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Shipping an 06 Wakesetter VLX?


mwood86

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Hey Guys

I just wanted to get some advice on shipping/picking up a boat I just purchased. I bought a 2006 Wakesetter VLX and was contemplating on whether I should pick the boat up in person or have it shipped. I listed it on Uship to have freight companies bid on the job (about 800 miles/12 hours). The boat looks mint and the dealer has confirmed that everything is in working condition and that it's flawless. I have a check from the bank to the dealership, and will pay the difference in cash/credit card. I've never seen the boat in person, but the pictures look great and the dealer is reputable from what I've researched. He sells late model boats, cars, trucks, rv's etc... Should I do COD with the freight company? Any thoughts or opinions are appreciated. Thanks.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/170630939910

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Hey Guys

I just wanted to get some advice on shipping/picking up a boat I just purchased. I bought a 2006 Wakesetter VLX and was contemplating on whether I should pick the boat up in person or have it shipped. I listed it on Uship to have freight companies bid on the job (about 800 miles/12 hours). The boat looks mint and the dealer has confirmed that everything is in working condition and that it's flawless. I have a check from the bank to the dealership, and will pay the difference in cash/credit card. I've never seen the boat in person, but the pictures look great and the dealer is reputable from what I've researched. He sells late model boats, cars, trucks, rv's etc... Should I do COD with the freight company? Any thoughts or opinions are appreciated. Thanks.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/170630939910

I will give you my advice. We had two threads on here recently about boats that were either misrepresented and/or got damaged in transport.

I just bought a used boat, but passed on a boat that was better equipped, but it was 1900 miles from me.

I think that if you have the time and resources, you should absolutely go get the boat yourself. Take it for a spin on the lake to be sure it is everything it is advertised to be, and then drive it home yourself. No one loves your boat like you do.

I bought a used boat from a dealer (my previous boat), and they never told me that there was bare fiberglass on the bottom of the boat, so dealers are not necessarily as anal as you might be. Frankly, I think they were as surprised as I was to find it, they just did not look at the bottom. I assumed they would have repaired any of that stuff, and the day I went to look at the boat, I was in town in dress clothes and did not crawl under it. Found it once I got her home. Lesson learned.

Edited by TallRedRider
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few things,

i would probably call No Wake Marine to see if they know the history of this boat.

i have had success using U-Ship.

i would not tow the boat with that cover on.

i would find it difficult to purchase the boat without seeing it in person, regardless of reputation.

tires, if they are OE from 2006/2005, you will probably want to replace them before a long tow (manufacture date is on the tires).

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A 12 hr drive wouldn't be enough to keep me from going to get the boat myself.

I bought my own boat from a dealer about 5 hrs away from our home. I had someone who lived in the dealer's area go look at the boat & give me a call while he was there. He sent me cell pics of things the dealer had never mentioned. I went back to the dealer & made him an offer, with several contingencies. I told him I'd arrive on a certain day, and wanted him to be prepared to make some changes on the boat for me. I told him I'd be bringing a cashiers check for the full amount & when/if he got everything done, he'd never see me again. We showed up on a Saturday in October, and he had 4 or 5 guys doing several tasks to get it ready (gelcoat repair, stereo replacement, spare tire, etc). Several hours later, the deal was done & we drove the boat home.

If you have to do it in some bad weather, then that cover could be made to work for a drive home. Several guys on this site have described wrapping the gunnels in shrink wrap (or even Saran wrap), installing the cover, then wrapping over the top of the cover again. The straps can be twisted so they don't flap like a helicopter in the wind. And the support should be replaced with something that has more contact on the cover than the end of the pole (like maybe PVC spanning the width of the boat or support straps like Overtons sells). If you do it right, the cover won't damage the boat, and you'll arrive home with a clean, dry boat.

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Hey Guys

I just wanted to get some advice on shipping/picking up a boat I just purchased. I bought a 2006 Wakesetter VLX and was contemplating on whether I should pick the boat up in person or have it shipped. I listed it on Uship to have freight companies bid on the job (about 800 miles/12 hours). The boat looks mint and the dealer has confirmed that everything is in working condition and that it's flawless. I have a check from the bank to the dealership, and will pay the difference in cash/credit card. I've never seen the boat in person, but the pictures look great and the dealer is reputable from what I've researched. He sells late model boats, cars, trucks, rv's etc... Should I do COD with the freight company? Any thoughts or opinions are appreciated. Thanks.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/170630939910

Like others said, looks like No Wake (Cincinnati) was the selling dealer juding by the trailer guides. Call Paul and ask him for some service history, etc. 513-469-WAKE.

I bought my boat without seeing it, but I had a Crew member put eyeballs on it first which gave me confidence. Worked out great. I had USHIP ship it about 650 miles from Boston area to Cincinnati. I requested they not tow with the cover on and I would recommend you do the same to save wear on cover and boat.

If No Wake says it is a nice boat, I'd have no issue buying without seeing it. Just remember you are buying a used boat. If you expect "just like new", you may be slightly disapointed. Things happen in 345 hours of use and over 5+ years of use. But you are getting it for 30-40% less than a new one.

Good luck!

-- Mike

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12 hours would be nothing of a drive for the piece of mind. But if you do not want to drive yourself just some food for thought. Angola is very close to Elkart where all the trailers are made. I do not know where you are located but it may be worth some calls to some trailer dealers in your area. The drivers that deliver those trailers may be able to hook you up with a tow. They deliver and pick up there all the time you may get lucky with someone that will be heading to your are dead head and with the price of fuel I am sure that they would love to bring back a load.

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Sight unseen and delivered to my door...never. If there is anything wrong who would you go to, the seller or the shipper. Both would blame the other for the problem and you would be stuck in the middle.

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Like others said, looks like No Wake (Cincinnati) was the selling dealer juding by the trailer guides. Call Paul and ask him for some service history, etc. 513-469-WAKE.

I bought my boat without seeing it, but I had a Crew member put eyeballs on it first which gave me confidence. Worked out great. I had USHIP ship it about 650 miles from Boston area to Cincinnati. I requested they not tow with the cover on and I would recommend you do the same to save wear on cover and boat.

If No Wake says it is a nice boat, I'd have no issue buying without seeing it. Just remember you are buying a used boat. If you expect "just like new", you may be slightly disapointed. Things happen in 345 hours of use and over 5+ years of use. But you are getting it for 30-40% less than a new one.

Good luck!

-- Mike

Right on! The guys at no wake are great. Hopefully they have a history for you. If they say it's in great shape as they claimed with the boat I bought, I would pull the trigger. Thanks to EchelonMike who took the time to check it out for me, I ended up with a very well taken care of boat.

Good luck and keep us posted!

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Thanks for all the great suggestions. Not sure why I never thought about calling no wake, but I'll definitely call them tomorrow morning. So far the lowest bid for the shipment is $1000, but I do have the time and resources to get it myself, so I think I may just go that route. I'll at least bring my fake a lake and start it in the parking lot to make sure everything is in working order. I'll keep everyone updated as to how it all plays out next week, should be interesting nonetheless. :rockon:

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FYI having used uship before, there are several carriers that are not DOT registered and can give you a bid, then change their mind on final shipping price once they've picked it up.

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Being one of those "recent" guys who just had a boat shipped 1500 miles, I would have been more than happy to drive 12 hours both ways to pick it up. I didn't buy mine sight unseen. I flew out to California for business and had 3 boats to look at while I was out there. Several weeks before I went, I contacted the local Malibu dealer and began a dialogue with the Service manager, told him what I was doing and what I needed and we went from there. The Malibu dealership was awesome, they gave me a 2 page report on the boat and checked it out completely, but only after I had it out on the water. They arranged to have it shrink wrapped and called me when the shipping company showed up to get it. I would never buy a boat sight-unseen, but that’s just me.

Good luck. If you do make a road trip, take plenty of pics and share them with “The Crew”.

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I'm in TX and bought my 07 VLX from a dealer in Northern Cali last summer. The dealer was very helpful, took pic's, video's, etc. to ensure I 100% understood what I was getting up front. They pointed out scratches or dings and it really helped my comfort level. I bought the boat sight unseen and let them use the shipping company they use a lot, so they had a prior relationship with them. The transaction was smooth, shipping was easy and convenient, and the boat got here without any issues.

Would I do it again, yes. But if I can go see something with my own eyes, it's always better and helps to cure the "what if" scenario...

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OK so...just got back and came back with the boat. That was a long drive, and the weather was less than forgiving. It seemed I followed the same damn storm for 400 miles on the way there AND on the way back lol. The I90 stretch from Erie, PA to Buffalo NY was brutal with fog, I've never seen it so bad. I could see about 5 feet in front of me while tractor trailers are whizzing by at 70mph. Regardless, I got there within about 12 hours of driving time on about $160 in gas (not too bad huh). On the way back towing was a different story lol. Averaged 11mpg and went though roughly $300 on the way back. Gas roughly $4 per gallon +/- .10 cents. I had them start the boat on the fake a lake when i got there and I checked everything make sure it worked. Interior is mint with no tears, and no scratches whatsoever on the outside. Prop looks good with no dings also which is good.

I ended up trailering WITHOUT a cover which I was hesitant to at first, especially with the rain. It actually wasn't too bad and possibly improved the mpg if thats even possible lol. It was raining when I got home so I'll have to give it a complete wash when the sun comes out. It has the factory cover that are on the ebay listing, but I like that rachet to clamp the cover down more. I would have most definitely either shredded or lost the cover on the highway. Overall it's a mint boat though, he was saying lots of Australians are scooping those up and reselling them over there. At least the drive was worth a peace of mind and now I have a sick boat. Thanks for all the help and suggestions, much appreciated.

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OK so...just got back and came back with the boat. That was a long drive, and the weather was less than forgiving. It seemed I followed the same damn storm for 400 miles on the way there AND on the way back lol. The I90 stretch from Erie, PA to Buffalo NY was brutal with fog, I've never seen it so bad. I could see about 5 feet in front of me while tractor trailers are whizzing by at 70mph. Regardless, I got there within about 12 hours of driving time on about $160 in gas (not too bad huh). On the way back towing was a different story lol. Averaged 11mpg and went though roughly $300 on the way back. Gas roughly $4 per gallon +/- .10 cents. I had them start the boat on the fake a lake when i got there and I checked everything make sure it worked. Interior is mint with no tears, and no scratches whatsoever on the outside. Prop looks good with no dings also which is good.

I ended up trailering WITHOUT a cover which I was hesitant to at first, especially with the rain. It actually wasn't too bad and possibly improved the mpg if thats even possible lol. It was raining when I got home so I'll have to give it a complete wash when the sun comes out. It has the factory cover that are on the ebay listing, but I like that rachet to clamp the cover down more. I would have most definitely either shredded or lost the cover on the highway. Overall it's a mint boat though, he was saying lots of Australians are scooping those up and reselling them over there. At least the drive was worth a peace of mind and now I have a sick boat. Thanks for all the help and suggestions, much appreciated.

Glad you had a safe and uneventful trip. Please post some pics when you get a chance. :woot:

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Overall it's a mint boat though, he was saying lots of Australians are scooping those up and reselling them over there.

This is a true statement. My VLX sold in September to a guy in New Zealand. The boat took 2 months to get there, but it was a successful journey. Taxes and pricing must be outrageous if someone is willing to wait that long and pay the shipping fees.

Congrats on a successful journey. Hope to see some pic's soon!

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