Quick answer: The cheapest way to ship a boat is to tow it yourself on its own trailer, as long as your vehicle is rated for the weight. If you hire a transporter, a trailerable boat on its own road-ready trailer, booked with flexible dates, costs the least. The online marketplace CitizenShipper puts overland boat transport at about $1.25 to $4.00 per mile, and boats wider than 8 feet 6 inches need oversize permits that add to the price.
This guide compares seven ways to move a small boat, with published market prices, a simple way to estimate your own cost, and a prep checklist. One thing to know first: ABC Auto Shipping moves cars, trucks, SUVs and motorcycles. We do not haul boats, so the prices below are published market ranges, not our quotes. If you are towing your boat on a move, though, we can ship the car you cannot drive at the same time.
What Is the Cheapest Way to Ship a Boat?
For most small boats, the order from cheapest to most expensive looks like this:
- Tow it yourself on its own trailer. You pay for fuel, tolls and wear on your vehicle, and nothing else.
- Book a transporter with spare room on your route. A driver who is already heading your way can price the trip lower than a dedicated run.
- Hire a dedicated boat transporter. More expensive, but the right choice for long distances, boats without a trailer or anything you would rather not tow.
- Pay for an oversize move. Once the boat is wider than 8 feet 6 inches, permits and sometimes escort vehicles push the price up.
Very small craft such as kayaks, canoes and dinghies are the exception. They can often travel as ordinary freight, which is usually cheaper than any boat-specific option.
7 Ways to Ship a Small Boat
1. Tow It Yourself
Best for: trailerable boats, shorter trips and owners with a properly rated tow vehicle.
If you already have a boat trailer and a truck or SUV that can handle the load, towing is the cheapest option by a wide margin. Before you commit, check your vehicle’s towing capacity in the owner’s manual and add up the real weight: the boat, motor, fuel, gear and the trailer itself. Many states require trailer brakes above a set weight, so check the rules for every state on your route. Service the wheel bearings, check the tires (including the spare) and make sure the lights and safety chains work.
2. Book a Transporter Already Running Your Route
Best for: owners with flexible dates who want a professional to do the driving.
Online shipping marketplaces let you post your boat and collect bids from transporters. Many bids come from drivers with spare room on a trip they are already making, which is why prices can be lower than a dedicated haul. Read reviews, check that the transporter has an active USDOT number and ask for a certificate of insurance before you accept a bid.
3. Hire a Professional Boat Transporter
Best for: long distances, boats with no trailer, and boats you do not want to tow.
Dedicated boat haulers use hydraulic boat trailers with adjustable bunks and pads, so they can load a boat that is not on a trailer and support the hull properly for a long trip. You pay for that equipment and a dedicated truck, so expect to pay more per mile than a shared load.
4. Ship It on a Flatbed or Step-Deck Trailer
Best for: boats without a road-ready trailer, and personal watercraft.
A flatbed or step-deck carrier can move a boat that sits on a cradle, or a boat and trailer together. Step-deck trailers sit lower, which helps taller boats stay under height limits. You will usually need a crane, forklift or travel lift at each end if the boat is not on its own trailer, and that is a separate charge.
5. Use Freight for Kayaks, Canoes and Dinghies
Best for: small, light craft that can be crated or strapped to a pallet.
If your boat is small enough to crate, a freight carrier can move it like any other large shipment. Pricing depends on weight, size and distance. Ask about extra fees for residential delivery or a liftgate, which can make a cheap freight quote less cheap.
6. Ask a Marina or Dealer to Deliver
Best for: short local moves, and boats you are buying or storing.
Many marinas and dealers move boats locally between the water, a storage yard and a buyer’s home. For short distances this can be the simplest option, and delivery is sometimes included when you buy a boat or book storage. Ask what is included before you agree on a price.
7. Ship by Sea in a Container or on a RoRo Vessel
Best for: moves to Hawaii, Alaska or another country.
Crossing water means ocean shipping. On a roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) vessel, the boat rides on its trailer or a rolling cradle and is driven on and off the ship. In a container, it travels sealed inside a steel box, which gives more protection but costs more. Boats too wide for a container usually go on a flat rack. See the overseas section below for size limits and paperwork.
How Much Does It Cost to Ship a Boat?
ABC Auto Shipping does not ship boats, so the figures here come from CitizenShipper’s boat transport cost guide, a published market source. They are planning ranges, not quotes, and not ABC prices. CitizenShipper puts overland transport within the U.S. at about $1.25 to $4.00 per mile.
Boat Shipping Cost by Size
| Boat size | Typical total cost (CitizenShipper) |
|---|---|
| Under 20 ft, short distances | $300 to $1,500 |
| 20 to 30 ft | $1,000 to $5,000 |
| Larger boats and yachts | $2,000 to $15,000 or more |
Boat Shipping Cost per Mile by Beam
Width matters more than length, because width decides whether the load needs permits. CitizenShipper publishes these per-mile ranges by beam:
| Beam (width) | Cost per mile (CitizenShipper) |
|---|---|
| Smaller boats | $1.50 to $2.50 |
| 10 ft | $2.00 to $3.00 |
| 11 ft | $2.25 to $3.25 |
| 12 ft | $2.50 to $3.50 |
| Over 12 ft | $2.75 to $3.75 |
Season, fuel prices, the route and how easy the pickup and delivery points are to reach all move the final price, so get quotes for your own trip.
Boat Shipping Cost Calculator: Estimate It Yourself
You can make a rough estimate in three steps:
- Find the distance in road miles between pickup and delivery.
- Multiply by a per-mile rate for your boat’s width from the table above.
- Add the extras that apply to your move.
For example, a small runabout on its own trailer moving 1,000 miles at $1.50 to $2.50 per mile works out at about $1,500 to $2,500 before extras. Those extras can include:
- Oversize permits for any boat wider than 8 feet 6 inches, in each state on the route
- Escort vehicles for wider loads
- A crane or travel lift at either end if the boat is not on a trailer
- A cradle or blocking for boats without a trailer
- Shrink-wrapping, if you do not already have a cover rated for highway speed
- Storage, if delivery cannot happen the day the boat arrives
How Much Does It Cost to Ship a Boat Across the Country?
CitizenShipper estimates a Florida to California move at $3,000 to $7,000 or more, depending on the boat’s size, any permits and the carrier. A narrow trailerable boat sits toward the low end. A wide boat that needs permits and escorts across several states sits at the top or above it.
How Much Does It Cost to Ship a Boat and Trailer?
A boat on its own road-ready trailer is usually the simplest load to move, because no cradle, crane or travel lift is needed. That tends to keep the price toward the low end of the ranges above. The trailer needs to be roadworthy for the whole trip: sound tires, serviced bearings, working lights and a coupler that fits the transporter’s hitch. If the trailer is not up to a long trip, the transporter may load the boat and trailer onto a flatbed instead, which costs more.
The 7 Options at a Glance
| Option | Best for | Relative cost | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tow it yourself | Trailerable boats, shorter trips | Lowest | Tow rating, trailer brakes, insurance |
| Transporter on your route | Flexible dates | Low | Checking USDOT number and insurance |
| Dedicated boat transporter | Long distances, no trailer | Medium to high | Higher per-mile rate |
| Flatbed or step-deck | No trailer, taller boats | Medium | Crane or lift fees at each end |
| Freight | Kayaks, canoes, dinghies | Low | Residential and liftgate fees |
| Marina or dealer delivery | Short local moves | Low for short trips | Limited range |
| Container or RoRo | Hawaii, Alaska, overseas | High | Customs paperwork, longer timelines |
Is It Cheaper to Tow a Boat Yourself?
On paper, yes. If you own a truck rated for the load and the trip is short, towing costs only fuel and tolls. Over longer distances the gap narrows, because a transporter brings things a private tow does not:
- Insurance in transit. A transporter carries cargo insurance. Ask for the certificate and compare the limit with what your boat is worth. If you tow it yourself, check with your insurer that your boat policy covers the boat while it is on the road.
- The right equipment. Boat haulers match the trailer, supports and tie-downs to the hull. A poorly supported hull can be damaged over a long trip.
- Permits handled. Once the boat is over the legal width or height, the transporter arranges permits and any escort vehicles for each state on the route.
- No wear on your vehicle. Towing several thousand pounds a long way is hard on a transmission, brakes and tires.
As a rough guide, towing makes sense for a short trip with a properly rated vehicle and a trailer in good condition. For a long trip, an oversize boat, a boat with no trailer or a boat worth more than the cost of shipping it, a professional transporter is usually the better value.
Moving with a boat and a car? Many owners tow the boat with their truck and ship the second vehicle. ABC Auto Shipping can move the car door to door so you only have one vehicle to drive. See our guide to shipping a car across the country.
How to Cut the Cost of Shipping a Small Boat
- Be flexible on dates. A wider pickup window makes it easier to match your boat with a transporter already heading your way.
- Avoid the busiest weeks. Spring launch and fall haul-out are busy times for boat haulers, so prices and wait times can rise.
- Measure the beam properly. Measure at the widest point, including rub rails and anything that sticks out. If the boat is just under 8 feet 6 inches, it can travel without oversize permits.
- Lower the height. Remove or fold down a T-top, radar arch, bimini or windshield, and unstep the mast on a sailboat.
- Use a road-ready trailer. A trailer with good tires, serviced bearings and working lights means the boat can travel on it, with no cradle or crane needed.
- Make pickup easy. A marina or yard near a main highway is easier and often cheaper to reach than a narrow rural driveway.
- Take the gear out. Less weight and fewer loose items make for a simpler, safer load.
- Compare at least three quotes. Check what each one includes, and confirm the USDOT number and insurance before you book.
How to Prepare a Small Boat for Transport
- Ask about fuel. Most transporters want a low fuel level. Check what yours requires.
- Drain the water. Empty the bilge, livewells and freshwater tanks.
- Disconnect the battery and switch off anything that draws power.
- Remove loose items. Take out or secure electronics, cushions, anchors, life jackets and anything in lockers.
- Secure every hatch, door and window so nothing can open at highway speed.
- Cover it properly. Use shrink-wrap or a cover rated for road travel. An ordinary cover can flap, tear and rub the finish.
- Secure the motor. Tilt and support an outboard as the manufacturer recommends, and lower antennas and outriggers.
- Check the trailer. Tires, spare, bearings, lights, brakes, safety chains and coupler.
- Photograph everything. Take dated photos of the hull, deck, motor and trailer from every side, and note existing marks on the inspection report.
- Have the paperwork ready. Keep the registration, title and hull identification number handy, plus any release forms the marina needs.
Shipping a Boat Overseas, to Hawaii or to Alaska
Road transport stops at the coast, so a move across water means ocean shipping with a road leg at each end.
- RoRo. The boat rides on its trailer or a rolling cradle and is driven on and off the ship. It is usually the cheapest ocean option.
- Container. The boat travels sealed inside a shipping container, protected from salt spray and handling. A standard container door is about 7 feet 8 inches wide and about 7 feet 6 inches high, a little taller on a high-cube container, so the boat has to fit through that opening on its cradle or trailer.
- Flat rack. Boats too wide or tall for a container are strapped to an open-sided flat rack.
- Paperwork. International moves need customs documents and proof of ownership, and some buyers or insurers ask for a marine survey. Allow several extra weeks.
For moves within the lower 48 states, road transport is almost always cheaper and faster than ocean shipping.
Shipping a Motorcycle Too?
If your move includes a motorcycle, it does not need to share the boat trailer. ABC Auto Shipping ships motorcycles on open and enclosed carriers, and our motorcycle shipping page explains how it works. To get a bike ready:
- Wash it and photograph it from every side so existing marks are on record.
- Run the fuel low and check for leaks.
- Disable the alarm, and fold or remove mirrors, screens and luggage.
- Note aftermarket parts on the inspection report.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cheapest way to transport a boat?
Towing it yourself on its own trailer, if your vehicle is rated for the weight. If you need a transporter, a trailerable boat on a road-ready trailer, booked with flexible dates, gets the lowest prices.
How much does it cost to ship a boat?
CitizenShipper puts overland boat transport at about $1.25 to $4.00 per mile. By size, it lists $300 to $1,500 for boats under 20 feet on short trips and $1,000 to $5,000 for boats of 20 to 30 feet.
How much does it cost to ship a boat across the country?
CitizenShipper estimates a Florida to California move at $3,000 to $7,000 or more, depending on the boat’s size, permits and the carrier.
How much does it cost to ship a boat and trailer?
A boat on its own roadworthy trailer is usually the cheapest load to move, because no cradle or crane is needed. The cost follows the same per-mile ranges, with the price rising for wider boats that need permits.
Is it cheaper to tow a boat yourself?
Yes, for short trips with a properly rated vehicle. Over long distances, a transporter’s insurance, equipment and permit handling often make it the better value.
Can you ship a boat without a trailer?
Yes. A boat hauler with a hydraulic trailer, or a flatbed with a cradle, can move it. You will usually pay for a crane or travel lift at each end.
What size boat needs an oversize permit?
Any boat wider than 8 feet 6 inches on the trailer needs oversize permits. Height limits are set by each state, commonly around 13 feet 6 inches, so taller loads may need permits too.
Does ABC Auto Shipping ship boats?
No. We ship cars, trucks, SUVs and motorcycles. If you are moving with a boat, we can ship your car while you tow the boat.
Moving With a Boat? Let Us Ship the Car
Towing the boat yourself is the cheapest way to move it, but it leaves a second vehicle to get there. ABC Auto Shipping is a licensed broker that matches your car with an insured carrier. Get a free car shipping quote today. There is no deposit to book.
