Boats Shipping
A trailered boat goes by RoRo, towed aboard, or in a 40 ft high cube or flat rack by its beam and height. Larger boats ship on a cradle as deck cargo.
Overview
Boats on their own trailers are the simplest marine cargo. By RoRo, the boat and trailer are towed aboard at Baltimore, Brunswick, Jacksonville or Houston where a lane serves the destination, and the carrier charges by length and height.
A boat that passes the 2.34 m by 2.58 m door of a 40 ft high cube on its trailer can go in a container, which reaches destinations no RoRo ship serves; with the trailer, it is lashed to the floor at the hull and the axles. Boats wider than the door go on a 40 ft flat rack, whose deck is 12.06 m long, shipped out of gauge.
Larger boats without trailers ship on a cradle as deck cargo, lifted at the marked points.
Outboards are tilted and secured, fuel tanks emptied to the level the carrier allows, batteries disconnected and loose gear packed. Hulls are cleaned of marine growth, because ports inspect for it. We have no boats in our own loading records, so this page sets out the method. We confirm the plan from the boat's dimensions before booking.
Send the builder, model, length, beam and weight, and say whether the boat comes with a trailer. Keep the title or documentation, because the buyer needs it to register the boat at the destination. Drain fuel to the carrier's limit and secure all loose gear.
Cost depends on the boat's length, beam and weight. A boat on its trailer goes by RoRo, priced by cubic metres, and smaller boats fit a 40 ft high cube or flat rack at a per-box rate. Trucking from the marina or yard to the port is quoted on top.
Typical Specifications
| Length | Up to ~12m (container/flat rack) |
|---|---|
| Handling | On trailer or in a cradle |
| Methods | Container, flat rack, RoRo |
| Protection | Shrink-wrap and padding |
Recommended Shipping Methods
Worked example
7.3 m center console on road trailer: 28 ft 10 in / 8.8 m long, 8 ft 6 in / 2.59 m wide, 9 ft 6 in / 2.9 m high, 6,390 lb / 2,900 kg.
The ladder below is worked out from these figures. Larger or smaller units of the same type can land on a different rung.
Cheapest first: the shipping cost ladder
We price every machine from the bottom rung up. A machine only moves up a rung when a measurement rules out the cheaper method.
7.3 m center console on road trailer is 8 ft 6 in / 2.59 m wide, over the 7 ft 8 in / 2.34 m container door, so shipping it whole starts on the next rung up.
- Rung 1
Container
Lowest cost
When: Fits through a 7 ft 8 in / 2.34 m × 8 ft 6 in / 2.58 m door and under 59,500 lb / 27,000 kg, whole or after we take off the bucket, boom, cab or wheels.
- Rung 2
Flat rack
Mid cost
Best fit for 7.3 m center console on road trailer
When: Too wide or tall for a container door, but within 14 ft 9 in / 4.5 m wide, 13 ft 1 in / 4 m tall and 86,000 lb / 39,000 kg on one rack.
- Rung 3
RoRo
Mid cost
When: Drives or tows aboard, under 19 ft 8 in / 6 m tall and 110 US tons / 100,000 kg, going to a port with regular RoRo sailings.
- Rung 4
Breakbulk
Highest cost
When: Past flat-rack and roll-trailer limits, or shipped as modules lifted aboard piece by piece.
Container Shipping
RecommendedSmaller boats fit standard or high-cube containers.
Flat Rack Container
RecommendedFor wider/taller boats within flat-rack limits.
RoRo (Roll-on/Roll-off)
On a trailer for suitable craft.
Container, flat rack, RoRo or breakbulk?
01Container
- Work needed
- We partially disassemble when needed (bucket, boom, cab, wheels), or take larger machines further apart across several high-cubes and open-tops, then crate, block and lash every part.
- Destinations
- Widest: almost every port worldwide, plus inland delivery by rail.
- Typical cost
- Usually the lowest, with no out-of-gauge surcharges.
- Protection
- Sealed steel box; loose parts and attachments travel locked inside.
- Best for
- Most machines: compact ones as they are, others after partial disassembly, and large ones split across several containers.
02Flat rack
- Work needed
- Ships assembled, blocked and lashed. Surcharges apply when wider than 2.4 m or taller than about 1.95 m.
- Destinations
- Most container ports, on the same vessels as containers.
- Typical cost
- Moderate; rises with every centimetre out of gauge.
- Protection
- Open to the weather; we protect cabs, electronics and hydraulics.
- Best for
- Excavators, dozers and loaders too wide for a container door.
03RoRo
- Work needed
- Drives on assembled; non-runners go on a roll trailer.
- Destinations
- Fewer destinations: regular lanes to Europe, West Africa, the Middle East, Oceania and parts of Latin America.
- Typical cost
- Often competitive for large self-propelled machines where a lane exists.
- Protection
- Below deck, but loose items and attachments cannot ride inside the cab.
- Best for
- Running machines going to a port with regular RoRo sailings.
04Breakbulk
- Work needed
- Lifted aboard piece by piece by ship’s or shore cranes, on its own skids or cradle, then stowed and lashed in the hold or on deck.
- Destinations
- Ports with breakbulk berths and heavy-lift cranes; sailings are booked voyage by voyage.
- Typical cost
- Usually the highest for a single small machine; often the only option for the largest pieces.
- Protection
- In the hold or lashed on deck; we crate, wrap and protect exposed parts.
- Best for
- Pieces too large or heavy for a flat rack or roll trailer: transformers, process modules, mining trucks, crane sections.
Handling & Preparation Requirements
- Secure the boat on its trailer or cradle
- Protect hull, outboard/sterndrive, and fittings
- Drain/secure fuel and batteries per carrier rules
- Shrink-wrap for weather protection
- Document condition before shipment
Common Models We Ship
- Center consoles and bowriders
- Sailboats and day sailers
- RIBs and tenders
- Personal watercraft (PWC)
Where boats shipments go wrong
Mistakes we see on boats bookings, and what avoids them.
- A T-top or hardtop can add most of a metre to trailer height, and unbolting it often lets a boat fit a high-cube container instead of a flat rack.
- Outboards left resting on their hydraulic trim without a transom saver bounce on long road legs and can crack the transom bracket, so we fit a support and tie the engine.
- Boat trailers built to US rules often fail destination standards for brakes, lighting, or width, so some buyers ship the boat on a cradle and buy a trailer locally.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a boat ship in a container?
Yes, smaller boats fit in containers; larger or wider boats use flat rack, and bigger vessels use RoRo or LoLo.
Do you ship boats on their trailers?
Yes, boats can ship secured on their trailers where suitable.
How are fuel and batteries handled?
Fuel is drained/secured and batteries disconnected per carrier and dangerous-goods rules.
Sources
Every figure on this page comes from the documents below, each checked on the date shown. Carriers and authorities revise them, so we confirm the current figure when we book.
- [1]Seaway Project Cargo: about the company, checked October 22, 2026
- [2]Seaway Project Cargo country shipping guides, checked October 22, 2026
Plan your shipment
Import Duty & Tax Estimator
Estimate duty and VAT on the CIF value for 70+ destinations.
Dimensional Weight Calculator
Work out chargeable weight before you book.
Container Space Calculator
See how your cargo fits in 20ft, 40ft, and HC containers.
Route Finder
Load port, sailings, duty and rules for a machine and destination.
Ready to Ship Your Boats?
Send the make, model and pickup location. We quote boats by container, flat rack or RoRo from the U.S. port that suits the machine.