Over the Road Yacht Shipping From Seattle to Texas

I have been told that there is a road route from Seattle to Texas that large yachts can be shipped without regard to height (Highway overpasses).

However, I can't find any references to such a route.

I've heard a similar rumor from Yankton, SD to Duluth -- for someday, not at the moment -- but I've never been able to find it. I've googled extensively and found a number of trucker's height maps, but I've never found one that maps or calculates or identifies max height routes. That function or app must exist somewhere though, maybe accessible to professional truckers. I'm looking at 15+ so we don't have to take off the flybridge when we truck the boat to open water someday. Special permits of course, maybe time of day restrictions, pilot car, up and over highway crossings, that whole routine. I think I can get it out of South Dakota, but once they hit the MN border, I'm not sure. I'm hoping in low-density areas like SD and upper MN it's possible. SD publishes this for example, but I still have to get it out of Yankton on the Missouri, and then into Duluth or Superior or somewhere around there on the far end.

https://sdtruckinfo.sd.gov/docs/Vertical_Clear_List.pdf

Seems almost impossible. Any route that was on small enough roads to not have overpasses, would surely have a ton of stoplights along the way I would think.

Yep -- a trucker told me once, fairly recently, that outside big metro areas it's not fixed structures -- bridges and overpasses -- as much as wiring and stop lights. He said said they use an estimate of $500 to ask a city to lift a stop light (give or take of course, have to pay the cops to direct traffic, etc.) but utility wiring is much more difficult because they rarely issue permits or agree to let you cause power outages. Cost us about $3,500 to remove the flybridge, arch and helm pod and load it securely, about another $3,500 to put it all back on the other end, so our break-even point is around $7,000.

The shuttle was 58' tall at the tail and they got it through LA one way or another:

The more likely route from Texas to Seattle might be from Houston to LA or San Diego. Then up the coast to Seattle. The southwest is far less populated and I-10 is more likely to have higher overpasses. I used to move boats cross country but never had to be that much concerned to heights until you go back east. Almost everything I moved was under 13’6” so heights were not as much a concern.

Tom, are you and Miss Kay abandoning your beautiful setup on the slough?

GFC said:

Tom, are you and Miss Kay abandoning your beautiful setup on the slough?

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Who is Tom?

ASD is Tom

firehoser75 said:

ASD is Tom

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Ok, didn’t know his name, just wondering.

Tom was 1/3 of the crew of us who took my boat down the Columbia, across the infamous bar, up the coast of WA then down the Strait of Juan de Fuca to Seattle. Heck of a nice guy and a good boater.

GFC said:

Tom, are you and Miss Kay abandoning your beautiful setup on the slough?

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No WAY!! Nope just offering an alternative to get a boat to the PNW.

Comodave said:

Who is Tom?

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firehoser75 said:

ASD is Tom

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Comodave said:

Ok, didn’t know his name, just wondering.

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Well ASD is actually Tom and Kay. Or stated differently: ASD Admiral and Bilge Monkey. Sometimes promoted to Boat Boy or Cap't

Alaskan Sea-Duction said:

I have been told that there is a road route from Seattle to Texas that large yachts can be shipped without regard to height (Highway overpasses).



However, I can't find any references to such a route.

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I was recently quoted $19k to truck a 34’ American Tug to Anacortes from Galveston TX.

Alaskan Sea-Duction said:

Well ASD is actually Tom and Kay. Or stated differently: ASD Admiral and Bilge Monkey. Sometimes promoted to Boat Boy or Cap't

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And don't forget that no matter how much Tom whines and cries about it, Kay is the fisherwoman (fisher person???) in the family. She occasionally will let Tom rig her setup, but she's the one who catches them!

Not sure about the cost, but when my sister bought her sailboat (~45') manufactured in Florida, it was shipped to California via container ship.

A few years ago a guy from California bought a 1979 53' Hatteras "Steel-n-time" from our marina in Texas. Bound for California, they departed south along the coast of Mexico for the Panama Canal. Not sure what happened along the way, but a quick search shows that it's for sale in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

nwboater said:

I was recently quoted $19k to truck a 34’ American Tug to Anacortes from Galveston TX.

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May I ask who gave you that quote?

Wifey B: Kay is absolutely the star.

Why don't you call one or two of the boat trucking companies and ask. Unless someone here has actually done it, all you're going to get here is "never heard of it" or "somebody said" or "I heard."

overland boat moving

Alaskan Sea-Duction said:

I have been told that there is a road route from Seattle to Texas that large yachts can be shipped without regard to height (Highway overpasses).

However, I can't find any references to such a route.

Click to expand...

I don't know but I'd doubt it. My boat is in Pensacola, Fl. I wanted to move it to Jacksonville, Fl, 360 miles away, straight down I-10. Several companies told me that I'd have to remove the fly bridge.

moving a boat

halp said:

May I ask who gave you that quote?

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I was recently quoted between $5k and $10k to move from Pensacola, Fl to Jacksonville, Fl (360) miles away right down I-10 and that didn't include removing and replacing the Fly Bridge.

Recently brought a 42 OA to Seattle from Galveston. Cost 32k to get it to Olympia then to Seattle on her own bottom. Used Boat Transport out of Marysville, Wa. They did have to cut a 12 inch piece from my upper helm. Boat was 15'8" from keel to top. Tacoma wanted 2500 dollar permit to truck through and Seattle was another 3000.