Boat Shipping
When looking to find a company that can safely ship your boat, you want to find a boat shipping company that you could trust with your most prized possession; this is where we come by simply filling out our boat shipping quote form, americancarmove.com allows for people, just like you, to have up to 10 fully insured and reliable boat shipping companies send you quotes for the shipping of your marine vessel. This means that you will have up to 10 trustworthy boat shipping companies to choose from, all with good Better Business Bureau ratings, allowing you to pick the best of the best for your speedy marine transporter.
How to make sure your boat is secure and ready to be shipped:
Make sure that everything within the your vessel and outside of it is secure- Cabinets, hatch covers, anchors, antennas, radar transmitters, any boat covers, dinghies, dashboard items, anything that is hanging our loose (if you are unsure, secure it anyway), and anything that is over the dimensions of your boat that you give the ship mover company. If you are unsure if you should secure something, do it anyway because, if the boat transporter has to take the time to do any extra preparation for you, you may incur an additional fee.
Take any cargo out of you boat- Although some boat movers will have cargo insurance, it is still best to take all of the cargo out because it could damage the interior of your boat and they will most likely not be held responsible for the damage.
Empty all of the water out of the boat- This includes the water in the drain plugs and air conditioner.
Disconnect the batteries- Make sure to tie down the cables so they can not reconnect.
Empty out the fuel tank- (as much as possible)
Clean the exterior of your vessel- This is so that it can be properly inspected for any scrapes or damage that was already done to your boat prior to shipping. It will greatly help if something goes wrong on the trip to its destination, for you will then have had clear documented proof of what was already there and what they did.
Other- All of this is important for you to take care of so that you can avoid any extra charges or damages that you might incur from lack of proper preparation. It is also recommended that you have an experienced boat yard prepare your boat for shipment for you.
Since you are planning on shipping your boat, you may also be wondering if you are able to ship your boat on your own trailer or cradle. Most of the time boat shipping companies will allow this, the only problem with this is that the boat transport company’s insurance will not cover and damages that occurring during loading, the actual transport, or dropping off of your boat due to faulty equipment that you supply. This lack of coverage also extends to cradles, chains, binders, and any other equipment you may supply. Furthermore, if the boat shipper has to take the time to stop and try to fix any of your broken equipment you are likely to be charged at a hourly rate.
One safety precaution that most boat shipping companies offer is the option of shrink-wrapping your ship. Most of the time this does cost extra though and their insurance will not any damage that can occur from the shrink wrap ripping and possibly harming your boat. This is why the majority of the time, this is not a recommended preference for you to take.
Be aware that no matter how you transport your boat, it is likely to reach its destination dirty, so be prepared to give it a good scrub down once its back in your hands. Lastly, we recommend that if your budget will allow, you should seriously consider using an enclosed carrier to ship your boat.