Overland vs. ICW vs. Captain

[Mauruuru]

$11,000 seems cheap for a 37' sailboat. I paid $3000 to get a 19' jet ski boat from Ft Lauderdale to Texas three years ago.

[NormanMartin]

Truck the boat.

Twenty years ago I faced a similar problem with a Tayana 37. We sailed out of a harbor, realized the boat wasn't ready and sailed into the next available harbor. Trucked the boat to New England for a refit. A year later the Tayana went on a nice two year cruise that ended happily.

Trucks are cheaper than delivery captains and moving an unfit vessel.

[Scubaseas]

If you love the boat, keep it. I am in the truck it camp. In the words of Don Henley when's the last time you saw a hearse with a luggage rack on it? Find someone doing a dead head return trip. Easier than trying to find a buyer. $11K to ship it sounds about right but maybe a bit cheaper if you find the right ride.

I doubt it would bring much in situ and if it's in pieces. True you can get a T37 for $25K to $65K but finding a buyer for an old project boat are few and far between and there are already a ton of project boats in Texas (I've got a boat in Seabrook) .

I would not consider doing a 2K miles trip as it is on it's own hull and agree with others here that two weeks is wildly optimistic. Sounds like you do not have time for option 3.

My gut tells me that shipping is likely cheaper than hiring a Captain and crew to move her that distance and route.

Just my $.02. YMMV. But I'd go for option 1 given your situation.

[tradrockrat]

Thanks again for all the answers - and to be clear - 2 weeks was a typo...lmao. We took the boat from Texas to MD once already and it took 7 weeks with a combination of ICW and open ocean sailing!

I figured 4 weeks if everything went right and we had no fun along the way - just hauled from one anchorage to another (and even that was optimistic and I know it).

And no, we do not make 11k in two weeks. Not even close.

[JB0101]

I have zero knowledge of costs or practicality, but you might look into shipping by sea. If a company offers from TX to MD it might shift time scale in your favor relieving much of your constraints. Also, I saw some info online that it might be possible to ship via rail.
My main consideration in deciding if my wife and I are on the voyage is; how forgiving is your supervisor if you are not able to return to work as scheduled? I would hate to be in a circumstance, deciding if I am abandoning the boat to fly back to save my job.
Good luck!

[GordMay]

My friend, Lee, likes to allow extra time, in his schedule.
That's, just, the LeeWay.

[Scubaseas]

Originally Posted by tradrockrat

Thanks again for all the answers - and to be clear - 2 weeks was a typo...lmao. We took the boat from Texas to MD once already and it took 7 weeks with a combination of ICW and open ocean sailing!

I figured 4 weeks if everything went right and we had no fun along the way - just hauled from one anchorage to another (and even that was optimistic and I know it).

And no, we do not make 11k in two weeks. Not even close.

4 weeks may be a bit optimistic but maybe doable. If it's just two people it would be tough but possible. I'd think 6 weeks a safer bet and allows for rest and weather. 4 weeks is definitely not going to be fun.

I'd try and get the mast up even if jury rigged and not necessarily for sailing. Mast down makes the boat very rolley and makes steering on windy days, on a boat that already does not handle well under power, will make things...interesting. Plus it makes you going into a marina slip if necessary difficult and expensive. Going into a marina may very well be needed on a hard push like version #2 would be. I assume it's your chain plate knees that have the mast down. If so mount some chain plates on the outside of the hull and consider chain to extend the existing stays or maybe cable or
Dynema or even bar stock that could be used for new chain plates after you fix the knees.

The closer you get to the final destination is the less it would cost to truck it and the motor has to go in sometime anyway?

I'd still opt to just bite the bullet and ship it but that's just me.

[sailingharry]

Originally Posted by tradrockrat

Thanks again for all the answers - and to be clear - 2 weeks was a typo...lmao. We took the boat from Texas to MD once already and it took 7 weeks with a combination of ICW and open ocean sailing!

I figured 4 weeks if everything went right and we had no fun along the way - just hauled from one anchorage to another (and even that was optimistic and I know it).


And no, we do not make 11k in two weeks. Not even close.

You may not make 11K in two weeks. But 11K in 4 weeks (which you say is optimistic) works out to 143K/year for the two of you. Even if you don't make quite that much, it gets close to a wash. And that's not accounting for fuel, expenses, and 4 weeks turning into 6.

[mvweebles]

I just finished a very large refit and am moving our boat from Ensenada (near San Diego) to Florida. Will take 2-3 seasons of liesurely dawdling.

My 2-cents is, assuming you're comfortable with your current yard and mechanic and you love your boat, fix the engine and have it trucked. Sure, you could sell and buy, but you'll consume at least $11k in that process and won't have your beloved boat. And waste some time. In my opinion, trucking would be the least risk solution.

[Gadagirl]

Perhaps to lower costs consider shipping the boat to a less distant destination. Maybe Jacksonville Florida or somewhere in south Georgia. Pretty cheap to fly into Florida, Georgia, South Carolina from Baltimore and DC. Have the work done there and then it'll be easier to go outside or icw to bring her the rest of the way.

[MicHughV]

Perhaps to lower costs consider shipping the boat to a less distant destination. Maybe Jacksonville Florida or somewhere in south Georgia. Pretty cheap to fly into Florida, Georgia, South Carolina from Baltimore and DC. Have the work done there and then it'll be easier to go outside or icw to bring her the rest of the way.

In that vein an option would be to take it upriver the St. Johns River to Green Cove Springs Marina. They have a huge yard there and at any one time there must be a dozen people working on their respective boats there. Place has all the amenities, etc, etc.

It's a real DIY kinda place, one of the last places around where you can still DIY.

[Bearkeeper]

So, currently owning a Tayana 37 and having done the inter coastal many times I’ll throw in my thoughts.
Don’t let emotion enter a logical decision.
If you really want to keep the boat, truck it and get on with life. Hiring a captain and mate opens up too much liability and open end costs.

Don’t thing about making the trip with the mast down, never.

What do you think the boat is worth once delivered and refit in the future?
The market is very soft for an older displacement boat no matter how much we love them.

[OldManMirage]

It sounds to me that you like your boat, and you know what you want to do with it, and were in the midst of doing that.

If you definitely plan to go cruising then I would ship the boat overland. It's the boat you like, it's the boat you have, and it's the boat you know.

Keep that boat.