Shipping?

I've seen some boats for sale with a "shipping is negotiable" claim. How exactly would one go about shipping a boat? How much would it cost? Is it shipped by towing it with it's trailer or is it's trailer trailered (yeah, that makes a lot fo sense =/)?

I shipped a 55 foot houseboat from Phoenix Arizona to Stockton California, cost me $7000.

I would assume a ski boat would be a LOT cheaper!

I know there are several ways that a boat can be shipped. If the boat is on a trailer, there are people who will simply hook it up to their tow vehicle and drive it where it needs to go. Obviously, this has one driver moving one boat, so you are paying time and distance, usually round trip.

The trailer can also be loaded onto the back of a flatbed. A trucker might pick up such a load on a return trip just to avoid driving home empty, thus you are only paying for a one way trip. It is also possible that more than one trailer could be loaded on his truck, lowering the cost even more.

If the boat is not on a trailer then you are generally talking about loading it onto a flat bed or similar truck. The boat needs to sit on something, so there is generally a charge to have a cradle constructed.

The Super Air Nautique that I bought last year had to be shipped from Sacramento to San Jose, a distance of ~120 miles. I am sure that if I had wanted it shipped somewhere else within a similar distance it would have been "negotiable".

If you are considering buying a boat with such a claim, talk to the seller and ask! Boats, new and used of all different sizes are shipped all over the place, so it can certainly be done.

Rod