Transporting a boat: Your experiences please.

[CMJ]

Here are a few more pics - we used YSL from Genoa to Southampton early 2007 - all went well with no probs. I'm still slightly surprised we were allowed on the boat as it was lifted onto the ship (having seen a few of the disaster vids!).

This one below taken when en route to our ship earlier in the morning

 

[MapisM]

On the UK to Med route it's best to have your boat loaded on port side of ship, as you're then a bit protected from storms

Good point, unless you're unloading in Genoa: the Mistral in golfe du Lion can be really bad at times, particularly in winter, and the ship takes it all on port side.

 

[MapisM]

In Belgium we have a individual registration number for a trailer above 750kg, so its alway's different from the car,
isn't that so in UK ?

Same as in Belgium down here, but nope, not in the UK.
I'll post in a minute a few pics of a UK trailer, which has neither a plate nor the lights.
You just put them on the boat transom (with the same plate of the car), and off you go.

 

[MapisM]

A few pics of a UK-Italy trip of last summer.
Almost exactly one thousand miles overall, in just a bit more than 24 hours. Nearly as fast as the boat!
Can't say anything about preparation etc. though, 'cause someone else took care of that.

Ready to live her old home port:

Waiting for the ferry in Dover:

A French pit stop:

4500 ft or so above her typical environment:

Just arrived, safe and sound.
Dunno why she seems to be looking with a bit of skepticism at her new tow vehicle, though...

 

[jfm]

Mapis that Fountain is one utterly beautiful boat. What a gorgeous shape in those profile shots

 

[BartW]

Mapis that Fountain is one utterly beautiful boat. What a gorgeous shape in those profile shots

fully agree, especially the single collor makes her so cool, IMHO
@MapisM, is it just white or a little grey / cream white ?

 

[mjf]

Here are a few more pics - we used YSL from Genoa to Southampton early 2007 - all went well with no probs. I'm still slightly surprised we were allowed on the boat as it was lifted onto the ship (having seen a few of the disaster vids!).

This one below taken when en route to our ship earlier in the morning

Thats interesting as it looks like you went below deck and the boat was actually in the hold and therefore under closed wt hatches?

 

[MapisM]

fully agree, especially the single collor makes her so cool, IMHO
@MapisM, is it just white or a little grey / cream white ?

All solid white. The shades you see in some pics are either due to light/reflections or poor quality of phone camera.
Thanks (also jfm) for the appreciation, her sleek profile is indeed a sort of trademark.
There are peeps on a US forum who openly admitted to have bought her for that reason alone!
And I also fully agree on the colour, though unusual for this breed of US boats, which are normally very colourful.

 

[asteven221]

Assuming the survey goes ok (fingers crossed) my "new" Sealine F44 will be on the truck on Wednesday coming North from the south east to her new home in the Clyde. It's Hainsworth who are doing the job, so I am delighted to read that they do a good job as it's all a bit worrying, in case something goes wrong e.g. damage being the obvious big one!

 

[epervier]

I tow mine about with a Renault espace, but I don't go very fast with it, and I can't go on the queens highways, 'cause it's too wide, too long, too heavy,and not too many brakes

the first time I was a bit nervous,towing 6 odd tonne of boat and trailer with a plastic car, but now it's become part of our routine every winter.

 

[Forty_Two]

We used Peters & May in 2001 to take our Grand Banks 42 from Southampton to Toulon. I echo JFM's comments, they were terrific & so carefull through the whole process. I cannot reccomend them enough.

Motored allongside in Southampton, up the ladder & watched while the divers checked the strops. They used cranes on the shore to lift her over the ship, amazing! Luckely we were stored in the hold with our mast half down. No extra covers & she came out in France one week later as she went in.

The scaryest thing was lifting out at Toulon, the shore mobile cranes couldn't reach over the ship so they lifted our boat up & then motered the ship out on a forward spring & lowered our boat into the gap. We then had to smartly warp our boat out of the way as the ship had started to warp herself back alongside.

Altogether a great experience & I am sure much cheaper than it would be today.

Paul

 

[Sneds]

BoatLoads, of Southampton, brought our 28ft sportscruiser home to Bristol from EBY 2 years ago on a mini artic and did a great job, driver rang a few times to advise of his loacation and to update his ETA.
The look of joy on our faces as the rig turned the corner 5 minutes befoe the crane driver was due to go home was priceless.
Thanks to Bristol Marina for waiting for us

SWMBO and dog checking the delivery

Hope it floats!

 

[CMJ]

Thats interesting as it looks like you went below deck and the boat was actually in the hold and therefore under closed wt hatches?

Yep, the boat got lifted all the way up (from the water) and all the way down again into the hold. The boats were packed in like sardines and the hatches were then closed for the 2nd layer on the deck. Not sure if the decks were watertight but I still needed to give it quite a thorough wash when we got back to the Solent. Also not sure if it is common practice to use the hold - I guess so though if you can fill it!

One thing for sure is that when I packed up the boat at Genoa (cushions, china [all individually wrapped in paper] and loose items) - I definately got carried away - looking back I probably didn't need to have done anything!

 

[MRC]

I have signed contracts with YSL and am waiting for confirmation of the next sailing from Palma to Southampton. Im shipping my Sunseeker Predator 62 back and happy to provide running report on how it goes from the happening point of view compared to what 'happened'. Mike

 

[Jack Haines]

MRC

Hi Mike,

Thank you for the offer but this particular article will have gone to press by then unfortunately. Please let us know how the move goes though, we're always keen to hear a good story!

Good luck with the move, I hope it all goes smoothly.

Cheers,

Jack

 

[MRC]

YSL

I recently collected my boat from Southampton Docks after she was shipped from Palma by YSL /Wainwright group who are based in Southampton.

The delivery went really smoothly. We did have a few problems with the hydraulics on the boat but YSL managed to work around these.

The boat was loaded and unloaded in a professional manner. She was tied down well and no markings were left on the hull from the strops etc.

We had regular updates from Wainwright group along the way which really kept us in the loop.

Overall really pleased with the service and will defiantly use them again.

 

[John100156]

If you want a different perspective please let me know, a chap in our marina brought his Sealine 34 out last year from UK to SCM and had his arch and radar tower forcefully removed by a low bridge! He may want to publish some images.......

I am just about to arrange for my boat to be transported from EBY to Sant Carles in the next few weeks, let me know if you need any more images!