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Boat Transport

When you know what you want, trying to find the right boat can be a time consuming and frustrating exercise.

One of the reasons Boatlocator is the smart place to buy your next boat is your choices aren't limited to your own backyard. But while any website can show you boats from all over Australia, only Boatlocator is staffed by people who sell boats for a living with the experience you need to put an interstate deal together. So if you find the perfect boat on our website, but it's interstate, part of the service is organising transport quotes and negotiating with truckies on your behalf.

To get a cost on transport you will need to know your boat's overall length (including the trailer, measure from the tow hitch to the rearmost point, usually the outboard), beam, height from the road to the uppermost point of the cabin or screen (whichever is the highest) and the weight.

You may need to allow for de-rigging: Most trailer boats have a bimini which will need to be taken down. If your trailer boat is a centre console then the centre screen may fold down or remove, if not, make sure you include this in your measurements (for height). If it is a hardtop then this task may need a professional, especially where there is wiring for lights, masts and antennae that will need careful handling.

Truck drivers and transport companies won't normally "pack" your boat for you. You need to make sure that all anchors, ropes, aerials etc are stowed away and use plenty of gaffer tape to make sure everything is stuck down and won't move about. Make sure hatches are locked and secure and make sure electronics which are easily damaged or stolen are secured or shipped separately.

To get a cost on trucking a boat you will need to know the overall length, beam, weight and height from the bottom of the keel to the uppermost point of the coach house or flybridge (whichever is the highest).

You may require 0, 1 or 2 escorts, depending on the size of your boat and where it's going. Unfortunately, states in Australia have differing rules and regulations regarding escorts so it is not that easy to give exact advice here. An escort may not be required for one state but could be mandatory for the next state that you pass through. There can also be daylight only restrictions, overhead cables may need lifting and tonnage restrictions in certain areas can add to the cost and get you fined for having a large and loaded truck in a "no-go" area.

To get a cost on road transport for your yacht you will need to know your vessel's overall length, beam, weight and height from the bottom of the keel to the uppermost point of the coach house. Do not include the mast in the height as it will be taken down when you de-rig the yacht.

The masts, sails and rigging require specialist attention during de-rigging and packing - you can't just weld yachts back up at the other end. The masts and standing rigging need to be removed in such a way that they can be reassembled easily on arrival. You need to take extra care packing and securing the MS&R on board and the masts may also need supports built for them to prevent damage in transit.

"Well the baby arrives on time and is great. It will take a while to sort out all the toys that came with it but thats part of the fun. Firstly I would like to thank you all at Boatlocator for the excellent service that you provided and the very professional way that the whole deal was done. I have nothing but praise for your outfit and will continue to highly recommend you to any prospective boat purchaser"
- Peter of South Australia, 2003

"Ian I would like to thank you for your honesty and interest shown with regards to the purchase of my Arvor boat. I did not have to travel to Western Australia to view the vessel as I felt from speaking to you first up I could get an honest opinion re the condition of the vessel. All the relevant business dealings including the Transport arrangements went like clockwork. There was a large amount of money which I exchanged and I can not thank you enough for the purchase of my vessel."
- Ron of New South Wales, 2005