Shipping a boat is no easy task if you want to make sure your vessel is transported safely. There are a lot of things you must take care of in order to avoid headaches and delays upon delivery. In the following article we will talk you through the preparations in order to ship your boat.
Cruising adventures through the seven seas, wind blowing in your face, fishing adventures and gorgeous weather may be the first things that come to your mind when thinking about boats. You may even imagine yourself standing at the deck of the ship with your arms wide open and screaming: “I am the king of the world!” to the top of your lungs, such as Leonardo DeCaprio did. Unfortunately, in order to get these dreamlike moments, you must first transport your boat to where you need it. There are a number of details you must provide your agent while booking and after you do a number of considerations you must have in order to have it transported it safely.
Efficient delivery and proper shipment all depends on how good you pack your ship up in order to transport it.
How To Ship A Boat?
Here are a couple of simple tips you can follow in order to have your boat ready:
If it’s loose you lose. Making sure you strap down and secure all valuables and objects on your boat will ensure proper transport almost by a 70%. Most of boat transport dilemmas are because objects inside boat have been damaged or lost. If you leave something loose and during transport it starts rolling around inside, it is very likely it will scratch and damage your vehicle. This is fully your responsibility, a driver has enough pressure at is to make sure vehicles are delivered properly and on time. Cabin windows and doors must also be sealed and taped from the outside to avoid flapping and certain damage due to strong winds or travel conditions. Electronics, anchors should be removed if possible and well attached in the cabin of boat. Try to pad the deck and outstanding objects from your boat as much as possible, as these will not be covered by insurance in case of loss or damage; an easier way to put it, if it goes over the boat’s original shape, cover it!
Kodak the moment. Clean and wash your boat before pick up. Go over every single detail and part of the boat and take pictures. This will help you keep a record of how your boat looks like and what scratches or damages it has before pick up. Once your boat is delivered, go over it again and compare to your pictures. If you see something extra, record it. This will help you as evidence once reporting to the insurance company. Very important! Make sure these damages were not done by something you did not take care of!
Choose a Marina. Loading a boat is not the same as loading a car or a motorcycle. A boat takes up a lot more space and clearance. Find a marina that has at least a 14 ft clearance space in order to load your boat. This will avoid any narrow streets, tree branches, wires, and other inconveniences to get on the way and start your boat transport with problems. Also here you can have the assistance of specialized personnel to help you prepare and make sure your boat is ready for transport.
No cover, more protection. Yes this may seem as complete nonsense, however when shipping a boat it is not recommended you place covers on your boat or shrink wrap them. You might think this protects them along the way for the price you’re paying to get it done. Unfortunately, this is one of the cases that you do not get what you pay for. Shrink wrap can be an expensive service, but not very useful when transporting. Shrink wrap can easily rip and damage your vehicle due to strong winds through the ride. Drivers will try their best to tape it down in case this happens, however they are not responsible for any damaged done to the boat.
Empty it out! Most companies will ask you to drain fuel tanks and water tanks to reduce the weight on boats and comply by weight regulations on the road. Sometimes you will need to drain your fuel tank completely sometimes only to leave ¼ of tank. Make sure you ask your agent what are their company’s regulations. Also ask if you should unplug battery for transport as sometimes this is also a requirement.
Go over all the small details before shipping your boat. It is very important that you make sure that every single object in your boat is properly secured and all valuables are removed for the ride. Take to a marina in order to get assistance to get it ready for pick up and take pictures. A boat is not a cheap ride, make sure you take care of it in order to get what you pay for; you wouldn’t want to be cruising at the Florida Keys with a semi wrecked ship due to a transport mishap.
Now you know How to ship a boat 🙂
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