Is overland boat transport safe?

[tenders]

If the thought of stepping and restepping the mast seems like a daunting amount of work, you should definitely not buy a distant boat. The mast will be the easiest part of the process. And I wonder if your expectations of “turnkey” are going to be realistic in the 35-38’ range. The only turnkey sailboats are charter boats, and they are that way only because somebody else is doing the work.

 

[Drewm3i]

I would expect to pay close to 10K to transport something like an Ericson 38 cross-country, maybe more. You can get a whole lot more boat value for 10K. Hence it is usually not economical or advised.

 

[Loren Beach]

I would expect to pay close to 10K to transport something like an Ericson 38 cross-country, maybe more. You can get a whole lot more boat value for 10K. Hence it is usually not economical or advised.

So very true. But I would also look at this in terms of time -- if this boat is going to be a "last boat" or at least sailed & enjoyed for a decade, then the condition might well justify the relocation.
(After our first 20 years of ownership, the $ cost of trucking it up the West coast became a complete non issue for us. However, this is just One Opinion!)

 

[Drewm3i]

So very true. But I would also look at this in terms of time -- if this boat is going to be a "last boat" or at least sailed & enjoyed for a decade, then the condition might well justify the relocation.
(After our first 20 years of ownership, the $ cost of trucking it up the West coast became a complete non issue for us. However, this is just One Opinion!)

Agree. I have shipped one boat in all my years of floating the idea--the costs have just been too high.

 

[steven]

I shipped a 27 once Ft Lauderdale to Annapolis.
(Wife and I had sailed down but I had to return to my job so couldn't sail her back).

Went smoothly.
But took alot of prep.

Had the Lauderdale yard prepare the rig.
Mast was strapped to the deck but think for a bigger boat is might be tied directly to the trailer.

I prepared the inside and had the yard double check - everything (!) needs to be removed or well tied down and protected from vibration.
Including for example drawers, closet doors, hoses, wiring, . . . including things you might not think of - for example if you have a brass lock at the companionway hatch, it cannot be allowed to vibrate against your hatch boards.

--Steve

 

[Barbixy]

Great Lakes Marine has trucked my boat twice a year for 5 years. They haven't taken mine far, but they do regularly move boats cross-country. Dropping or stepping a mast is routine for them. These guys do 100's of sailboats twice a year every year. If I wanted to get my boat to the ocean in a hurry I wouldn't hesitate to have them do it for me.

Thank you.