Commercial vessel transport
We can transport any type of commercial vessel by road between boat yards and marinas in Australia.
Fast
quotes
Work out your boat transport interstate costs between Sydney & Brisbane in minutes.
Quick
delivery
Our professional service moves boats interstate all year round with our regular runs.
Fully
insured
Your vessel is in safe hands and fully insured once it is loaded on our trailer.
Available
7 days
We can transport boats anytime of the week to fit into your schedule and location.
Commercial vessel boat transportation
If you own a commercial vessel like a water taxi, houseboat, charter boat or something like a lifeguard patrol boat we can get it transported by road instead of you driving by sea.
Our boat transport service has been contracted by maritime services, private business owners, marinas and other companies to move all kinds of commercial vessels in Australia.
Moving a vessel by road is cheaper, you save on engine hours & never have to wait for the right tide or great weather. It is the best way to keep boat transports costs as low as possible.
Using a commercial boat mover is cost effective compared to other options. A quick phone call or email will help you work out how much does it cost to transport a boat interstate to Brisbane.
- 20+ years of experience for peace of mind
- Available 7 days a week, we’re here for you!
- Best value transport rates guaranteed
- Easy booking and payment process
"Deal directly with the owner, no middle man, no fuss, just quick answers to get your boat transported or relocated anywhere in Australia.
“Peter moved a boat to to Queensland and gave us amazing service and advice. Boat relocation has never felt easier”
Diane
Happy boat owner reviews
“Pete is a legend. I had no idea how to get my boat transported, he made the whole boat delivery service process so easy“
Carl
“Talk about easy to deal with. Pete is straight forward, gives you a good deal and there is no mucking around transporting your boat. I never knew the cost of transporting a boat by road was so cheap“
Leon
Commercial vessel transportation costs
Cost esimates
To find out the cost to get your commercial vessel transported in Australia is really easy. Just call, eMail or fill in our ‘Get A Quote‘ form so we can assess your requirements & you can find out how much to transport a boat will be.
To calculate the costs and prices involved or to obtain an accurate estimate to get your boat relocated or transported we’ll need to know a few details including;
- Exact pick up and drop off locations
- Length, weight and height of the boat
- The timing or dates that you require it to be moved
The reason our boat transporter company needs this information to be accurate is because we have to determine a number of different factors before we can calculate your boat transport rates such as;
- What towing vehicle and trailer we need to use
- Is it possible to access the locations required
- The most suitable route that can accomodate the height and width of the load being carried
- Whether permits will be required or pilot vehicles
- The days or times we will be allowed to move your boat, especially if it is longer than 40 foot
Regulations
Every state in Australia has strict regulations for the use of roads, freeways or motorways when transporting heavy, long or oversize loads. To be compliant we require the exact details which enables us to work out a safe journey for your vessel & calculate an accurate quote for you.
Delivery rates
Boat delivery rates will vary due to the overall size, weight, distance, time & difficulty that your transportation requirements may present. This can also change depending on the seasons of the year, we can help you work out the most cost effective way to move your boat during the right time of day, year or seasonal period. It’s important to note that large boat relocating sometimes has to be done overnight due to road & heavy load towing regulations.
Types of commercial vessels we can transport
- Patrol vessels
Patrol vessels are designed for patrolling the coast in an enforcement of regulations activity, where security vessels are usually used in harbour activities to enforce closures or to keep unwanted vessels a safe distance from a location or a ship.
- Passenger vessels
Passenger vessels are used in a wide array of purposes, from small sightseeing vessels, party boats, house boats or even water taxis. Their primary function being to accommodate passengers.
- Cargo vessels
Cargo vessels are are used in the transporting of various types of goods up rivers to reach regional towns
- Fishing charter vessels
In places like Queensland there are a large number of fishing boat charter vessels that are used in the tourism industry. The operators of these boats often move them from one location to another to match the seasonal changes to where fish migrate.
What counts as a commercial activity?
To use your vessel for commercial, government or research activities, it must meet certain safety standards and requirements, in Australia, commercial activities may include:
- Sightseeing and charter boats
- Water taxis
- Ferries
- Workboats
- Boat shares or syndicates
- Renting boats for overnight accommodation
- Commercial fishing
- Hire-and-drive vessels.
Big Boat Transport is an commercial marine transportation company that is able to move a boat by road between any capital city in Australia.
We are a boat hauling and moving company that is licensed and equipped to relocate oversize loads like a 50 foot long boat via the main arterial roads any number of marinas.
If you are an owner of a commercial vessel, especially anything longer than 30 foot long, then you would most likely seek professional assistance if you need your boat moved. We can give you an instant quote over the phone or via email.
Commercial vessel transportation
Drive the boat over water
- Slow
- Expensive
- Risky
Your first option as an example might be from White Bay Marina in Sydney to the Port of Brisbane which is around 475 nautical miles which will take around 2 days at a constant average of 10 knots.
If you are experienced at driving a boat on the ocean then this may be feasible to do yourself if you have the time and skill.
Although don’t forget you have to factor in tides, weather delays and potentially other people to help you. You could hire a skipper with crew but together with the cost of engine hours, wear and tear etc, this can be an expensive exercise not to mention the risk if the boat were to hit something or get caught in a storm on the ocean.
Transport a boat by road
- Efficient
- Cost effective
- Reliable
In comparison, transporting a large boat by road from inner Sydney to Brisbane is around 910kms going up the coastal roads on the back of a trailer, so no engine hours.
This type of road transportation could take around 1 day depending on the time required to load and unload the boat from the trailer.
If it is oversize it make take longer if we can only transport at night time outside of peak travelling hours to comply with regulations.
When you move a boat by road you don’t have to worry about engine hours, wear and tear, bad weather or hiring a crew – these costs are not required which makes road transportation more cost effective in the long run.
Things to check before organising your boat transport
1. Does the marina have the required machinery
We can pick up or deliver boats by road to any of the popular marinas located around metropolitan area as long as they have the appropriate lifting equipment. You need to check with the marina management staff if they have a boat lift, travel lift, boat hoist, boat gantry crane or boat crane. They need to have the right specialist machinery to lift it on or off our heavy duty haulage trailer with experience dealing with boat haulage in Queensland.
2. What boat length & weight can the marina handle
Some marinas might confirm they can lift a boat, but you then have to check what height, width and weight limitations they may have because your vessel may simply be too big for them to handle. It will mean choosing another location to get your boat transported from but it is important you check this critical point.
3. Can the marina pull the boat out of the water
This may seem like an obvious thing to check, but you will be surprised at the number of people that forget to check this. Some marinas do not have a travel lift, slipway or cradles that can take boats from the water onto dry land. They may have mooring facilities or storage areas available but it could be for boats that are taken there by road.
They need to have the right machinery to pull your boat out of the water but to also be able to lift it on or off our heavy-duty road haulage trailer so that it is ready to be taken interstate.
4. Your boat’s length, width and height
This is one of the most important aspects that we need to know as it effects the cost of transporting your boat between locations, but more importantly effects when & how it is transported. Certain boat lengths and load weights can only be moved during certain times of day & in some cases may also need pilot vehicles front and/or rear to help create a safe passage for the truck and trailer.
So apart from working out if pilot vehicles are required to travel the distance, we also have to work out what permits are required in each state and any other state regulations we must follow. From that point we need to calculate a route that is suitable to navigate between these two major cities in Australia.
Frequently asked questions
We’ve answered the most common questions about big boat relocations that we get asked via eMail, over the phone or via our instant quote requests. Moving boats is
?
What size commercial vessel can be transported or relocated?
We can transport boat sizes that are;
- Up to 60 foot long
- Up to 30 tonnes in weight
although we specialise in transporting boats that are between 30 and 60 foot long. Unfortunately we do not transport small fishing boats, jet skis or tinnies. Our company is a large boat relocation specialist that can move boats longer than 30 foot
Can you pick my boat up from a ramp & transport it?
Our boat trailer cannot be put into water and the semi trailer is too large for most boat ramp locations. Therefore we are unable to pull your boat out of the water, you’d have to take it to a local marina to get it lifted out of the water.
Alternatively contact a company like Slip Away who have a special float on, float off transport service.
What is the cost to transport a commercial boat?
Any online search will give you a range of pricing to transport commercial boats by road with a price range between $900 and $30,000 inc gst and this sounds ridiculous right? How can there be such a wide range of prices to transport boats?
The answer is really, really simple.
The cost will vary based on;
the overall size, length and weight of your boat
the total distance that it needs to travel (or roads that have to be bypassed if oversized)
expected loading and unloading time
type of pick up and delivery locations
Moving a 24 foot cruiser will be much simpler than a 50 foot motor yacht even if the distance to travel is the same. So obviously any boat transportation contractor will have to figure out fuel costs, travel time, loading/unloading time, route planning time & admin to sort out permits, pilot cars etc.
We factor all of this into our quotations and give you a written, fixed price so you can work out your total transportation costs once you also get quote for marina lifting fees.
When is the best time to transport a commercial boat to another state?
There really isn’t an ideal time, but just consider that the roads are busiest between major cities during public holidays, long weekend or during school holidays as families are out exploring the country. Therefore sometimes it is better to organise timing outside of peak periods.
During Christmas periods there are oversize load blackout dates and times due to the road congestion around this period.
What marinas can we transport boats to?
There are quite a few marinas around Australia that we can deliver boats to or pick up from. As long as there is plenty of space to drive our semi trailer and they have the lifting equipment we can take your boat nearly anywhere.
Whst days do you do big boat relocating?
We are able to do big boat relocating 7 days a week, but the timing will depend on other bookings, time of year & the size of your boat.