Shipping a wooden boat

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matsandys

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Can anyone think of a reason not to transport a 45ft wooden ketch by freight shipping ... apart from the obvious cost imlications, seagull s**t and so forth. I'm more concerned about drying out the hull during the 3 weeks or so she'll be out of the water. Also, this boat has a copper sheaved hull. Comments welcome.
 
Where are you shipping her to? Drying out would only be a problem if taking her somewhere hot. My biggest concern would be the boat getting bashed about when they lift her on and off the ship. I don't think seagull sh*te will be much of a problem but I've heard boats on ships can get pretty filthy with soot and other grime.
 
Shouldn't be any problem. Several mobs do dedicated yacht transport, (Seven Seas ?for one) not cheap though. Even shipping through the tropics or Med shouldn't have an impact on a sheathed hull in 3 weeks.
 
Many years ago I had to slip my old ketch during January, as this was the only time that I could get leave from work to do all the work that needed doing on her underwater parts. Thjis is not January in Inverness, but January in Melbourne, which usually includes a few days of 40+ degrees C. I draped cheap ployprop tarps over the side facing north ( ie, facing the sun) so that it was always in shade. The work went on for 3 months, and she went back in in March. ! hour with a big 240v pump and then she was on her own bilge pumps. You' probably want to cover the Old Girl with tarps anyway to keep off the aforementioned seagull ordure. If you're concerned about the topsides cracking make sure that said tarps are long enough to cover the topsides as well. Don't be too concerned over a few hairline cracks; the topside will close up again and get over it.
Peter.
 
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