Boat Transport St Helens: Economical & Dependable Services for Your Craft
Are you searching for trustworthy boat transport in St Helens? Shiply is here to assist you in finding an economical & professional service that suits your needs. Simply create a listing on our platform and relax as transport providers approach you with quotes to relocate your boat. Once you find a quote that appeals to you, contact the driver, confirm, and await the collection of your boat.
Why Do You Require St Helens Boat Transport?
Whether you need a narrowboat, sailboat, small boat, or yacht transported, Shiply can help. Have you recently acquired a new vessel and require delivery? Or perhaps you need to get your boat to a destination on land? Maybe it's too sizable for you to transport yourself? Regardless of the reason, Shiply can assist you in finding a trustworthy & professional company for shipping your boat at the appropriate price.
Opting for a specialist boat hauler will ensure you're in safe hands. Boat haulage companies in the UK and internationally will understand the intricacies of working with boats, marinas, and ports and should assist you with all aspects of the transportation process.
Listing your boat transportation on Shiply and our network of transport providers will provide you with price quotes. You simply need to complete a form with some basic information about your boat to be transported & you will receive free quotes in pounds sterling or euros, depending on your location. Once you've received several quotes, you'll be able to compare companies by their qualifications, customer feedback, and costs.
The Expense of Boat Transport
The expense of boat transport will vary depending on several factors, but as an average cost, you can anticipate paying between £100 to £260 for shorter distances and between £450 & £750 for longer journeys. The average cost per mile for standard boat transport is around £1.50 per mile in the UK, but as mentioned, this can vary depending on the size of the boat.
The dimensions of the boat being moved will significantly impact the cost. For example, small boat transport is straightforward as they can often be hauled on the road, whereas something like a larger sailboat or narrowboat will require special attention and will likely cost more to transport. A narrowboat may require specialist narrowboat movers due to their unique size.
Whether the boat needs to be transported within the UK or internationally will also play a role in the pricing, as international boat transport will cost significantly more and may require different companies to those in the UK who specialize in road transport.
Why People Frequently Move Boats to and from St Helens, Merseyside, UK
St Helens, situated in Merseyside, UK, is a popular destination for boat owners. Many individuals choose to relocate their boats to and from St Helens for various reasons. The town is located near several waterways, including the Sankey Canal and the River Mersey, making it an ideal location for boating enthusiasts.
Moreover, St Helens is home to numerous marinas and boatyards, offering a range of services for boat owners, such as maintenance, repairs, and storage. These facilities attract boat owners from across the region, leading to a high demand for boat transport services to and from St Helens.
Utilizing Shiply to Find a Boat Transporter
To create a listing on Shiply, you only need to complete a short form with some details about your boat and of the pick-up & drop-off dates and locations. Once your listing is complete, you will start receiving free quotes from different transport providers - some of which may reach out to you to better understand the required services so they can know how best to quote for the work.
There are two primary methods of boat transportation, and the method you choose will depend on where your boat needs to go. If your boat is required to be transported in a particular way, please specify 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 best option. If you're moving parts of a boat only or a non-starting boat, transportation by road is your only option.
- By sea or river - If your craft needs to be sailed port-to-port, then you can hire a crew to do this. Crews should inspect your vessel, plot courses, and check shipping forecasts for you.
Once you have received some quotes, ensure you check the credentials & feedback of any skippers and crew hands, which you can see by viewing the transport 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 and professional insurance cover that they offer (do not accept personal insurance) so you can make the most informed decision for your individual situation.
Do not hesitate to ask the companies any questions about the transportation 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 Transport
If your vessel is being transported by land, there are several preparatory tasks 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 transport and 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 transported, as these will not be insured.
- Empty the bilge, water, refuse stores, and the majority of fuel - Pump out wastewater & other liquids. Any freshwater tanks and rubbish should be emptied, fuel tanks disconnected, and the majority of the gasoline emptied to make the boat lighter to deliver and prevent any potential leakages during transport.
- Disconnect battery & tidy cables - A precaution that will help avoid draining the battery and 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 and 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 and compartments in the galley and 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, and 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 directly with the transport provider.
If any changes occur that may differ from what your transport provider is expecting, ensure they are contacted & made aware so they can plan accordingly.
Completing Your Boat's Transportation
When your vessel safely reaches its destination on the delivery date, your boat transporter should assist you with the unloading or docking and 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 and 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 and motors, or re-rig your sailboat so it's ready to be used again.
When you're satisfied that the transportation 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 assists other users when choosing a transport provider for their own job, and it also helps transporters continuously improve their service.
