Boat transport

[wombat88]

Advice please about moving a 20-25ft bilge keel boat from Essex to Sussex. I'm not sure that I would describe the boat as sufficiently seaworthy to be sailed round, particularly in the winter.

Does anyone have a good experience of boat transport people and have any suggestions or is it simply a case of making use of 'Shiply' and taking the lowest quote?

I can see that this might cost some £££s by the time lowering mast, cranes etc either end etc have been factored in. I wonder if anyone uses a truck with a hefty HIAB on it and if so what the weight limit for one of those might be?

 

[tillergirl]

I have very good experience of Peter Downs at Maldon. I have used them for 25 years. Oysters etc have used him. TG weighs 7.5 tons so needs 'proper' boat movement. Your size is a little vague! 20 to 25ft. Timber or glass. My former boat was 25ft, timber weighing about 3.5 tons but something glass could be less. Peter Downs may well have a Hiab and smaller kit. Oh, looked on their web site - they have:

http://www.pjdownsandsons.co.uk/

For the bigger stuff. Their care is excellent.

 

[Moonbeam]

In 2011 we had a boat moved from Kent to Sussex by Jim Brett, his service was excellent and his price extremely competitive.

He has now retired, but he has handed the reigns on, so the new guy (Squirrel Marine) might be worth speaking to.

http://www.squirrelmarine.com/

 

[pyrojames]

+1 for Downs, I use them almost every year, and have since 2005. I need cranes at both ends, but they have a self loader which I think will manage about 7 tons.

 

[Kukri]

+ another for Downs

 

[yachtorion]

I've used Shiply a few times and it's fine. You could put on shiply that the vehicle needs to be a HIAB to help with mast handling.

What sort of boat are we talking about?

 

[NormanS]

I used to tow a Folkboat (25ft, 2.5 tons) across the country on a home made trailer, with an elderly Landover. Do you know someone with a suitable trailer?

 

[Leighb]

I would have liked to use Downs, but they never returned my calls, and he would not speak to me when I rang, always said he would call back after ..... and never did. As I needed to get organised I went elsewhere, his loss.

 

[ghostlymoron]

Your boat would probably go on any 7.5T with a HIAB. However, HIABs on small trucks often have only 1T capacity. Also, I would use a haulier with previous experience of moving boats as its somewhat special.