who did what, or didn't. Best is not to remove it at all, if possible.

 

[High Wire]

Saw a boat hauling truck on the shoulder of I-95 in Delaware once taking off the FB on the road. One guy had a Saws—All in hand. Beware!!!

 

[Spike]

I agree with those who recommend making the trip on the boat. The problem will be your timing for next spring.

I believe there would be a pretty good chance of being delayed both on the Ten-Tom and Upper Mississippi in the early spring due to rain events. This year the Ten-Tom was pretty high until mid May with several closures due to flooding. The Mississippi was running pretty strong most of the summer this year also. Another issue you will face is the Illinois River will basically be closed from July 1-November 1 (barring delays) for lock repairs and I'd hate to plan a Lake Michigan trip in November!

I might suggest making the trip in 2 stages. Move the boat up to the Tennessee River or Land Between The Lakes area in the early summer when the rivers have a better chance of being at normal pool. Then you can winter the boat in that area and finish the trip in 2021, again a bit later in the season to have more favorable conditions.

We're planning on going up the Upper Miss. in either 21 or 22 and will most likely wait till late June to start however there are never any guarantees from Mother Nature!

Good Luck...

 

[River Cruiser]

The locks on the Illinois river are scheduled to be closed for maintenance next year. July through September if I remember correctly. I also would avoid removing the fb and move it on its own bottom. I boat on the upper Mississippi and have been from St. Louis to Red Wing, MN. and to Detroit. The high water isn’t a problem and long as you pay attention. Even during serious flooding like we had this year people were still boating on the river no sandbars to hang out on but still out on the water. I made a cruise 60+ miles to Grafton and back without any problems. If I was you I wouldn’t miss the chance to go by water. If you have any questions on boating on the river send a pm and I’ll do my best to provide legitimate advice.

 

[OldDan1943]

First: I would not recommend going against the current of the Mississippi in the spring unless you have an unlimited fuel allowance.

I was thinking of taking the cross FL canal east and then the ICW north.

I remember hearing a story about a trawler headed south on the Mississippi during a flood. They saw a roof top and realized they were out of the river channel.
Of course, it could be just a story too.

 

[Olebird]

I decided to leave my boat on the Gulf coast until late spring. Several considerations: Winter weather is nicer in Florida, slip rent is about the same, repair and maintenance services generally more available, now that the winter rainy season has started, trash in the rivers and flooding will be unpredictable.


From Ft Myers, it would not take too many enjoyable 3 - 4 day weekends to make Hilton Head (or Jax) (good Airline services to Chi all along east cost of Fl). If you plan it right, you get to use the boat now, reduce the "non productive" cost of delivery, and arrive in Mi after the thaw!!


Just say'n!

 

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,
Mr. R. Welcome aboard, if I've missed you. I fully agree with Mr. O. (post #16). It WILL take a number of to and fro flights BUT it would be a GREAT trip. Up the Hudson to Lake Ontario then home. Heck, you might find a really nice place along the way and leave her there for a season.

 

[Capt. Jon]

This is not a super hard trip. If the west side of Florida is is the Tampa, St. Pete area the biggest issue is the crossing to the panhandle area. Once in the panhandle area then the trip is all ICW and then the river system. Springtime in the river has its issues but nothing that cannot be overcome by an experienced boater even if you have never cruised long distances. Buy a Skipper Bobs and read it carefully. IMHO it’s the best reference for the Tenn-Tom up to the Mississippi River. There will be plenty of advice here for you along the way.

It’s a trip we have made several times and springtime is an awesome time on the rivers!

 

[syjos]

I trucked a 34' Mainship to the PNW from Connecticut in the 80's.

Bought the boat unseen, flew there, secured everything below, winterized engine for trip over Rockies, took flybridge off, built a cradle for the bridge, marked all wiring and supervised the loading on to the trailer.

Even after all that prep work, there were scuff mark's on the gel coat under the securing straps from the road dirt working it's way under the straps. The sliding door track developed a hollow from the doors roller rubbing constantly during the cross country haul.

Reassembly was easy since I decommissioned the boat.

For the distance you are looking at, I would follow other members advice and drive it up on it's bottom. Depending on your work situation, the income you lose from taking extra days off work will be offset by the lack of trucking and preparation costs.

And it would be a heck of an experience.

 

[Boat]

Greetings,
Mr. R. Welcome aboard, if I've missed you. I fully agree with Mr. O. (post #16). It WILL take a number of to and fro flights BUT it would be a GREAT trip. Up the Hudson to Lake Ontario then home. Heck, you might find a really nice place along the way and leave her there for a season.

Seconded. It's just a boat ride from home. Going up the Mississippi sounds too much like work. Eastern route sounds like more fun.

 

[Reelalure]

I think our plan is going to be to take it from Ft Myers up to Mobile and hire a captain to take it the rest of the way to Chicago. I think we are going to start the first week of April when the kids have spring break and take them out of school an extra week and make the trip a family event. The kids are 6 and 9 and love to cruise on our old boat. They will really get a kick out of everything that lives in the saltwater! Between the kids and work we don't have enough time to go the rest of the way or do it in segments. Any recommendations on legs of the trip to Mobile. I was just looking at my online charts from Ft Myers to Sarasota and it looks like not many good easy navigable passes from intercostal to gulf. If the weather was nice I would love to go on the outside and just head point to with a little less stress since we are in new water verses following the IC markers the whole way.

 

[O C Diver]

I've traveled that route and will do it again in January going from Fort Myers to Tarpon Springs. I would guess there is a navigable inlet and channel to the AICW about every 30 to 40 miles. A couple of stretchs might be longer. Crossing the gulf requires a weather window. When doing the Loop in 2017, most went from Carrabelle to Tarpon Springs. I did Panama City to Tarpon Springs. It's longer out in the Gulf, but overall significantly shorter. I was trying to catch a weather window and couldn't afford another day to get to Carrabelle.

Understand that when traveling outside from Fort Myers to Tarpon Springs one has to watch for crab or fish trap markers.

Ted

 

[High Wire]

Plenty of choices if you run outside:

Boca Grande Pass
Venice Inlet
Big Sarasota Pass
Longboat Pass
Tampa Bay
Pass-a-Grill
Johns Pass
Clearwater
Aneclote River/St Josephs


and a few others...


The crab pots are mostly organized lines of traps. Fairly easy to dodge.
Watch for getting caught outside in a strong N-NW blow after a cold front.

 

[Pete Meisinger]

Thirded, (is that a word?) Go up the East Coast ICW. Join the AGLCA (Americas Great Loop Cruising Assoc.) Get their Burgee and fly it. You will find friends you never knew you had. Wouldn't hurt to fly a T.F. burgee also. Also join "Boat U.S." and get the gold towing package. If you have any problems there are lots of marinas along the route, And lots and lots of new friends every time you pull into a marina.

It sounds like you are still working, pity. Break the trip into any number of pieces, even make a two or more year trip out of it. You will be glad you did. You will be paying marina dockage fees the minute you buy the boat until you sell it. Maybe a little higher paying transient rates than a seasonal dockage at your home port but if you are still working you probably have some cash flow.

If you are totally new to boating hire some help for the first few legs or get a boating buddy to join you for a week or so. After that you will have most of the "kinks" worked out and be ready to go it on your own.

You don't say the year of your boat but if it has a few years on it anything which is going to break will probably go fairly quickly. Better to be near population centers than floating along some desolate river.

Go For It !!

pete

 

[OldDan1943]

Running the ICW at night can be done if you have good charts and a fwd looking IRC and someone extra in the pilot house all night. I would not recommend it but, it can be done.

 

[Rufus]

Have you done any inquiries with transport companies? I'm sure many of us are curious what they told you....cost, route, best pick up location, etc. Have you run the numbers associated with a delivery captain running the boat on its own bottom up the rivers in the Spring (fees, extra fuel burn, risk). How many delivery guys have done the trip northbound? Whack a prop on the river flotsam, and you just might run into the lock closure at Chicago. Then you get to load it on a truck anyway. I'd bet there's a price break for moving a boat in the winter months....check with M&B if you haven't already done so. Take your family to Florida and factor in some time to remove the flybridge yourself (a family adventure). While I didn't actually go for full flybridge removal when we moved our 44 north, I did strip the whole upper part of the boat, remove the arch, radar, antennae, and drop the sunroof/arch onto a cradle by myself (except where I needed a fork lift assist). It took four or five days. Removing a flybridge on a tug can't be much more complicated. Reassemble yourself.

 

[Medic]

I own a boat that I purchased in August of 2018. It sat for 13 months in a marina in Kentucky because of Mississippi River flooding, and eventually was brought up by a captain who said it was perhaps the worst journey of his entire, long, career. We got 1 day, a rainy one, on the boat before it had to be hauled out for winter, where it now sits. It could not come by land apparently. We tried. There were three separate times when I flew to Kentucky to start the journey north, and all three times it ended up being a no-go. Your boat will apparently fit on a trailer. Find a reputable trucker, an even more reputable rigger, and enjoy the boat on YOUR schedule, not the rivers.

 

[moparharn]

Did you post any pictures of your tug? Construction and methods have a real bearing on whether it is advisable or not to pull the bridge. A spring run up the rivers sounds like a real challenge. Where I live (Detroit) just getting the boat from Harsens Island back to Grosse Pointe is a serious nail biter in the spring. This year a I passed an entire willow tree and a sixty foot dock. The tree was obvious, the dock was just below the waterline. Had I been at the lower helm I would not have seen it and it would have torn my boat up pretty good. Why not take this winter to move the boat progressively around to and up the east coast of Florida, and in the spring move it up the eastern seaboard, and finally take the summer to come across? My wife and I would be happy to take a week off and move it roughly 500 miles for you (your diesel). If you got short of time I could take it from Weland to Grand Haven as well. Lake Erie in spring winds is not a ton of fun with kids. Adults too for that matter. It would be nice to see how your bridge is assembled.
Bill

 

[captmikem]

I have actually done both, (well sort of on the removal of a pilot house).

I took a small sailboat, an Aden 54 up the Tom Bigbee, then Mississippi and finally the Chicago sanitary canal in may. It was wonderful trip. (I pulled the mast at Pensacola and shipped it to Waukagen) I made about 7 kts, had a great time.

I also bought a small trawler 35' Californian that the owner was having shipped by truck to Florida. I bought it on Ebay, and it was sitting at a shipyard with the flybridge off and sitting beside it. It was not a lot of work to put it back on, just connecting all the electrical and mechanical gear, putting the seats, top and windows back on.

My choice by far would be to take her up yourself. It is easy in locks, nice folks and great scenery (except for the Mississippi, all you see are dykes ).

M

 

[Reelalure]

Thanks for all the input, I think we have decided and are going to ship the boat by truck. The boat is a 37 Nordic Tug and I received some pictures and diagrams from Nordic on how they are shipped from the factory. They were very helpful and sent us the dimensions of the boat and some good photos on how they load the bridge on the nose of the trailer. I think I am going to go down to FL for a week and play around on the boat with a few buddies. We are going to do most of the disassembly work ourselves to save some money and so I understand how it is all put together. From the photos I have seen it does not look very complicated, it will just be time consuming. If we ship it back it will only take a few days and we will have it at home so we can immediately start to enjoy it. I love the idea of bringing it back on its bottom but it will definitely be a more expensive and time-consuming option. I figured with fuel, partial captain and marina expenses shipping it over land is going to be the cheapest way. I have seen freight quotes from $7000 - $8500 and I did not reach out to any brokers. These were all independents that were recommended. I figure if I do most of the work myself I am looking at an additional $2000 in yard cost to get it loaded and help with moving the bridge on and off the boat/truck. The cost was not very far off shipping it verses bringing it up the river but I like the idea of having it home right away and not putting all the hours on the boat going against the rivers. We will use our vacation time this summer to take it to norther lake Michigan. Thanks for all your help!