Measuring Your Boat For Transport

When requesting a quote to transport your boat, the dimensions are extremely important, in order to obtain an accurate quote. Please follow these guidelines for measuring your boat accurately: 

               Overall Length include bow pulpits, swim platforms, motor brackets and the length of the motors or out drives.  If you boat will be on a trailer, include the trailer in the overall length.             
   
        Overall Height is measured from the bottom of the keel to the highest point of the vessel.         If you are measuring a powerboat, and it measures over 12' high, identify what can be removed, then measure from the highest non-removable part of the vessel, to obtain the lowest rate.

         Beam, or Width, is measured as the widest point of the boat including anything attached to the vessel.


Choosing The Right Marina For Your Boat Transport 
            Here are some basic questions to ask when choosing a marina for your boat:
            Do they have a travel lift or fork lift to load or offload your boat? 
            Can they shrink wrap your boat for transport if necessary? - For more information on shrink wrap, please contact a C2C customer service representative.
            Do they have services for disassembly or reassembly of the radar arch or fly bridge? 
            Can they assist with the preparation of the boat for transport?
Are there any issues with clearance for a large boat trailer.  Overhead wires, or tree limbs? Drainage dips or humps in the road, or entry way to the marina?


How To Prepare Your Boat For A Safe Transport

This boat preparation guide will assist you in properly preparing your boat for a safe boat transport. Please make every effort to prep the boat according to these guidelines. Oversee the preparation yourself or have a qualified boat yard do so:  If boat is not properly prepared for shipment, the transport company may not accept the boat, or it may cause additional expense for delaying the carrier while issues are corrected.
The legal height for transporting over the road is 13’6”. Please choose a marina with at least 14’ overhead clearance, with no low tree branches or wires on its approach. Remember, the larger the boat, the higher the load, the more clearance required. If you need assistance with selecting a marina, please contact C2C customer service.  We may be able to assist you in your selection.

Basics
Stow all loose gear and secure. All gear stored below must be well secured. The boat transporter will not accept responsibility for items below deck that are not properly stowed.  In most cases, the driver will not inspect below decks, and therefore will not such on his bill of lading.
Boats cannot be shipped with fuel or water in tanks. Drain fuel and water tanks to a minimum. Remove any drain plugs from the hull. There should not be any water in the bilge while it is being transported. During winter months, water should be drained from water systems, pumps, air conditioners, etc. Disconnect batteries and secure. Your marina should be able to assist with winterization.

Remove anchors from the deck. Please expect normal road dirt on the boat. Canvas Covers / Shrink Wrap Canvas covers must be removed as they will tear or fly off during transport. If they are not removed, the carrier cannot be responsible for damages. The carrier will ship shrink-wrapped boats; however the shrink wrap may tear or fly off in transit. The carriers do carry extra shrink wrap tape and every effort will be made to repair the shrink wrap, however, if the shrink wrap becomes un-repairable, it will be removed to avoid damage from the shrink wrap beating against the boat. The carrier will not be held responsible. In some cases, you may be charged for the boat transporter’s time to remove the shrink wrap.

Cradles  and Trailers
 If your boat has its own cradle please inspect it carefully for loose bolts or weakness of any kind. If your cradle breaks in transit, causing damage to your boat, the carrier cannot accept responsibility. If you are shipping your boat on its own trailer, the carrier cannot accept responsibility should the rollers or frame cause damage, or if the trailer breaks apart, causing damage.

Dinghies
If you are shipping a dinghy on board or if you have had to remove any superstructure, these items should be well padded. Your dinghy may not be transported on davits. Both should be removed and stowed.

External Accessories All electronics, radar, halyards, horns, antennas, propellers, flag masts, lights, anchor lights, etc., must be removed, packed securely and securely stored below. The carrier will not be responsible if they are damaged or if they vibrate off.

Hatches
Tie and/or tape hatches from the outside. The boat transporter cannot be responsible for the damage they may cause if the hatches blow off in transit, or for damage to the boat caused by rain water if a hatch blows off. If the hatches leak, seal them. A boat will not sit in the same position on the carrier's trailer as it does in the water and the carrier cannot be responsible for rain water entering through a leaky hatch or deck. Windows / Windshields Cabin windows should be latched and taped from the outside. All windshields and/or Plexiglas that protrude over the flying bridge should be removed, packed with a cargo blanket and should be well secured below. The carrier will not be responsible for any damage that occurs if they are not removed and properly packed and secured.

Instructions For Sail Boat Transport
All rigging, winches, wind indicators, and lights must be removed from the mast. Carpet should be provided for the mast at the points of tie down. Expect some chafing at these points. If the mast is painted, it is almost impossible to keep the paint from chafing. The carrier will not pay to repaint masts if chafing occurs. Do not secure the mast to the boat, as there is a space on the carriers trailer for the mast. Should the mast be secured to the boat, the carrier will not be responsible for any resulting damage to the mast or the boat.

Life lines, stanchions, bow and stern pulpits should be removed if they render the boat over height, generally over 12'-6" keel to highest point not on the carriers trailer. On center board sailboats, make sure the board is secured and will stay up in transit. Keel sailboats may expect some separation where the keel joins the hull. This is not structural damage, but rather is the paint or filler cracking at the joint. Light built or racing sailboats can expect some hull indentation from the support pads. These indentations generally disappear when the boat is returned to the water.

Additional Instructions For Power Boat Transport
It is necessary to remove all propellers, flag masts, lights, outriggers, antennas, etc. If your power boat is low enough to ship with the flying bridge on, remove all lights, wheels, masts and windshields that protrude over the bridge. All Plexiglas should be removed and packed below with a cargo blanket. If your power boat is not low enough to ship with the flying bridge on, you will have to have a cradle built for the bridge to be shipped in on the forward deck or cockpit area. Every point touching the deck or rails must be sufficiently padded. Remove all electronics and valuable items from the bridge, pack securely, and store below. 

 If You Plan To Transport Your Boat On Its Own Trailer
Service or replace the wheel bearings. Many breakdowns occur due to neglect in this area. If the bearings have not been maintained on a strict schedule or it has been more than 6 months since they were last checked, please have this professionally done. Travel builds up tremendous heat in bearings that have not been properly maintained, easily causing their failure. Bearings exposed to salt water are especially vulnerable. Check the tires for proper inflation pressure and be sure the tread is sufficient and that there are no cracks, bubbles or gouges in the rubber. Most Carriers will require a spare tire. Check the lighting system for proper operation and make sure wires are in good condition. If repairs need to be made, have them done well in advance of the pickup date.  You will be responsible for any repairs, damage or problems caused by your trailer. You will also abe require to sign a "Single Pull Addendum", which in effect is a statement of the condition of the trailer, and a release for the carrier, due to any trailer malfunction.

If you need assistance with any of the above, or other items, please feel free to contact C2C at any time.

Customer Satisfaction is our number one priority.