Quote:
Originally Posted by BoredSocial
How much does hiring a couple of people to sail the boat all the way to Chicago cost though?
It's impossible to estimate the cost of moving the boat on it's own bottom since OP didn't say where on the East coast the boat is. $5 per mile generally gets you somewhere in the ball park for a 40'-50' reasonably seaworthy boat. Costs vary widely depending on route, boat, and time of year.
Quote:
Originally Posted by BoredSocial
Seems like it has to be at least a weeklong trip. Sailing people are cheap? If they are cheap why does it cost 3000 bucks to make the boat ready/unready for trucking?
I'm not sure about "sailing people" but boatyards and and marine trades are certainly not cheap.
To put the boat on a trailer all the standing and running rigging has to be taken loose, the sails unbent, and the mast taken down. Unstepping the mast generally requires a crane. Then you have to pay the boatyard to haul your boat out of the water and set it on the trailer using their lift. The truck that hauls the boat will need to have a special cradle or jack stands to support the boat.
When the boat arrives at it's destination you get to pay for all those same services in reverse while adding in paying the rigger to put back together a rig he didn't disassemble and tune the rig once the mast is re-stepped.
The other thing to keep in mind is the value of having a professional crew move the boat vs. trucking it. The added value of trucking the boat is less wear and tear on the boat. The added value of having your boat delivered by a professional crew is having your boat "shaken down". A professional crew will deal with all of the problems that arise and provide you with a good report of the boat, what was repaired and recommended repairs. You'll know the boat is seaworthy.
Having your boat shaken down has a lot of value for most owners. If an owner is preparing to sail the boat themselves they can take comfort in knowing what problems the boat has and how well the boat just performed. If the owner is preparing to sell the boat being able to say "The boat was just sailed x,xxx nm by a professional crew and all reported deficiencies have been addressed" makes the boat easier to sell and provides peace of mind for a buyer.