Shipping a boat from Washington to Alaska

A

akmclean

New member
I've done several searches and can't find much from people who have done this before.

I'm looking at buying a 22 cruiser and getting it shipped/barged up to Alaska from somewhere in the Seattle area. Does anyone have any experience with this or can point me in the right direction? Prices? Companies you dealt with? what was required?

Thanks!
 
Check with Alaska Marine Lines in Seattle. One of the guys on the Outdoor Line, Tom Nelson, barges his up each year for his 3 week trip to Sitka then barges back down here.
 
True, it is a big state. Anchorage.

I've got quote requests out to TOTE and AML. I was just wondering if anyone had any personal experience with this.

I got a quote back from uShip for $1600 to tow it up on the highway, but I'm hesitant to let some dingbat tow my new baby up that road.
 
My folks own Kassiks Brewery out of Kenai. They just hauled a large tank on a flat bed behind a 1/2 ton truck to the tune of about $700. My guess is your best route is overland. uShip might not be a bad way to go if they load it on a semi flatbed vs being towed.
 
Ferry cost Bellingham to Whittier
Total Cost
Description
Total
Vehicle 1 @ 30 feet $3,494.00
Sub-total: $3,494.00
Discount: $104.00
TOTAL: $3,390.00
 
If you are considering U-ship or towing it up, be sure to first check with Harvey (C-Brat username hardee), he will be competitive with U-Ship prices and will take good care of your boat!
 
Three years ago I barged a C-22 in the opposite direction, from Anchorage to Seattle, using Northland Services. I was happy with the delivery, but it was pricey--about $1,800. Northland has since become part of Lynden Shipping, http://www.lynden.com/
 
I drove out and pulled back my 22 ad 25, it's definitely the cheapest option. You get to know the boat and trailer on the way back plus you can sleep in the boat.
I looked at shipping options but the road trip made more sense and it's a great Drive.
 
Towing one up yourself probably is the more expensive than you think unless you want to do it and have some other real reason to go. I towed a boat from Lake Roosevelt to AK for a relative and round trip it was 5,000 or so miles and about 350 gallons (1400 bucks about) at that time. Plus, there are other expenses to consider too - we had to stay and eat some place and that cost quite a bit too. Then, there is the wear and tear of the trip on the tow vehicle, which is considerable..... I would say if you can get it for less than 2 grand you're doing pretty well.
 
I had a 16 ft CD cruiser shipped from Seattle to Ketchikan in March. I used Samson Tug and Barge and it cost just over $900. That's barely half way and a smaller boat. I've shipped lots of things with both AML (Northland doesn't exist, as such, anymore) and Samson and have always been happy. Their prices are nearly the same.

I never use the quote form online. Just call them. As long as you have the size information handy, you'll get a quote right then easy as pie. I tried a U-ship bid also and got several that were all over the map. It made me a bit nervous. I know the barge will take care of my stuff.

Good luck,
Jackie
 
akmclean":3u1wio2n said:
I got a quote back from uShip for $1600 to tow it up on the highway, but I'm hesitant to let some dingbat tow my new baby up that road.
Click to expand...

The Uship contractors all carry mandatory insurance and provide references. If you spend some time waiting for quotes you can weed out the bananas with a little bit of research.

There are some very professional operators in their referral pool. Just don't go with the cheapest one until you research all the quotes. We had quotes ranging from $1500.00 to $4000.00 to tow our 22 foot boat and tandem trailer from Prince Rupert to Kelowna. You can get a good idea of who the responsible contractors are and who the jokers are who run the pick up trucks with the lift kits and have had a few of their buddy's get on the site with a handful of references.

My only concern was if the trailer was to break down on route, I could possibly get stuck with a huge bill for transport and repairs. I do think that $1600 US is an extremely competitive price. IMHO that wouldn't even cover the fuel, meal and lodging expenses for such a trip. That would make for a beautiful holiday drive if you had the time and resources to do it yourself. You could stay on the boat on the trip there and save money on hotels. Good luck with the project.

Edit; Aw shucks !! I just read Jackie's response. I didn't consider your barging options as we are land locked here in the central interior of B.C. Kind of sounds like the way to go and you have a first hand referral to back the service up. Way to go Jackie.
 
I have done quite a bit of this. Here's a review:

1. AML. Pro organization. Among the more expensive, but competitivly priced among commercial freight carriers. Part of Lynden transport so any trucking needs can be rolled into one quote.

2. Samson Tug and Barge. Same as above, not as much capacity over land though.

3. AMHS: The ferry. If you can find a sailing that works for you, this is the way to go. It's subsidized. You'll end up getting on and off a few times, but you are basically looking for sailing to Whittier. You can also take the ferry to Haines Jct. and tow the rest of the way, but I wouldn't do that. This could be your most inexpensive option. Plus a nice trip. Plan to spend some nights in ports like Juneau. If you bring a boat and don't have a tow vehicle too you can arrange to have your boat hauled off the ferry and put back on by someone in each town ahead of time. It costs about $100 or so to have this service performed at a port. If there is no vendor in a town where you need to switch boats that you can hire the ferry will usually do this for you, they just won't if there is someone running a business: they are the State, so they can't compete with private business.

4. UShip. Uship is AWESOME! I have had nothing but great experiences with multiple carriers. I've gotten great service, usually somewhere around 20% of the quoted cost from a freight carrier. Not 20% less, 20% OF. So a carrier quotes me $10k, and Uship comes in around $2k. It rules. The site has reviews. People who are well reviewed are reliable!

5. Canneries. In April there are a LOT of tenders that travel from the PNW to Alaska to tender in commercial salmon fisheries, then another smaller run of tenders coming for pink salmon in mid June. If you have any contacts in the commercial fishing world, use them to find a tender coming north. These boats are usually empty and the captain will take a small boat as a deck load usually for beer money. They are usually pretty happy to have a good small boat on deck in case of emergency. You can try calling canneries directly but you will do better if you work through someone who fishes for them. Google can help you figure out which processors to ask, however don't miss Trident or Ocean Beauty Seafoods. They're the big ones. Lots of others though.

6. Craigslist. There are people on there who advertise that they will tow your boat to AK. Never tried it, never would, but it's an option! Risky though.
 
Thanks for the replies everyone. The deal kind of fell through due to logistics and my schedule. Someday I will own a C-dory! Just not today.

FYI from Seattle to Anchorage - AML and tote were in the $4200 to 4500 range for a 22 cruiser on a single axle EZ loader. uShip was about $1500 and the carriers all had 5 stars. I don't know how there is money in that.

Thanks again.
 
I would also vote for Harvey (hardee screename ). He was willing to tow a boat from the West Coast to Massachusetts when I was looking. AK is a tad closer. PM him.
 
Back
Top