How do I get a small sailing boat trailered from A to B in Devon?

[NingNong247]

I'm looking at boats in the 19-22 foot range wihtin a 50 mile radius of me, and this would probably involve trailering over land. I live on the south coast of Devon where sailing and boats are popular, but I've had no luck figuring this out yet.

I've tried calling companies that do the haulage themselves. Tried about 6 different Google results for the area. 3 of them the mobile number wasn't recognised, and 3 of them all turned out to be the same company with different websites. That company told me 500 quid, and it would have to be craned on and off, even though this is a small trailerable sailboat and there are slips at each end.

The other route was hiring a trailer myself, but none of the trailer places I've found even do boat trailers, and didn't know of anybody that did. Buying a trailer is unfeasible, since it's a one time use thing and I have nowhere to keep it anyway.

I'm a little confused; this is one of the most popular places in the country for sailing, and I'm struggling to find anybody who does this.

 

[Praxinoscope]

Surely the logical answer is to sail it from A to B?

 

[NingNong247]

Wouldn't feel confident doing that with my level of experience at this time of year. In a couple of instances boats I'm looking at are on hard standings well inland. Another is on a lake.

 

[Fr J Hackett]

There are plenty of boat transport companies out there but they use articulated or flatbed lorries and as you have found out are expensive and require a lift at either end which also costs.
A simple google search for UK boat transport companies will produce results but for a 19 to 22 foot boat is going to be expensive in relation to the boat cost. Better to find one with a serviceable trailer.

 

[coopec]

Wouldn't feel confident doing that with my level of experience at this time of year. In a couple of instances boats I'm looking at are on hard standings well inland. Another is on a lake.

Only one way to get experience, give it a go. ?

 

[wallacebob]

Hiring a HIAB truck is common. Would still be £100-200. Some marinas/yards won’t allow HIAB lifts tho’. A bilge/twin keel is easy to trail with a flatbed trailer, but you’ll need a large car or 4x4. Launching is another matter. Launching from a specialist trailer is possible, but they cost £4-5k. Craning in is simpler. Low value boats transport costs don’t usually add up unless you can do it yourself. That’s why cheap boats are often on farms or inland: difficulties in transport puts most people off. For good reasons!

 

[NingNong247]

@coopec :
Probably a 60 nm journey in January on an unfamiliar boat is not the best place to go sailing for the first time.

 

[vyv_cox]

I suggest you talk to owners of similar boats at your local club. Somebody will surely help you out with the loan of a trailer?

 

[Capt Popeye]

Might ask where , in Devon ,are you planning on launching this boat ?

I am amare of South Devons facilities , plus the lack of them , as some yards have their own Cranes or Launching Ramp ?

here is a Transport Yard in DAWLISH that uses a lorry with a crane lift upon it , they are really helpfull ; they often pick up or drliver boats to Cockwood Harbour , but there are the bridge heights to consider when leaving the Harbourbour

 

[Alex_Blackwood]

I'm looking at boats in the 19-22 foot range wihtin a 50 mile radius of me, and this would probably involve trailering over land. I live on the south coast of Devon where sailing and boats are popular, but I've had no luck figuring this out yet.

I've tried calling companies that do the haulage themselves. Tried about 6 different Google results for the area. 3 of them the mobile number wasn't recognised, and 3 of them all turned out to be the same company with different websites. That company told me 500 quid, and it would have to be craned on and off, even though this is a small trailerable sailboat and there are slips at each end.

The other route was hiring a trailer myself, but none of the trailer places I've found even do boat trailers, and didn't know of anybody that did. Buying a trailer is unfeasible, since it's a one time use thing and I have nowhere to keep it anyway.

I'm a little confused; this is one of the most popular places in the country for sailing, and I'm struggling to find anybody who does this.

boat trailer hire Devon - Google Search

 

[NingNong247]

Might ask where , in Devon ,are you planning on launching this boat ?

I am amare of South Devons facilities , plus the lack of them , as some yards have their own Cranes or Launching Ramp ?

here is a Transport Yard in DAWLISH that uses a lorry with a crane lift upon it , they are really helpfull ; they often pick up or drliver boats to Cockwood Harbour , but there are the bridge heights to consider when leaving the Harbourbour

The where from depends - I'm basically looking at several different boats and trying to factor in price/effort of moving them here as part of the deal. I doubt I'd go further afield than Plymouth. The where to is the Exe estuary.

It's becoming increasingly clear to me that only sensible options are:

1. Wait until I'm experienced enough to sail it round the coast myself.

2. Get one that's already here (or that the seller is willing to bring here).

Spending 500 quid just on delivering a boat that's worth 1 to 1.5k is silly on it's face.

 

[Praxinoscope]

@wallacebob:
Probably a 60 nm journey in January on an unfamiliar boat is not the best place to go sailing for the first time.

But you haven’t bought one yet, so potentially by the time you have looked, negotiated and had a survey it will be early - mid February, if on the hard then get it insured but don’t launch until end of late March/early April when weather should be better.
With my previous boat, it was about a 70nm sail from where I bought it to my home port, agreed sale in January, but left it on the hard until April, so had to pay for storage two months, but by then had a very pleasant sail home in early April.
A low loader with a Hi-Ab will do the job for you, but costs have escalated over the last year so I would guess that you would be very lucky to find transport for less than £400 including lift-on/off and 50 miles transport.

 

[NingNong247]

Hiring a HIAB truck is common. Would still be £100-200. Some marinas/yards won’t allow HIAB lifts tho’. A bilge/twin keel is easy to trail with a flatbed trailer, but you’ll need a large car or 4x4. Launching is another matter. Launching from a specialist trailer is possible, but they cost £4-5k. Craning in is simpler. Low value boats transport costs don’t usually add up unless you can do it yourself. That’s why cheap boats are often on farms or inland: difficulties in transport puts most people off. For good reasons!

Standard car licence not good enough for that, I assume?

 

[Wansworth]

I would think that there are any number of have the answer to you conundrum at the local sailing club,besttry at the weekends,local knowledge is your answer and people are only too pleased to help…in my experience

 

[Hacker]

Try RMS www.rms-transport.co.uk. They do a lot down here and I’ve only heard good things about them.

 

[Spirit (of Glenans)]

Standard car licence not good enough for that, I assume?

There ae a number of different classes of licence which may be relevant, and what they permit you to drive is also governed by when you passed your test:
Driving licence categories

 

[Refueler]

I am lucky that a Haulier guy is a pal of mine and I pay per hour. But I have to accept when he can do it ...

Why ? Even the shortest job ruins the working day of the driver / truck. He is limited to number of hours he can physically drive. Your job may only be a couple or 3 hours - but it leaves insufficient time for other work unless local again.

ONP mentions slip at each end ...... VERY few hauliers want to venture other than crane slings into water ...

For a 19 - 22ft boat .... I consider a trailer a good investment ... problem here is storage space for it. My present boat is 4 ton 25ft Motor Sailer with bilge keels ... I would LOVE to have a trailer for it ...... but I have 3.5acres land I can store it ....

 

[chrishscorp]

Old std car licence is good for 7.5 ton you will struggle to find a 7.5t with a HIAB more likely 11T upwards which rules out most of us driving it.
Also a HIAB is not something to muck about with you can tip lorries over with them and do big damage to lorry and anything in its swing range so unless you have a HIAB ticket you are unlikely to be rented a truck with one on it.

 

[penfold]

Buy a boat that comes with a roadworthy trailer. If there's no trailer the asking price needs the cost of moving added on to it.

 

[RJJ]

Hi, following feedback on your other thread, yes 500 is a lot of loot. But it's not the 1.5k purchase price you should be comparing it to, it's the lifetime cost of usage and ownership.

The £500 is part of the cost of getting started, along with brokers and surveyors fees (which you're not using).

If you're not planning to invest in a trailer then you might want to think ahead (for example) to next winter. Boats typically need a lift every year or at least every two for a clean and antifoul and other tasks. Without a trailer, that means you have to use a yard and rent its facilities, cost is going to be at least a few hundred quid every time and more likely a grand, and that's (a) assuming you smash out all the work yourself within a few days (b) not including perhaps a hundred quid on paint and equipment.

But you know this, right?