Prepping to be hauled by truck

So I have to move my Prairie 29 from GA to NC via truck.

I have a well recommended hauler and he gives good advice. But since there is a lot of grand advice here, I would like to know what advice would you give as I prep my trawler to be loaded and moved?

I will not need to remove the bridge. I need to remove the windscreen and perhaps the gear/throttle levers.

But would have you done, learned, wished you had done as you prepped your boat and had her moved?

Thanks.

Tim

Well, nothing special other than removing the stuff that is too high. Make sure everything inside is tied down, cabinets tapped so they can't come open, big items padded so they won't damage anything if they slide around.

And when the travel lift operator hauls the boat, make sure that he lifts the front first and lets it hang for a minute before leveling it out to complete the lift. Even better is to lift just clear of the water and start the engine and let it run for ten seconds to blow any water out of the exhaust system.

This is so that stops and starts while the boat is on the trailer won't slosh water up into the engine. That happened to me on my first haul/transport five years ago. Paul knows this but he can't always watch the lift operator and can't start the engine himself.

You probably have a lift muffler which makes the foregoing less possible, but caution can't hurt.

David

If you don't do it yourself, DON'T LET THEM USE SILICONE to re-install parts taken off.

Had specific instructions to that effect on my last boat, and they did it anyway

Nothing loose! Interstate travel is fast so plan for sustained winds of 70+ mph around your boat, pad everything and strap it down if possible. Place everything you can inside the boat...

Remove any outside canvas, and anything else on the exterior of the boat that could move around. Put things inside the cabin and pad them so they won't damage anything if they move around if the boat swerves or the driver slams on the brakes. I would take things (bottles/jars/cans etc.) out of the cabinets put them in boxes. Empty the refrigerator and freezer and take those home. Try to have your fuel and fresh water tanks empty to lighten the load.

Remove or tape wibdshiel wipers. Tape wibdow / doors to seal out wobd driven rain.
Transporters ususlly require prop & batty removal

We shipped a 34 Mainship from Oceanside, California to Tacoma, Washington. We found a house that’s was having new carpet installed and used remnants and odd size pieces of padding. Everything that was from the outside and anything moveable on the inside was wrapped and on the floor. The only damage was from one of the spreaders on the mast. I missed taping one end and it rubbed against the wall. Don’t forget any loose items in the lazaret, drawers or engine room. We boxed that stuff with bubble wrap.

Travelling on the road can be a bit rough.
On my boat some heavy box speakers mounted on the ceiling came loose. Also the fuel tanks were 3/4 full and sloshed out via the vents and streaked down the aft of the boat.

Please let me know how the windshield removal went. I wanted to truck my boat to Maine,but I could not get the screws loosened to take it apart, so I,m going to have a nice cruise in June.

Georgia to North Carolina is not that far to cruise, seems like a lot of hassle & cost to go by truck.

Thank you each for your advise and comments.

I will go early next week to prep her and see what happens.

1Sailor, I will let you know how the windshield goes......I hope "easy".

I am waiting to hear how it went.

1Sailor said:

Georgia to North Carolina is not that far to cruise, seems like a lot of hassle & cost to go by truck.

Click to expand...

Maybe on an inland Georgia lake??

So I drive to Brunswick, GA and spent 5 hours prepping my boat for the truck haul.

The windscreen came off easily. It was obviously not factory. So the plexiglass bolted to the upright metal. The metal bolted through the flying bridge front. Came off relatively easily.

I removed all instruments, bimini, steering wheel, anchors, fenders. lines; anything removable was stored inside.
I packed the inside as best as possible.
She looks bare, but ready.

I hope to get her trucked here to NC soon after June 1st.

Why trucked?
I bought her with a possible bad engine; so easier to get her here and with mechanics I know and trust to look at her.
NO personal time to go there, work on her and spend 10 days or so bringing her here.
Costs as much to hire a captain as to hire a truck.

I will try to post pics.

Tim

Did you pull prop?
Most haulers ask for prop to be removed AFAIK.
Provides an opportunity to have it checked by a prop shop as well.
Most will do a computer scan for free. My go to prop guy recommended it to provide a baseline to compare to in the future even if all is well.
Mine checked out OK w no work reqd and I paid him a small fee to clean it up... looked like new when I got it back.
Good luck w the transport.

Pics of boat after prep

Well, sorry about the upside down....Im still learning about the attaching a pic thing.

No, I did not pull the prop as it is new and hauler did not need it pulled.

Flipped pics

Turned the 3 over

And so my vessel arrived this day in New Bern, NC

Paul, from Tritan Yachts in Oriental picked up the boat yesterday in Brunswick, GA and drive the 500 miles to deliver her to Bridgeton Boat Works by 10am today.

Height of near 15', so she was very low in the truck. But she got here safe, sound and in very good condition.

This is the very first time Ive ever had a boat hauled (and Ive never known anyone to haul a boat), so it was all new to me.

I was very anxious during the whole process; just to finally get her up here to my home and to where I can take care of my vessel.

But she arrived safe, sound, no issues or problems and all looks good inside and out. WHEW!

I will spend the next month putting her back together and getting her ready to go into a slip in the New Bern area.

Thank you all for you help, advice and suggestions.

Now to create a new thread in the Prairie forum for this boat.

Tim