Everything About Boat Shipping You Should Know
Whether moving a boat by sea or overland, commercial boat transportation is the way of choice for a lot of boat owners. Boat transportation relieves the owner of time-consuming obligations and the challenging physical difficulties involved in transporting a big vessel across vast distances.
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With small boats charging an average of $2.25 per mile, overland costs for a 200-mile journey can be between $450 and $500. Check out this in-depth explanation to learn how boat shipping operates.
Five Instances When Boat Shipping Is Necessary
1. Moving
One of the main reasons you might need to transport a boat is moving or relocation. Home items are packed and sent by house movers. Shippers of boats handle your boat in the same way.
2. Momentum
The best choice is frequently boat shipment due of time restrictions. Not to mention the additional preparation time, crossing the Atlantic might take up to one month. You may fly to your location and have your boat wait for you there when you use boat shipping.
3. Invest
Hiring a boat shipper to relocate your boat is the best—and often the only way—to bring it home if you bought it somewhere else than your hometown.
4. Fixes
The complexity of repairs increases with the size of the boat. Your best choice may be to transport your boat if repair and maintenance are not accessible where you live.
5. Security
That 20-foot daysailer is not going to be used to sail across the Pacific Ocean in the winter. You may not be ready for the ocean, even though your boat is. It takes the proper tools and experience to navigate challenging crossings. Boat shipping gets around these challenges.
Boat Shipping Procedures
Trailer for Boats
Moving a boat overland is most commonly done by trailering it. Boat owners who store their vessels at a marine storage facility or on their land often choose this option. States have different limitations on acceptable sizes. Generally speaking, a boat cannot use public roadways if its beam width is greater than eight and a half feet.
A tow truck and trailer big enough to move the boat are required. The Gross Combined Vehicle Weight (GCVW) of the boat, trailer, and tow vehicle, as well as the riders and equipment, should be considered.
By Keel Water
Navigable canals are used to transfer the boat to its destination whether it is shipped on the keel or on the bottom. This alternative is more affordable the longer and larger the boat.
The least expensive option is to move the boat yourself on a keel. However, you may engage a boat delivery captain and crew to bring the boat to its location if you don’t have the time or expertise to do it yourself.
Using transporters entails paying more for insurance and returning the captain and crew to their homes following delivery.
Multi-boat or flatbed trailers
When a boat is too large, heavy, or lengthy to be trailered on a boat trailer with a personal car, a flatbed trailer is a practical shipping choice.
The boat’s hull is supported by cradles, which keep it safe and undamaged during transportation. A crane is used to raise the boat onto the flatbed trailer.
Larger boats will be hauled separately on a flatbed trailer, while smaller boats will be transported on a step-deck, multi-boat carrier. When lifting, bracing, and fastening the boat to the transport truck, extreme caution must be used.
Transport Ship for Boats and Yachts
A boat transport ship is your best bet if you need to transfer your boat across an ocean or from coast to coast. Boats of almost any size may be transported from port to port with the expertise of OTIs (Ocean Transport Intermediaries) or NVOCCs (Non-Vessel Operating Common Carriers).
Boats on transport ships typically range in length from 35 to 150 feet, although certain transporters can accommodate vessels as long as 260 feet.
One benefit of using a boat cargo ship is that there is very little boat wear and tear. Boat movers can deliver boats in perfect condition by using safe boat handling techniques.
The cost of transporting a boat internationally is significantly more than that of shipping it by land. A minimum of $3,000 to $15,000 will be required to ship a boat across water. Large yachts may cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to ship between continents.
A Factor Influencing Boat Shipping Prices
Size
The total cost of transporting a boat takes into account the weight, length, and size of the beam. Boat size has the most impact on transportation costs, along with distance.
Distance
The cost of shipping a boat is determined by the distance it travels and the kind of distance it travels—overland, on the keel, or waterborne conveyance.
Final Destination
Distance and destination are not the same thing. Boat shippers modify their estimate for boat shipment according to the port of destination. Certain ports may charge additional fees. The shipper could have to impose higher fees if the port isn’t in high demand.
Time of year
Summer is boating season, therefore prices tend to go up then. Keep in mind that the seasons at the ports of embarkation and destination could not always coincide, which will have a significant impact on shipping schedules. For instance, typhoon season in Southeast Asian waters occurs in June, a moderate month in Long Beach, California.
An Examination of a Boat Shipping Company’s Features
Authorizations from the FMCA and DOT
It’s possible that not every business that ships boats has the required authorization and licensing.
Verify that the Federal Motor Carrier Authority and the Federal Department of Transportation have approved the transport service. Use the Federal SAFER (Safety and Fitness Electronics Records) system to immediately check authorizations.
Insurance
There is a chance that mishaps or even slight damage might happen when shipping your pricey sailboat by land or sea. A sufficient insurance policy must be carried by the boat transportation company; the SAFER system may confirm this as well. To ensure that your craft is adequately protected, you should review your insurance riders with your insurance agent before to shipment.
Terms of Payment
Look elsewhere if the boat shipping firm demands full payment up ahead. The industry standard is for the customer to pay 50% of the total amount when the shipper receives the boat, and the remaining 50% when the customer receives the boat.
