delivering by truck ?

[centroid]

hi,

i'm thinking about moving a wood, 1926 colin archer, 850 miles using a truck delivery service. i have talked to a couple of shipwrights who knows the boat (not current but former owner) and they believe the boat is stout enough to handle the ride.

does any one have any good/bad experiences regarding truck delivery ? any suggestions ?

the boat hull is well built. its 2-1/2" white oak every 27" with 1-1/2" white oak every 27" also. planking is 1-1/4" pitch pine, full length. deck has been rebuilt about 12 years ago and is holding quite well. in gengeral, i think the hull is in very good condition.

[Thad]

Nobody else answering. My experiences with boats solid and loose have been good. Today's air ride trailers should give a boat with the construction you describe no problem. Is this boat on the Great Lakes, Minnetonka? Whats the plan there?

[Donn]

My boat was delivered on a truck...riding from Boston to Long Island. She's not nearly as stoutly built as yours, but the transporters have special trailers, and took very good care of her. Not a mark.

[Andrew]

I'd recomend using someone experienced with boats. Make sure everything is battened down. She'll be experiencing a gale at least. No loose hatches (been there, done that, have the broken plexiglass to prove it)

[Ruaridh]

I took my Folkboat (much more lightly built than yours) over 200 miles twice on a single-axle trailer with quite hard springs, over not particularly good roads. Boy I can tell you you curse every pothole and bump that you normally wouldn't even notice, out of sympathy for the boat.

On the first journey she had a vey weak deck and other bits un-fastened, on the return she had the new deck and was much stronger. The most worrying thing is putting ratchet straps over - too tight and things start a-creaking, too slack and you're worried she'll move around too much.

While I never actually found anything wrong from these journeys, I often wonder if they had anything to do with the extreme leaking when I first launched her (she is clinker) - but it's impossible to say since she was so dry having been out the water for 12 years. Since I hardened up all the rivets below the waterline I had kind of decided I wouldn't road transport her again, but in reality if I ever get somewhere to store / work on her over the winter cheap enough, I probably will - but I think I'll improve the legs & supports on my trailer.

If I may offer advice, I'd say check on the cradle that she'll be in to make sure you're completely happy with it - a bit of time spent making a better cradle and/or supporting arrangement will make a huge difference to the stresses placed on the hull during the journey. My attitude was always that if the boat can't handle a trip on a trailer without falling to bits then I probably don't want to go sailing in it, but in hindsight it's obvious the stresses are very different, so your cradle wants to mimick the sea as closely as possible!!

One last thing, has she been in the water recently?. As mentioned above, she will be in a gale for some time, and a dry one at that - a guy I know who trailed a lot of boats in Italy reckons he used to suffer the ill-effects of excessive drying from road trips. There's probably not much you can do about this, but its worth knowing.

Best of luck,
Ruaridh.

[brad9798]

Go to Yachworld (http://www.yachtworld.com) and check under yellow pages, then proceed to search for boat transport.

Mine came nearly 900 miles via truck and no problems whatsoever (35'x12'8"), and she is NOT stoutly built.

It's really not a big deal.

Good luck!

Brad

[centroid]

hey thanks every body for those answers. i sure feel a bit better.

no, she's not in lake minnetonka ! i'm looking to buy in san francisco and bringing her up to port townsend (maybe) or somewhere in that area if i can find a slip and a job. after some research and communicating with other live aboards in the area, i decided i can't stay in san francisco. i received a lot of "attitude" and negative feedback. i used to live there so i recognized that bad vibe.

ok, how about surveyors. my wife and i differ on this one. i found a surveyor with a good reputation for doing wood boats, recommended by the boat yard. after talking to him a few times, he sounds like he's very critical and would be perfect for the job. BUT he's twice the cost ! is it worth it ?? i think so but not my wife. any suggestions ?

[Ken Baker]

You should be fine but here's a few things to think about. Make sure the trailer is air ride. Avoid a hydraulic trailer and try to get your boat hauled with a trailer that uses poppets (screw jacks). Try to get as many of the jacks under or close to any bulkheads you have in the boat. The bulkheads will help to distribute any stress that come along from the trucker trying to dodge a cow or something. Make sure the trucker ties the poppets back to the frame of the trailer to help keep thing as steady as can be expected.

Prep of the inside of the boat is another important thing. Empty out all you can and then secure everything else like you were getting ready for a force 9 storm. Empty all your tanks, disconnect your batteries, etc., etc.

Insurance maybe difficult so be prepared for that. The trucker will cover damage if he ends up in the ditch from his neglegence but if a screw jack ends up putting a hole in your boat under normal travel that's where it's tough to get insurance coverage.

I had my 42' cruiser hauled 500 miles from Florida to North Carolina with no problems. She'll be make a 900 mile trip from North Carolina to Maine sometime next year.

Good luck

[Hughman]

Ken spoke of disconnecting batterys. Remove them entirely, no need to risk acid sloshing around. Also, take pictures of the boat on the trailer; they might come in useful later. Go with the surveyor with the best experience with wooden boats- it's an important distinction- and get his advice on the hauler, he's sure to have heard who is best. If in doubt, have the surveyor present as the boat is loaded.

[wolfietuk]

Ken
Out of curosity, what is the problem with hydraulic trailers?

Rick

[Ed Harrow]

Phoenix, old and tired, bad frame heels, keel, sternpost, etc was moved by air-ride hydraulic trailer only about 50 miles. Piece of cake. Only one item damaged - I neglected to take the chimmneys off of the lamps, and one got a chip out of it. :(

Gary Bergman moved Orca up the CA coast to SFO a couple of years ago. He's popped up lately, he might be a good source re movers. Bob Cleek would be another source of SFO information re movers and surveyors.

Your surveyor is YOUR friend. I read more than a few horror stories re bad surveys, and I've seen one boat that was purchased, site unseen, on the strength of the survey. The new owner is contemplating a lawsuit - the boat was not even close to sail-away condition. IMHO shoping for a surveyor is more important than shopping for the boat.

[Gary Bergman]

Hey Ed, Nevermind. I'm not credible as this person thinks some honest answers to living aboard are'attitude' with 'bad vibes'. None of that stuff will float your boat. On the other hand, if it were I' Kevin's boat hauling or San Diego Boat movers would come to mind as a base not well touched is that the majority of boat haulers don't want anything to do with us wooden boat guys....

[centroid]

ken,

air ride and screw jacks, got it.

do you know anywhing about those leaf type suspension ? is that softer/ better ?

[Jack Baker]

I had my H-28 shipped from CT to Michigan, 900 miles, with no damage or problems on a hydraulic trailer (with axles designed for longer range travel, not the typical yard hydraulic trailer). The key I think is that the mover is experienced with wooden boats, not just fiberglass (much more prevalent). I used a guy recommended by Ed McClave that they use for their work. I got frustrated a bit at the difficulty getting it scheduled, but no question this guy knew what he was doing. I would not call the 1-800 folks nor go with the low price. I paid a bit more, but it was worth it.