All - Thanks so much for the help! I believe we've got this one solved (at least for the moment) Mort was able to send photos of his E35-3 (which was shipped along a similar route) with pulpit and lifelines still installed (also of note, his boat is BEAUTIFUL!!! One of the finest examples of a 35-3 I've seen). The shipper (now selected - I can give their name, but I'd prefer to see how this journey goes first before making any recommendations, not to mention I'd like to glance at the forum rules to see if such things are kosher) said the keel will sit around 6" above the road surface, citing that he's got one of the lowest trailers in the industry. That should keep the overall height below the max 13' 6" required for most states East of the Mississippi even with the pulpits and lifelines installed.
I suppose the only advice I'd appreciate at this point is a suggested list of items to check/secure/do prior to shipping. The shipper has a list, of course, but if there's any "lessons learned" anyone would care to share, I'd much appreciate it. The boat being shipped is by no means an immaculate gem - I'll say that now - so there likely isn't much need to shrink-wrap it or anything. The road grime that will surely accumulate from the trip is the least of its worries. Still, it is quite a serviceable and solid boat, and with the tips I've already received on the forum I hope to get her into tip-top shiny shape and enjoy her for many years.
Kindest Regards,
Brian.
Sounds like you've done a good job of "due diligence" and the result should be good.
About the actual move.... When we had our new-to-us boat trucked from SF to Portland I did learn a few bits of trivia. Main one is the same lesson - on a grander scale - that I knew from driving hundreds of miles trailering our first sailboat. Basically that a teeny tiny bit of constant movement or vibration will cause amazing chafing over many hours/miles.
So go over the deck stuff, if anything remains that can move at all. In our case all of the standing rigging was coiled up and padded and secured inside. We transported the boom, pole, and radar mast separately in a friend's pickup with a roof rack... along with
every bit of misc. boat stuff we could jam inside his canopy. 12 hours back to Portland, 95 degrees for a lot of it, and no AC. A "memorable" trip. We trading driving every couple hours.
The yard guys in Alameda wrapped the spar with carpet and plastic. They said they would charge me for the carpet pieces and they did. No duct tape directly on the aluminum, though. They had a lot of experience. Honest folks and thorough.
Be sure - really sure - that your hatches are closed and secured. I know of another boat that had a housetop hatch open up and with all the windage at 60 mph was wrenched off the boat and lost. The trucker will have a key (perhaps) to the Lock on the companionway. When the trucker pulls over to an Interstate rest stop for some sleep you do not want anyone accessing the inside.
Remove any "removable" electronics and transport them separately. We did.
Heavy items like winch handles and snatch blocks can rattle around in a locker and chew up the inside veneer or finishes if not padded.
Mainly, be a bit paranoid about chafing....... more piece of mind and a more predictable outcome with detailed prep.
It's been 20 years so I have probably forgotten a lot, but Mort does this a lot more frequently. Whatever he sez is golden, IMHO.
Regards,
Loren
ps: we did not have to remove any stanchions or pulpits, and our boat draws 6'
