Shipping to Alaska

[Wolfboy]

We have an order in for a 2022 R-27OB to be completed next spring. We will be having it shipped from the factory and are looking for some tips on how to do it. I know a couple of people have shipped tugs up here before, and I imagine there are others that I haven't heard about. We will ultimately be keeping it in Seward. Would you have it shipped to Anchorage or Seward? Is there any company you would recommend and is there anyone you would avoid? And what sort of cost am I looking at? Any help is greatly appreciated.

 

[allanrs74@gmail.com]

Wolfboy,

Have you considered bringing your new boat up to AK on the water?

I purchased a 2016 R27C in the Spring of 2018 in Anacortes and spent the month of June transitting from Anacortes to Seward including a week lost in Prince Rupert due to mechanical failure. Some extra fuel was required for the Elfin Cove to Cordova leg but other than that it was a trip of a life time. If you didn't want to venture outside into the Gulf of Alaska, you could always trailer it from Haines or Skagway. I just took a 38' Lindell from Juneau to Cordova for a friend and had a great trip. My R27C is stored on it's trailer in Soldotna.

I think you will find the on water delivery method the least expensive option.

PM or call me if you would like to discuss.

Bob Allan
Annie M 2016 R27C

 

[Wolfboy]

I would love to make that trip. Even just planning the logistics (total miles, mpg, fuel and food stop locations, etc.) sounds like a fun exercise to me. Unfortunately we don't have the free time we would need to drive it up here, and there would still be the issue of shipping the trailer. At this point I have about 7 months to figure it out.

 

[SJI Sailor]

I'll add 0.02: as exciting as a shakedown cruise on the Inside Passage would be, it would also pose significant risk or at least high potential for something unpleasant. Any new boat might have issues surface in the first couple of trips, and even minor ones might vary from annoying to dangerous in a remote area.

For example, when our C30 was new, it developed a fresh water leak (related to head conversion) after a few days, which we discovered one morning when 1/2 tank of water was lost overnight. That is not a big deal when we're 20 miles from home, but could become dangerous if we had been remote and the wind picked up. I would feel better settling in a bit before such an outing.

 

[Wolfboy]

Yes, it does seem a tall order to take a new boat (and a boat that is new to us as we currently have an R-25), on such a journey; as much as an adventure as it may be. I think we would want to have a summer or 2 of getting used to the boat, and identifying potential issues and limitations before we attempted to cross the gulf.