Gemini 3200 Transported to New Marina Safe and Secure

Ariel made it to Sail Harbor Marina in Savannah, Georgia safe and secure! We knew that she would, but things can happen and she is part of our family.

Friday we arrived at Sail Harbor Marina around 9:00AM. We pulled into the boat yard and there she was, smiling, happy to see us.

After a heart felt reunion, we did a thorough inspection and found her in the same shape that she was in when she left Aqualand Marina, thanks to First Choice Transport - Ken Andrews!

Then we walked into the Sail Harbor Marina's boat yard office and finally meet Dick Long, the boat yard manager/co-owner. We had speaking with Dick over the phone for a few weeks now, but it was nice to finally meet him in person.

After our conversation with Mr. Long, we believe we all have clear understanding of the first stage of work that his boat yard will be doing on our Gemini 3200. This includes removing old bottom paint down to the fiberglass, repairing any blisters, 4 coats of barrier coat, 2 coats of bottom paint, fiberglass fixes, a thorough inspection of the standing rigging, inspection of hardware and re-bedding (if necessary), as well as the installation of solar vents. Bill and I agreed that we would have Dick's boat yard do some of the work we could do, but would rather let the boat yard do it while Bill is still working in Atlanta.

We experienced a pleasant surprise when we arrived at Sail Harbor Marina; we saw one of Ariel's much younger sister boats. Her name is WindWalker. She is a 2008 Gemini 105MC. She was in the travel lift, waiting for the tide, so that she could be placed back into the water. She is a beautiful boat. Seeing another Gemini at this boat yard adds even more confidence in the Long's operation.

After completing our business at the boat yard, and spending a little more time with Ariel, we had lunch and then drove a short distance to Tybee Island beach. While at the beach we made sand castles, played in the waves, and had ice cream!

As you may have guessed from KJ's expression and Dy's hand, the water was a little cold. ;)

What a wonderful day!! Oh yeah, we found a wonderful ice cream stand for the girls to try out the local cuisine.

Transporting a Gemini 3200

Yesterday was TRANSPORT day!!! Success! Success!

Here are some details and a few pictures. We uploaded a lot of photos on our main site's Boat Transport page. Enjoy!

For the last couple of months, we have been preparing for transport. During that time we have removed personal items, emptied water tanks, stowed gear, removed the standing rigging, unstepped the mast, removed the solar panels, removed the bimini, removed the old vinyl lettering, and the list goes on and on. Below is a picture of our Gemini 3200 will everything removed, emptied, and stowed (except the dinghy).

I was at the boat yard bright and early removing, stowing, and cleaning. Our transporter, First Choice - Ken Andrews and his son Mike, arrived at 8:30 AM and got right to work. After helping me finish wrapping the mast, Ken pulled his truck around. With a little help, the mast was loaded onto the bed of the trailer. Notice the 14'x8"x8" beams that will be used for the braces/cradle. They are really heavy.

After loading the mast, Ken pulled his truck up next to the gate. It was time to place Ariel on the trailer. Stumpy hoisted Ariel into the air using the travelift and held her a few feet behind and above the trailer.

Before they could set Ariel down onto the trailer, the brace/cradle had to be put into place. Like I said before, these braces are really heavy. It took two men on each side of the braces to put them into place.

After a few adjustments and the addition of carpet, Stumpy was almost ready to place Ariel onto the cradle. Ariel was hovering above the trailer, but one little detail needed to be taken care of before she could be place onto the cradle. I had to climb up the ladder, turn on the batteries, and lift the outboard motor so that it would not hit the trailer and mast.

With the precision of a surgeon, Stumpy deposited Ariel on the cradle.

Next Ken and his son secured Ariel to the trailer, secured the dinghy to Ariel, secured the centerboards and radar arch, and cut off the overhang on the braces. I was busy taping down the hatches, removing the grill, and double checking to make sure everything was stowed.

With 45minutes to spare on our loading time, she rolled out of the boat yard and on her way to Savannah, GA.

It was great working with First Choice - Ken Andrews. If we ever have to ship a boat again, Ken will be the first transporter we call 910-675-1962.

Again, I would like to say THANK YOU!, to the crew at Aqualand Marina Boat yard. These guys are TERRIFIC!!

We are traveling to Sail Harbor Marina in Savannah, GA, this morning, to see Ariel and to do a walk-through with Dick Long at the boat yard.

WE'RE SOOO EXCITED!!!!!!!!

Today is the Day! - Transport

Today the boat gets loaded onto the transporter's trailer and makes her way to Savannah. It's a bit scary. I will be at Aqualand boat yard, as early as possible, so that I can make sure everything is stowed and that the boat is ready to go. If everything goes well, our boat should be in Savannah this afternoon.

Regarding the braces/cradle: The transporter will be bring the braces/cradle that will hold our Gemini. It was easier and more cost effective to have the transporter make them.

We would like to say a special THANK YOU to the crew at Aqualand Marina's boat yard. Theses guys really know what they are doing and it has been great working with them!

We also want to say a BIG THANK YOU to Jen for watching the girls!

Here we go! Please send us Positive Energy!

Gemini 3200 on the Hard - Getting Ready for Transport

Now that the boat is on the hard, there are lots of things that need to be done before she is transported to Savannah. We've already removed the main sail and boom, emptied water tanks, and Bill has disconnected the wires leading up the mast.

We still have to mark all of the rigging, remove head sail, remove head sail furler, step the mast, remove the solar panels, remove the bimini, stow the fenders and dock lines, and wrap the mast at the very least to be ready for transport.

Things have been going smoothly with a few surprises along the way. The other day we found water in the port and starboard aft lockers and buoyancy chambers. This was an opportunity to get first hand experience with our manual bilge pump. We have a few ideas of where the water came from and will have the boat yard in Savannah to take a closer look.

By the way: With everything that has to be done to get the boat ready for transport, I haven't had time to work on my sewing projects. After the boat is in Savannah, I will resume work on the sun sacrifice.

Boom and Main Sail Down

This week we took down the boom and main sail. We were ready for some big endeavor, but after studying what's what, it only took about 35 minutes for the boom and 5 minutes for the sail.

For the boom, the biggest challenge was getting the large Clevis pin, attaching the boom to the mast, free. Once that was done, it was a simple matter of undoing a few lines. The next challenge was where to put it. We elected to store it inside the boat.

For the main sail, the biggest challenge was figuring out how to get the slugs out of the mast sail track. I knew there had to be an opening in the channel somewhere. It took most of the 5 minutes to find it and remove the retaining plate, and once that was done it was easy to drop the sheet.

We had took amazing pictures of these activities. Alas, when we packed up after our boat work, our blog camera was missing. :( We have no idea where it went. Whomever has it, be sure to enjoy the amazing pictures of the removal.

Insuring Boat During Transport

An important item to have squared away when transporting a boat, or anything else, is insurance that reimburses the owner for the value of the item in case of damage or loss during transport.

This is not as simple as relying on your general insurance coverage. In fact, most insurers don't cover the item during transport. You should double check and make sure that you are covered completely. In our case, for example, our State Farm Insurance will not cover our boat during transport unless it is struck by a direct hit of lightning. Even when we asked for supplemental transport insurance to cover cases beyond lightening, they said no.

Another gotcha is that almost all transporters have freight insturance, and will tell you they are insured. However, freight insurance is based on weight, not the replacement value of the item. The going payout rate of freight insurance is $0.10 per pound on damages. To give you an idea of what this means in our case, our Gemini 3200 weights 7,000lbs. If we only had freight insurance coverage for our boat and there was a total loss, we would be reimbursed a whopping $700. Not good.

Most transport companies offer declared value coverage up to the full value of the cargo for an additional cost. The transporter that we have chosen automatically includes the declared value coverage in his quote.

So the next time you ship a car, boat, or a camera at your local PakMail, or other local ship store, be very sure to ask if the item being shipped is covered for full replacement value in case of loss. You may be surprise how many times the answer will be "no." However, you can always buy more insurance from someone.

Lining Up Your Dates - Early Bird Gets the Worm!

When I was growing up, I was fortunate to live next door to my grandparents. My grandmother was always saying "early bird get the worm." Recently, while setting up the different appointments to have our boat hauled out and shipped I was reminded of this saying.

Around the beginning of February, the decision was made to move our Gemini 3200 to the Atlanta coast in April, instead of September. This gave us two months to complete the boat moving task list. After selecting a destination marina and boat transporter, we turned our attention to setting up all of the appointments for hauling out/power washing/blocking, step the mast, transporter pick up, and receiving boat at destination marina. Bill expressed his desire that the appointment be made as soon as possible. So one afternoon, I went about the task of coordinating with the two marinas and the transporter and making all the necessary appointments. Since I was making the appointment almost 2 months out, I had no problem getting our first choice of dates and times. All the appointments were made and everyone, except the transporter had been notified. Everything was going great until I talked to the transporter and give him the pick up date. He didn't take issue with the date, as much as the day of the week. See, I had scheduled pick up and deliver for a Friday. The transporter's concern was what if something happen and he is not able to deliver the boat to the Sail Harbor Marina before the boat yards last appointment time/closed. Most boat yards are only open Monday through Friday. If he didn't make delivery by the last appointment on Friday, no one would be around to unload the boat until the following Monday morning. Not good.

It was a good thing that I was making the appointments almost 2 months in advance. All I had to do was call the marina and change the pickup appointment to Thursday morning. No problem, it took just a minute. The lady, at the marina, that was helping me stated it was a good thing that I made the change as quickly as I did, because if I had waited a couple of weeks the change might not have happen so smoothly.

So, early bird gets the worm!

Boat Transporter Selected

A chariot to carry Ariel, our Gemini 3200, from Atlanta GA to Savannah GA has been selected! The company's name is First Choice, and it is run by Ken Andrews. His transportation business is out of North Carolina and he has been transporting boats all over the south east for more than 20 years. We found Ken when we starting calling the transporters recommended by our destination marina Sail Harbor Marina.

To pick whom would carry our baby, we created a list of attributes that we would want the transporter to posses. Using this list, it allowed me to discern within minutes of talking to the transporter whether they were a contender or not. While all of the transporters we contacted were professional, it was clear that some just didn't know their own systems as well as others. For example, some said that they would have to go out and measure their trailer, while others said they were not quite sure of clearance requirements along the way. Those that "knew" their stuff were easy to pick out.

After contacting First Choice, and talking with Ken, I knew that we had found our transporter. Once Ken had received the particulars of our boat and locations, he immediately began demonstrating his knowledge of both marinas and the route. He knew clearances, he knew the personalities at the marinas at both ends, he knew our type of boat, and more. After talking a little more, Ken gave me a price. This price he said was not an estimate, but the final cost.

I asked how he could give me a final price before shipping was completed, while others simply gave ballparks or were sure to emphasize that the prices were estimates. His reply was that he had been transporting for so long that he had all of his rates down. He knew the route, the boat, the source and destination marina, and how much per mile it cost him.

I inquired about insurance to cover the boat. We didn't just want cargo insurance, the type most transporters have where you only get so much per pound. He said that his insurance covered up to $250,000 on damage or loss of the boat and that this insurance was included in the price. Just when I thought the call was done, Ken offered up some tips regarding the marinas that would save us money and aid in the shipping process. All I thought was... WOW! He doesn't have our business yet and he is sharing with me information none of the other 20 some odd carriers could or would.

Nothing boost a customer's confidence in a provider like a demonstration of knowledge. We had driven the route that the boat would take. We also talked at length with each marina's owners/managers. Ken clearly showed he had knowledge of the particulars that only first hand knowledge would provide in the route and the marinas. This, coupled with his extra info that saved us money, made him an easy choice. Plus, he is a nice guy.

We know that First Choice-Ken will take great care of Ariel. This is our home, our family member. We've bonded with Ariel personally. We want to be sure we put her in the most capable, competent hands we can find. We believe we've done that.

Ken isn't on the Internet, he is only found via word of mouth and by marina's who use him. So, if you are moving your boat in the South East, be sure to ask your marina if they use First Choice and Ken.

Attributes for Selecting a Boat Transporter

Several months ago we started calling various boat transporters, trying to determine who much it was going to cost to transport our Gemini 3200, to the coast. The information that we received gave us an idea of how much to budget. Without knowing exactly where we were going, we put the cart before the horse.

Now that we have picked a marina, it's time to get serious about finding the right transporter for our boat. This is extremely important to us, because Ariel is a member of our family. This is not like shipping a sewing machine or a chair. Based on this, here is a list of attributes, for a transporter, that we thought were important.

1. Explicit operating knowledge of source and destination marinas
2. Explicit knowledge of route between source and destination marinas
3. Demonstrated ability to transport 32 foot catamaran with a 14 foot beam or larger
4. Offers insurance to cover the boat, in case of damage or loss (beyond basic cargo insurance)
5. Reliable
6. Personable

How We Selected A Marina

From day 1 of owning our boat, we have been casually looking at marinas on the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the United States. Our plan was to move Ariel, to the nearby coast, in the Fall 2010. Recently, we decided to accelerate this part of our plan and move the boat this April. The marina that we have chosen is Sail Harbor Marina in Savannah, GA.

How did we arrive at this decision given the thousands of marinas on the Atlanta and Gulf coasts of the United States? Since we are list people, the first thing we did was to make a list of the characteristics that would make up our idea marina.

These characteristics include the following:

1. Within 6 hour driving distance to Atlanta
2. Reputable marina with personal recommendations
3. Fair prices
4. Full service boat yard
5. Laundry facilities
6. Shower facilities

Characteristic 1 meant placing Gemini 3200 in the Gulf of Mexico or the Atlantic ocean. It also meant the marina had to be in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, or Alabama.

Characteristic 2 was accomplished by seeking recommendations from the various boating forums we frequent (such as the Yahoo Gemini Users). From the recommendations that we received, we narrowed our search by getting a feel of the marinas via phone conversations with owners/managers. If the owners/managers didn't take time to talk to us or we didn't receive a call back, we marked the marina off the list.

Finally, we visited the remaining marinas. These visits were unannounced; we wanted to see what the marinas were really like on any given day and get a final gut check. The visits also gave us an opportunity to see a majority of the route that a transporter would have to navigate.

We feel very confident in the marina that we selected.

High Level Boat Moving Tasks

Below is the high level boat moving task list that Bill and I pulled together. Since this is the first time that we have ever moved a boat, the list may not be complete. We welcome any comments or suggestions to improve the list.

1. Select a destination marina

2. Select a transporter

3. Make appointments with the pick up marina for haul out/power washing/blocking, stepping the mast, and loading the boat on transporter's trailer

4. Remove all personal items off boat

5. Drain water tanks

6. Take down sails and lines

7. Prepare/mark/remove rigging for stepping the mast

8. Remove bimini

9. Determine if we need to take down the radar arch.

10. Drain gas tanks

11. Obtain insurance to cover boat during transport

12. Tape all hatches

13. Remove the propane tanks

Moving our Sailboat to Savannah in April!

After lots of discussions with Bill, marina owners, and people in the Yahoo Gemini Users forum, we have decided to move our Gemini 3200 to Sail Harbor Marina in Savannah, GA. Further, we've made the decision to move our boat to the Atlantic in April! This is a full 6 months ahead of our original plans.

Our decision to put the boat in sooner is based on the timing of our slip lease expiring here in Atlanta. The Lake Lanier lease ends in March. From April forward, we would have to pay transient slip rates until our boat moves out. The cost of the Lake Lanier transient rates is very close to the slip rates we would pay at Sail Harbor Marina.

Now the pressure is really on. Instead of having 7 months to get everything ready, we have only 1 1/2 months. To make this happen quickly, Bill and I need to sit down ASAP and make a list of all of the things that we need to do before the transporter comes to pick up the boat. Good thing we LOVE making lists ;)!

An additional benefit of moving the boat in April is that we have the opportunity to take weekend sails, on the ocean, a full 6 month earlier than the previous plan.