Shipping Glass

[Larry Horne]

Does anybody have any suggestions for shipping a glass slalom boat across the good ole USA? would Forward Air break it? DHL??
Thanks

[Guest]

Back when everything was glass, boats traveled by "racer transit." Slalom paddlers would carry your boat between race locations for gas money (usually less than a tank of fuel.)

System took about a week in transit (races were on weekends), and customer pickup and delivery took place at river side locations.

Glass doesn't travel well on commercial carriers unless packed in a sturdy box or a well-padded boat bag. Even then, some damage is not unusual. I doubt the particular carrier makes much difference, but the packaging certainly does.

The C-boat ride board is about all that is left of the "racer transit" mode of boat travel. It is still best alternative.

[edg1]

I use DHL/Airborn to ship my boats to big(er) races. It's worked pretty well, but I have gotten some minor cracks and chips. Some hints- the lighter, the better. Your worst nightmare is that the boat is so heavily crated or packaged it can't be easily moved by one person. Then it gets the "forklift treatment". A forklift prong through a glass boat pretty much kills it. I like pipe insulation around the cockpit combing (a weak point), and along the the edges and tips. Follow with cardboard folded around the boat and taped together to make a "shell". Label extensively, especially "Fragile" "Do Not Drag" and "Top Load Only". I think its also important that the people handling it know what it is -- "Racing Canoe" seems to get teh point across. Be very sure that your contact information is not only clearly printed on the outside of the packaging, but also somewhere inside the packaging. That's my two cents. It's not perfect, but nothingsw been cracked too badly so far....Ed

[charles swann]

Larry . . . could it be? are you going glass?? you and adam will have quite the boat collection between the two of you, and I intend to milk that, depending on what coast I'm on.

Once you go glass, you'll never go back, as they say.
Alden

[kaz]

Howdy. When I ship composite boats, I wrap them in 2 layers of 1/2" bubblewrap and strap cardboard on the bottom of the package for some skidding protection. I use Roadway Express exclusively and out of the 400 boats or so that I've shipped interstate, I've only had 2 problems with damage. And Roadway paid for the repair work because they automatically insure the goods. For internatinal shipments I always build a crate. Be sure to print on the bill of lading form "top load only" and "fragile". Good luck.
JKaz

[Peter B]

Had a C2 shipped from the east coast to Minneapolis via Forward Air and it arrived in perfect shape. It was wrapped in multiple layers of bubble wrap with no other padding. Kudos to Forward Air for their excellent handling of the boat. Cost was less than $50.00 for shipping plus $20.00 or so for the wrap.

[Larry Horne]

Thanks for the help!