NY to FL Transport For Rosborough RF-246

I am researching cost/companies/requirements/advice on transporting our 2000 Rosborough RF-246 with a single outboard (no trailer) by road. Dry weight is approx. 6,000#, 8'-6" beam and overall length is 28'-0". Local transport is done with one ton dually with a hydraulic trailer. Looking to travel from NY to FL mid-November next year and return early April.

This will be our first long distance transport, if I forgot to add any pertinent information please advise. Looking to find monthly rate at nice marina initially thru New Years and then travel multiple Florida destinations. Any weather windows to consider in Florida?

Found a single TF thread from October which did not apply to our search, checking a few marine transport companies and talking to my homeport marina and second marina that performs all our maintenance and local transport. Would appreciate advice from TF members who have utilized marine transport, especially for smaller boats.

Thank you;

Leonard

Hey Leonard,

You should search the tugnuts site (ranger/cutwater forum), ton of info on cost/companies/requirements/advice on transporting.

I see my marina loading boats unto big rig transports (multiple boats) in spring and fall all the time, might want to check your local yards, the good thing is they handle the haul and help transport guys with blocking/tie downs.

Thankfully you are 8'6", so they helps you a lot!

So I moved my Prairie 29 overland from Brunswick, GA to New Bern, NC

Triton Yachts out of Oriental, Paul...did a fantastic job. Cost about $3k or so. I did all the prep on either side.

Tim

wow, $3k to go 450 miles? I should be in that business.

I hauled my Chris Craft Commander 27' (about the same weight as your boat, maybe a bit more) from NH to NC in July, about 700 miles, it took about 4 tanks of gas at 20-25 gallons per tank. I'll bet your Rosborough would fit easily on my bunk trailer. I could do a flat fee, or a smaller fee + actual fuel cost.
Jim in Edenton NC

It will always be the case that using a big rig to move a small boat will cost a lot more than using a guy with a pickup and a 10,000 lb capacity trailer to move your boat. Heck it costs almost as much to move a 25' boat as a 40' boat on a big rig.

If you had a trailer that works or could borrow one, there are hundreds or maybe a thousand RV trailer towers all over the country that could do this job.

So, look for the small guy with a pickup truck and a trailer to haul your boat. I doubt if you will get full insurance that way though. Also don't expect your insurance to cover any accident. If you pay one penny to the tower, that makes it a commercial transaction and most of these aren't covered by your insurance.

David

And make sure your insurance covers it being hauled by whoever you select for the job...
Accidents happen, and no one needs that.

If I recall it cost us around $1800 to move our '34 from Annapolis to RI. Firm was professional and timely. Our broker recommended them, if you have a broker you trust ask them for a referral or 2.

A friend had a boat moved from RI to SE Florida 2 years ago for $2500. I don’t remember the outfit but he called many movers and found one who had to drive to Fl empty and negotiated a deal.
It worked out perfectly for him on time and zero issues.
Good luck

One spec that really drives up the price and having a boat transported over land is the height.

This isn't an issue with your boat as I have read that the RF-246, on trailer, height is only about 11'. When you ask for quotes make sure the hauler also has this number as well.

So, the nice thing is that you shouldn't have any hauling restrictions on your boat and this should reflect in a lower price than many other boats.

Have you thought about getting your own truck and trailer? I have read that it really isn't a difficult boat to trailer and to launch. You don't need a one ton dually for this boat. Most modern 3/4 pickups could easily handle a boat of this size.

Jim

OP: I like your 1969 join date. With those skills you should be able to figure it out

You would probably be best off buying a good trailer and then using U ship or the like to find some one to haul your boat When we did the great loop with our C-Dory 25 over four years we would fly out from our home on the West coast to rejoin our boat. We had originally had our boat shipped out from Oregon to New York on the trailer on a flat bed trailer. Then for each leg we would have trailer moved to our haul out point with a U-ship shipper, pull the boat and generally store it inside, then relaunch for the next leg and repeat. Worked great. Eric

Hi Leonard:

We have done 3 trailering journeys using transport services.

We can recommend boat transporter Ray Davenport, based in Georgia. His phone number is 678-232-8106. Reasonably priced, and a nice guy.

I cannot recall Ray's website and all I have is his phone number. You can also text him.

We also have a Florida-only transport guy, but he is not taking any new customers presently. We have found that with most boat transport companies, you need to schedule at least three weeks in advance.

You may also wish to check with your insurance company. Our insurance only covers us for 500 miles over land for commercial transport per carrier, which can be limiting. We're going to see if we can change that when it comes up for renewal. If we had our own truck, the mileage would be unlimited.

On the Gulf, in the upper part of the state, there is a small marina in Pensacola where we recently stayed when a wicked cold front came through. Brand new floating docks and nice new bathrooms with showers. No courtesy car, and the view is not much, but very reasonable rates. The marina is Pelican's Perch, and they are close to a nice public boat ramp. You can take the ICW east from there to Dog Island at Carabelle, then the crossing to Steinhatchee is only 76 miles. The armpit of Florida is shallow, so plan on skipping that.

Or, just have your boat towed to Steinhatchee. Winter in north Florida can be chilly at times.

We prefer the Gulf side of Florida. It's much less crowded than the east coast.

As far as temperatures in Florida, you just have to watch the weather. Usually the windiest conditions are when the cold fronts move through. And of course, it gets warmer the further south you travel.

If you make it down to St. Petersburg, please shoot us a PM. We have some Maine friends with a Rosborough who we hope to see at our home and dock around Christmas. We plan to be heading down to the Keys after Christmas.

Cheers,
Mrs. Trombley