That was a very informative discussion. I certainly understand the reasoning to keep her. Better to know what you have rather than hope you can do as good by buying a different boat and having to deal with it's problems. Which it certainly will have. Best regards.
That’s a really great rundown on a problem that has always kept me wondering about how best to solve it. Not buying a boat will never be an option until the years take me over. A buddy of mine bought his 36 foot Catamaran in Venezuela and sailed it to Texas and trucked it to California. Turned out to be a fair price and all went well but permits were a hassle. They had to go through New Orleans and at one point jack the boat up on one hull to get a small enough beam to fit between two houses on s detour through town. That’s going to effect the price , but all ended well. Puget sound is a wonderful place to end up, and we sure look forward to sailing there again ( weather permitting) Thanks for the post
I shipped a 43' Sailboat from Jacksonville to Southampton, England. Pretty easy, all by email and telephone, got the ad from a Sailing Magazine. The Broker used Wallenius Lines Auto Carrier, boat setting in a cradle. Unexpected cost was additional insurance to protect my interests. Total cost (all out of my pocket!) was $13K, insurance was about $2500. Good video with good info.
GOD BLESS YOU for making this video. Summarized many of my questions. I can't believe my luck when, after realizing that there was no way around needing to ship my boat from seattle to boston that simply typing "cost of shipping sailboat usa" would yield such a nice video
Great to hear from you again young man! So glad you were able to get Slow Bells moved out west. Some people pay 5 -10 thousand to have a house worth of belongings packed up and delivered. You are merely saving the trouble of unpacking your home and moving the whole thing at once. Sounds to me like that would be easier, less of course having to hire someone for the logistics part of shipping. Looking forward to the new adventures and thank you for sharing your story. Be well and calm seas Captain.
Good video. I shipped a 39' sailboat by truck in 1997 from Florida to Seattle for $6k. In 2010 I shipped a 49' sailboat by truck from San Diego to Seattle for $6k. In 2018 we shipped a 49' sailboat from Sydney Australia to West Palm Beach Florida as deck cargo for $38K. This was still cheaper than selling in Australia and buying another boat in the US. We are currently stopped from shipping from Ft. Lauderdale to Victoria because the boat can go a cargo but we can not get into Canada becasue of Covid19. We negotiated this deal in 2019 for $23K. We much prefer the ship to the truck because of the break apart and re-commissioning on either end. Getting a delivery skipper for any long distance or international delivery just scares me. Too much can go wrong and your financial commitment tends to be open ended. In some countries you can get your boat confiscated because of the actions of a low integrity captain or his crew. We used Pantainous for insurance from Australia. Whoever you choose as a carrier, they all are negotiable and you should work it as hard as you feel comfortable.
I appreciate your excellent feedback on the subject. I'm sure others will as well. I ended up hiring a Canadian Captain to bring my boat from Victoria to Friday Harbor in Washington. It was interesting to me that both Canadian and American licensed captains can cross the border right now to do a boat delivery, but as a private citizen I can not.
Hello, we are looking to move a 37' sailboat from Ft. Lauderdale to San Francisco. i am thinking about trucking as it seems like something manageable, is there any recommendations on a company to work with...?
Thanks for information it is great. Live in Washington state and Mt sailboat I purchased is in NC a 40 ft pacific seacraft. Did not want a pot smoking drunk druggie a pirate want to be on the my boat. Looked a trucking but the mast and everything had to come down to cabin top. Checked on shipping on a ship and needed be picked up in Fort Lauderdale and unload in Vancouver BC or in Mexico. Now you helped me under stand the reason of Vancouver instead of Anacortes. No big issue. Canada may have large charges. The crazy people told me I should go to the Caribbean for fun, more pot smoking drunks there and theft is high and husseled by locals. I am retired divorced no depends and solo sailor. Alaska in summer and Mexico in winter. Base in Blaine away from Seattle.
Hi Daniel. I'm currently living in Blaine, and I like it here. But, the small town environment is not for everyone. Your plan to commute between Alaska and Mexico sounds great if you can do it via the airlines, but would be very challenging if done by boat. The coastline between Cape Flattery and San Diego is not very user-friendly. Puget Sound to Glacier Bay is no walk in the park, but it gives a coastal sailor a few more places to hide when necessary, and I am told it is a very beautiful passage (if it's not raining). Pacific Seacraft boats are so salty looking! I almost bought one myself many years ago. I'm sure your boat will turn heads no matter where she ends up. Glad to hear you found the video useful. Best of luck to you and your boat on future adventures.
Seattleboatguy. Blaine being a smaller community is what attracted it to me. I am living over in Omak so small is great and understand the issues with sailing north. Going south south of Oregon is my issues to finding places to duck into. California has become so costly and restrictive. I had an offer on a 2002 40ft caliber there in Seattle but some other party got it. Thank you for your response.
This was very interesting and well presented. That you for sharing. I have thought about shipping my Grand Banks 32 from Montreal to Victoria, where my family lives. I thought about truck or train....certainly an expensive and stressful experience. Glad you made it safe. I’ll look forward to following you as you toot around the west coast.
A GB 32 is well capable of making the trip on it's own keel. You just need to run along to coast for the refuel and reprovision needs. Not to forget the 2 to 3 months time to make the trip. The weather will often keep you in port on the west coast between San Francisco and the Juan DeFuca Straight that is the entrance to the inside passage, specially this late in the year.
I'm a bit late to your channel, but I watched each video. Terrific job negotiating your way around the Great Loop ... and giving me a road map on how to do the same. Thanks so very much for your presentation.
As someone who doesn't have anything to do with boating, i can't wrap my head around the idea to have a BOAT, and the time, but using another ship to transport is from a to b. I mean, like living on a van, but not wanting to take your home with you while traveling across the nation. I always hought thats exactly the reason to live on a boat, so you can live wherever, whenever on earth you want...
@@--Mike-- And how long do you think that trip might take? And where would you get fuel, supplies and parts (if needed)? And where would you hole up with the boat if say you encountered a storm on the west coast of Panama? His boat isn't built for open water ocean passages of several thousand miles.
Thank you for sharing your insights and experience as I’m just starting to pipe dream about these money pits, this is a detail that I need to cover to get something trawlerish to the local resovore, where it can be a second home, and see if we still have it at retirement, then do the loop, being not far from Lake Erie.
Hey Captain Doug. I enjoyed your videos so much I just finished watching all of them twice! Hope Slow Bells is enjoying her new home. I'm in Gig Harbor. Would enjoy taking you to lunch at Tides Tavern if you ever come this way. (After Washington State reopens, of course.) Cheers.
That sounds good when/if this pandemic ever gets under control. I would love to get some drone feedback from you. I think drone video would be very cool in future UA-cam videos, and I think I could pass the license exam without too much trouble. But, with all the restrictions in national and state parks, and all the anti drone city ordinances, seems like pretty limited airspace for someone into UA-cam videos. I would love to hear your thoughts and experiences on the topic.
@@seattleboatguy That would be great, Doug. I used remotepilot101.com when I got my Part 107 certification. Having been an airline pilot for 25 years helped considerably. (Because I'm still current with the FAA, I was granted my Part 107 license without having to take the test.) As far as restricted airspace I wouldn't let that put you off. I haven't encountered too much restricted airspace around Seattle with the exception of the airports, State/National Parks, etc. Most municipalities around here have not enacted anti-drone laws because they realize that the federal government regulates airspace and they don't want the legal responsibility/cost of defending their actions. (Although many municipalities have tried) If you eventually decide to use remotepilot101.com use the code "heron18" to get 30% off. Cheers.
I love your video, they are the most realistic and well thought out, I wish you could film a video of slow bells being loaded and transiting the Panama Canal to washington. Safe travels, enjoy he pacific norhwest
After getting off my high horse about pronunciation (apologies), I just want to add, that this was a great, informative video and I am now sub'd. Thank you.
Had it with left coast madness. Unfortunately you have to get off the boat to get/do things. Sold my 43’ Delta Clipper that I thought I would spend the golden years on but decided to leave it behind. The buyer got a deal, but I got freedom. Land with a river view somewhere in Tennessee. (No worries about rot and sinking) Ironically, it’s close to where my boat was made! Lol
@@seattleboatguy Only another boat guy can know how hard it is to leave something that you refurbished....all the sweat and money. Practically choked up taking the check from the broker. See “Big fast houseboat” UA-cam.
@@SkypowerwithKarl : I'm in total agreement with you. They say that selling the boat is the 2nd best day of boat ownership. That was certainly not the case for me when I sold my sailboat, and I think others have gone through a similar experience. But, if that is what it takes to get you to a better place in the long run, then it's worth it.
@@seattleboatguy I kept the boat in the California delta. I grew up around the water there, but I’ve seen some very bad changes and more bad ones on the way. So it’s just not leaving the boat but the people places and a way of life. I loved my favorite anchorages and an island that I had access to. The smells, sounds and sights of new day on the water with my side kick cat were great. Time to make new memories. So far so great. Have a good one!
I am going through the same song and dance for a sailboat in Europe and trying to get it to the West Coast. There is no free lunch and all the choices suck, especially during the Covid 19 chaos! Thanks for your insights and experience on this.
We shipped our 64' sailboat from Mallorca to Martinique , Lesser Antilles. You can't make a crossing without a good healthy crew, fuel, provisions, crew transportation, a captain, insurance, etc. and lots of stuff breaks out there. We flew to Martinique the day before arrival, and powered the boat off the ship and into her berth. She was just as she was when we'd loaded her in Mallorca. We know we saved a lot of money and missed watching waves for several weeks.
Back in the 80's i was a bout transporter for a local outfit here in Sumner ,Wa. I did it for almost 6 years I moved all kinds power and sail new and used .steal glass or wood .best job i ever had . I was a long haul oversize and heavy haul for my whole career of 45 years I now live in Tacoma .
Good comparisons. Most people discount the amount of time and expense they've already put into their current boat. If one were to add that cost, #1 and #2 are not even considerations. IMO, it's worth it to ship rather than start over again, the costs already invested probably far outweighs the cost of shipping.
am also in quite similar situation, am thinking of transporting a Fairline squadron 58 from the UK all the way to East African coast. Its really a hassle. Hope everything works out well. Loved Yachts since I was a kid but transporting it to my destination, my wallet is sweating!!
Trucking boats across country, especially boats that are too big to be trailered, is tricky. I know of several stories of larger boats getting destroyed while being truck across the US, including a 42’ Grand Banks that got smashed into an overhead bridge. If the boat has a fly bridge that will likely have to be removed. My father owned a 36’ Grand Banks sedan that he purchased in Mobile Al then cruised up an inland rivers and canal system to the Great Lakes. It took a few weeks.
Just watched your conclusions of the first build from the hurricane damage. I know this is a money oriented situation but nothing is impossible! kia kaha bro!
The cost going up likely has just as much to do with inflation as with the boat type. The ever rising cost of living means even services like this have prices going up.edit to add: Welcome back home. I'm just North in Vancouver BC.
OK, I see that you have a twin engine. Ford Lemans, great engines. But this would make it even costlier to make the trip. Fuel and lack of protection for the running gear. That could get very expensive and time consuming too. Lots of crap to hit out there. You defiantly made the right choice. And no offense, (I’m not a young guy anymore either!), you have to plug in your age. A trip like this is very demanding, even on a power boat. Again, wise choice.
I absolutely agree with you. Those of us in the later years of life have to be realistic about our capabilities and endurance as we grow older. Lots of things to consider when we sit down and try to figure out what makes sense in our particular situation.
@@seattleboatguy Yes, i love it when the macho guys, that probably haven’t none a lot of this, particularly on their own with themselves in charge and responsible for everything including the lives of their crew. Make these macho statements. Come see me in 40-50 yrs. ha ha.
I have THOUGHT about this for ages now (for the past year). I live in Missouri and want a sailboat or a trawler type yacht. I came to the conclusion that if I wanted to own a boat on Lake of the Ozarks or lake Stockton, what the hell would I do if I wanted to move. Would I have it hauled across country or end up selling it? The only saving grace is that if I decided to relocate to the Gulf of Mexico, I might be able to haul a boat to the Mississippi and float it down. The issue with that plan is getting a boat with a long keel to the Mississippi and finding a boat launch. I would probably still have to haul the mast hahahahaha
CosmicRadiation: I think your plan might be very do-able. I recall viewing a Great Loop video on UA-cam, and the guy carried his mast on deck, and he re-stepped his mast after Chicago but well before he reached the Gulf. Best of luck to you and your sailboat in your future adventures.
You confined your observations to power boats. Large sailing yachts run by experienced personnel present different emphases depending upon the time of year and route.
I agree with you. A good strong sailboat with a knowledgeable crew would do just fine on the West Coast and other places that would be a real challenge for my boat.
@@seattleboatguy A bunch of years ago, it took me a month to get from SF to Bainbridge Island on a schooner delivery. Headwinds all the way. I had to tack 1500 miles west and back again.
Very good information. Thanks for the info, particularly about the Jones Act. I’ve read some people took their boat up to the Great Lakes, Lake Superior, and then. Shipped by truck from there to the west coast. They said it was cheaper but seems timely expensive for fuel, etc. and a lot of coordination. Did you ever check this option out?
Great info! I assume the shipping companies base their pricing similarly to trucking - based on overall yacht dimensions and weight? Can you please explain how the shipping pricing works? We are also contemplating shipping our yacht from FL to WA.... (after we do our Platinum Great Loop this year), for all the same reasons you listed.
Hi Ken. My guess would be the same as yours; primarily length overall, beam, and weight. I suppose beam would be a bigger deal on a catamaran design. I really don't know the gory details on how shippers come up with their quote. Best of luck on your Loop trip this year.
I am a freight forwarder and I've shipped all types of cargoes, including my own boat and heavy industrial and mining machinery and what I can tell you is that I've never seen a shipping contract like the one you explain...that simply looks like a rip off contract; indeed, you usually get a quote and the terms and conditions to which the service is subject to and what it is/it is not included in the cost given; deciding for the insurance offered by the said shipping company was not a good decision unless you have no means to hire your own; shipping companies make a profit out of the insurance policies and, most of the time, you'll have a headache trying to get paid should anything happens to your boat. Furthermore, transit time of a ship is not only based on the speed and distance but also by the many ports of call the vessel has to stop before reaching the place where your cargo is; this works both ways; also, in regards to the Jones Act; it is correct that only US flagged ships can do cabotage (shipping between US ports), but there's NOT A SINGLE shipping line (meaning vessel owner/operator) making the trade lane from USEC to USWC ports. If you paid for shipping your boat from Florida to Washington state and the boat was discharged at a foreign port in Canada, you were cheated and you may ask for your money back; if you knew your boat was not going to be offloaded from the ship neither at Tacoma nor Seattle, in WA, then you agreed to the delivery at a Canadian port. Last, when the cargo arrives to the destination chosen, the shipping line just discharge the cargo at the terminal and it up to you when you want to pick it up; you have some time free of charge, BY THE TERMINAL, and you'll start paying for storage charges after the free time ends...not that you have to be there when the vessel arrives, not at all. By the way...over 20 thousand dollars for the service performed it is excessive, outrageous and abusive...I am currently shipping a 2000 Sea Ray 46' boat from Netherland to Colombia and total cost it is no more than 15 thousand, all inclusive. Glad to see your experience ended up well for you.
I fell in love with sailboats when I spent a week on my buddies in Seattle "browns point" I decided I wanted to cruise around. When I got done fishing in commercial fishing in Alaska I went on the hunt. The only problem with Seattle is the SLIP COST and each marina per WA law can only have 10% livaboards. Did you encounter this in seattle? So I bought a boat in charleston 30ft hunter
Hello NomadFisherman. Congratulations on surviving the Alaska commercial fishing environment. You must be one tough customer. I lived in Seattle in the 1900s. A busy place, but I liked it. The boats and float planes on Lake Union were so cool. That stuff is still there, but Seattle has become a little too "dense" for me, so I targeted the Bellingham area, where I am now (Blaine to be specific). In my opinion, northern Puget Sound has gone absolutely boat crazy. I had done enough homework before coming out here to know that I would have to get on a waiting list in order to be liveaboard in Bellingham. What I did not realize is that just about every marina had a waiting list just to get a non-liveaboard slip. Even out of the way places like Port Townsend had waiting lists. Cap Sante Marina in Anacortes had 60 people on their waiting list when I called them this September. I got lucky and managed to grab a non-liveaboard slip in Blaine (they say the liveaboard waiting list in Blaine is about a year). But, they told me the waiting list time varies quite a bit depending on the slip size (smaller slips sound like they are easier to get into sooner). In Bellingham, I was told the waiting list for a 30' slip was pretty short, but a 45' slip was a 3 to 5 year wait. I never did any research into buying a slip, but I have heard second hand that there are slips for sale. Good luck to you, which ever coastline you end up on.
Not really sure how my buddy got so lucky getting a spot on Browns Point but I can kinda guess how, no public transportation and its a good distance from any stores. Think he only waited a month or so for his spot on a 27ft sailboat.
@@nomadfishermanak : That's excellent. I never explored slip availability in Seattle because I decided not to move there. Perhaps there is more turnover down there.
Lots of money. Lots of time spent on learning curves. The older you get the more more you have to sub tasks out. The bigger the boat, the less you can do yourself. And, of course, there's the ocean itself (too vast, too fearsome, too beautiful...to put into words. You can drown in the sea, but, not in the words describing her.
I am a lake and river boater. My mom had a catalina 36' we sailed on San Francisco Bay. I see people taking Jet Skis from Florida to Bahamas. I hate traveling on the Ocean. But isnt it possible to run between the bad weather? Are there not seasons where the weather is good? I have to feed and house myself anyways. I have the same fear of a breakdown on the oceans or getting caught in a storm. And I get seasick unless im stoned. My hope is to do the loop after I retire. Could it be cheaper to lease a boat for a year?
If you're moving by truck, you will want to think about oversize and overweight permits and routing concerns. You will pay the permits to get from A to B, they can cost a lot to go short distances. I've moved oversize loads from Houston to Edmonton Canada and just to get out of Texas would take 3 days vs 1.5 days for normal sized loads. Driving the 70 miles across the Oklahoma panhandle was expensive as we picked up a pilot and chase car and the permit itself cost 3x that of Texas to travel 800 miles. Fuel is not really a factor, it will be more expensive than regular freight, but rather time and the equipment and expertise of the transporter. The specialized trailers are far more expensive than a normal freight trailer and drivers with yacht hauling experience are not common either. Yacht transport is not as common as say, hauling groceries or cars, so the rates reflect the cost of transporting a niche item with specialized equipment, knowledgeable driver and the time required to do so.
I was looking at smallish 35ft sailboat, the price was reasonable...until I got quotes for transport. $4,000 plus to move it from Austin, TX to Corpus Christi, TX., about 220 miles. which is ridiculous to say the least. If I could sail, float or motor on a river from Austin to Corpus, I would have, but that's not possible. No wonder why no one I've heard got their boat from Austin. It would have been great to have an older fresh water boat for the coast, but not at the kind of money just to move it 220 miles. When you add the cost just to make it ready for the coast, it quickly approaches the point where it's just not worth it.
Hi William. I don't know the answer, but yacht trucking companies will give you an estimate. Remember to add the travel lift costs at both ends, plus any labor needed to get the boat ready for transport at one end, plus getting it ready to hit the water at the other end.
Hi Michael. I don't plan on doing another yacht transport video, but I'm happy to tell you that things went okay once I got to the West Coast. Because of covid, I had to hire a delivery captain to bring the boat across the US/Canadian border. I picked it up in Friday Harbor, Washington, and brought it to my new home in Blaine. The demand for marina slips in Puget Sound far exceedts supply, so that was a nasty little gotcha, but I managed to eventually find a new home for my boat and myself. Thank you for your interest, and best wishes from Blaine.
@@seattleboatguy Thanks so much for taking time to respond about something that happened six months ago. You da man! Of course it just wet my appetite. I'm guessing the delivery captain was Canadian. How did he get into Friday Harbor? Special permit? How did you get him back to Victoria? Sorry about this... just wondering how things are really working across the border. I'm in Solomons Island, MD and we are seeing quite a few loopers heading north right now. All of them are hoping for some easing of the border to get into Canada, but really don't know what to expect. I realize that's a bit different from your situation, but that's why it's on my mind. Sorry to bug you.
@@michaelderrico4416 Hi Michael. It was very interesting how things worked out as far as getting Slow Bells back into the USA. I hired a Canadian captain to do the delivery. He arranged for a fast Canadian chase boat to rendezvous with him as he arrived in Friday Harbor with my boat. When Slow Bells got to the US Customs dock in Friday Harbor, the Canadian captain could just hop in the Canadian chase boat and they then returned to Canada without ever having to touch US soil (although they did have to touch a US dock). I believe that both US and Canadian delivery captains are allowed to cross the border to do a delivery. I have also heard that a US private citizen can cross into Canada with their yacht if they can prove they are going to Alaska in an expeditious manner. I can relate to the northbound Loopers hoping that the border opens. I would like the border to open as well so I can cruise north along Vancouver Island. I guess we will all have to be patient and hope for the best.
In the 1990's a friend who is a commercial fishing captain asked me if I wanted to make a buck and help him transport a vessel from the NE through the Panama Canal back to the oregon coast. I said sure... this was sight unseen and we were assured the vessel was in good shape and ready for the voyage. We spent 3 weeks in Port making ready since key systems were inoperable. We were towed into Port by the coast guard in Florida because of engine failure. The story goes on, i was never paid. I would never be involved in such bull ever again. I did get to travel thru the canal so there was that.. it was so hot though.
Did you get the option to travel with your boat onboard the ship? I'm a deliver captain and several people have paid me to travel with there boat while in transit.
Hi Derrick. Not only did I not have the option to travel on the ship, I was not even given the opportunity to get on the ship briefly. As soon as my boat was temporarily tied to the side of the ship, a small boat picked me up and took me ashore.
Nice presentation. Thanks! Yes, if you have the time, making the trip you self dose have big plusses and minuses. I have made that trip with my 45’ sailboat. The plus is the enjoyment of the trip itself. And yes your boat in very good shape could do it. Yes, you would have to pick your weather and need plenty of time. And yes, there would be definite risks in making the trip. And plenty of expense too. And you are right, there is no easy or cheap answer. What was the height of your boat and would it be to much to remove the fly bridge. I’m sure you thought about it. I can see that you have put very extensive work into your boat. Wow! I assume that you are single screw. And yes, you do a lot of up wind and wave on this trip. A lot! You would probable have about 10K in fuel alone, 2-3 in the canal and who know what else. So maybe your 20K was well spent. Certainly the lowest risk option. And 6K miles of bashing has to take it’s toll on the boat! I have made several deliveries from Mexico to SFO and northward on boats not to much bigger than yours. And yeah, you can see why some people have their boat delivered back up. The trip down is usually wonderful. Usually. Back? Uh uh.
Hi Fred. Sounds like you have "been there done that" when it comes to offshore yacht delivery. I appreciate your comments based on hard won experience. My trawler had a shipping height of about 15'. Twin screw. A friend of mine was very enthusiastic about removing the upper deck for shipping by truck. He even offered to help me do it. It appeared to be bolted on to the lower deck structure. But I wanted no part of it. I was afraid "unanticipated difficulties" would turn that project I to a real bag of worms. I think it was do-able, though.
We dropped our mast and disassembled the upper deck. We leave by truck to Seneca, IL to start our Great Loop trip. How can we meet up before We leave this September
Not being rude, but what was the quote to put it on a boat hauler trailer and move it to Washington state . Seems it would be cheaper and faster time frame. Thanks
Passingthru69 : They would not give me a quote. They recommended either putting it on a ship, or contacting them again if I was able to reduce the shipping height. Just about all those yacht trucking companies have a button on their web page for a free quote if you have a particular boat in mind.
@@seattleboatguy Your video was an excellent source of info! Was there any downside to this company that I should be aware of other than the ones mentioned in general in this video?
@CarolynBartlett-c6f : Brooks did a pretty good job for me. You just have to realize that neither Brooks Transport, nor anyone else, knows when a ship will actually reach port. Shipping "schedules" are fiction. The ship gets there when they get there.
@@KillerNetDog : If you could fit your boat in a container, I would say yes. Otherwise, I'm not optimistic. I have enjoyed watching trains all my life, but I've never seen one carrying a boat.
i would jump at a Opportunity to take my boat from the East Coast to the West Coast going through the Panama Canal and coming around why not, if you have an ocean capable boat do it consider it an adventure
Hi Kevin. I'm delighted to be back in Washington. I have no regrets about the way I did it. For me, in the current environment, the yacht transport ship was the least bad option. I am sooo thankful I am not sitting in Florida right now with a For Sale sign on my boat. But, everyone is different.
@@seattleboatguy The personal work you put into your boat really made it worth it, I think, if you imagine the feeling you'd have sitting in Washington looking at doing it all over again to a new used boat (as you pointed out in your video). By the way, I was born and raised in Florida. I have not lived there in a very long time. I will probably never go back.
What about getting a tow from a cargo ship.? Is that something that can happen? Seams if you found a ship going your way, a tow line , radio contact, someone on watch, and a few grand for fuel
The original plan was to move back to Seattle, where I had lived in the 1990s. But a few years ago, I took the motorcycle out to Washington to see how the city was doing. What I discovered was that it was bigger and more densely populated than what I was comfortable with. So, I went to Plan B and moved to a small town roughly 100 miles north of Seattle. I love this area because of all the water and all the mountains. But to enjoy the beauty, you have to put up with the winter rain. Life is a series of compromises.
@@douglasdaniels1521 : For me, it helps to stay busy and buy the clothing necessary to stay active outside. It doesn't rain every day, and the mountains make it possible to have some fun in the snow. But there are lots of people who have to move away because of the lack of sunlight.
I have delivered boats all across the United States, Canada since 1995. Private and from the factory to the dealer were the boats are sold and end user. Boats are black holes were you deposit your money. If you want to transport your boat hire a professional! Make sure they have insurance and verify. If your going to have it delivered by a licensed captain do your homework and verify. Nothing in owning a boat is cheap!
The "black hole" description certainly applies to my experiences with recreational boating. Thanks for your insights. Good advice from a very experienced captain.
@@seattleboatguy Is it bad as Michigan it is too hot in summer and windy and cold as hell in winter and really short spring and fall I usually turn air off for about a few days and turn heat on shortly after no fun here
@@superdon1chw : I have never spent a winter in Michigan, but I believe the Pacific Ocean tends to give the Puget Sound area a milder winter than Michigan. Around here, there is much more rain than snow.
@@seattleboatguy You know I thought if I were to do this I would just move up and down the coast so I would be comfortable like stay in the 70 all year round .Is that not possible ?
I own a Grand Banks 36 and my flybridge can come off to make it legal height, I looke a few months for a trucking company to haul her from Detroit to Los Angeles and only got one dam quote for 11 grand, it's 2400 miles. only one guy wanted to do it, I even had it up for bid on uship. I can't do 20 grand. 4 y 3 years ago when I bought the boat 3 companies gave me bids of 6 grand yet it doubled due to pandemic I guess. I am still looking for a hauler , now a friend say a ford f450 will tow it, it's 26000 lbs. funny everyone I contacted seems you contacted them too I saw on your video. one day I plan on making my way up to port Angeles in my trawler......I watched all your vids by the way, we have the same Lehman diesels
What do you think about cruising it there yourself? I've heard a lot of good things about the Grand Banks. Do you think she could do it okay? I too toyed with the idea of removing my upper deck area. It appears to be bolted to the lower deck. But, I wanted no part of that project. It sounded to me like a can of worms just waiting to be opened. Best of luck to you.
@@seattleboatguy I have the same Lehman diesels as you, I got them ready to cruise but going down thru panam etc the fuel alone would be crazy hahahaha...
@@kwasg3 : My original plan was to pull the boat out of the water in Duluth MN, have it trucked over the Rockies, and put it back in the water on the Snake River. I think you could do that with a boat that was not as tall as mine.
do not move to Seattle !!!! we just got the hell out of that cold damp place , grey days , wet , hard on your boat , so miserable , hardly any marinas to gas up due to enviro laws there. We're back in Sarasota now. Do not move your boat-
Why would DAILY RATE be less for a Captain of a faster boat? Daily rate x days to complete the trip = Trip cost. Trip cost would be less because less days would be required to complete the trip with a faster boat but the daily rate would not be less. Faster boats burn more fuel per mile. Just saying 'more fuel' is an incomplete comment. When transporting by truck, height is important but beam is just as important. Highways loads have width limits without needing special permits and pilot cars. Heights can require permits and pilot cars, too.
Height is pronounced "hi-te" . There is a 't' at the end of the word... dyslectic people will 'switch' the H and the T around to create the "TH" sound. I believe that is where the "heigth" pronunciation came from. 'Dictionary.com' has a button to hear how it should be pronounced, if you are curious.
Alas, my best efforts to change the pronunciation of "height" and "Mackinac Island" have both been spectacularly unsuccessful. My new crusade will be to simplify the spelling of most words in the English language.
I suppose if your boat would fit in a shipping container, rail would be an option. Keep in mind that the video was from 2020. I suspect prices have gone up since then.
As is the norm with your videos, this was another cogent, well organized, and helpful piece. Excellent job.
That was a very informative discussion. I certainly understand the reasoning to keep her. Better to know what you have rather than hope you can do as good by buying a different boat and having to deal with it's problems. Which it certainly will have. Best regards.
Whew, I'm tired just watching. What an adventure. So glad it all came together and worked out for you.
That’s a really great rundown on a problem that has always kept me wondering about how best to solve it. Not buying a boat will never be an option until the years take me over. A buddy of mine bought his 36 foot Catamaran in Venezuela and sailed it to Texas and trucked it to California. Turned out to be a fair price and all went well but permits were a hassle. They had to go through New Orleans and at one point jack the boat up on one hull to get a small enough beam to fit between two houses on s detour through town. That’s going to effect the price , but all ended well. Puget sound is a wonderful place to end up, and we sure look forward to sailing there again ( weather permitting)
Thanks for the post
I shipped a 43' Sailboat from Jacksonville to Southampton, England. Pretty easy, all by email and telephone, got the ad from a Sailing Magazine. The Broker used Wallenius Lines Auto Carrier, boat setting in a cradle. Unexpected cost was additional insurance to protect my interests. Total cost (all out of my pocket!) was $13K, insurance was about $2500.
Good video with good info.
GOD BLESS YOU for making this video. Summarized many of my questions. I can't believe my luck when, after realizing that there was no way around needing to ship my boat from seattle to boston that simply typing "cost of shipping sailboat usa" would yield such a nice video
Great to hear from you again young man! So glad you were able to get Slow Bells moved out west. Some people pay 5 -10 thousand to have a house worth of belongings packed up and delivered. You are merely saving the trouble of unpacking your home and moving the whole thing at once. Sounds to me like that would be easier, less of course having to hire someone for the logistics part of shipping. Looking forward to the new adventures and thank you for sharing your story. Be well and calm seas Captain.
Good video. I shipped a 39' sailboat by truck in 1997 from Florida to Seattle for $6k. In 2010 I shipped a 49' sailboat by truck from San Diego to Seattle for $6k. In 2018 we shipped a 49' sailboat from Sydney Australia to West Palm Beach Florida as deck cargo for $38K. This was still cheaper than selling in Australia and buying another boat in the US. We are currently stopped from shipping from Ft. Lauderdale to Victoria because the boat can go a cargo but we can not get into Canada becasue of Covid19. We negotiated this deal in 2019 for $23K. We much prefer the ship to the truck because of the break apart and re-commissioning on either end. Getting a delivery skipper for any long distance or international delivery just scares me. Too much can go wrong and your financial commitment tends to be open ended. In some countries you can get your boat confiscated because of the actions of a low integrity captain or his crew. We used Pantainous for insurance from Australia. Whoever you choose as a carrier, they all are negotiable and you should work it as hard as you feel comfortable.
I appreciate your excellent feedback on the subject. I'm sure others will as well.
I ended up hiring a Canadian Captain to bring my boat from Victoria to Friday Harbor in Washington. It was interesting to me that both Canadian and American licensed captains can cross the border right now to do a boat delivery, but as a private citizen I can not.
Hello, we are looking to move a 37' sailboat from Ft. Lauderdale to San Francisco. i am thinking about trucking as it seems like something manageable, is there any recommendations on a company to work with...?
Thanks for information it is great. Live in Washington state and Mt sailboat I purchased is in NC a 40 ft pacific seacraft. Did not want a pot smoking drunk druggie a pirate want to be on the my boat. Looked a trucking but the mast and everything had to come down to cabin top. Checked on shipping on a ship and needed be picked up in Fort Lauderdale and unload in Vancouver BC or in Mexico. Now you helped me under stand the reason of Vancouver instead of Anacortes. No big issue. Canada may have large charges. The crazy people told me I should go to the Caribbean for fun, more pot smoking drunks there and theft is high and husseled by locals. I am retired divorced no depends and solo sailor. Alaska in summer and Mexico in winter. Base in Blaine away from Seattle.
Hi Daniel. I'm currently living in Blaine, and I like it here. But, the small town environment is not for everyone. Your plan to commute between Alaska and Mexico sounds great if you can do it via the airlines, but would be very challenging if done by boat. The coastline between Cape Flattery and San Diego is not very user-friendly. Puget Sound to Glacier Bay is no walk in the park, but it gives a coastal sailor a few more places to hide when necessary, and I am told it is a very beautiful passage (if it's not raining). Pacific Seacraft boats are so salty looking! I almost bought one myself many years ago. I'm sure your boat will turn heads no matter where she ends up. Glad to hear you found the video useful. Best of luck to you and your boat on future adventures.
Seattleboatguy. Blaine being a smaller community is what attracted it to me. I am living over in Omak so small is great
and understand the issues with sailing north. Going south south of Oregon is my issues to finding places to duck into. California has become so costly and restrictive. I had an offer on a 2002 40ft caliber there in Seattle but some other party got it. Thank you for your response.
Well said! When did boating ever have anything to do with logic
Profound ending,..”when did logic have anything to do with boating?” Well done, Capt’n!
I really enjoyed this detailed rationalization for transport (your pic with the legs up in the air is funny as hell) - this is quite helpful.
This was very interesting and well presented. That you for sharing. I have thought about shipping my Grand Banks 32 from Montreal to Victoria, where my family lives. I thought about truck or train....certainly an expensive and stressful experience. Glad you made it safe. I’ll look forward to following you as you toot around the west coast.
A GB 32 is well capable of making the trip on it's own keel. You just need to run along to coast for the refuel and reprovision needs. Not to forget the 2 to 3 months time to make the trip. The weather will often keep you in port on the west coast between San Francisco and the Juan DeFuca Straight that is the entrance to the inside passage, specially this late in the year.
Wonderful episode with great advice and tips. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you for reminding me why I have 'friends with yachts ' and not 'yachts.'
You are the smartest one of the bunch, Steve.
Excellent discussion!
I have wondered about the alternatives and this answered most of those questions.well done
I'm a bit late to your channel, but I watched each video. Terrific job negotiating your way around the Great Loop ... and giving me a road map on how to do the same. Thanks so very much for your presentation.
Very comprehensive and informative. Thanks for sharing
Thank you. This answered a lot of questions and gave a lot to think about. Good helpful video.
As someone who doesn't have anything to do with boating, i can't wrap my head around the idea to have a BOAT, and the time, but using another ship to transport is from a to b. I mean, like living on a van, but not wanting to take your home with you while traveling across the nation. I always hought thats exactly the reason to live on a boat, so you can live wherever, whenever on earth you want...
"I can't wrap my head around the idea" This much is obvious. Lol. How would you get a boat from Florida to Washington State?
@@billquantrill4960 Using the same route as the transport ship would use maybe?
@@--Mike-- And how long do you think that trip might take? And where would you get fuel, supplies and parts (if needed)? And where would you hole up with the boat if say you encountered a storm on the west coast of Panama? His boat isn't built for open water ocean passages of several thousand miles.
I don't own a boat but this was a very interesting video. Well done sir !!
Thank you for sharing your insights and experience as I’m just starting to pipe dream about these money pits, this is a detail that I need to cover to get something trawlerish to the local resovore, where it can be a second home, and see if we still have it at retirement, then do the loop, being not far from Lake Erie.
What an amazing gift of information. Thank you so much!
This information was very helpful....I live in Seattle and thinking about buying a class boat in Florida.
Thank you
"When did logic have anything to do with boating" Good one
Hey Captain Doug. I enjoyed your videos so much I just finished watching all of them twice! Hope Slow Bells is enjoying her new home. I'm in Gig Harbor. Would enjoy taking you to lunch at Tides Tavern if you ever come this way. (After Washington State reopens, of course.) Cheers.
That sounds good when/if this pandemic ever gets under control. I would love to get some drone feedback from you. I think drone video would be very cool in future UA-cam videos, and I think I could pass the license exam without too much trouble. But, with all the restrictions in national and state parks, and all the anti drone city ordinances, seems like pretty limited airspace for someone into UA-cam videos. I would love to hear your thoughts and experiences on the topic.
@@seattleboatguy That would be great, Doug. I used remotepilot101.com when I got my Part 107 certification. Having been an airline pilot for 25 years helped considerably. (Because I'm still current with the FAA, I was granted my Part 107 license without having to take the test.) As far as restricted airspace I wouldn't let that put you off. I haven't encountered too much restricted airspace around Seattle with the exception of the airports, State/National Parks, etc. Most municipalities around here have not enacted anti-drone laws because they realize that the federal government regulates airspace and they don't want the legal responsibility/cost of defending their actions. (Although many municipalities have tried) If you eventually decide to use remotepilot101.com use the code "heron18" to get 30% off. Cheers.
Excellent advice! Thanks and enjoy the Pacific NW, one of my bucket list items.
A very informative and good video. Thank you very much.
I love your video, they are the most realistic and well thought out, I wish you could film a video of slow bells being loaded and transiting the Panama Canal to washington. Safe travels, enjoy he pacific norhwest
After getting off my high horse about pronunciation (apologies), I just want to add, that this was a great, informative video and I am now sub'd. Thank you.
Glad to hear you are enjoying the videos. I enjoyed creating them.
Had it with left coast madness. Unfortunately you have to get off the boat to get/do things. Sold my 43’ Delta Clipper that I thought I would spend the golden years on but decided to leave it behind. The buyer got a deal, but I got freedom. Land with a river view somewhere in Tennessee. (No worries about rot and sinking) Ironically, it’s close to where my boat was made! Lol
Sounds like you eventually found much more than you left behind. Well done.
@@seattleboatguy
Only another boat guy can know how hard it is to leave something that you refurbished....all the sweat and money. Practically choked up taking the check from the broker. See “Big fast houseboat” UA-cam.
@@SkypowerwithKarl : I'm in total agreement with you. They say that selling the boat is the 2nd best day of boat ownership. That was certainly not the case for me when I sold my sailboat, and I think others have gone through a similar experience. But, if that is what it takes to get you to a better place in the long run, then it's worth it.
@@seattleboatguy
I kept the boat in the California delta. I grew up around the water there, but I’ve seen some very bad changes and more bad ones on the way. So it’s just not leaving the boat but the people places and a way of life. I loved my favorite anchorages and an island that I had access to. The smells, sounds and sights of new day on the water with my side kick cat were great. Time to make new memories. So far so great. Have a good one!
I am going through the same song and dance for a sailboat in Europe and trying to get it to the West Coast. There is no free lunch and all the choices suck, especially during the Covid 19 chaos! Thanks for your insights and experience on this.
Sounds like a daunting undertaking, both logistically and financially. Best of luck to you.
We shipped our 64' sailboat from Mallorca to Martinique , Lesser Antilles. You can't make a crossing without a good healthy crew, fuel, provisions, crew transportation, a captain, insurance, etc. and lots of stuff breaks out there. We flew to Martinique the day before arrival, and powered the boat off the ship and into her berth. She was just as she was when we'd loaded her in Mallorca. We know we saved a lot of money and missed watching waves for several weeks.
Back in the 80's i was a bout transporter for a local outfit here in Sumner ,Wa. I did it for almost 6 years I moved all kinds power and sail new and used .steal glass or wood .best job i ever had . I was a long haul oversize and heavy haul for my whole career of 45 years I now live in Tacoma .
Good comparisons. Most people discount the amount of time and expense they've already put into their current boat. If one were to add that cost, #1 and #2 are not even considerations. IMO, it's worth it to ship rather than start over again, the costs already invested probably far outweighs the cost of shipping.
am also in quite similar situation, am thinking of transporting a Fairline squadron 58 from the UK all the way to East African coast. Its really a hassle. Hope everything works out well.
Loved Yachts since I was a kid but transporting it to my destination, my wallet is sweating!!
Thank you for making this video
I much favour option 2. Lots of boats to be had here on the westcoast. CHEERS from South Vancouver Island!!!
Trucking boats across country, especially boats that are too big to be trailered, is tricky. I know of several stories of larger boats getting destroyed while being truck across the US, including a 42’ Grand Banks that got smashed into an overhead bridge. If the boat has a fly bridge that will likely have to be removed. My father owned a 36’ Grand Banks sedan that he purchased in Mobile Al then cruised up an inland rivers and canal system to the Great Lakes. It took a few weeks.
Super informative, Thank you so much! Fair winds
wow man i really learned a lot thanks.
Just watched your conclusions of the first build from the hurricane damage. I know this is a money oriented situation but nothing is impossible! kia kaha bro!
Very good info, thanks.
The cost going up likely has just as much to do with inflation as with the boat type. The ever rising cost of living means even services like this have prices going up.edit to add:
Welcome back home. I'm just North in Vancouver BC.
Great video bud .
Thank you
Most informative. Thank you!
OK, I see that you have a twin engine. Ford Lemans, great engines. But this would make it even costlier to make the trip. Fuel and lack of protection for the running gear. That could get very expensive and time consuming too. Lots of crap to hit out there. You defiantly made the right choice. And no offense, (I’m not a young guy anymore either!), you have to plug in your age. A trip like this is very demanding, even on a power boat. Again, wise choice.
I absolutely agree with you. Those of us in the later years of life have to be realistic about our capabilities and endurance as we grow older. Lots of things to consider when we sit down and try to figure out what makes sense in our particular situation.
@@seattleboatguy Yes, i love it when the macho guys, that probably haven’t none a lot of this, particularly on their own with themselves in charge and responsible for everything including the lives of their crew. Make these macho statements. Come see me in 40-50 yrs. ha ha.
Thank you ever so much. Mr. Logic.
I have THOUGHT about this for ages now (for the past year). I live in Missouri and want a sailboat or a trawler type yacht. I came to the conclusion that if I wanted to own a boat on Lake of the Ozarks or lake Stockton, what the hell would I do if I wanted to move. Would I have it hauled across country or end up selling it? The only saving grace is that if I decided to relocate to the Gulf of Mexico, I might be able to haul a boat to the Mississippi and float it down. The issue with that plan is getting a boat with a long keel to the Mississippi and finding a boat launch. I would probably still have to haul the mast hahahahaha
CosmicRadiation: I think your plan might be very do-able. I recall viewing a Great Loop video on UA-cam, and the guy carried his mast on deck, and he re-stepped his mast after Chicago but well before he reached the Gulf. Best of luck to you and your sailboat in your future adventures.
You confined your observations to power boats. Large sailing yachts run by experienced personnel present different emphases depending upon the time of year and route.
I agree with you. A good strong sailboat with a knowledgeable crew would do just fine on the West Coast and other places that would be a real challenge for my boat.
@@seattleboatguy A bunch of years ago, it took me a month to get from SF to Bainbridge Island on a schooner delivery. Headwinds all the way. I had to tack 1500 miles west and back again.
@@johnleach7879 : You are made of stronger stuff than I. Sounded like quite a trip to weather.
Do delivery captains charge by the mile or by the day?
@@seattleboatguy By the mile. But more important was a recent survey, which could run more than my fee.
Very good information. Thanks for the info, particularly about the Jones Act. I’ve read some people took their boat up to the Great Lakes, Lake Superior, and then. Shipped by truck from there to the west coast. They said it was cheaper but seems timely expensive for fuel, etc. and a lot of coordination. Did you ever check this option out?
Hi Jake. My boat turned out to be too high for a trip to Puget Sound from any starting point.
Very informative 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Great info! I assume the shipping companies base their pricing similarly to trucking - based on overall yacht dimensions and weight? Can you please explain how the shipping pricing works? We are also contemplating shipping our yacht from FL to WA.... (after we do our Platinum Great Loop this year), for all the same reasons you listed.
Hi Ken. My guess would be the same as yours; primarily length overall, beam, and weight. I suppose beam would be a bigger deal on a catamaran design. I really don't know the gory details on how shippers come up with their quote. Best of luck on your Loop trip this year.
I am a freight forwarder and I've shipped all types of cargoes, including my own boat and heavy industrial and mining machinery and what I can tell you is that I've never seen a shipping contract like the one you explain...that simply looks like a rip off contract; indeed, you usually get a quote and the terms and conditions to which the service is subject to and what it is/it is not included in the cost given; deciding for the insurance offered by the said shipping company was not a good decision unless you have no means to hire your own; shipping companies make a profit out of the insurance policies and, most of the time, you'll have a headache trying to get paid should anything happens to your boat.
Furthermore, transit time of a ship is not only based on the speed and distance but also by the many ports of call the vessel has to stop before reaching the place where your cargo is; this works both ways; also, in regards to the Jones Act; it is correct that only US flagged ships can do cabotage (shipping between US ports), but there's NOT A SINGLE shipping line (meaning vessel owner/operator) making the trade lane from USEC to USWC ports.
If you paid for shipping your boat from Florida to Washington state and the boat was discharged at a foreign port in Canada, you were cheated and you may ask for your money back; if you knew your boat was not going to be offloaded from the ship neither at Tacoma nor Seattle, in WA, then you agreed to the delivery at a Canadian port.
Last, when the cargo arrives to the destination chosen, the shipping line just discharge the cargo at the terminal and it up to you when you want to pick it up; you have some time free of charge, BY THE TERMINAL, and you'll start paying for storage charges after the free time ends...not that you have to be there when the vessel arrives, not at all.
By the way...over 20 thousand dollars for the service performed it is excessive, outrageous and abusive...I am currently shipping a 2000 Sea Ray 46' boat from Netherland to Colombia and total cost it is no more than 15 thousand, all inclusive.
Glad to see your experience ended up well for you.
Good feedback from someone knowledgeable in the field.
Hope you are well. We miss your adventures and if you changed your channel please pass it on.
Wow thank you for info!
Helpful and informative thank you
I fell in love with sailboats when I spent a week on my buddies in Seattle "browns point" I decided I wanted to cruise around. When I got done fishing in commercial fishing in Alaska I went on the hunt. The only problem with Seattle is the SLIP COST and each marina per WA law can only have 10% livaboards. Did you encounter this in seattle? So I bought a boat in charleston 30ft hunter
Hello NomadFisherman. Congratulations on surviving the Alaska commercial fishing environment. You must be one tough customer.
I lived in Seattle in the 1900s. A busy place, but I liked it. The boats and float planes on Lake Union were so cool. That stuff is still there, but Seattle has become a little too "dense" for me, so I targeted the Bellingham area, where I am now (Blaine to be specific).
In my opinion, northern Puget Sound has gone absolutely boat crazy. I had done enough homework before coming out here to know that I would have to get on a waiting list in order to be liveaboard in Bellingham. What I did not realize is that just about every marina had a waiting list just to get a non-liveaboard slip. Even out of the way places like Port Townsend had waiting lists. Cap Sante Marina in Anacortes had 60 people on their waiting list when I called them this September.
I got lucky and managed to grab a non-liveaboard slip in Blaine (they say the liveaboard waiting list in Blaine is about a year). But, they told me the waiting list time varies quite a bit depending on the slip size (smaller slips sound like they are easier to get into sooner). In Bellingham, I was told the waiting list for a 30' slip was pretty short, but a 45' slip was a 3 to 5 year wait.
I never did any research into buying a slip, but I have heard second hand that there are slips for sale.
Good luck to you, which ever coastline you end up on.
Not really sure how my buddy got so lucky getting a spot on Browns Point but I can kinda guess how, no public transportation and its a good distance from any stores. Think he only waited a month or so for his spot on a 27ft sailboat.
@@nomadfishermanak : That's excellent. I never explored slip availability in Seattle because I decided not to move there. Perhaps there is more turnover down there.
Lots of money. Lots of time spent on learning curves. The older you get the more more you have to sub tasks out. The bigger the boat, the less you can do yourself. And, of course, there's the ocean itself (too vast, too fearsome, too beautiful...to put into words. You can drown in the sea, but, not in the words describing her.
A very interesting Vidio thank you greatly 👍
I am a lake and river boater. My mom had a catalina 36' we sailed on San Francisco Bay. I see people taking Jet Skis from Florida to Bahamas. I hate traveling on the Ocean. But isnt it possible to run between the bad weather? Are there not seasons where the weather is good? I have to feed and house myself anyways. I have the same fear of a breakdown on the oceans or getting caught in a storm. And I get seasick unless im stoned. My hope is to do the loop after I retire. Could it be cheaper to lease a boat for a year?
Leasing is an interesting idea. I wonder if that is possible?
Go with captain Ron you will have great stories for the yacht club bar
If you're moving by truck, you will want to think about oversize and overweight permits and routing concerns. You will pay the permits to get from A to B, they can cost a lot to go short distances. I've moved oversize loads from Houston to Edmonton Canada and just to get out of Texas would take 3 days vs 1.5 days for normal sized loads. Driving the 70 miles across the Oklahoma panhandle was expensive as we picked up a pilot and chase car and the permit itself cost 3x that of Texas to travel 800 miles. Fuel is not really a factor, it will be more expensive than regular freight, but rather time and the equipment and expertise of the transporter. The specialized trailers are far more expensive than a normal freight trailer and drivers with yacht hauling experience are not common either. Yacht transport is not as common as say, hauling groceries or cars, so the rates reflect the cost of transporting a niche item with specialized equipment, knowledgeable driver and the time required to do so.
Good info from someone who has "been there done that". Thanks for your insights.
I was looking at smallish 35ft sailboat, the price was reasonable...until I got quotes for transport. $4,000 plus to move it from Austin, TX to Corpus Christi, TX., about 220 miles. which is ridiculous to say the least. If I could sail, float or motor on a river from Austin to Corpus, I would have, but that's not possible. No wonder why no one I've heard got their boat from Austin. It would have been great to have an older fresh water boat for the coast, but not at the kind of money just to move it 220 miles. When you add the cost just to make it ready for the coast, it quickly approaches the point where it's just not worth it.
How much to trailer/truck transport a twin engine 34foot yacht from east coast Florida to west coast Gulf ( 267miles) ?
Hi William. I don't know the answer, but yacht trucking companies will give you an estimate. Remember to add the travel lift costs at both ends, plus any labor needed to get the boat ready for transport at one end, plus getting it ready to hit the water at the other end.
@@seattleboatguy thanks....thought you might have estimate...but will follow up on your advise. Thanks again...
Curious about how the transport went, picking up in Canada, etc. Any chance you'll do another video to tell us?
Hi Michael. I don't plan on doing another yacht transport video, but I'm happy to tell you that things went okay once I got to the West Coast. Because of covid, I had to hire a delivery captain to bring the boat across the US/Canadian border. I picked it up in Friday Harbor, Washington, and brought it to my new home in Blaine. The demand for marina slips in Puget Sound far exceedts supply, so that was a nasty little gotcha, but I managed to eventually find a new home for my boat and myself. Thank you for your interest, and best wishes from Blaine.
@@seattleboatguy Thanks so much for taking time to respond about something that happened six months ago. You da man!
Of course it just wet my appetite. I'm guessing the delivery captain was Canadian. How did he get into Friday Harbor? Special permit? How did you get him back to Victoria? Sorry about this... just wondering how things are really working across the border.
I'm in Solomons Island, MD and we are seeing quite a few loopers heading north right now. All of them are hoping for some easing of the border to get into Canada, but really don't know what to expect. I realize that's a bit different from your situation, but that's why it's on my mind. Sorry to bug you.
@@michaelderrico4416 Hi Michael. It was very interesting how things worked out as far as getting Slow Bells back into the USA. I hired a Canadian captain to do the delivery. He arranged for a fast Canadian chase boat to rendezvous with him as he arrived in Friday Harbor with my boat. When Slow Bells got to the US Customs dock in Friday Harbor, the Canadian captain could just hop in the Canadian chase boat and they then returned to Canada without ever having to touch US soil (although they did have to touch a US dock).
I believe that both US and Canadian delivery captains are allowed to cross the border to do a delivery. I have also heard that a US private citizen can cross into Canada with their yacht if they can prove they are going to Alaska in an expeditious manner.
I can relate to the northbound Loopers hoping that the border opens. I would like the border to open as well so I can cruise north along Vancouver Island. I guess we will all have to be patient and hope for the best.
In the 1990's a friend who is a commercial fishing captain asked me if I wanted to make a buck and help him transport a vessel from the NE through the Panama Canal back to the oregon coast. I said sure... this was sight unseen and we were assured the vessel was in good shape and ready for the voyage. We spent 3 weeks in Port making ready since key systems were inoperable. We were towed into Port by the coast guard in Florida because of engine failure. The story goes on, i was never paid. I would never be involved in such bull ever again. I did get to travel thru the canal so there was that.. it was so hot though.
Wow. Another class in the school of hard knocks. I attend the same school!
Did you get the option to travel with your boat onboard the ship? I'm a deliver captain and several people have paid me to travel with there boat while in transit.
Hi Derrick. Not only did I not have the option to travel on the ship, I was not even given the opportunity to get on the ship briefly. As soon as my boat was temporarily tied to the side of the ship, a small boat picked me up and took me ashore.
Nice presentation. Thanks! Yes, if you have the time, making the trip you self dose have big plusses and minuses. I have made that trip with my 45’ sailboat.
The plus is the enjoyment of the trip itself. And yes your boat in very good shape could do it. Yes, you would have to pick your weather and need plenty of time. And yes, there would be definite risks in making the trip. And plenty of expense too. And you are right, there is no easy or cheap answer. What was the height of your boat and would it be to much to remove the fly bridge. I’m sure you thought about it.
I can see that you have put very extensive work into your boat. Wow! I assume that you are single screw. And yes, you do a lot of up wind and wave on this trip. A lot! You would probable have about 10K in fuel alone, 2-3 in the canal and who know what else. So maybe your 20K was well spent. Certainly the lowest risk option. And 6K miles of bashing has to take it’s toll on the boat! I have made several deliveries from Mexico to SFO and northward on boats not to much bigger than yours. And yeah, you can see why some people have their boat delivered back up. The trip down is usually wonderful. Usually. Back? Uh uh.
Hi Fred. Sounds like you have "been there done that" when it comes to offshore yacht delivery. I appreciate your comments based on hard won experience.
My trawler had a shipping height of about 15'. Twin screw.
A friend of mine was very enthusiastic about removing the upper deck for shipping by truck. He even offered to help me do it. It appeared to be bolted on to the lower deck structure. But I wanted no part of it. I was afraid "unanticipated difficulties" would turn that project I to a real bag of worms. I think it was do-able, though.
Very informative!
Great information ! Let us know if you want to go for coffee in Blaine
It will be hot chocolate for me, but yea, let's do it.
We dropped our mast and disassembled the upper deck. We leave by truck to Seneca, IL to start our Great Loop trip. How can we meet up before We leave this September
Any idea on how about sending a boat to a different country?
Those yacht transport ships go to different countries.
Where did you find captain papers for Robert Branch he is likely a relative of mine.
I just did a search for something like "ship captain license" on google images. That's interesting that you might be related.
Thank you for this, I'm thinking about the least bad way to bring my boat from Los Angeles to the gulf coast.
Seems logical to just sell it lol
I think you may be right. There is a lot to be said for just selling it before you move.
Not being rude, but what was the quote to put it on a boat hauler trailer and move it to Washington state .
Seems it would be cheaper and faster time frame.
Thanks
Passingthru69 : They would not give me a quote. They recommended either putting it on a ship, or contacting them again if I was able to reduce the shipping height. Just about all those yacht trucking companies have a button on their web page for a free quote if you have a particular boat in mind.
Are you willing to share the company you ended up using? I'm looking to make the trip from the PNW to Miami then take it from there.
Brooks Yacht Transport (Miami)
@@seattleboatguy Your video was an excellent source of info! Was there any downside to this company that I should be aware of other than the ones mentioned in general in this video?
@CarolynBartlett-c6f : Brooks did a pretty good job for me. You just have to realize that neither Brooks Transport, nor anyone else, knows when a ship will actually reach port. Shipping "schedules" are fiction. The ship gets there when they get there.
I wonder if you could ship by rail?
@@KillerNetDog : If you could fit your boat in a container, I would say yes. Otherwise, I'm not optimistic. I have enjoyed watching trains all my life, but I've never seen one carrying a boat.
you still have the boat? no new boating videos.
Between Covid and an electrical upgrade, my poor boat has been basically glued to the marina dock in Blaine WA.
i would jump at a Opportunity to take my boat from the East Coast to the West Coast going through the Panama Canal and coming around why not, if you have an ocean capable boat do it consider it an adventure
An adventure like that would be something you would remember for the rest of your life.
Are you enjoying Washington? In hindsight, do you wish you had motored the yacht yourself and saved a lot of money?
Hi Kevin. I'm delighted to be back in Washington. I have no regrets about the way I did it. For me, in the current environment, the yacht transport ship was the least bad option. I am sooo thankful I am not sitting in Florida right now with a For Sale sign on my boat. But, everyone is different.
@@seattleboatguy The personal work you put into your boat really made it worth it, I think, if you imagine the feeling you'd have sitting in Washington looking at doing it all over again to a new used boat (as you pointed out in your video). By the way, I was born and raised in Florida. I have not lived there in a very long time. I will probably never go back.
What about getting a tow from a cargo ship.? Is that something that can happen? Seams if you found a ship going your way, a tow line , radio contact, someone on watch, and a few grand for fuel
Why would you want to move from Fla to wa? Lol. Weather and taxes would completely be a no starter for me.
I found this video because I'm trying to move my boat FROM Washington to S. Florida....ironic. :)
Maybe we just should have swapped boats! Good luck with your move.
Why did you decide to move to Seattle?
The original plan was to move back to Seattle, where I had lived in the 1990s. But a few years ago, I took the motorcycle out to Washington to see how the city was doing. What I discovered was that it was bigger and more densely populated than what I was comfortable with. So, I went to Plan B and moved to a small town roughly 100 miles north of Seattle. I love this area because of all the water and all the mountains. But to enjoy the beauty, you have to put up with the winter rain. Life is a series of compromises.
@@seattleboatguy I could not handle 6 months of cold rain...depressing. How do you make it through the winters?
@@douglasdaniels1521 : For me, it helps to stay busy and buy the clothing necessary to stay active outside. It doesn't rain every day, and the mountains make it possible to have some fun in the snow. But there are lots of people who have to move away because of the lack of sunlight.
I have delivered boats all across the United States, Canada since 1995. Private and from the factory to the dealer were the boats are sold and end user. Boats are black holes were you deposit your money. If you want to transport your boat hire a professional! Make sure they have insurance and verify. If your going to have it delivered by a licensed captain do your homework and verify. Nothing in owning a boat is cheap!
The "black hole" description certainly applies to my experiences with recreational boating. Thanks for your insights. Good advice from a very experienced captain.
Is it lot very cold up there ?
Certainly colder than Florida, but I like all 4 seasons.
@@seattleboatguy Is it bad as Michigan it is too hot in summer and windy and cold as hell in winter and really short spring and fall I usually turn air off for about a few days and turn heat on shortly after no fun here
@@superdon1chw : I have never spent a winter in Michigan, but I believe the Pacific Ocean tends to give the Puget Sound area a milder winter than Michigan. Around here, there is much more rain than snow.
@@seattleboatguy You know I thought if I were to do this I would just move up and down the coast so I would be comfortable like stay in the 70 all year round .Is that not possible ?
@@superdon1chw : I think that kind of climate is going to be difficult to find on the East Coast. I hear Santa Barbara has a climate similar to that.
"When did logic have anything to do with boating?"" No truer words were said. lol
I own a Grand Banks 36 and my flybridge can come off to make it legal height, I looke a few months for a trucking company to haul her from Detroit to Los Angeles and only got one dam quote for 11 grand, it's 2400 miles. only one guy wanted to do it, I even had it up for bid on uship. I can't do 20 grand. 4 y
3 years ago when I bought the boat 3 companies gave me bids of 6 grand yet it doubled due to pandemic I guess. I am still looking for a hauler , now a friend say a ford f450 will tow it, it's 26000 lbs. funny everyone I contacted seems you contacted them too I saw on your video. one day I plan on making my way up to port Angeles in my trawler......I watched all your vids by the way, we have the same Lehman diesels
What do you think about cruising it there yourself? I've heard a lot of good things about the Grand Banks. Do you think she could do it okay?
I too toyed with the idea of removing my upper deck area. It appears to be bolted to the lower deck. But, I wanted no part of that project. It sounded to me like a can of worms just waiting to be opened.
Best of luck to you.
@@seattleboatguy I have the same Lehman diesels as you, I got them ready to cruise but going down thru panam etc the fuel alone would be crazy hahahaha...
What are the closest water ways to each other to then have the boat trucked across the continental divide to make the land leg as short as possible?
@@kwasg3 : My original plan was to pull the boat out of the water in Duluth MN, have it trucked over the Rockies, and put it back in the water on the Snake River. I think you could do that with a boat that was not as tall as mine.
do not move to Seattle !!!! we just got the hell out of that cold damp place , grey days , wet , hard on your boat , so miserable , hardly any marinas to gas up due to enviro laws there. We're back in Sarasota now. Do not move your boat-
Do the canal!
If I heard one more "yaaat" going mad.
My sense is your missing hired captain transportation.
Looks like I should have watched the whole video before commenting
Why would DAILY RATE be less for a Captain of a faster boat? Daily rate x days to complete the trip = Trip cost. Trip cost would be less because less days would be required to complete the trip with a faster boat but the daily rate would not be less.
Faster boats burn more fuel per mile. Just saying 'more fuel' is an incomplete comment.
When transporting by truck, height is important but beam is just as important. Highways loads have width limits without needing special permits and pilot cars. Heights can require permits and pilot cars, too.
Wow my question would be Washington.... Did you figure on voting first..... looting second..
I choose #6 - stay the hell outta Washington State
What the hell is heighth. It is height. There is not another h on the end.
height, not heigth
Height is pronounced "hi-te" . There is a 't' at the end of the word... dyslectic people will 'switch' the H and the T around to create the "TH" sound. I believe that is where the "heigth" pronunciation came from. 'Dictionary.com' has a button to hear how it should be pronounced, if you are curious.
Alas, my best efforts to change the pronunciation of "height" and "Mackinac Island" have both been spectacularly unsuccessful. My new crusade will be to simplify the spelling of most words in the English language.
$20,000 that's pretty cheap, I would have thought much more. You missed, option #6 Rail Transport.
I suppose if your boat would fit in a shipping container, rail would be an option. Keep in mind that the video was from 2020. I suspect prices have gone up since then.
@@seattleboatguy No, not container On a Flat Flatcar. Bulk and oversized cargoes move by rail all the time.
😃👍
Trip Is Cancel no Thank you! 😂😆😂😅