Things to consider before transporting your boat

Before transporting a boat from one place to another, a lot of preparation is required.

Some major preparations are described below:

Dimensions are important when requesting a quote for boat transport. If you want to

measure your boat, please follow certain guidelines.

• Measure the overall length of your boat. Do not include drives or motors, bow pulpits,

swim platforms and motor brackets.

• If you want to measure the height of your boat, measure it from the highest part of the

vessel to the bottom.

• To measure the height of the boat, measure the widest portion and include other things

that are attached to it.

Boat should be properly secured and inspected. Below are a few tips that will help in

transporting your boat securely:

• Remove all the personal items like water toys etc from the boat. If you want to leave

them, make sure they are secure. But it would be best if you could remove them and

move it with other household items.

• Disconnect battery cables

• Drain all water

• Remove seat cushions, curtains, ladders etc.

• Remove the plug

How to prepare your boat for safe transport

It is very important to transport your boat safely. Follow these guidelines to transport

your boat safely to another place.

• Make sure that your boat is properly prepared for transport otherwise the carrier will

not be responsible for damages.

• 13’6’’ is the legal height for transport boat through roadways, in most states.

• When choosing a marina for transport, choose one that has minimum of 14’ clearance

overhead with no branches or wires that interfere with the approach.

• More clearance is required for larger boats, as load is higher.

What to expect when hiring a Boat transport company

First thing to consider when choosing a boat transport company is how many years of

experience they have in this industry. Once you have chosen a company that meets your

expectations, make a contract. Read the contract carefully before signing it. In the

contract all the details about boat would be written and where it is picked up and

delivered. Other details like the dimensions, costs involved and schedule of payments to

be made will be described. A boat transport company will ask the client to pay deposit

amount. The deposit is to finalize the contract and to get you in the schedule.

On the day the truck arrives, the boat transporter will load your boat and move it to

another location that you have told him. Before loading the boat, truck driver will inspect

the boat to see whether any damage has happened prior to his arrival. He will take note of

damages and you will be made aware of those damages. If boat dimensions are oversized,

truck driver can measure the size of the boat. This is made to get order permit. Permits

are based on the overall size of the boat after it is loaded. Once the boat is loaded and

permit is in your hand your boat will begin its journey. You will get a phone call from the

transport company office that your boat is on its way.

On the delivery day, you will be called to take delivery of your boat in the destination

specified by you. Driver will notify the marina well in advance of its arrival time. Prior to

unloading, boat hauler will inspect the boat, either in your presence or yard personnel.

This is done to make sure that no damage has been done to the vessel during transport.