How To Transport a Boat [Everything You Need To Know]

Transporting a boat can be difficult over extremely long distances. If you’re used to driving it to the river for a day of fishing or sailing, it might seem tempting to do it on your own, but you really need to hire a professional transport services company for cross-country trips and moving to a new home out of state.

Whatever the reason is, it’s not something most people have to do often. So, here’s a quick guide on how to transport a boat. 

Choose a Company: 

The company you choose is important. Not only will it determine how much you’re paying, but it will also determine whether or not you’ll have to worry about your boat the entire time. We recommend finding the best boat transport possible. While you’ll likely pay within the common range of a few hundred to almost $1800, you’ll be able to trust that your boat will get where it’s going in one piece. 

Try to call around a bit, and find the boat transport service that offers you a reasonable deal while also proving they have the right equipment for the job and a stellar reputation. 

Prep the Boat: 

You’ll need to do some prep work before you take your boat to the transport service. The most basic part of this is washing your boat off. This will keep it from getting other boats in the trailer dirty, and it’ll keep that dirt from sitting on your boat the entire time it’s in transport. This is especially true if you use the boat in saltwater and the long-term exposure can corrode it. 

Then, you need to get the fuel out of the tank, and if you have any live wells filled, empty those as well. This will lower the boat’s weight and make it a lot easier to transport. 

Removing attachments is also key. Out of the water, attachments can become a liability. They can get dislodged and fly around or off the trailer, throw off the boat’s weight when it’s being lifted, etc.

Once you’ve done that, you simply need to get your personal items out of the boat. If you have equipment stored in the boat, remove it, check your console for paperwork and other items you’ll want to keep a hold of and make sure to take those things with you. 

Finally, make sure to take pictures of your boat. You’ll want to have evidence of the state it was in before being transported. 

Pay and Check: 

Finally, let’s assume you’re picking your boat up from the agreed pick up location. You’ll need to pay and sign some paperwork, but it’s also key that you check for damage before you leave the location. If you notice something that wasn’t there before transferring a boat, bring it to the service’s attention. If you leave the lot without checking, it becomes harder to prove that the damage was caused during transport. 

If everything looks like it did when you dropped the boat off, you’re ready to hook it up to your trailer and haul it to its next destination.