Prepare your Boat for Moving or Transport with Northeast Boat Hauling

We will not be responsible for damage that is the result of incorrect preparation. Please follow steps indicated on this page and contact us if you do not understand any of the information or if you have further questions. Northeast Boat Hauling will not be responsible for damage to or caused by any item that shakes loose, becomes unattached, drops, falls or breaks. Some examples are listed below: Please review them and remember that these things are not the result of driver carelessness, they are more the result of natural road vibrations and wind and are normal when transporting your boat from one place to another. The better you secure your boat the less likely these problems are to appear.

General information
1. Hatches should be tightly secured and sealed with tape to prevent damage from wind-driven water or vibration. The latches should also be taped securely to prevent the hatch from coming open while in transit.

2. All items in the cabin should be packed securely and all locker doors should be well secured. Normally the driver won't have a key, so any loose items will cause damage.

3. The batteries should be disconnected and the cables tied off to prevent contact. If engine hatch covers are battery operated, they should be secured to prevent their opening while in transit.

4. The boat should be winterized if cold weather is a possibility.

5. The dinghy can not be transported on its davits. It should be stored in the cabin or secured in the cockpit.

6. The boat should be carefully inspected to make sure there are no loose items in the cabin , and that any items on deck are securely tied / fastened / lashed down.

7. Shrink-wrap can protect the boat from road tar and dirt. However, it can, and does also tear and can cause considerable damage. We carry tape, and we will try to repair it if possible. If we can't, we will have to remove it. While driving our drivers cannot see all of your vessel while transporting, so they may not see a tear in shrink-wrap, nor can the driver hear the shrink-wrap flapping or "wind-milling." We are not responsible for damage caused by shrink-wrap, canvas covering or any other cover.

8. If you have a cradle for transporting your boat, please inspect it carefully for fit, strength and structural integrity. We will not assume liability for any damage that results from the failure of your boat's cradle.

9. The same applies if we transport your boat on your trailer and your trailer fails.

10. If you are moving a sailboat with a centerboard, please be sure that the board is strongly secured so that it will stay in the "up" position.

11. After transport, the keel on sailboats will often appear to show signs of separation at the hull. This is not structural damage, but rather cracks in the paint or sealant.

12. For wooden boats, we recommend that they be transported on their own custom cradle. This is suggested because there may be inherent structural weaknesses that are not readily visible or detectable. A well designed cradle will spread the weight of the boat over a much wider contact area.

13. We transport boats. We do not prepare boats for transport, as well Marinas and boat yards will only allow their employees to prepare boats.

Any boat that is not properly prepared for transport will be shipped on an "As Is" basis only, and we will not be responsible for any resulting damage.

14. The driver will prepare a condition report noting any obvious damage which you or your designee will be asked to sign before he leaves with the boat and again when he delivers it.

We will do our best to deliver your boat in the time we agreed upon, but please remember this is not exact as road and weather conditions, road work and many other unforeseen problems may delay the arrival, the time we give for arrival is an estimation, not a guarantee.

Our drivers have the sole discretion on whether or not a load is safe, if our drivers find your load to be unsafe they may refuse to move any boat at their discretion, other steps may need to be made by you in order for your boat to be transported.