Rough cost to move a boat from the Thames to Norfolk Broads?

Steve Grubb

Steve Grubb

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We're currently Thames based but at some point we'd like to take our boat to the Norfolk Broads for a while (couple of months). It's a Viking 295 so about 29' long 10'6" wide. Just wondering how much it would cost to get someone to take it up there for me? Would need someone who can do the whole job 'water to water' using their own kit. Has anyone on here done similar?
 
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Steve Grubb said:
We're currently Thames based but at some point we'd like to take our boat to the Norfolk Broads for a while (couple of months). It's a Viking 295 so about 29' long 10'6" wide. Just wondering how much it would cost to get someone to take it up there for me? Would need someone who can do the whole job 'water to water' using their own kit. Has anyone on here done similar?
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Abbey transport in Norwich are well reccomend end, they have trucks with built in cranage. As to cost try a return load.
 
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There is also firm in N Wales that can self load something that size.
Most companies can only transport and will want crane both ends.
Rough guess not much under £1K with VAT.depending on when and how quickly you need it done ?
The transport will need permission and decent lift and launch site at both ends .
 
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Try GMR Boat Transport. I am using them next week to transport my Viking 26 WB to the Broads. £400 one way. They have trailers and crane fitted lorries. http://www.gmronline.co.uk/

By the way, you mentioned going to the Broads "for a couple of months". The max visitor licence period on the Broads is 28 days in any one year. After that you have to buy an annual licence. :(
 
Thanks for the guidance so far. In terms of lifting the boat out and onto transport, then off transport and into water - the marinas at each end can do this and it's around £450 according to the prices I can see - I expect I could find cheaper (as in the GMR example above). I wasn't aware of the 28 day limit so thank you for posting that out. There's no rush for us and as yet no plan to move but we would like to spend some time on the Broads in our boat eventually (we're hiring one up there for a holiday soon) and just thinking about the cost and whether it's worth considering or to just hire now and then.
 
It's definitely worth taking your own boat IMHO. We are based on the Great Ouse but have had our boat taken to the Thames twice and the Broads once in the past. This has been significantly cheaper than hiring - and we have our own things on our boat.

If you really want to spend a summer on the Broads then do it. Remember, an annual licence is significantly cheaper than for EA waters and you are saving more than that by not hiring.
 
Mines probably a fair bit more than that due to the amount of extra ballast that needed to be added. Does the weight present a problem then? It was delivered from the factory to the thames by trailer.
 
The Viking 295 will be too big to go on a normal road trailer, our Sealine S23 was close to the limit and is a much smaller boat. It will have to be on a lorry which will make it more expensive and mean expensive lifts either end.

That said you can't beat taking your own boat. You are familiar with it and everything on it.

We have taken our own boat to the Broads a few times now (by sea). We hired a boat on the Broads at the back end of last year and it just wasn't the same.

We had our boat trailed to the Caledonian Canal last summer which was simply amazing. This year we are having it trailed to the Thames. But ours goes on a trailer behind a 4X4 so it isn't overly expensive and if you can work around return loads becomes cheaper still.
 
Steve Grubb said:
Hmm, I must be a bit close then!
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Flatbed with a Hiab as already suggested is the way to go. You may have to do a bit of searching to find one locally but worth it as they are generally cheaper than a low loader and save on lifts either end. worth asking the yards on the broads for recommendations as they will know the transport companies that regularly service that area.
 
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That's a good point, it did arrive dry and without an engine so that could make quite a difference, with all our clobber on board it's got a fair bit heavier!
 
Steve Grubb said:
We're currently Thames based but at some point we'd like to take our boat to the Norfolk Broads for a while (couple of months). It's a Viking 295 so about 29' long 10'6" wide. Just wondering how much it would cost to get someone to take it up there for me? Would need someone who can do the whole job 'water to water' using their own kit. Has anyone on here done similar?
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I moved my boat from Sutton Staithe, Norwich to Bray Marina with Ian's Towing Service, 07990 973 631 or boating143@live.co.uk, cost £375. He doesn't do the craning.
 
Steve Grubb said:
That's interesting, it was delivered new on a trailer . . . . (whether it should have been or not!)

https://viking295.blogspot.co.uk/2016/02/arrival-at-thames-and-kennet-marina.html
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As others have already said with nothing on it and no engine it must have just squeezed under the legal towing limit.

Our S23 should be well under with a dry weight of 2400kg but when we trailed it last year the guy doing the job said it was on the heavy side and was probably over weight!

The extra weight will be all of our gear that we have collected onboard over the last ten years, factory fitted extras like the holding tank, heating system, nav gear etc. It soon adds up and we were careful to make sure the tanks were run as empty as possible.

We need to have an extra clear out this year before we go on the trailer again!
 
Steve Grubb said:
That's a good point, it did arrive dry and without an engine so that could make quite a difference, with all our clobber on board it's got a fair bit heavier!
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As an aside for info the Broom 30 Wisecrack in one of your photos once belonged to Ernie Wise. We had drinks on board with him as a fellow 30 owner when we moored up behind him at Pangbourne many moons ago. A lovely memorable evening.
 
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