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Old 03-19-2014, 09:43 AM   #5
MV Salish Lady
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City: Anacortes
Vessel Name: Salish Mistress
Vessel Model: American Tug 485
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 48
Gulf Coast Bound

Quote:
Originally Posted by cardude01 View Post
So let's say I found an interesting, very capable blue water boat in Portland that's a real steal, but I need to get it to the Gulf Coast.

How much does that cost me to have it professionally delivered, and what kind of time frame are we talking about ?

Or, is this something I could conceive of doing myself if I get some qualified help, say maybe over the summer? I have only a little open water experience. Anyone wanna sign up for this trip? :-) Looking for ideas...
There are several possibilities.

1. You could get it trucked. No idea of the cost but it has the advantage that it can be scheduled. We use to truck a small trawler from CA to WA every year. Lots of good trucking companies that are pretty reliable.

2. Take it to Seattle and have it shipped to Florida on one of the ships (Yachtwise is one company) that carry vessels. This is pretty expensive and you still need to get the vessel to Seattle or Vancouver. Pretty commonly done but I have no direct experience.

3. Taking the boat down the West Coast to Panama yourself would be a great trip. You said you have minimal experience. You would have a lot by the time you get done. I have been down the coast several times from Juan de Fuca to Southern California. This is a moderately challenging trip and you might want to think about hiring a Captain for at least part of the trip. It would build your confidence.

4. Hire a captain is also possible to do the trip and pick it up on the Gulf Coast. It is certainly possible. Probably just as expensive as having the boat shipped. However, I think this is a lost opportunity for a great trip.

If it were me, and I wish it was, I would take the boat myself, but hire a Captain from Portland to San Francisco. That will give you the opportunity to get some experience. You can probably find crew in SFO that would be interested in going with you. You might also consider timing your trip to go with the group that do the Baha ha ha (or is it ya ya) in the late fall.

I am assuming that you have the resources to make sure the vessel is up to the trip before you leave Portland. The West Coast of OR and CA is no place to find out you have boat issues. Been there, done that! Really bad idea!

If you have the time and funds, you could turn this into a great adventure!

Good luck!
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