Shipping advice....need help!!

K

KStruglia

Member
Oct 18, 2010
40
Southeast PA
Boat Info
2006 300 Sundancer
Engines
Twin 350 Mag MPI Horizon's,
Bravo III
We're purchasing a 300 sundancer in Nevada this weekend and moving it almost 3000 miles to the east coast. Any thoughts/experiences about shrink wrapping it? Some shippers say to shrink wrap, others say not to. It was also recommended by the surveyor to remove the radar arch. Any help would be much appreciated!




:smt100The wife
 
Removing the arch adds to your cost, particularly if you have arch mounted electronics like GPS antennae, radar arrays/domes, etc. Talk to your trucker and see if the height with the arch in place is a problem based on his trailer deck heith, if it isn't, I wouldn't remove it.

For a trip like 3000 miles, I would shrink wrap the boat. This time of year you will end up with a gigantic clean up job on your hands trying to get 3000 miles of diesel soot and road film out of every nook and cranny and every stitch line on the boat. Even with shrink wrap, I would seal cabin entry with tape. The most negative issue with shrink wrap for transport is that the shrink wrap job has to be a good one and the edges all sealed down for 80 mph winds. A typical winter shrink wrap job done for a boat yard storage where the boat doesn't move will work its way loose and can chafe the fiberglass. Every new Sea Ray or Whaler is delivered to the dealer under shrink wrap....and the boats don't even need washing when they are uncovered.

You didn't ask, but be sure you have the insurance side of this arrangement covered. A lot of transporters have very high deductibles which could leave you self insured if your boat policy doesn't cover the transport.

Good luck with the move............
 
In the FWIW category, when I bought/transported my 550 from Detroit to Portland, OR I encountered some of the same delays/excuses/add'l charges that were mentioned in that other thread. Here's the story of my experience: http://clubsearay.com/forum/showthread.php?t=30642&highlight=Beachcomber

One thing I would suggest is that if you have to do any disassembly of your boat, have someone from the marina that will do the reassembly be at the purchase site to surpervise the tear down. He knows he's going to have to put it back together so he'll take more pains with taking it apart.

Also be aware that everyone you deal with through the process will lie to you to grease the skids to make the deal go through. In my purchase I was fortunate to be forewarned by someone who knew the selling broker that he would lie/cheat/steal to make the deal go through. The selling broker recommended a trucker that he knew (I suspect he would get a kickback) but when I checked out the trucker online I found he was being sued by several people and had a court case pending that was brought by a state because of his fraudulent business practices. When I mentioned this to the selling broker his comment was "well, he's a bit of a goof ball but he has the right equipment to do the job."

I definitely would shrink wrap the boat. With all the snowing/melting/raining going on at this time of year you will save yourself a lot of cleanup time if you wrap it.

Don't forget to put all the cushions, carpets and anything else that could blow out down in the cabin. Don't overlook the possibility that the shrink wrap could tear and be removed by the trucker. Trucker's normally won't spend a lot of time re-taping the shrink wrap, they'll be more likely to just remove it and not be bothered.

Also, don't plan on holding the trucker to his schedule. He'll be delayed by weather, road construction and all sorts of other stuff. No matter how many days he says it will take to deliver it, add a couple days to that. If he uses the extra days you won't be too pissed off. If he doesn't....well you got a nice surprise.
 
Do your best to not remove the arch. I would be very surprised if you cannot find a shipper with a low-boy trailer to handle your height. You will be surprised how close your boat will ride to the road.

I vote for shrinkwrap for that long of a distance. I have also had the dash/electronics covered in shrink, in case of a leak or failure. I have had my 440 trucked twice, with the arch on, over 500 miles each trip. I did not shrink the entire boat, but did do the dash for those trips. Trust me, it is a mess. And if it rains, well.......

DO NOT choose a carrier based on price. Do your homework and find the best carrier you can. Trust me, it is worth the extra money, if there is any.
 
I would suggest for that size boat contact some dealers in the area and see who they use. You should be able to fit that boat on a standard boat trailer and move it with a commercial pick up truck (it would be a lot less $$$ that way than removing the arch to put it on a conventional flat bed if the trucker does not have a low-boy trailer). Plus it would lower your fuel costs too! If there are any commercial haulers in your area that do manufactured housing moving (aka house trailers/double wides) they may provide you with guidance in finding someone. You may still need permits for oversize load (depending on beam and states traveled through). Shrink wrap is an very good idea as road scum will make you buffing days longer than neccessary!! Good Luck! and post pics when you get it!
 
I would echo the comments above as well. We had our 340 shipped from Idaho/Spokane, WA to Wisconsin this last November in the very first snow storms of the season. I found out the hard way that not shrink wrapping has caused us weeks worth of cleaning. There is fine sand EVERYWHERE.

Also, we did not remove the arch, which I am very thankful for after reinstalling the radar dome, GPS and TV. This was enough work in and of itself. We were very fortunate on the trucker and he did everything possible to accomodate our schedule. Good luck!
 
Call Bill Joule, Bill Joule Marine Transport - office (941-723-1326) cell (727-798-0011). His only business is shipping boats and the sea ray factory is one of his customers. He is a professional boat transporter.
 
Thanks to everyone for all the helpful advice! We decided to not remove the arch for transport if at all possible. The boat has a custom trailer for it and we are debating whether it's worth the extra cost to put it all on a flatbed. The weather is a big concern as they currently have 12 feet of snow and we want the boat sooner rather than later. We can leave the boat in Nevada for a month in dry storage before transporting and avoid some of the sand/snow issue. That's not our preference but it's an option. Have any of you had damage from sand while moving your boat?
 
When a boat is shrink wrapped / shipped from Sea Ray, the seams where the shrink wrap meets the side of the hull is sealed with tape. The shrink wrap is right about 1/2 way down the side of the boat...it covers the S/R emblem on the side of my 300. I helped my dealer unwrap the boat, the tape I mentioned really sticks to the hull and does a nice job of prohibiting wind from getting underneath it.

You mention sand damage...Do you mean from pulling a boat on a trailer? Or being hauled on a low-boy? Consider this, a lot of State DOT are now spraying a brine solution on intersates if there is a hint of snow or the possibility of bridge decks freezing. The brine solution is made out of calcium chloride. This stuff pits concrete garage floors, and rusts the undercarriage of a car. I would not want to transport a boat through that stuff.
 
Just another thought.....When I bought my boat 2 years ago in NJ, I thought about having it shipped back to me the few hundred miles. After talking with the PO's mechanic who was helping me get her ready I decided against it. He stated that the year before he bought a boat in Maryland and had it transported back to NJ. The boat was mint when he bought it but had significant gelcoat pitting on the hull by the time he got it back. I believe he moved it around this time of year as I was going to do also. There was still a ton of sand and winter debris on the roads that must have been kicking up and doing damage. I opted to wait another month and drive my boat back through the Atlantic!

I know you don't have that option but, maybe waiting a little until the street sweepers start-up and putting some protection (like that clear plastic they stick on carpets) on the lower part of the hull will help you avoid his problem!

Good luck with the transport and keep us posted!
 
After many phone calls, I'm hoping we've found someone that can shrinkwrap the entire boat with an industrial shrinkwrap (excluding the very bottom). Based on everyones helpful advice, we decided we need to wait at minimum a few weeks before trying to transport. The boat is in mint condition right now and it would be devastating to get it here and have the gelcoat destroyed by the road grit. Love to have it for April 1st and get it in the water but it took us a few months just to find this boat so we'll have to be impatiently waiting!
 
K,
That sounds like a good plan!! Best of luck with the transport and your new toy!!!
 
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