Shipping a boat from one location to another may be a costly task, but if you have proper knowledge of boat shipping cost and their influential factors, you can save your hard-earned money while shipping it. In this article, you will learn all about the cost of boat shipping, factors that influence the cost, and some tips to save money.
How Much Does Boat Shipping Cost?
The boat shipping costs are calculated based on several factors and depending on the shipping company or service provider. However, many boat shipping companies provide an online tool named boat shipping cost calculator. With the help of this tool, you can get the cost of boat shipping easily and accurately.
Gather the details mentioned below to calculate the shipping cost.
- Type of Boat: Sailing boat/motorboat/yacht
- Dimensions: Length x width x height in meters. Height applicable if cranes will be used alongside the delivery
- Weight: Total weight, including all gear and accessories
- Pick-up location: Pick-up address or port
- Delivery location: Delivery address or port
- Shipping method: Indicate whether open transport or enclosed transport.
- Transport Date: The date or period when you need the boat to be transported.
- More Services: You may need crating, insurance, or special care. Mention this in your application.
- Boat condition: Operational or inoperable? That is important because some transport options do not apply when the boat is inoperable.
After calculating the cost based on various factors and input details, the calculator will provide you with the accurate or approximate shipping cost. This result is also called the shipping quote; by confirming the quote, you can book your shipment for further processing.
Factors Influencing Boat Shipping Cost
The cost depends on these factors, which is why it also influences the cost throughout the year. Understanding these factors may help you in your planning for boat shipping and save some money on it. Some of the major cost factors are mentioned here.
- The size and weight of the boat: The size and weight of a boat contribute a lot to the cost of shipment. Larger and heavier boats are bound to be more costly in shipping since they take larger spaces and present a bigger shipping challenge.
- Shipping Distance: The distance between where the boat is being picked up and delivered also adds to the cost. Generally, longer distances tend to have higher shipping costs due to fuel and labor costs and other shipping logistics.
- Types of Transportation: Boats can be transported in any number of ways, from open transport to inexpensive enclosed transport. Open transport is cheaper, but boats will be transported fully exposed, and enclosed transport is costly, but your vessel will be transported with the utmost protection.
- Pick-up and Delivery Locations: Transportation cost depends on the accessibility of locations from where the boat has to be picked up and delivered. Inaccessible or remote locations with difficult access may also charge extra fees.
- Season and Time: The rates may be seasonable depending on the time of the season. The rate can be high in the peak seasons of the year because the demand for shipment services would also be very high during such a time. The rate may be a little low during the off-season.
- Extra Services: More services beyond pure shipment, like ensuring loading and unloading services as well as express shipment, hike the overall bill for shipment.
How to Save Money While Shipping a Boat
Shipping a boat from one location to another can be costly sometimes, which is why some tips are mentioned here to help you save some money on boat shipping.
- Compare Quotes: Always find quotes from different shipping companies to compare them and find the best deal that offers good service at an affordable price.
- Plan Ahead: Booking the shipping service in advance can give you enough time to get your shipping done at a cheaper price, even during the peak season.
- Be flexible with dates: If you can adjust changes in your shipping dates, you may find lower prices by scheduling during off-peak seasons.
- Remove extra weight: Remove unnecessary gear or accessories to reduce the weight and size of your boat, which reduces shipping costs.
- Negotiate: Do not be afraid to use multiple quotes to negotiate with shipping companies to obtain better prices.
- Use a Trailer: For shorter distances, a trailer should be used whenever possible. This might even prove cheaper than shipping by professionals.
- Insurance: Prudent Do not take too much insurance. Only the rightful amount of insurance should be taken.
- Seasonal Discounts Some companies have low rates during the off-season. So shipping in the off-season can also save you some dollars.
Conclusion
The bottom line in this regard is that effective budgeting has to do with knowing what affects the cost of shipping a boat. After getting all the relevant information, using the so-called cost calculator, and taking your money-saving skills to the next level by providing quotes and planning ahead, then one can get safe, smooth, and cheap transport for their boat.