Boat Road Transport issues

[Jim Jones]

Just had an interesting go at this - and failed. The boat in question was a Leaky Teaky - didnt even get to survey stage - the broker arrived a day ahead of the surveyor and found that the boat has been very badly attacked by termites. The damage is very extensive and is effectively the end of this boat. So thats that.

However one thing that I did learn out of all this is the issues that present in road transporting a boat. Whilst we could *just* manage to get it transported the cost was vast because of all the detours we were going to have to make mainly because the max bridge heights here are around 5.2m. We were going to have to divert through an entire other country because of one low bridge. And the country we were going to have go through is not a friendly country. Well all that is a moot point now as the boat we were intending to purchase is not viable.

So with all that in mind, I am now looking for another boat. This time however a low profile is really really important to me.

What I am wondering is, is it viable to remove the keel for a road trip of this magnitude ? (about 1200 Klms with a 4.8m height limit or a 4000 Klm trip with a height limit of 5.2m).

Intended boat size is around 50ft +/-. Can the keel come off for transport or is it not really done that way?

[tkeithlu]

In theory, yes - they put it on the boat, you can take it off. In practice, probably not - the bolts in the hull may be buried in fiberglass, the joint may be sealed, and the boat would need to be suspended in a hoist while the separation took place. All in all, it's probably better to look for boats this size on the coast where re-location is by water.

[Jim Jones]

Thanks for your thoughts.

The boat we need has too be transported overland to a freshwater lake. So no choice on the transport. Its just how to get a big boat under the 4.8m bridge on the short route. The other route is 4 times longer so to be avoided if at all possible.

So that means we have to stay under 4.8m in *TOTAL* from the road surface. The low bed is 950mm so that means we get 3850mm from the bottom of the keel to the top of the highest protruding item that cant be taken off for the trip. We could save quite a lot of height if we could get the keel off - OR - look for a boat with a retractable keel - but is this realistic in a 50ft boat? Intended purpose is to live aboard long term on this lake.

[Lake-Effect]

Do you intend to sail this 50+ ft boat on the lake, or is it mainly housing?

Options: Two smaller boats? One smaller boat, then buy a flat barge and put a caravan on that to live in?

[dfelsent]

Removing and reattaching a keel for transport is a thing. It will very much depend on the boat, the yard that removes the keel, and the skill of the workers who reattach it.
I’ve certainly seen it done.
But it is not common.

[Jim Jones]

Originally Posted by Lake-Effect

Do you intend to sail this 50+ ft boat on the lake, or is it mainly housing?

Options: Two smaller boats? One smaller boat, then buy a flat barge and put a caravan on that to live in?

Yes we do intend on moving around. Sailing is nice when the wind is available - sometimes it is, sometimes its not. Motoring is fine with us as well. My use is as a live aboard but the reason I live there is for the work I do. It is diving based work. A caravan on a barge ? hmmm.....em.....no. Lake is far too rough.

Originally Posted by dfelsent

Removing and reattaching a keel for transport is a thing. It will very much depend on the boat, the yard that removes the keel, and the skill of the workers who reattach it.
I’ve certainly seen it done.
But it is not common.

I do think that it may be possible on some boats and not others. I have not seen it done but I cant imagine its impossible - depends on the boat I guess. I have just put down the phone to a transporter - we can go as wide as 4.8m which requires 2 police escorts. Over 4.8m beam goes off the chart in costs so not going that far. Length is no problem at all. But its the height that is the major determining factor.

I wont even think about much less suggest a cat for this :-)

[tkeithlu]

You have my sympathy - our boat turned out to be 1 1/2" taller than lowest interstate bridge it had to get under to move it to water. It cost $35,000 to move it 18 miles, and they dug a ditch in the shoulder of the road to get it under.

[Jim Jones]

Originally Posted by tkeithlu

You have my sympathy - our boat turned out to be 1 1/2" taller than lowest interstate bridge it had to get under to move it to water. It cost $35,000 to move it 18 miles, and they dug a ditch in the shoulder of the road to get it under.

Thank you for your condolences :-)

I just got the approx ball park on going the long way around - $20.5K USD.

Thats for 4000 Klms, 5m max height, 4.4m wide, 15m long and 28t. Nowhere near as bad as before - because of a detour we had to take because of one bridge. But stay under 5.2 and the cost is reasonable.

I am now starting to look at smaller boats again - prefer something bigger for live aboard, but as big as the roads will handle will have to do. I still wonder abut taking a fin keel off though.

[Uncle G]

In your post the other day, I think you said that the lorry bed was 900mm above ground - and then the total height of the boat was in addition to that.


Do you not have access to a trailer designed to move big keel-boats? One of those would get the boat's keel much lower, typically to within 300 or 400mm off the ground.

[Jim Jones]

Originally Posted by Uncle G

In your post the other day, I think you said that the lorry bed was 900mm above ground - and then the total height of the boat was in addition to that.


Do you not have access to a trailer designed to move big keel-boats? One of those would get the boat's keel much lower, typically to within 300 or 400mm off the ground.

Yes that is correct - its either 900mm or 950mm depending on which low bed trailer they use. There is another one they have that is 750mm but its only 9m long.

There is one of those specialist boat trailers in a country not far from us but they dont seem interested in our business. Cant get them to quote - so what do you do?

At least I am now looking at things from the right way round. The Leaky Teaky was possible but only via a 3rd hostile not pleasant country which everyone tries hard to avoid if they can. It just adds huge cost to go through that other country - best avoided if possible. So now I have some dimms I can work too in looking for a boat - ie, that can fit under a 5.2m bridge.

Isnt it funny how you adjust yourself to pricing. I am calling 20K USD not too bad - its a steal compared to when I was being quoted around 80K to go via that other way. You have to want a Leaky Teaky really really badly to incur that premium to get it delivered to its final spot. As it turned out its far better to start again and put that extra money into a better boat rather then road transport. Well better for me, not the transport guy ;0

[Jammer]

I agree with Uncle G, there are lowboy hydraulic trailers available that will transport boats with very little clearance between the roadbed and the bottom of the keel. In many cases the clearance can be adjusted when the boat is lifted onto the trailer, and chosen to balance the risk of hitting the keel on uneven portions of the roadbed vs. the need for overhead clearance.

In essence these trailers are a wishbone configuration with no axles or other components crossing the center. Usually a chain or gate is placed across the back of the trailer behind the keel after the boat is loaded.


Perhaps that equipment is not available in your location.

[Jim Jones]

Originally Posted by Jammer

I agree with Uncle G, there are lowboy hydraulic trailers available that will transport boats with very little clearance between the roadbed and the bottom of the keel. In many cases the clearance can be adjusted when the boat is lifted onto the trailer, and chosen to balance the risk of hitting the keel on uneven portions of the roadbed vs. the need for overhead clearance.

In essence these trailers are a wishbone configuration with no axles or other components crossing the center. Usually a chain or gate is placed across the back of the trailer behind the keel after the boat is loaded.


Perhaps that equipment is not available in your location.

yes understood. As I say there is one but its another 1500 Klms south of where I plan to lift the boat out of the water - so there is significant cost to get them up there and so far they have not bothered to reply to us, so not a good sign. Maybe the boat transport business is booming? Maybe they are just not interested for whatever reason. Seems odd but there it is.