Getting your boat home: delivery skippers, road transport and shipping

Bring a boat home by delivery skipper, by road or on a ship. Each has its own cost, insurance and timing.

Updated 24 Oct 2026 2 min read

Key points

A delivery skipper brings the boat under its own power and needs insurance cover for the passage.
EU roads allow loads up to about 2.55 m wide and 4 m high without special permits in most states.
Ship transport suits long distances and non-EU origins.

By sea with a delivery skipper

A professional delivery skipper and crew take the boat from the seller's port to yours. The boat arrives under its own power, ready to use, and you see how it behaves on a long passage. You pay the skipper's daily rate, fuel, port fees, travel home for the crew, and cover for the trip. Some policies exclude delivery passages, so ask your insurer for an extension. See Marine insurance: cruising limits, agreed value, winter storage.

Choose a skipper with experience of the boat's type and the route.
Agree the plan for weather: waiting is part of delivery.
A survey before the passage lowers the risk of failures at sea.

By road

Trucks carry boats on trailers or cradles. In most EU states, a standard load can be up to about 2.55 m wide and 4 m high. A wider or taller boat needs a transport permit, an escort and a route study. Road transport suits boats up to a size that fits the legal limits and distances where a sea passage is slow or exposed. Ask the carrier about insurance and about who handles lifting at each end.

By ship

Yacht carriers move boats across oceans and between distant ports. The boat is lifted on and off. This suits imports from outside Europe and boats too large for the road. Schedules follow the ship, so plan months ahead. See Importing a yacht into the EU and temporary admission for non-EU yachts.

Which to choose

A few days of coast, with fair weather: a delivery crew.
A boat that fits the road and a long way to go: road.
Another continent: ship.

Before the boat moves

Registration and insurance are in your name. See Closing and handover: bill of sale, payment, documents, keys.
VAT papers travel with the boat. See Proving and verifying VAT status: which documents count, and checking before you offer.
A survey or a mechanical check clears the boat for the trip. See Mechanical survey and oil analysis.
Customs formalities are done if the boat crosses a border. See EU customs status vs VAT status (incl. the T2L).

Also useful at step 4 Closing and handover: bill of sale, payment, documents, keys

General information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Rules change; check your own case with a professional or ask us.