West Sussex has a run of sheltered harbours and river moorings along its coast — Chichester Harbour, the Arun at Littlehampton and Shoreham Harbour on the Adur — that between them keep a steady flow of boats moving to and from marinas, boatyards and home storage. Marine equipment transport here often means a lift-out for winter, a dealer delivery, or moving a boat between a Chichester Harbour mooring and a driveway inland. We do it on our own trailer or the boat’s own, behind a VW Touareg rated to tow up to 3,500 kg braked, one driver door to door.
Boat and marine equipment transport across West Sussex
West Sussex’s boating splits across three main areas — Chichester Harbour in the west, the Arun at Littlehampton in the middle, and Shoreham Harbour and the Adur towards Brighton — with inland clubs on lakes and reservoirs feeding boats to and from the coast each season. We move RIBs, day boats, dinghies, kayaks, jet skis and trailer sailers, along with outboards and cradles that need to travel with the boat.
Where we collect and deliver in West Sussex
Typical collection and delivery points across the county include:
- Chichester Harbour — Birdham Pool, Chichester Marina and the moorings at Itchenor and Bosham
- Littlehampton and the River Arun, including Littlehampton Marina
- Shoreham Harbour and the Adur — Southwick Marina, Lady Bee Marina and the Shoreham waterfront
- Bognor Regis and the beach-launch areas along that stretch of coast
- Inland sailing clubs and home storage around Horsham, Crawley and Midhurst
We also collect from private moorings and boatyards mid-season and at lift-out time, taking a boat as readily off a hard-standing at Birdham Pool as out of a garden near Horsham. See areas we cover for the wider picture.
What we move
RIBs and day boats
Solent and Channel-facing RIBs and day boats 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 at Chichester Harbour and inland waters, 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 collection and delivery.
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 a site near Horsham, 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 West Sussex cost?
Local moves within West Sussex typically start from around £150; longer runs, out of the county along the south coast or up towards the Thames, are quoted per mile. Price depends on distance, boat length and weight, whether it already has a road-legal trailer, and access at each end. Every quote is all-in — fuel, tolls and loading included.
What moves a price up or down: a lift-out slot booked at Chichester Marina or Southwick, tide-dependent access on a drying mooring at Bosham or Itchenor, and whether the route runs through central Chichester or the busy Shoreham waterfront.
Access, roads and timing in West Sussex
The A27 links Chichester through Worthing to Shoreham and beyond, and the A24 and A29 bring inland traffic down to the coast, so most marina runs are straightforward on paper. The last mile is narrower: the lanes into Bosham and Itchenor flood at high spring tides and get tight for a trailer, and Shoreham’s harbour roads share space with industrial traffic. Summer weekends bring heavier coastal traffic along the A27 corridor, so we allow extra time and plan around marina lift-out schedules.
Do you cover the whole of West Sussex, including Chichester Harbour?
Yes. We collect and deliver anywhere in West Sussex, from Chichester Harbour and Littlehampton to Shoreham and inland towns such as Horsham and Crawley.
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 Chichester Marina and Southwick, 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 West Sussex, for example to Hampshire or the Thames?
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 West Sussex
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 West Sussex
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.