Ship Shipping, Next Question

[JD Ray]

A few days ago, I posed a question about shipping a boat from Europe. Turns out that it's unlikely to be practical, even though it's very feasible. In short, if you have a multi-million dollar yacht, and money isn't really that much of a consideration for you, it's probably a good way to save your valuable time. If you're like the rest of us, it's probably impractical.

So, the next question is about the idea of buying a boat on one side of the U.S. and wanting to get it to the other side. If I wanted to buy a boat pretty much anywhere east of the Rockies and get it to the PNW, what are the challenges? Is over-the-road shipping for a 40 foot boat something to consider? The only other option seems to be going down through Panama and back up.

 

[slowgoesit]

A big consideration would be overhead clearance. What can you get your air draft down to? Also need to add the height of the trailer bed. You don't say size of boat, but will probably get into over size load, chase cars etc. You might consider out in Houston, and across to Los Angeles or so, then on own bottom up to Oregon. Lots of variables, and you haven't given much to go on. Good luck with whatever you end up doing!

 

[Comodave]

It can be done. If it is a flybridge boat, the bridge most likely will have to come off. That can be a can of worms if not done correctly. A friend had his Californian shipped from San Diego to Houston. It took him several years to get all the problems tracked down, mostly wiring and leaks that were there before. If you are going that direction then you should consider having the person that will reassemble the bridge go where the boat is and do the disassembly himself. That way you stand a good chance things will go back together properly. It will not be cheap. Make sure you thoroughly check out the movers, there are a few really bad companies out there so do your homework and don’t just look at the lowest cost. You will probably find that it may make the boat unaffordable when you add in the large moving costs. Good luck and have fun looking.

 

[Pete Meisinger]

I'll give you the exact same advice I gave you when you proposed an England to West Coast move:

Don't do it!

Why are you so intent on giving yourself an ulcer? Buy a boat within 500 miles of your final destination. (period)

By the time you get done screwing around with leaks, bad electrical connections, damaged fiberglass, permits, maybe a fine or two you will used up at least one whole season of boating and more money than can possibly be saved by purchasing on the other coast.

good luck though,

pete

 

[JD Ray]

OK, so after asking two questions regarding moving boats long distances, the general consensus is that buying a boat located somewhere that you can't move it under its own power to your preferred destination is impractical.

Thank you, all.

 

[firehoser75]

JD,
I agree totally with Pete. Unless the boat in question is a one of kind or is priced at a true steal (too good to be true, and you know what they say about that), the added expenses (travel to view, survey, sea trial, moving, permits, etc.), headaches, travel, logisitics, and potential damage done during transit are probably just not worth it!!!!
Your selection area encompasses all of Oregon, Washington, B.C., and probably most of California (maybe even southern Alaska). You can't find any boats there??

 

[kthoennes]

It can make sense in some scenarios, but rarely. We bought our 37 footer, 42 LOA, 26,000 lb. Mainship from Newport RI and had it shipped 1,500 miles to South Dakota, but that only made sense because:

(1) South Dakota is not exactly the boating capital of the world and the local selection -- well, limited is an understatement. The closest big, open water is Duluth/Lake Superior or Minneapolis, but even if we bought there, we'd still have to break down, load, ship, reassemble and launch the boat across 300-400 road miles. The actual mileage is only a small piece of overland shipping a big(ger) boat.
(2) We got the boat for a song -- far below any reasonable list price. By a low price I mean like less than half of the bank's appraisal, not half the asking price. That's the only way shipping a boat halfway across the country made financial sense.
(3) The boat was in excellent condition -- the owner was a robotics engineer and fanatic about maintenance. He just wanted it off his mind, had other things to worry about in life.
(4) Because big boats are so rare in this area, as long you do decent maintenance that helps hold a big boat's value. Our first boat was a Carver 3207, 1984. We actually made a few thousand dollars on that boat when we resold it. That almost never happens except in a constricted or limited market. (We shipped that one from Texas but the flybridge was very simple.)
(5) As the others have said, shipping a larger boat takes a ton of logistics. Hours on the phone, lots of faxed and scanned documents. Lots of money. Good marina crews on both ends, and a good trucker.

Don't be discouraged by all the Don't do it! responses, but as many of us know from experience, it takes a good chunk of work, time and money to move a big(ger) boat overland. Both of our moves went well and made financial sense, but we got lucky.

 

[GH41]

OK, so after asking two questions regarding moving boats long distances, the general consensus is that buying a boat located somewhere that you can't move it under its own power to your preferred destination is impractical.

Thank you, all.

Not impractical at all if you can justify the expense. Most of us cannot. Me included. I am boat shopping and I don't even look at west coast offerings. I do look at Great Lakes boats because most in the size range I want could be brought home to SC on their own bottom.

 

[koliver]

Don't be discouraged by all the Don't do it! responses, but as many of us know from experience, it takes a good chunk of work, time and money to move a big(ger) boat overland. Both of our moves went well and made financial sense, but we got lucky.

If you have the money, almost any boat can be trucked. The limits are known to the experienced Boat moving truckers, and are higher than you might think.

I know of 3 over land moves that boats well in excess of the sizes being discussed here.
1: in 1998, Merlin, then a Santa Cruz 67, was trucked from Santa Cruz CA to Bellingham Wa. It required the keel to be removed, and had to get splashed in Bellingham, as there were impassible freeway under passes ahead, on its way to Vancouver.

2: Also in the 90s, a Sea Ray 44 that I had a ride on a few years later, was trucked from the Great Lakes to Vancouver. The Flybridge had to come off.

3: As he couldn't be outdone by the story of the Sea Ray, the owner of a Hatteras 72 Sport Fisherman told of that boat being trucked from Texas to Vancouver. Again the Flybridge had to come off. In his story, the major difficulty was getting it out of the yard in Texas, where some telephone poles had to give way.

I am guessing here, but I am sure that none of those were cheap.

 

[oscar]

As you stated in your original post.... If your monthly play budget is 6 figures and you just HAVE to have that boat..... go for it. Europe, West Coast...have at it. If the price of a re-engine is something you spend more than two phone calls on.... DON'T. Period.

The ONLY other reason to buy far away from home is because you're going to make it a (purposeful) trip of a lifetime. A nice one way trip that ends at home! Take a year.... two.

Now reset the search criteria on YW to something you can drive to in 5 hours.

 

[markpierce]

It can be done. If it is a flybridge boat, the bridge most likely will have to come off.

Flybridges can be a real pain.

 

[ranger58sb]

OK, so after asking two questions regarding moving boats long distances, the general consensus is that buying a boat located somewhere that you can't move it under its own power to your preferred destination is impractical.

I'd temper that a bit... The target boat might be "special" or the price might be low enough to make final cost including shipping acceptable...

-Chris

 

[jleonard]

Mainship used to ship the 390s to the west coast with the flybridges removed, more accurately never attached.
Actually they shipped all their boats that way. The dealers did the assembly. (some used caulk, some did not)
I remember that in 1999, a truckload of 2 390s was shipped to Ca with their bows down. That filled their turbochargers with salt water and corroded them badly enough that they had to be replaced. One needed a new engine.

So IF you do ship, make sure they tip the boat to drain the exhaust system before they load it.

And the only person I know that had a flybridge boat shipped...it went from Michigan to Ct. Flybridge got removed and reinstalled with absolutely zero issues.

 

[DDW]

It might be worth it, might not. Never say "never". I bought my trawler in Tennessee and had it trucked to the PNW. I think I am still a few dollars ahead. This was a boat 39' LOA and about 14' 7" on the trailer, cost was $19K. I had my sailboat trucked out from Florida to the PNW, 47' LOA and 13' 6" on the trailer, $15.5K. I did the decommissioning and recommissioning myself in both cases. So if you can find your dream boat only on the east coast, or can get it for less than the trucking cost, you are ahead. It is the height on the truck, more than the length or width, that costs. Truck and fuel costs are the same, but escort and permit fees skyrocket.

The sailboat was already mine and trucking was less costly than either shipping or sailing though the canal. The trawler was a very well cared for fresh water boat, significantly cheaper than the market in the PNW for that boat. It made sense.

 

[kthoennes]

Yep - sometimes it works and makes sense, but the planets do have to align just right. Our flybridge and helm removal and reassembly was done so well that every single thing worked perfectly after, except for one pinched wire to the starboard oil pressure gauge. And I'm not entirely sure that wire wasn't pinched prior to the whole job because I found the crimp in a chase in a side wall between the engine bay and the helm up top. But I've heard far more stories about boats were never quite the same after a long road trip and reassembly.

 

[mvweebles]

Several years ago, a fellow Willard owner had his Willard 30 with flybridge trucked from the west coast to Virginia. Arrival day comes and he gets a hotel room near the yard where the boat will be delivered. He's watching the local news and sees traffic is hopelessly snarled nearby. A camera shot from a TV news chopper zooms in on the cause: a semi truck hauling a boat was over-height and clipped the low side of an arched bridge as he passed beneath. I guess it's never a good sign when you are in the cross hairs of a traffic or police chopper.

One more vote: unless the OP fits one of a few narrow exceptions, hard to believe there isn't a suitable vessel within a couple hour drive of his PNW home, an exceptionally dense area for trawler style yachts. Pete M 500 mile rule is probably generous for the PNW.