Boat Shipping Costs

Boat owners, just like any other people who own vehicles, may not want to sail them if the distance is too large or if they lack time. If you’re moving to another state or country or just leaving for a few months for work or a vacation, you may not have time to invest in sailing your boat. Furthermore, if the transport must be carried on land, then sailing it will not be possible.

For these situations, you can call a shipping company. Most new clients worry about the price, but it’s rarely as high as you might imagine. It can also be negotiated and adjusted through discounts, cheaper methods, and/or comparing quotes. Next, we will discuss what factors affect boat shipping costs, and which options are cheaper.

Mode of Transport

Boat shipping companies use three main modes of transportation for their services: by road, by sailing the boat itself to the destination, or by ship. The shipping cost is different for each mode. Sailing is the cheapest choice for the transport of large ships, either in the middle of the ocean or over short distances. Although road transportation is a common choice when moving boats over long routes, when going to a destination with poor road infrastructure, it may be better to ship them by sea. The type of transportation used and the distance that must be covered play a significant role in defining the total cost of the shipment.

Method of Transport

Another element that influences the total cost of the boat’s transport is the shipping method chosen by the service providers. Roll-on roll-off shipping and container shipping are two of the most widely used methods of boat transportation.

Container Boat Transportation

The cost of using containers is influenced by the amount of ships loaded in it. You can opt for full services, and your boat will be exclusively hosted in a container. Or, you can choose the shared service or groupage container service, and your boat will be loaded together with multiple others. The groupage option is ideal for people that have to stay within budget, but it does not provide the same security level as an exclusive container service.

Roll-On Roll-Off Boat Transportation

With this transportation mode, the boat gets loaded on a trailer and then rolled on a cargo ship. When it arrives at the delivery site, the trailer will roll off. This method is cheaper than container boat shipping.

Besides the type of transport used, other factors need to be considered: the distance that needs to get covered, the volume or weight of the boats that will be shipped, as well as the weather forecast at departure and during the voyage.

Boat Value

Boat shipping companies take into account the value of the cargo when they calculate the cost of its transport, as it holds importance for obtaining an insurance policy. New ships have a higher value on the market. Therefore, their transportation costs are higher than those of second-hand ships.