Proper preparation of your boat for transport requires careful planning and attention to detail.
Please be sure the boat is ready to go when we get there to pick it up.
Besides having to pay the driver for unnecessary delay, this also causes us to get behind on the pick up and delivery of other boats we have scheduled for transport.
Your cooperation is appreciated.
Please remember that if your boat is being moved at 60 miles per hour into a
14 mile per hour head wind, it is experiencing hurricane force conditions.
Particularly for smaller boats, some of the preparation information below may not apply to your boat.
Preparation for transport is not the carrier’s responsibility.
We will not be responsibile for damage that is the result of improper preparation nor will we be responsible for damage to or from caused by any item that shakes loose, becomes unattached, drops, falls or breaks.
Some examples are listed below:
Please review them while bearing in mind that these things are not the result of driver negligence but are due to road vibration and wind that are a normal part of boat transport and would happen no matter who was transporting your boat.
The best protection is to totally secure your boat and make sure you thoroghly check for any loose items or anything that might become loose.
We recommend that the boat be prepared for transport by an experienced boat yard and supervised or inspected by a licensed marine surveyor. This is particularly true for boats 30 feet and up.
General information
- Hatches should be tightly secured and sealed with tape to prevent damage from wind-driven water. The latches should also be taped securely to prevent the hatch from coming open while in transit.
- All items in the cabin should be packed securely and all locker doors should be well secured. Normally the driver won't have a key, so any loose items will cause damage.
- The batteries should be disconnected and the cables tied off to prevent contact. If engine hatch covers are battery operated, they should be secured to prevent their opening while in transit.
- The dinghy can not be transported on its davits. It should be stored in the cabin or securely lashed and padded in the cockpit.
- The boat should be carefully inspected to make sure there are no loose items in the cabin , and that any items on deck are securely lashed down.
- Shrink wrap can protect the boat from road tar and dirt. However, it can, and does also tear and can cause considerable damage. We carry tape, and we will try to repair it if possible. If we can't, we will have to remove it. Keep in mind that the driver's view is often obstructed, and at night he can't always see that the shrink-wrap has torn. Nor can the driver hear the shrink-wrap flapping or "wind-milling." We are not responsible for damage caused by shrink-wrap, canvas covering or any other cover.
- If you have a cradle for transporting your boat, please inspect it carefully for fit, strength and structural integrity. We will not assume liability for any damage that results from the failure of your boat's cradle.
- The same applies if we transport your boat on your trailer and your trailer fails.
- If you are moving a sailboat with a centerboard, please be sure that the board is strongly secured so that it will stay in the "up" position.
- After transport, the keel on sailboats will often appear to show signs of separation at the hull. This is not structural damage, but rather cracks in the paint or sealant.
- For wooden boats, we recommend that they be transported on their own custom cradle. This is suggested because there may be inherent structural weaknesses that are not readily visible or detectable. A well designed cradle will spread the weight of the boat over a much wider contact area.
- We transport boats. We do not prepare boats for transport.
Marinas and boat yards will only allow their employees to prepare boats.
Any boat that is not properly prepared for transport will be shipped on an
“As Is” basis only, and we will not be responsble for any resulting damage.
- The driver will prepare a condition report noting any obvious damage which you or your designee will be asked to sign before he leaves with the boat and again when he delivers it.
Items to be removed
it is important to remove and properly store the following items:
- All valuables
- All exterior electronics
- Anchors
- Antennaes
- Propellers
- Fuel (as much as possible) Be sure the tank is no more than 1/4 full.
- Water
- Flagstaffs
- All valuables
- All exterior electronics
- Anchors
- Antennaes
- Propellers
- Fuel (as much as possible) Be sure the tank is no more than 1/4 full.
- Water
- Flagstaffs
- The masts should normally be transported on our trailer, not on your boat. Please note that no matter how well padded, painted masts may be expected to sustain some chafing due to the vibrations of a long road trip, and we can not be responsible for this.
- Zebra Mussels. If you are moving your boat from an infected State, thoroughly inspect your boat. Check engine intake strainers, and all other through-hull fittings. Check drain scuppers, outdrives and all possible areas of attachment. DOT officers are checking boats for Zebra mussels at weigh stations. If found, your boat will be seized. You will have to arrange for hot water removal, and you may also be required to have your boat launched first in salt water if your intended destination was fresh water. We will do our best to deliver the boat at the estimated time. However, this is an approximation only due to the many factors beyond our control such as weather, traffic and marina operations. Our drivers are instructed not to move the load in any circumstance they regard as unsafe. At the sole discretion of the driver, he may decline to accept any load which he believes to be inherently unsafe for any reason.
- Proper preparation of the boat for transport is the responsibility of the owner, not the boat transport company.
- We will not be responsible for any damage to the boat that is a result of it not being properly prepared for transport.
- This includes damage to or caused by any item that becomes loose, open or unattached during transport.
Examples of damage To Or From items for which we are not responsible:
- Hatches, windows or doors that become loose or open
- Radio speakers, lights or electronics that fall from their mounts
- Radio or other antennaes
- Seat cushions that blow out
- Engine covers that come open
- Loose items inside or outside of the cabin
- Locker or cabinet drawers that come open
- Shrink wrap or canvas that tears or blows off
- Windshields that fail
- Drink holders
- Anchors
- Motor brackets
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