I’m looking to ship a complete boat from California to Virginia. Does anyone have any recommendations or tips on freight company, packaging, etc…? thank you
It's been a LONG time since I shipped a ship, so no idea on company. The big lesson I learned was that anything that can break loose will break loose. Just because it stays in place during combat is no guarantee it'll survive shipping. My ships had excellent packaging on the outside and survived a "shake" test just fine, but actual shipping was much more destructive. Fishing weights that were glued in place broke free and smashed around. CO2 bottles broke their cradles and caused quite a bit of damage. Rudders bent when the boats shifted in their boxes. In short, if you can remove it from inside the ship, do so. How big of a ship are you trying to ship?
I shipped my Sodak to Ohio from NJ I did it through FedEx and @Kotori87 is correct anything that can break will. I shipped mine with boat in one box super in another and the box I built for both made it so the boat couldn’t move at all like I had someone pull the foam apart so I could fit the boat. No complains from the buyer either. It is rather expensive if it is a heavier boat so be prepared it will most likely be in the $150-300 range. The best thing to do is make sure everything is secured the best it can be because let’s face it. I have seen the worst of shipping accidents. Had a rifle that a guy bought it was like 1 of 1000 made and it came broken in half. The shippers honestly don’t care and the delivery drivers care less
I’m trying to get a Derfflinger I’m buying from California to my home in Virginia. I’m not doing the packing myself.
Then unfortunately you are at the mercy of the shipper in all honesty depends on how they pack the boat and such it could be secure and no problems or they could half ass it and the boat could possibly be destroyed. I would go through PayPal for payment and go through goods and services because if they boat comes destroyed due to poor packing you can get your money back.
I shipped an Omaha completely assembled from NJ to GA. Took it to FedEx and they packed it for me, complete with insurance if damaged since they packed it. Arrived without a scratch. That was completely assembled. Rudder in, props on, superstructure on.
Remember that folks in the shipping industry consider "fragile" labels to be a challenge. No matter how big/heavy your package is, it will be thrown like a football and dropped upside-down multiple times. If it's too big to throw, they will load it onto a trebuchet and launch it. Remove as much of the insides as possible and package them separately. CO2 bottle and batteries especially, but anything big and heavy should be removed, along with external hull features. Remove the rudders or they may get bent. If the props are not well-protected, consider removing the props or putting some packing material specifically to support them. Big Gun cannons should be removed and wrapped separately, with extra support around the MPA-7. Fast Gun cannons are usually light enough and solidly mounted, so would probably be fine.
The shipper really is the one who should be taking care of this. You have absolutely no control over any of the shipping. I sold almost all of my ships early last year. I double walled the boxes and stuffed them full of packing paper. I didnt hear of any being damaged in shipping.
You pack boxes well. Only the thinnest little piece of the SS deck was cracked on the PE. But, given my plans for it...that's perfect.
