How boats are hauled
If your boat sits on a roadworthy trailer, a hauler can hook up and tow it. If it has no trailer, or the trailer is not fit for a long trip, the boat rides on the hauler’s own boat trailer or on a flatbed with stands.
Size sets the rules. A boat up to eight and a half feet wide travels as an ordinary load. Wider than that, it is an oversize load that needs permits, and very large boats need escort vehicles and a planned route. Height counts as well, because of bridges.
How to measure your boat
- Length. Overall, from the tip of the bow or pulpit to the back of the swim platform or the lowered outboard.
- Beam. The widest point, including rub rails.
- Height. From the ground to the highest fixed point when the boat is on its trailer. Note what can be folded or removed.
- Weight. The boat with engines and what is in the tanks. The builder’s dry weight is a starting point only.
Accurate numbers matter more for boats than for anything else we move. A foot of error can mean the wrong trailer or the wrong permit.
Getting a boat ready
- Drain the bilge, livewells, and water tanks, and run the fuel down.
- Take down canvas, bimini tops, antennas, and outriggers, or tie them securely.
- Remove electronics and anything loose in the cockpit and cabin.
- Raise and secure outdrives and outboards.
- Disconnect the batteries and latch or tape every hatch.
- If the boat is traveling on its own trailer, check the tires, bearings, lights, and tie-down straps.
Arkansas lakes and marina pickups
Much of our boat work starts or ends at an Arkansas lake: Beaver, Greers Ferry, Hamilton, Ouachita, Dardanelle, Bull Shoals. A hauler can load at a marina or a launch ramp with good access. For a boat kept in the water, the marina lifts it onto the trailer, so the pickup has to match the marina’s haul-out schedule. Give us the marina’s name and a contact there.
What sets the price
Distance, the boat’s dimensions, and whether it has its own trailer. Oversize boats add permit fees for every state on the route, and those vary. Lake houses at the end of steep or narrow roads may need the handoff to happen at a ramp or lot nearby.
Common questions
Does my boat trailer have to be roadworthy?
If the boat is being towed on it, yes. That means sound tires, greased bearings, working lights, and a current plate. If it is not up to the trip, we arrange a hauler with its own trailer.
Can you pick up from a marina?
Yes, with the marina’s cooperation. Its staff lift the boat onto the trailer, and the timing is arranged around their schedule.
Do you move sailboats?
Yes. The mast has to come down and be secured, and we need to know the keel type and draft to choose the trailer.
Can personal items stay on board?
Remove them. Loose gear shifts on the road, adds weight, and is generally not covered.