Discover Budget-Friendly & Dependable Boat Shipping with Shiply
Shiply eliminates the stress from boat transportation by assisting you in locating an affordable, trustworthy service that suits your needs. Simply create a posting on our platform & relax as shipping providers approach you with estimates to transport your boat. Once you find a quote that appeals to you, contact the transporter, verify the details, and await the collection of your boat.
What Are the Reasons for Requiring Boat Shipping?
Whether you require the transportation of a narrowboat, sailboat, small craft, or yacht, Shiply can help. Did you recently acquire a new boat & need it shipped? Or perhaps you need to get your boat to a location on land? Maybe it's too sizable for you to transport on your own? Regardless of the circumstance, Shiply can assist you in finding a dependable & professional company to ship your boat at a fair price.
Opting for a specialized boat hauler will ensure you're in capable hands. Boat haulage companies in the UK & globally will be well-versed in working with boats, marinas, and ports and should assist you with all aspects of the shipping process.
Posting your boat transportation needs on Shiply & our network of shipping providers will provide you with price quotes. You simply need to complete a form with some basic information about your boat to be shipped & you will receive complimentary estimates in pounds sterling or euros, depending on your location. Once you've obtained several quotes, you'll be able to compare companies based on their qualifications, customer reviews, & prices.
The Expense of Boat Shipping
The expense of boat shipping will vary based on several factors, but on average, you can anticipate paying between £100 to £260 for shorter distances & between £450 & £750 for longer trips. The average cost per mile for standard boat shipping is around £1.50 per mile in the UK, but this can fluctuate depending on the dimensions of the boat.
The size of the boat being transported will significantly impact the cost. For instance, small boat shipping is straightforward as they can often be hauled on the road, whereas something like a larger sailboat or narrowboat will necessitate special attention & will likely be more expensive to transport. A narrowboat may require specialized narrowboat movers due to their unique dimensions.
Whether the boat needs to be shipped within the UK or internationally will also influence the pricing, as international boat shipping will be significantly more costly & may necessitate different companies than those in the UK who specialize in road transport.
Utilizing Shiply to Locate a Boat Transporter
To create a listing on Shiply, you only need to complete a brief form with some details about your boat & the pick-up and drop-off dates & locations. Once your listing is finished, you will start receiving complimentary quotes from various shipping providers - some of which may contact you to better understand the required services so they can provide an accurate quote for the job.
There are two primary methods of boat transportation, & the method you choose will depend on where your boat needs to go. If your boat is required to be shipped in a particular way, please specify this on your Shiply listing.
By road - If your vessel needs to be hauled within the same country, you'll find that road transportation is likely to be the optimal option. If you're moving parts of a boat only or a non-starting boat, transportation by road is your sole option.
By sea or river - If your craft needs to be sailed port-to-port, then you can hire a crew to accomplish this. Crews should inspect your vessel, plot courses, & check shipping forecasts for you.
Once you have received some quotes, ensure you check the credentials & feedback of any skippers & crew hands, which you can see by viewing the shipping providers' company profiles on Shiply. If you're moving a sailboat, then RYA or MCA accredited crews are the qualifications to look out for.
With any type of transportation, it's crucial to check the level of experience & professional insurance coverage that they offer (do not accept personal insurance) so you can make the most informed decision for your individual situation.
Don't hesitate to ask the companies any questions about the shipping process, as they will often have a high level of expertise.
Finding the right boat transport service can be overwhelming if you intend to compare all the prices & credentials. Larger companies might charge less, whereas smaller family-run transporters could offer you a more personalized service.
Readying Your Boat for Shipping
If your vessel is being shipped by land, there are several preparatory tasks to complete to ensure that the transportation goes as smoothly as possible. You'll want to plan as far ahead as possible to give yourself enough time to prepare for the shipping & to enable you to find a suitable transport service. Boat deliveries can be carried out in several different ways, but regardless, make sure your boat is prepared correctly to prevent any damage, leakage, or dangerous loose ends occurring during the journey.
Check the condition - Ensure you thoroughly check the interior & exterior of your vessel for any previous damage. This way, you can see if it suffers any during transit. You may want to take photographs of the condition before its journey.
Remove valuables - Ensure you take anything valuable off your boat before it's shipped, as these will not be insured.
Empty the bilge, water, refuse stores, & the majority of fuel - Pump out wastewater & other liquids. Any freshwater tanks & rubbish should be emptied, fuel tanks disconnected, & the majority of the gasoline emptied to make the boat lighter to deliver & prevent any potential leakages during transport.
Disconnect battery & tidy cables - A precaution that will help avoid draining the battery & any shortages in electronics. Despite being a waterborne vehicle, your boat might be exposed to different weather conditions when it travels on a trailer. So make sure that all exposed electronics are covered & battery cables are tucked away.
Make things secure - If they aren't travelling separately, ensure all accessories & life jackets are stowed away in lockers. Secure all doors & compartments in the galley & washrooms. Also, make sure that the canopy is extra secure, as it might not be built to travel at the same speeds as a trailer.
For sailboats - Removing all winches & rigging etc. from the mast is important (also provide padding for points at which the mast will be tied down). Pulpits, stanchions, & lifelines should only be taken off if they will make the boat too large to transport easily.
You can also check with your boatyard for any other precautions that they might think important for safe transport. If your boat is going to be sailed to its destination, make sure you arrange with the captain what preparations need to be made prior to the handover.
Once your boat is ready, all you need to do is wait for the transporter to arrive. Once you have accepted a quote on Shiply, you will be able to communicate with the shipping provider to finalize any details.
If any changes occur that may differ from what your shipping provider is expecting, make sure they are contacted & made aware so they can plan accordingly.
Boat Shipping in Maidstone, Kent, UK
Maidstone, situated in Kent, UK, is a popular destination for boat owners & enthusiasts. Many people often move their boats to & from Maidstone for various reasons, such as changing marinas, attending boating events, or for maintenance & repairs.
Shiply offers reliable boat shipping services in Maidstone, connecting boat owners with experienced transporters who specialize in boat transport maidstone. Whether you need to ship your boat to or from Maidstone, our network of maidstone boat shipping providers can assist you in ensuring your vessel reaches its destination safely & efficiently.
Finalizing Your Boat's Shipping
When your vessel safely reaches its destination on the delivery date, your boat transporter should help you with the unloading or docking & may help you with other parts of maintenance & checks (depending on what you agreed). If there are any other services you need help with, these should be specified at the beginning of the process when listing your required service on Shiply.
Either way, it's important that you check your craft post-transit to ensure that it hasn't been damaged & ask the transporter about any discrepancies so they can be sorted out quickly.
Once your boat is safely docked or secured, you can remove the tape & other securing materials, refill water tanks, reattach batteries & motors or re-rig your sailboat so it's ready to be used again.
When you're satisfied that the shipping job has been completed, please leave a review for the service you used on Shiply on their company profile. Leaving feedback is extremely helpful to us, as it helps other users when choosing a shipping provider for their own job, & it also helps transporters continuously improve their service.
