Tow-away boat shipping costs approx. $1.30 to $1.40 per kilometer for towing across Canada. Flatdeck or “Lowboy” step-deck trailer shipping costs approx. $2.50 per kilometer for transport across Canada. (As long as the boat is under 25 feet and not overweight.) Which method you use depends on whether your boat already sits on a road-worthy trailer, and how wide it is once loaded.
- How much does boat shipping cost?
- The best way to ship a boat in Canada
- What changes your price
- Size thresholds and oversize loads
- Cradles, masts and marina handling
- When to book
- Recommended method by boat type
- Frequently asked questions
How much does boat shipping cost?
Boat shipping in Canada is priced per kilometre, by method. Both rates below cover door-to-door transport and are fully insured.
| Method | Rate | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Tow-away (your trailer) | $1.30 – $1.40 per km | Any boat already on a road-worthy trailer |
| Flatdeck / “Lowboy” step-deck | approx. $2.50 per km | Boats under 25 feet with no trailer, or too tall to tow |
| Oversize (over 25 ft or over 8’6” wide) | Quoted per route | Permits, pilot vehicles and route planning change the maths |
On a real lane, that arithmetic is simple. Halifax to Vancouver is roughly 6,000 km, so a tow-away move lands near $7,800–$8,400 before any oversize handling. Toronto to Calgary is roughly 3,400 km, or about $4,400–$4,800 tow-away. Ask us for the exact figure on your route rather than working from the range — we quote the whole job, with no hidden costs.
What is the best way to ship a boat in Canada?
There are two methods, and the boat usually picks for you.
Tow-away boat shipping
Tow-away is for boats already loaded on a trailer. If your boat has one, this is the cheaper option by a wide margin: your boat and trailer are towed by a commercial truck straight to the destination. It is also the simplest, because nothing has to be lifted at either end.
The trailer does have to be genuinely road-worthy — working lights, sound bearings, legal tires, and a coupler that matches a commercial hitch. Sailboats with a keel need specialised equipment and advance booking. Yachts and large oversized boats need a purpose-built trailer, which we schedule rather than assume.
Flatbed or flatdeck trailer boat transport
If your boat has no trailer, or is too tall to tow safely, it travels on a flatdeck or step-deck. This uses a truck with an open deck that can carry boats up to about 45 feet long. It costs more than tow-away and takes more scheduling, but it handles boats tow-away cannot.
The trade-off is loading. A flatdeck move usually needs a travel-lift, crane or forklift at both ends, which is a cost and a scheduling constraint rather than an afterthought — see marina handling below.
What changes your price
Three things set the base price:
| Driver | Effect on price |
|---|---|
| Method | Flatdeck runs roughly double the tow-away rate per km |
| Distance | Priced per km; longer hauls cost more in total but less per km |
| Size and weight | Sets which trailer and which permits are needed |
| Loading assistance | Travel-lift, crane or forklift at pickup or delivery |
| Ferries | Island destinations add a fixed ferry cost per crossing |
| Oversize permits and pilot trucks | Required past the width thresholds below; varies by province |
| Season | Spring launch and fall haul-out are the busy windows |
Size thresholds: when your boat becomes an oversize load
Width is the threshold that catches most boat owners out, because it is measured across the widest point of the hull once the boat is sitting on the trailer — not the beam on the spec sheet.
| Loaded width | What it means |
|---|---|
| Under 8’6” (2.6 m) | Standard legal width. No width permit, cheapest to move. |
| 8’6” to about 12’ | Oversize permit required. Some provinces and routes also require a pilot vehicle. |
| Over 12’ | Wide load: permits, pilot vehicles, and a route planned around it. |
Two other measurements matter. Height is measured from the ground to the highest fixed point once loaded — including the trailer, and including anything on the hardtop — and it has to clear every overpass on the route. Length over 25 feet takes the boat outside the flat flatdeck rate and into an individually quoted move.
Permit and escort rules differ by province and by the specific highways a load uses, so we confirm exactly what your route needs before quoting rather than estimating. If you are not sure of your loaded dimensions, send a photo with the quote request and we will work them out with you.
Cradles, masts and marina handling
Everything that happens before the truck pulls away is where boat transport differs most from shipping a car, and it is the part owners most often leave to the last minute.
Cradles. A boat travelling on a flatdeck needs to sit in a cradle or on properly placed bunks that support the hull at its structural points. A cradle built for winter storage is not always rated for highway travel; if yours is not, we can arrange transport-rated support.
Masts. Sailboat masts come down before the boat moves. Unstepping and re-stepping is a yard job, booked with the marina rather than the carrier, and the mast then travels either alongside the hull on the same deck or separately. Build that into your timeline — it is the single most common cause of a missed pickup window.
Travel-lift and haul-out. A boat in the water has to come out before it goes anywhere. Marina travel-lifts are booked by appointment and get scarce during the seasonal rush, so confirm your haul-out slot before you confirm a transport date. Lift capacity and slip access also decide whether the truck can get close enough to load.
When to book
Boat transport runs on a season. Spring launches and fall haul-outs concentrate demand into a few weeks at both ends of the boating year, and that is also when travel-lifts and specialised trailers are hardest to get.
Book two to three months ahead where you can, and five weeks at the absolute minimum. Booking early is also the cheapest thing you can do about your rate: it lets us fit your boat to a truck already running that direction instead of scheduling one for it. Winter moves are often cheaper and easier to schedule, provided the boat is properly winterised and shrink-wrapped for the road.
Recommended method by boat type
| Boat type | Usual method | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Motorboat | Tow-away if trailered | If there is no trailer, we can source one and load the boat onto it |
| Speedboat | Tow-away if trailered | Larger hulls such as a cigarette boat may need a flatdeck |
| Houseboat | Flatdeck | Almost always oversize on width; expect permits |
| Sailboat | Flatdeck, in a cradle | Mast unstepped first; keel depth decides the trailer |
| Pontoon | Tow-away or flatdeck | Wide by design — check loaded width against the table above |
| Personal watercraft | Tow-away | Two or three on one trailer is normal and keeps the per-unit cost down |
| Trawler / cabin cruiser | Either | Towed on its own trailer if it has one, otherwise a specialised flatdeck |
Where we ship
We move boats between every province, coast to coast. The lanes we run most are Ontario to British Columbia and back, Ontario to the Maritimes, and Ontario to Alberta — see where we ship in Canada for full coverage. Recent moves include a 245 Axopar from Halifax to Vancouver, a Campion 602 from Kenora to Maple Bridge, BC, and a Boston Whaler 235 Conquest from Quebec to Richmond, BC.
If your boat is already on its own trailer, the specifics of shipping a boat and trailer together are covered on their own page. Need a trailer before you move? See our boat trailers.
Frequently Asked Questions
How to ship a boat trawler?
Depending on size, this type of boat can be towed in its trailer or loaded on a specialized flatdeck trailer.
How does the estimate process work?
Fill out the quote form with your boat’s full dimensions (length, height, width), send a photo, and we’ll provide a detailed shipping quote with all costs upfront. No hidden fees.
How much does boat transportation cost in Canada?
Tow-away boat shipping costs approx. $1.30–$1.40/km. Flatdeck or lowboy step-deck trailer shipping costs approx. $2.50/km for boats under 25 feet.
How can I trust they’ll take care of my boat?
All of our trucks are commercially insured to cover the value of your boat in case of accidental damage. As customer Julie H. noted: “They did a great job shipping a large enclosed trailer with a car and several tools from Ontario to BC. The price was excellent, the driver was friendly, and it arrived with no issues.” We provide proof of insurance and commercial licenses on request.
How can I pay for boat shipping?
A shipping deposit to schedule transport, then half of the remaining amount upon pickup, and the second half when the boat is delivered.
How will my boat be insured?
All transport is commercially insured to cover the value of your property.
Why use Red Foot Haulers for boat shipping?
We have been transporting boats, RVs, campers, heavy equipment, and vehicles for years. As customer Jesse M. shared: “Great communication with the driver and thoughtful care for shipping my new toy. Their experience really shined.” Check out our reviews on Google, Reviews.io, and TrustPilot.
What size limitations are there for boat shipping?
Generally, boats longer than 25 feet or wider than 13 feet are considered oversized and may require additional permits and specialized equipment.
How far in advance do I need to book boat shipping?
Ideally 2–3 months in advance. Minimum 3–5 weeks. Transporting boats requires special equipment that is not always available on short notice.