United Kingdom
Boats over 9'6" (2.9m) in the UK are classified as "wide-loads". If your boat is wider than this, then our Company is required by law to notify the Police in each respective county of the route we wish to take. They require two working days notice of this and they need the exact dimensions of the vehicle, the collection and delivery addresses, the date(s) of the move, and of course the route. Sometimes we need to provide a Pilot escort vehicle for the wide/long load should the police specify a reason for it.
France, Spain & Scandinavia
There are many more regulations abroad than in the UK governing wide-loads. Some examples are:
- any boat over 8'2"(2.5m) beam is a wide-load.
- any boat over 10'(3m) beam requires a "pilot/escort car" to travel with the load from start to finish.
- loads greater than 3m wide are not allowed on motorways, and are subject to time restrictions when crossing certain towns and cities, and even Ring Road.
- most bridges outside the UK are at least half a metre lower than our own; and it is why we use the lowest of low transporters.Height is "the enemy” , so we always send you a boat preparation guide; and this can sometimes include instruction for the removal of additional fittings e.g. fly - screens, propellors and rudders etc.
We do already have the annual Abnormal Load Permits required from the various Departments of Transport for each respective country and routes.At times we have to use additional local escort cars, with their specialist knowledge of bridge heights etc. These warning vehicles, are in constant Two Way Radio contact with our drivers helping to reduce the risk of moving the big boats through small roads and villages.
