question on boat delivery

[ranger58sb]

Thanks for the hint on route.
the boat i'm considering is a trawler with ~$100k asking.
I have the experience of towing a car from Ohio to NYC, so initially thought about towing a boat could also be an economy option on water. it also avoid any mechanic issue along the way. Now I see it's not. The distance from FL is too long for all options.

Yeah, even east coast of Florida is a long way. Our delivery trip from Ft. Myers to Annapolis was 1124 NM... so I expect subtracting Ft. Myers to Stuart and then adding Annapolis to NY would still make your distance in the neighborhood of 1200 NM plus or minus (depending on where you might start in Florida).

If you're using Yachtworld, you can filter region to Northeast and Mid Atlantic... for candidates closer to reasonable distances...

-Chris

 

[psneeld]

Did you read the part about it being towed? I don’t know anyone that would supply a reputable tow boat [insured ]and crew of at least 3 for 500/ day.

He did say "Guessing a reputable professional delivery skipper and crew are in the range of $500/day plus expenses", noy a towing outfit.

 

[slowgoesit]

I may have missed some setting. my search shows 9D14h - this is much longer than your result, 1612km, and a bit more fuel required.

what is confusing is the route is not found. probably it has to be set manual mode.

View attachment 137366

Couple of items. When you do your route, you also need to set your "Boat Settings".

Blue box with white letters in the lower left corner of the Navionics screen. It allows you to set Draft (in feet, meters, or fathoms), Cruising Speed, and Fuel Consumption (select either liters, or gallons).
I amended it to 5 1/2 feet, 7.0 kts (you can select either mph, or Knots, which is nautical mph, slightly longer than statute miles). After each selection, you must use the "Back" key.
The default speed is 1mph, which is why you ended up with such a high time of travel.

Next, you need to select a start point, and end point that have a depth greater than the draft you set, and is in an area that is not land locked, or requires crossing a spot of shallow draft (less water than your boat draws).

Sorry about not having been more clear. Lots of stuff on Navionics requires trial and error . . . . It can be quite frustrating at times, but it is a fantastic resource!

For long routes, it takes awhile to complete the route computations. Sometimes several minutes. Best of Luck!

 

[Blissboat]

what's the cheapest option to move a non-trailerable boat from FL to NJ? is towing an option for the entire long distance?

As almost everyone else above has stated, it depends. There is insufficient info here to respond intelligently. However, under the right circumstances it can be done efficiently. A two-boat owner I knew towed his 65' Chris-Craft Roamer from Boston, MA to the Tampa Bay entrance, behind his [much heavier] 95' custom motor yacht. Offshore the entire way, at displacement speeds. Two crew rode the Chris, the owner and others on the bigger boat.

Another friend towed a 34' Hatteras back and forth across the Gulf of Mexico a few times, between Panama City, FL, behind a much larger / heavier boat that he also owned.

In each case, there was no need for a deadhead and no commercial towing involved. The boats at both ends of the towing hawser were bound for the same destination, and arrived without incident and reduced overall fuel costs.

That said, I wouldn't call any of those trips my idea of fun.

 

[Spinner]

If you haven’t purchased the boat yet, consider buying in the location where you want it to be (NJ). Even if the purchase price is higher than in Florida, you just might come out ahead by avoiding the cost of moving it…. and I agree, make sure you can get insurance before you buy it! Marinas require your certificate of insurance in order to get long-term insurance.

 

[mvweebles]

He did say "Guessing a reputable professional delivery skipper and crew are in the range of $500/day plus expenses", noy a towing outfit.

For some reason I thought topic of delivery on own bottom was in play. My bad. Towing is a total no-go.

Regardless, OP has a budget of $100k. I'd guess $15k to have a boat delivered with capable skipper from Florida gulf coast for budgeting. There is also risk - a repair would not stop the meter, and could happen in an inopportune time and place thus get unusually expensive.

Peter

 

[kthoennes]

Quick general side note, we transported our 40 footer (loa) from NY to South Dakota, but the only reason that made sense was because the purchase price was absurdly low, almost a gift price on a boat in excellent condition. Unless you have a powerful reason to move one specific boat 1500 miles or more - well, I wouldn't want to do it again if I could avoid it. And cost is only part of it.

 

[Comodave]

For some reason I thought topic of delivery on own bottom was in play. My bad. Towing is a total no-go.

Regardless, OP has a budget of $100k. I'd guess $15k to have a boat delivered with capable skipper from Florida gulf coast for budgeting. There is also risk - a repair would not stop the meter, and could happen in an inopportune time and place thus get unusually expensive.

Peter

No, originally he asked about towing it.

 

[paulga]

As almost everyone else above has stated, it depends. There is insufficient info here to respond intelligently. However, under the right circumstances it can be done efficiently. A two-boat owner I knew towed his 65' Chris-Craft Roamer from Boston, MA to the Tampa Bay entrance, behind his [much heavier] 95' custom motor yacht. Offshore the entire way, at displacement speeds. Two crew rode the Chris, the owner and others on the bigger boat.

Another friend towed a 34' Hatteras back and forth across the Gulf of Mexico a few times, between Panama City, FL, behind a much larger / heavier boat that he also owned.

In each case, there was no need for a deadhead and no commercial towing involved. The boats at both ends of the towing hawser were bound for the same destination, and arrived without incident and reduced overall fuel costs.

That said, I wouldn't call any of those trips my idea of fun.

does the towing boat need rest during the night? i guess the smaller boat need to decouple from the towing boat first, then both boat can set the anchor. they then need to tie the hawser the next morning. is it right?

 

[slowgoesit]

does the towing boat need rest during the night? i guess the smaller boat need to decouple from the towing boat first, then both boat can set the anchor. they then need to tie the hawser the next morning. is it right?

It depends. If the tow boat has sufficient crew, weather permitting, they could tow straight through, 24 hours a day. If they had to stay overnight somewhere, likely they would do as you describe.

 

[SteveK]

does the towing boat need rest during the night? i guess the smaller boat need to decouple from the towing boat first, then both boat can set the anchor. they then need to tie the hawser the next morning. is it right?

Seems like you are willing to pay the estimated $15-25K so why do you care if they sleep or not. You will be paying for their 24/7 time in any event.

 

[twistedtree]

does the towing boat need rest during the night? i guess the smaller boat need to decouple from the towing boat first, then both boat can set the anchor. they then need to tie the hawser the next morning. is it right?

I think you need to forget about towing it. It’s just not practical. It would need to be run on its own power, or trucked. You said your boat length limit is 38’, and I think there is a good chance that such a boat can be trucked. You won’t be pulling it behind your car, and it sounds like that’s what you were earlier considering. There are companies with specialized trailers that do nothing but truck boats around. That’s what you need. Lots of threads here discussing truck transport of boats.

 

[Comodave]

There was a large Nordhaven, I think, that routinely towed a 38’ tender that recently lost the tender and wrapped the towline around one porp. Ask them about towing in the open ocean. The tender was found 200+ miles away.

 

[paulga]

Seems like you are willing to pay the estimated $15-25K so why do you care if they sleep or not. You will be paying for their 24/7 time in any event.

in @Blissboat' examples, the owner is using one larger boat to tow his smaller boat, I'm curious if they anchor and rest the system during the night. There are no commercial towing ships involved.

since commercial towing is more expensive than I thought, I learned it's not an option. I will look into only boats in nearby regions.

 

[bkcorwin]

As a tid bit of marketing info from Boat US, they estimate the average daytime hourly rate for a commercial towing company at $300 from the time they leave their dock till they return.

Likely doesn't scale linearly with the distance you are proposing but the costs are going to be exceedingly high.

And not to minimize the risks of towing, but the vivi rae incident was a tad bit different from what is being proposed here where you have the option of running for cover.

 

[SteveK]

in @Blissboat' examples, the owner is using one larger boat to tow his smaller boat, I'm curious if they anchor and rest the system during the night. There are no commercial towing ships involved.

since commercial towing is more expensive than I thought, I learned it's not an option. I will look into only boats in nearby regions.

Very smart decision. Now go find the one for you.

 

[Blissboat]

in @Blissboat' examples, the owner is using one larger boat to tow his smaller boat, I'm curious if they anchor and rest the system during the night . . . since commercial towing is more expensive than I thought, I learned it's not an option. I will look into only boats in nearby regions.

Now you're talking.

As noted, the tow was "offshore the entire way," meaning nonstop.

 

[psneeld]

For those discussing towing....the hourly rate for towing long distances are not necessarily the price....a negotiated fixed price could be done also.

Also...a lot of the distance tows I was involved in, the assistance towers passed the boat off to one another along the coast rather than tie up a boat and crew for a long period of time. Still doesn't mean one may not take the job for a fixed priced or negotiated hourly rate.

 

[mvweebles]

For those discussing towing....the hourly rate for towing long distances are not necessarily the price....a negotiated fixed price could be done also.

Also...a lot of the distance tows I was involved in, the assistance towers passed the boat off to one another along the coast rather than tie up a boat and crew for a long period of time. Still doesn't mean one may not take the job for a fixed priced or negotiated hourly rate.

Psneeld - let's say a 38-foot Taiwan Sundeck Trawler. What speed could it be towed at? 4-kts? Maybe?

 

[psneeld]

Psneeld - let's say a 38-foot Taiwan Sundeck Trawler. What speed could it be towed at? 4-kts? Maybe?

Depends on the tow vessel.... larger vessels with our larger tow vessels we usually towed around 8 knots but that was relatively short distances to get the crew home ASAP. Usually the same as most would run their vessels in the near displacement mode.

Long distance towing, I would guess the captain would adjust up or down as needed. But it really would depend on the tow vessel and conditions. Even short tows the combo between the size/hp of tow vessel and the size/weight of the vessel being towed would dictate a lot.

 

[GoneFarrell]

Ask some hard questions of the marinas you are considering too.

Marinas may not allow boats that cannot propel themselves, and full time liveaboards may not be allowed as well.

 

[captkev]

I may have missed some setting. my search shows 9D14h - this is much longer than your result, 1612km, and a bit more fuel required.

what is confusing is the route is not found. probably it has to be set manual mode.

View attachment 137366

The example was for the FL/GA line on the east coast, you picked the FL/AL line. The west Cost of FL is about 700nm... Buy a really good boat and take it yourself or hire a captain. I did NH to SW FL, 1500nm 15 days underway (24 total due to weather), long days 10+ hours. 2019 costs were ~$7000.00.

 

[Capt Ray]

what's the cheapest option to move a non-trailerable boat from FL to NJ? is towing an option for the entire long distance?

In my experience, a 44 express cruiser from say, Ft Lauderdale to NYC can be done in 3 days. I know a delivery captain that did it in 2 days, all on the outside, stopping only in Virgina Beach. When I called the same guy to find out how much for a Mainship 390 he said he would not be interested. "Takes too long in a slow boat that is best to stay on the ICW." Others he referred me to were also not interested for the same reason.

But, I'm sure you could find someone. My brother might be interested. He is qualified (USCG Master / Maine Maritime Grad 1990) He is in between jobs, and he might love the trip!

As others have pointed out, WHERE in Florida is key, especially with the Okeechobee Waterway shut down for a month or two due to work on the RR bridge in Stuart.

Contact me if you want my brother's contact info.

Ray
Shellerina

 

[Action]

Based on post #44 the OP is no longer seeking a service. The OP is is only considering boats inn his/her local area.

 

[paulga]

The example was for the FL/GA line on the east coast, you picked the FL/AL line. The west Cost of FL is about 700nm... Buy a really good boat and take it yourself or hire a captain. I did NH to SW FL, 1500nm 15 days underway (24 total due to weather), long days 10+ hours. 2019 costs were ~$7000.00.

yes, the starting was FL/AL line. for some reason, the plotter cannot find a route. i guess one has to break the entire trip into segments, taking local channel conditions into account

The plotter did not consider taking ICW through the land, could the risk be the depth of some channel could drop too low or being difficult to predict during the long trip? or there is not such shortcut.

 

[Pete Meisinger]

A young guy asks the old timer, "What is the quickest way to the tavern from here ?"

The old timer asks, "Are you walking or driving?'

The kid says, "driving"

The old timer says, "That is the quickest way"

pete

 

[jimfrens]

I’ve done that trip (Florida to NY/NJ) a few times. Forget about towing, there is no fuel savings there. A boat big enough to tow a 38’ trawler will consume twice as much fuel as the trawler alone. Plus the crew cost. Fugetaboutit. There are reasonable delivery skippers out there (like me) who will help you get the boat home and have fun doing it. Timetable depends entirely on the boat’s cruise speed, but figure 7-10 days if you run long days, more if you take it easy. You can do the ICW alone if you have the time and a guide book. If you are new to boating, this is not a good idea; hire an experienced person to go along.

 

[jimfrens]

For Navionics to calculate a detailed route, you have to

1. Zoom in close enough to see the waterway you want to use, then the program will download the detailed charts.

2. Select a short portion of the route, usually 50-75 miles for inland waterways due to all the twists and turns. Otherwise it will say ‘too many waypoints’ and will not calculate a route.

 

[CapeWhaler]

I'm late to the game with this thread, but for comparison purposes, when I had Serena trucked from western MI to Lake Champlain the tab was right at $10K. I had a water trip all laid out in detail two+ years ago: Lakes Michigan & Huron, the TSW. Lake Ontario, & the NY canals. Then the Canadian border closed (pandemic) and I didn't fancy slogging across Lake Erie plus was set on doing the TSW; also tired of driving 1000 miles from MA to MI to enjoy the boat, so road trip it was.

Expensive but service was good and on time. Major issue was having to strip the boat for OTR height restrictions - something for the OP to factor in choosing a boat or deciding how to get it where he wants it.
Joe

 

[Hippocampus]

Have had boats shipped as deck cargo. Many of those companies who only do that start in Europe, go to the Caribbean, then east coast of Florida then up US east coast. While going up the east coast may stop somewhere near NYC and/or Newport RI.
So if you could bring your boat to Lauderdale/Miami after they unload some boats they might be able to load you on. Then drop you off somewhere near NJ.
It’s a truly weird experience being unloaded. They crane you down with you on the boat and you need to get your boat away from that big steel monster ship with your little glass boat as soon as you can. I’d stressed about whether my engine would start after a 2500nm trip on the deck. But things went well. We were unloaded in the waters off Newport RI and the ship wasn’t anchored. But they do position so you are in the ships lee.