How To Ship a Boat

A boat is smaller than a ship and, as a naval craft, should be small enough to be carried by ship. Some boats can reach up to 1000 feet in length. As a result, there are many different ways boat owners can move their watercraft from one place to another.

• Overseas Shipping: The boat is loaded onto a ship and is then transported to another port and offloaded. Usually, this method is used for international shipping of boats.
• Overland Shipping: Most local moves take advantage of overland boat shipping. Cradles and trailers help to ensure that the boat is secure and mobile.
• Cargo Plane: Some boats are small enough to be carried by air. This approach is an alternative to sea shipping for overseas boat transport, but it is far more expensive.
• Freight Carrier Shipping: Many transport companies offer a method of loading a ship onto a boat as freight and shipping it across to its new location. 
• Roll-On-Roll-Off (RORO) Boat Shipping: Boats can be driven on (via their cradles or carriers) to a ship and then driven off. This method requires the least amount of overhead.
• Lift-On-Lift-Off (LOLO) Shipping: In this case, a crane is used to lift the boat onto a specially designed rack that holds the boat during transit. It's lifted off again at its destination.

Sailing a Boat to its Destination

While this is doable, there are a lot of other factors to consider. If the destination is distant from your embarkation point, you may be spending a lot of time on the waves. Some watercraft aren't suited for ocean journeys. Boats, in particular, can be easily swamped in open water and go under. If you're moving any significant distance away, it may be better to ship your boat rather than chancing it on the open water.

Overland Shipping Details

If you're not trying to move overseas and still have a boat to ship overland, there are a few stipulations in overland shipping you may need to be aware of, including:

• The boat must be no wider than 12'.
• The boat, without masts and rigging, should be no taller than 13'6".
• Both the source location and destination should have at least 14' of clearance for pickup and offload.

The ship should already be prepped and ready to move by the time the transport company shows up. Shipping overland via a carrier and trailer or even a container is a safe and secure method of getting your boat to its destination.

Many professional shipping companies can offer you decent cost savings for your boat shipping needs. Many of these companies give you details on what costs you'll be paying for shipping, transport, and customs fees, but these may be estimated shipping prices only. Finalized prices are only available after the ship makes berth. You may also have to pay local tolls to get your boat across state lines if you're shipping across states. 

If you're shipping internationally, you may be required to pay landing duties or costs on the size of the boat's engine. The shipping company should advise you on these costs and whether they're included in the initial quote. Most times, however, since shipping entry fees are so dynamic, many companies are unable to give you a solid quote for the additional costs until they get the boat off the port of entry.

Comprehensive boat insurance may cover your boat while it's on the open water, but it may not cover it while being transported on a ship. Freight insurance coverage may be limited as well, but many companies offer additional coverage for expensive items such as boats. Paying for the insurance will ensure that you have peace of mind in any eventuality.

Prepping the boat for a journey is a lot different if you're not simply sailing it somewhere yourself. It starts with securing all the loose parts within the ship. Ideally, if there are loose parts, they should be detached from the boat and put into a lockbox. Some clients like to shrink-wrap their boats to limit damage to the hull and for their own peace of mind. Hatches should be secured prior to loading (if any exist). Personal belongings and breakables should also be taken from the ship before loading. Empty both fuel and water tanks to ensure the boat is as light as possible for the journey. Switch off the power and disconnect terminals if necessary. Ideally, if you have other utilities inside the boat that pull power from the boat's systems, disconnecting them may also help in case they drain the battery directly.

While the shipping company can handle a lot of this paperwork for you, you'll still need to show up to fill in some details. Things like registration and ownership details would need to be put on customs sheets so that you'll be able to pick up the boat when you get to your destination. You may be required to pay at this juncture, but different shipping companies have their own procedures for payments.

The arrival time varies depending on where you're shipping as well as the traffic associated with shipping routes at the time of year. You may also need to consider other factors, including things like traffic at major shipping terminals and if a ship will need to be completely filled before it sails. Each of these will have its own impacts on whether your boat will get to its destination on time.

There are many types of boats, and each has its own methodology when it comes to shipping. Some shipping companies prefer specific methods for shipping certain kinds of crafts. Consult your shipping company to see if your boat falls into this specialized subsection.

Before you can collect the boat at its port of entry, you'll need to clear it with the local authorities. Many shipping companies do this for you automatically, but if you're trying to save on the costs of shipping, you may want to consider doing so yourself. When you leave your source location, you would have been required to present information about boat registration and other details that are necessary to show ownership. These documents and your ID will be needed depending on where in the world you're shipping the boat to.

It's important to remember that each country has its own rules for what you'll have to pay to clear incoming goods. Boats, as vehicles, may fall under the same class as automobiles or maybe in a class of their own. Most shipping companies deal with tax payments and duty fees automatically. If you choose to do it yourself, you'll need to familiarize yourself with what the local authorities require.

Many locales also require you to register your boat with the authorities before you start using it. Once again, these details could be avoided in some cases by choosing the right transport company to help you.

When choosing a shipping company, A1 Transport offers superb deals for our clients. We offer insurance for boat shipping and all other freight. We've been doing shipping for years, so if you want a professional company that knows the ropes when it comes to shipping boats, give us a call today!