Sailboat Rigging Considerations when Transporting

First, the sailboat mast needs to be removed and partially disassembled, properly resting in its cradle.  It is best to disassemble one piece at a time, coil it, and mark where it came from, which makes it easier and quicker when reassembling it.  You need to remove the spreaders and store them below, and you need to bring the halyards up tight and coil them at the mast’s base.  All windex, etc, and electronic antennas need to be removed as they are delicate and do not travel well.  To keep your mast, winches, and sheaves clean and dirt free, wrap them in cellophane like a candy cane.  Anchors in a bow roller need to be removed and stowed, as securing is not good enough.When getting ready for a sailboat transport unfortunately there is  is a little additional work that needs to be done after your boat is hauled out, compared to a powerboat.

Height Issues When Transporting Sailboats

On most sailboats height is not a issue until the boat gets up in the 40 foot range. There is deck gear that that presents problems that are unique to sailboats. Stanchions, winches, bow and stern pulpits, even the helm sometimes sticks up a great deal. Every effort should be made to reduce the height as much as possible in sailboats that the overall loaded height exceeds 13.6 feet. At time this is not possible, or worth the effort. This is sometimes found when deck winches or other gear is bedded in really tough. Or sometimes the fasteners are not readily accessible for removal. Transporting Sailboats at times can be trying, but with a little effort, issues related to height can be avoided. Sailboats that are over height on the transport trailer will need a pole car and this can be costly. If the move is a short one say under 3-400 hundred miles most of the time it is more cost effective to transport the sailboat with a pole car over height, than it is to go through the effort of removing stubborn deck gear. It needs to be said here that using the proper equiptment is criticle when moving boats of all kinds. When height is a problem the correct trailer designed to transport oversize boats can save you the customer a great deal of money.

Our Transporters Are Experts at Transporting Sailboats

All deck gear and dorades need to be stowed for any sailboat being transported. All lines need to be secured if they lead aft to the cockpit. We are not concerned about fuel or water removal on sailboats; however, we are concerned about fluids if the boat weighs over 30,000 lbs., it should be drained to reduce the weight.  In winter, proper winterization should be employed to prevent freezing problems.

Interior items, floating free, need to be secured properly and stowed to prevent damage.