Boat shipping

H

hackalar

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Feb 17, 2005
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16331
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I am looking to move my carver 355 from Tennessee to Panama City fl. Thought about driving it down but maybe cheaper and easier to have it shipped.?

Who would you guys recommend to ship it?
It's a 540 mile trip any idea the cost?
 
I just got a quote for $1800 to move my Carver 350 about 90 miles. Also need to get a price to remove fly bridge and reinstall it after transit. Jim
 
Sounds like a nice boat trip to me! Lets do some simple math I don't know what your burn rate is but lets say you get close to 1 mpg this would be 540 gallons at $4 a gallon that's $2160 plus slip fee if you spend a few nights in a marina. If all goes well probably going to be 3k to drive it home. If I had the time I would be driving it! It's a great way to get to know your boat this is assuming it not a fixer upper that needs a bunch of work before it could make the trip.
 
I paid $6500 to deliver mine, same distance but a bigger boat, needed two escorts. I was also getting quotes for the same boat shipping from FL to NJ and the range was $8K-$10K. Hope this helps. If you can I think Dave's idea is best.
 
It's about 800 ish miles by water. I do have the time and the boat is in great shape but I still worry about a major breakdown. I would also want somebody with more experience to go with me. I only know the river system and know nothing about coastal cruising.
When I bought the boat over a year ago I drove it 240 miles to my marina and loved the journey. I have to say I would love to drive it to florida. Just a lil nervous.
 
Several years ago I helped another member bring his boat from NC to NY it was between 750 and 825 miles if memory serves me it took about 5 long days to make the trip. This was a new boat but neither of us were familiar with the route so he hired a captain I think at the time it was about $200 a day plus travel expenses to get him home at the end of the trip (we also had to feed him). It was money well spent! He knew all the right places to stop as well as eat, we ate well every night:) It was an adventure I would do it again in a heart beat.
 
LOL no sorry I would if I could:) But I wouldn't be surprised if someone here would offer to take the trip.
 
I've always considered "prepping" a boat for shipping to equate with "major surgery".

My suggestion is to take an experienced boater friend plus a hired captain. The trip will serve as a good "shake down/shake loose" cruise for the vessel as well as for the Captain. Having the hired captain removes some of the anxiety and serves as a backup for possible navigational and/or serious mechanical issues.

fwiw: decades ago, Dad accepted delivery on a new Bertram 31 FB in Miami and we cruised it back to New Orleans via the Bahamas. Dad, 16 yr old son ( with much experience in the previous 31 Bertram ) and experienced captain. Having the hired Captain aboard was useful when we spun a prop and shaft off while reversing into a slip... ( thus the "shake loose" phrase )

Make it trip. You will learn a lot about your own skills and your new boat. Have fun!
 
Hack:
Nervous is good. Get good charts and cruising guide info, prep the boat well. Then go.
Remember that a long trip is simply a bunch of short trips each day. Once you get to the new location every trip will be a new experience fora while. Your delivery will be similar. Most important is don't rush, no schedule and anchor a few times instead of marinas.
 
I visited with "loopers" in the Marina at Columbus MS.
It's a Great trip. Gas and Fresh water all the way. Moorages are good. And you'll have plenty of company along the way.
 
Gas or Diesel? I will guess it's a gasser, not that it matters just wondering about your cruising speed and consumption. For example, we travel from the Ft. Myers area to Elbow Cay in the Bahamas every year. It's about 400 miles. We get about 1.5 nmpg. We stop in Clewiston, Stuart, North Palm Beach, West End, Spanish Cay and then White Sound. Invariably we get stuck at Stuart waiting on a window to cross the Gulf Stream. Logistics make it convenient to stop and wait there instead of North Palm.
So, we blew about 100 bucks in Clewiston, then 600 in Stuart for a month and put 350 bucks in diesel into the tanks. Then a night at North Palm and West End, which is another 200. Fuel at West End again, maybe 400 bucks. Spanish Cay adds in about 100 as well. So adding that up, it takes about 1400-1500 bucks to move the boat over here. Considering that the montly stay is a constant no matter where you are, one could argue that should not be included. You will pay that along the way waiting on a weather window, or, at the home port after arrival.
Looking at the itinerary, quite a bit of this is on the river coming South.
Hopefully by the time you reach the GOM you have a good handle on the boat. Certainly before leaving you have picked up spares that include filters, plugs if required, caps, rotors, impellers, belts and such. You might even change the oil before leaving unless it is CLEAN.
Once down on the GOM, look over all of the alternative ports of call.

But more importantly, get some online charts and software. Load up and plan the journey. You may be pleasantly surprised to see that a large portion if not all of this is possible via the ICW in relatively protected water. For example, get set up on activecaptain.com and then look at the online cruising guide with the nautical chart view. You will see all of the marinas, anchorages etc.. It's a terrific resource.

I say goferit. You'll have a great time while improving your skills and knowledge of the boat. More over, you meet a mess of new folks and probably make a bunch of new friends.
 
There is a company near Lake Lanier, a guy that Woodsong knows, that I had talked to about moving boats, he thought it possible to move boats in the south at taller heights. May be possible to move it without removing the bridge, maybe just the hardtop, which is not too bad. May be worth a call to check it out. Removing the bridge is a pretty big job, and will be expensive to have it done by a marina at both ends.
Certainly driving it would be much more fun.
 
It cost me about $1000 on each end when I had my fly bridge removed for shipping. No wires were cut as all were on plugs to the bridge. Didn't disconnect the hydraulic steering lines either. They removed the steering unit from the helm and shrink wrapped all the wires, lines and cables together in one package. Not a puzzle to reconnect on the other end.
 
Do it on her own bottom... You will never regret it.
 
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