Has anyone bought a boat site unseen from across the country or anything like that? I am looking at several boats and wondered if someone could direct me to a good transport company that is not going to break the bank.

to answer your question, yes I have and I had the guy meet me half-way. Boat transport is expensive, #1 gas prices are expensive, #2 they are a specialty item...meaning they won't fit on a car carrier. Unless you get a smokin deal, it's usually nto worth it , especially with gas/diesel hoovering around $3.00/gal.

I looked at buying a boat a few states away. I looked into boat shiping prices. There expensive. Unless you are getting a super sweet deal its generally not worth doing. I looked at a boat in Texas and i am in california. It was something like 5500 to ship it. It was only a quote but even if it is slightly less it still makes it overpriced. Good luck!

To transport is not worth it. I thought about it before my last boat. <BR> <BR>If you trust the seller or rather know your going to buy the boat. I found it would have been cheaper to rent a truck and grab two friends and ride every lake all the way home. Pending on air fair you might be able to fly out and drive back.

if you get resourceful you can get a good rate. boat companies ship full trucks to dealers and then they are empty and have to pay the return gas anyway. i shipped a boat from texas to oregon a few years ago and got a lead from US Marine. They have their own transportation division and it was very reasonable and reliable. there are also local boat delivery guys that if you can get them on an empty return you can negotiate a good rate.

I really would never would recomend buying a boat unseen, but if you need to transport a boat, look for trucker forums. you can post your need and then truckers who may be coming home empty can contact you about picking it up. <BR> <BR>I build Jeep's as a hobby, and have talked with many people shipped entire vehicles or just oversize items like frames this way. For the trucker it is free money, he had to drive that way anyway and the wight of your boat does not impact his mileage.

I would not transport it. I met a guy halfway between WI and LA in TN where I was able to drive the boat and test it out before I handed any money over.

I bought a boat unseen and had it transported 04 MC X2 with 33hours. I actually felt better about the transport than buying the boat. I saw digital pictures, had it taken to a dealer, inspected etc. I love the boat but all the "little" things bothered me, ie. scratches, marks, small tears, stains, bent or dented items, it just showed that it wasn't taken care of as well as I'd liked by the previous owner. I saved money, but spent on the boat anyways. <BR> <BR>As for the shipping, I posted it on uship.com (it is a lot like ebay for transport) they bid to win your business, you can tell them if you want it towed or trailered, inside or out. You can communicate with them via email before you accept their bid. It gave me enough confidence to give a boat to someone to tow from GA to ID.