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Transporting a boat after buying from out of state


Asmodeus2112

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Considering buying a boat that is about 18 hours away. Can't take the time myself to drive there and back. Quote for delivery is $1,500. Not too bad, but I'm still pretty frugal/cheap/poor, however you want to put it...

I don't know if they allow it, but I browsed U-Haul, and a truck + gas + plane would be ~$1,100. Not sure if $400 would be worth the two days of my time, but then I would see the boat before buying. I realize this isn't too expensive, and there probably aren't any other options, but though it might be worth asking.

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I bought from Ocala FL, which is a 15 hour round trip from me. Before i hit the road after purchasing the boat i took it for a 45min test run on the highway. I pulled over at a gas station and checked the hubs. The one on the driver side was hot. Had to go to the parts house and perform a rebuild in the parking lot. Was kind of a pain, but got the boat home safe.

Do you know if the transport company is going to haul the boat on a flatbed? If they are not, you may just want to get it yourself to ensure it is exactly what you want and can baby it on that long haul back. My two cents...

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Have you tried getting a quote from uship.com, have used it before with great success. That site allows you to get multiple bids and you can contact the person picking it up to go over any details (hauling/checking it out appearance wise/etc.). Buying site unseen is nerve racking I'm sure,

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18 hours each way? That's a long haul. Are you basing this off of Google directions?

I drove from Cincinnati to Tulsa to get my boat. Google says its 12.5 hours. I made it down in 9.5, but took 13 to get back. It was exhausting, but I made this trip without stopping to sleep at all. I was gone a total of 28 hours.

It was far cheaper than flying out, renting a uhaul, and then driving back. It only saved me about $450 from getting it shipped.

But honestly, it was totally worth it. If I had to do it all over again, I would have done it, but probably over a weekend with some sleep involved.

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Have you tried getting a quote from uship.com, have used it before with great success. That site allows you to get multiple bids and you can contact the person picking it up to go over any details (hauling/checking it out appearance wise/etc.). Buying site unseen is nerve racking I'm sure,

This is how we went about it when we had our boat shipped 2,000 miles (Lake Havasu - Syracuse, IN) and I believe it costed somewhere around $1,300 after we tipped him. It was a good experience and would certainly do it again.

Edited by 2004WakeSetterVLX
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18 hours each way? That's a long haul. Are you basing this off of Google directions?

I drove from Cincinnati to Tulsa to get my boat. Google says its 12.5 hours. I made it down in 9.5, but took 13 to get back. It was exhausting, but I made this trip without stopping to sleep at all. I was gone a total of 28 hours.

It was far cheaper than flying out, renting a uhaul, and then driving back. It only saved me about $450 from getting it shipped.

But honestly, it was totally worth it. If I had to do it all over again, I would have done it, but probably over a weekend with some sleep involved.

Yep, based of Google. Either way it's more than a weekend, which means days off work and a whole lotta driving.

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Considering buying a boat that is about 18 hours away. Can't take the time myself to drive there and back. Quote for delivery is $1,500. Not too bad, but I'm still pretty frugal/cheap/poor, however you want to put it...

I don't know if they allow it, but I browsed U-Haul, and a truck + gas + plane would be ~$1,100. Not sure if $400 would be worth the two days of my time, but then I would see the boat before buying. I realize this isn't too expensive, and there probably aren't any other options, but though it might be worth asking.

Maybe ask a fellow crew member to go put unbiased eyes on it before purchase. Where's it at?

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I am sure you know all this but will add it if you do have it shipped in:

1. Would have seller send a bunch of pics of everything (any flaws on boat,rips/tears, scratches, dings, etc.) to get a good idea of what you are getting. Also to know if anything else gets messed up during shipping.

2. Have seller run a compression test at a good trustworthy dealer and give you a copy (at least you know motor is somewhat ok)

3. If possible have 3rd party inspect boat prior to sending payment (maybe crew member in area?)

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Maybe ask a fellow crew member to go put unbiased eyes on it before purchase. Where's it at?

That sure would be nice. Maybe after a little more analysis if I'm dead serious I'll make the request. I've become aware that I post too much information about boats I'm interested in.

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I sold my 99 VLX to a guy in MI, he had a transporter "TOW" it from San Antonio, TX, took him 2 days and blew 2 tires~

However, I posted about 30 hi-res pic of the boat and trailer on Google and answered every single question he had...when he got the boat he said it was better than he was expecting.

Edited by srintx
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I just got back from picking up my new boat less than a week ago, Vancouver BC Canada to Reno NV. Solid 16 hour drive each way, talk about exhausted

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I just got back from picking up my new boat less than a week ago, Vancouver BC Canada to Reno NV. Solid 16 hour drive each way, talk about exhausted

WOW :crazy:

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I sold my 99 VLX to a guy in MI, he had a transporter "TOW" it from San Antonio, TX, took him 2 days and blew 2 tires~

However, I posted about 30 hi-res pic of the boat and trailer on Google and answered every single question he had...when he got the boat he said it was better than he was expecting.

Shoot, could a sold it to me an hour up the road....

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We bought our boat out of California and had it shipped to Texas. I actually took the boat out for a test drive and then took it to a local Malibu dealer to have it checked out. I had already established a relationship with the Malibu dealer by calling the Service Manager and telling him what I was doing and what I was looking for relative to a used boat. The Malibu dealer checked the boat ans the trailer out, gave me a 2 page report on the condition of the boat and shrink-wrapped it before it's trip to Houston. The seller works in an industry that deals with truckling so he took care of shipping it for us.

You can also find marine inspectors that will do a marine survey on any boat you're interested in. I found out that if you call a local marina in the area where the boat is located, they can give you several companies that will perform the survey for you. i don't remember the cost, but it was relatively cheap in comparison to what we spent on the boat.

Good luck.

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I bought a boat in OR & went & picked it up myself.... about 10 hrs round trip. I had a fellow SkySki rider go check it out for me, take some additional pics of the boat, call me on his cell, etc. He found 4 or 5 things that I used to dicker with the dealer on. We setup fiberglass repair, stereo install & trailer work AHEAD OF TIME. And the dealer knew he wasn't getting the cash till everything was done.

Then a few years later I bought a hopped up golf cart in Phoenix & had it shipped up via Uship. Cost me $900. And I found a fellow SkySki rider who went to look at it for me beforehand, took some additional pics & video of it for me, took it for a test drive, called me on his cell, etc. Definitely made the purchase go a lot easier.

Both methods worked out in my case. I think it just depends on your threshold..... cost of the item, cost to ship, cost in time & money to go get it yourself, etc. But I think in EITHER scenario, having a local guy go look at it ahead of time made it all worthwhile for me. There is a good crew of people on this forum & I have no doubt someone would step up & help you out. We all love to look at boats.... and with smart phones now days being so common, pics, video & a conversation are cheap insurance.

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Well it looks like it's too late but I've made a drive like that before to get my boat. You can't put a distance on getting the right boat at the right price. I drove from WI to VT for my boat (about a 20 hr estimated trip on google). If you're concerned about money do what I did, drive out there, get a hotel, check the boat over, run it, drive back. Guarantee you gas was cheaper than 1k. It helps to have a passenger though, my wife came with me to help me stay sane. The drive would get pretty boring without someone, but then again if you're amped about the boat, who cares?

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I bought my boat used in Arkansas. Drove from Fort Worth to pick it up. 5 miles into the way home I see the red and blue lights behind me. Apparently the trailer tags had expired some 3 years ago, the boat had been in a boat house. Because of the boat behind me, apparently I went a ways before I noticed the patrol car.

The state patrol, a little red in the face asks "Do you know your trailer tags are 3 years out of date?" I respond with " I heard owning a boat was expensive, but i didnt realize it would happen this fast. I've only owned it for 15 minutes!"

Fortunately he laughed and wrote a warning....very cool considering I was an out of state customer :)

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I bought my boat used in Arkansas. Drove from Fort Worth to pick it up. 5 miles into the way home I see the red and blue lights behind me. Apparently the trailer tags had expired some 3 years ago, the boat had been in a boat house. Because of the boat behind me, apparently I went a ways before I noticed the patrol car.

The state patrol, a little red in the face asks "Do you know your trailer tags are 3 years out of date?" I respond with " I heard owning a boat was expensive, but i didnt realize it would happen this fast. I've only owned it for 15 minutes!"

Fortunately he laughed and wrote a warning....very cool considering I was an out of state customer :)

That was nice of him. I just drove 3.5 hours one way to look at a boat, decided it wan't going to be ours. Then Drove 1.5 hours to another city to look at another boat, again not going to be ours. Then 3.5 hours back home. Unfortunately I was a bit road weary with about 1.5 hours left from home and misjudged a yellow light on a 60MPH highway in the middle of nowhere that has a camera on it. Just me, lot's of fields and probably 3 inches between my front fender at 60MPH and the intersection, but I'm probably guilty. Waiting for the ticket in the mail any day now...

Edited by Asmodeus2112
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I bought my boat in near Tampa Florida and drove from Michigan.

Had the guy tell me which dealer it was serviced at. Drove out after work one day, 20 hour drive. Met the guy in the morning at the dealar. Drove it on the lake there, did a compression check, winterized, wrapped it up and drove him. In 72 hours I slept maybe 6 hours. I was close to dellusional when i got home. I'd have a hard time buying a boat sight unseen!

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i would say go look at the boat first I tried to buy a boat in Utah and had several pics sent and everything thought i was good he even had a carfax type thing for the boat. looked great it was an 08 with 33 hrs this was in 2010 and i drove Pittsburgh pa to salt lake city straight through. got there found the boat not like in the pics to poorly fixed tears in vinyl, and the boat had been totaled which he failed to mention. fixed improperly basically a peice of $hit. I was out $1000 in Diesel for the trip but better than i would have been if i found this after having it shipped to me in PA and the headaches that would have gone with it.

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