Devon has two coastlines and plenty of water in between — the Dart, the Exe, the Kingsbridge Estuary, the Taw and Torridge, and Plymouth Sound all carry serious numbers of small craft. Marine equipment transport here usually means moving a boat between a mooring or marina and home storage for winter, delivering a new or dealer-bought boat, or collecting one after a private sale. We do this on our own trailer or the boat’s own trailer, behind a VW Touareg rated to tow up to 3,500 kg braked, one driver taking the boat the whole way — no depots, no handing it off partway.
Boat and marine equipment transport across Devon
Devon’s boating splits between the sheltered south — Salcombe, Dartmouth, Plymouth, Torbay — and the more exposed north coast around Ilfracombe, Appledore and the Taw-Torridge estuary, so the roads and the seasons behave differently at each end of the county. We move RIBs, small day boats, dinghies, kayaks, jet skis, and trailer sailers, along with gear such as outboards and cradles that needs to travel with the boat.
Where we collect and deliver in Devon
Typical collection and delivery points across the county include:
- Dartmouth and the River Dart — Dart Marina, Dartside Quay and the Noss Marina area
- Plymouth — Mayflower Marina, Queen Anne’s Battery and Sutton Harbour
- Salcombe and the Kingsbridge Estuary — Salcombe Boatyard, Batson Creek and Frogmore Creek
- Torbay — Torquay Marina and Brixham harbour
- Exmouth and the Exe Estuary, including Topsham and Starcross
- The Taw-Torridge estuary around Appledore, Instow and Bideford, plus Barnstaple
We also collect from private moorings, garden storage and boatyards doing winter lift-outs, delivering just as readily to a driveway in Exeter as a slipway on the Dart. See areas we cover for the wider picture.
What we move
RIBs and day boats
Salcombe-style day boats and RIBs up to around 7-8 m on their own trailer, or ours, bunks and winch set correctly for the hull.
Dinghies, kayaks and canoes
Sailing dinghies, kayaks and canoes for clubs and individuals, often several boats in one run between a club and home storage.
Jet skis
Jet skis on their own trailer or ours, secured and photographed at both ends of the journey.
Trailer sailers and small cruisers
Small yachts and cruisers within our towing limit, collected from a marina hard-standing or private mooring for onward road transport.
For anything that isn’t a boat but still needs a trailer — a digger onto site, a hot tub into a garden, a classic car to a show — see our plant and machinery transport, hot tub transport and classic car transport pages.
How much does boat transport in Devon cost?
Local moves within Devon typically start from around £150; longer runs, out of the county or up to the Solent, the Lakes or Scotland, are quoted per mile. Price depends on distance, boat length and weight, whether it has a road-legal trailer already, and access at each end. Every quote is all-in — fuel, tolls and loading included.
What moves a Devon job up or down in price: a lift-out or crane slot booked in advance at a marina like Dartside Quay, a tide-dependent window on a drying mooring, and whether the route runs through Salcombe or Dartmouth in high summer, when narrow streets add real time.
Access, roads and timing in Devon
The A38 Devon Expressway and the A380 are straightforward for trailer work, but the last mile is often the hard part. Salcombe and Dartmouth are reached by narrow, steep lanes that get genuinely congested in July and August, and Dartmouth’s lower ferry can add a wait. Dartmoor’s cross-moor roads are scenic but tight for a car and trailer, so we generally route around rather than over. On the north coast, the estuary roads around Instow and Appledore are easier going but still narrow near the water. We plan around all of this and around marina lift-out schedules.
Do you cover the whole of Devon, including Salcombe and Dartmouth?
Yes. We collect and deliver anywhere in Devon, including the narrow-lane areas around Salcombe, Dartmouth and the South Hams, and up onto Exmoor and the north Devon coast.
Can you collect a boat straight from a marina hoist or boatyard?
Yes, we regularly work around lift-out bookings at yards and marinas such as Dartside Quay and Torquay Marina, timing the road collection to match the crane slot.
What if my boat doesn’t have its own trailer?
We carry a boat trailer with bunks and a winch and can load a hull with no road trailer of its own, as well as boats already sitting on a trailer.
Do you take boats out of Devon, for example to the Solent or Scotland?
Yes, longer runs out of the county are quoted per mile and we do the whole journey with one driver, door to door.
Get a boat transport quote for Devon
Tell us the pickup and drop-off points, the make and length of the boat, and whether it has its own road-legal trailer, and we will come back with an all-in price — no separate charges for fuel, tolls or loading. Use the form here or head to contact and quote to reach us directly. We can usually collect within a few days, and we will always work around a marina hoist or crane booking rather than the other way round.
Quote: boat transport Devon
Tell us what needs moving and where. We reply personally, usually within a couple of hours.
Ready to move it?
Send a few details and we’ll come straight back with a clear, all-in price. No call centres — you deal with the driver.