Having a RIB shipped across country

PacificNWrib · 01 March 2007, 18:33

Does anyone have any experience in doing this? I am looking at a project RIB in the NE and would like to get it to the NW.

Thoughts or ideas?

jyasaki · 01 March 2007, 18:44

Some trucking firms will ship for a reasonable fee when they have open trailer space. How big a boat are you looking at?

jky

PacificNWrib · 01 March 2007, 18:53

A 440. So 14ft and 5 inches long.

Donnie144 · 01 March 2007, 19:16

It was a F@#!@ night mare!! It took 3 months to get the damn thing out of the door and a lot of foot work on my end. Most of the problems came from getting it rigged before shipping though. If I had to do it over I would have gave up the 4K I saved by having it rigged over there and did it local. If I was buying another RIB for the east coast I would spend the week to drive out and pick it up. For a 6.5M I think the shipping charge was about 3.5K plus another 1k for the packing and shipping cradle. All of my problems came from the dealer end not the shipping end. Once Watkins picked it up they did manage to put a hole in a tube and crack the housing on one of my motors.

sunrider · 01 March 2007, 19:17

You might want to check out uShip.com. The service allows you to post a shipment and ask for bids, which will come from pro truckers and also people like me who just happen to be going your way. I have used it several times to have items shipped to me, and also have towed other people's boats cross country to offset my expenses when I'm travelling to pick up or deliver one of my boats.

Be careful about checking a shipper's references though....I've had several people not follow through with agreements - the result was inconvenience but no lost dollars.

A boat that size would fit easily on a flatbed, or could be hauled by someone going your way. There is a search function on the web site that will give you average costs for similar loads for comparable shipments. If towed on its own trailer you could expect bids in the $1-1.50/mile range, but if you're not in a hurry might get lucky and get it at half that price.

best of luck.....

Dave Berry · 01 March 2007, 19:32

We have shipped a few 10 ft. RIBs to Florida for some of our customers. Each time we made a crate to fully enclosed and protect the boat. We have never had any claims for shipping damage. Consider going overboard with the packaging so you don't have any repairs to make once you receive the boat.

DB

jyasaki · 02 March 2007, 06:28

As to my post; contact a couple of trucking agencies where you need to have the boat shipped from. Most trucking companies are pretty well networked with every other one; they can probably give you some advice.

If you do it commercially, you're going to spend the fortune that Donnie talked about.

jky

Stoo · 03 March 2007, 03:24

You might also check with one of the RIB manufacturers in Vancouver area... Zodiac Hurricane, Titan, Polaris... They ship boats east all the time... so presumably, whoever schleps them east, could just as easily schlep them west...

jyasaki · 03 March 2007, 07:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stoo

so presumably, whoever schleps them east, could just as easily schlep them west...

Didn't realize you were a schlepper. Stoo...

jky

prairie tuber · 03 March 2007, 14:03

Better to schlep to your customers than to schtoop them!

Stoo · 03 March 2007, 19:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by prairie tuber

Better to schlep to your customers than to schtoop them!

Well, unless you're a Hooker of course. But that's a whole different topic...

pathalla · 04 March 2007, 02:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stoo

Well, unless you're a Hooker of course. But that's a whole different topic...

cillit bang???

Cabs · 21 March 2007, 16:21

I'd also recommend talking to a local full service marina - they're quite familiar with shipping boats and are well connected. To the recommendation of talking to Polaris and NorthWind - I'd suggest calling some of the east coast manufacturers, Nautica, Novurania, AquaScan, Ribcraft.

Jklingel · 22 March 2007, 06:32

Is your boat on its own trailer? (I read the posts quickly.... that is my excuse if this was mentioned already....). If so, I hired Skipjack Logistics to haul my boat from the e coast to Ak, and it "only" ran me $5000. That is a long-butt way, too. Ribcraft prep'd it (fairly well. don't get me started) and it arrived w/out holes in the tubes, etc. Check them out??? Good luck. It is always a gamble. Make sure your carrier has insurance!

jyasaki · 22 March 2007, 17:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cabs

I'd also recommend talking to a local full service marina - they're quite familiar with shipping boats and are well connected. To the recommendation of talking to Polaris and NorthWind - I'd suggest calling some of the east coast manufacturers, Nautica, Novurania, AquaScan, Ribcraft.

When Polaris delivered my RIB (from Canada to Northern California) it was Guy doing the trailering. I know he has personally delivered boats to Sacramento, and San Diego, as well.

The only commercial delivery that I heard of him hiring was putting a 40'-ish RIB on a train bound for Newfoundland(?)

He built a couple of largish RIBs for a whale watching outfit in Hawaii; I never asked how he got them there.

But, I suppose you could still ask.

jky

Stringer Bell · 03 May 2007, 03:18

Mine got shipped from Maine to Florida for $800. Marina to Marina. On a 18wheeler. Its a 23ft center console RIB. Deflated sides, and huge forklift loaded it, and I paid extra $50 at local marina to unload it. Place that shipped it is called Journey's End Marina, and they are in Maine. Call them up, if they can't do it - they will send you to someone who can. Took 3 days.

Forgot to mention, boat was on its own trailer all the time.