Article
Gazette Post-News, October 15, 2001
The Kona Concept III is a brand new 50,000 lb, 25 ton, commercial Tuna fishing boat, 52 feet, bow to stern, and 18 feet starboard to port, built by Guimond Boats Ltd. of Escuminac, N.B. valued at $750,000 canadian dollars!
    She was built for a Mr. Robert Morgan of Kona, Hawaii, who will use her for commercial tuna fishing.
    And how in the world did she get to spend a night, Friday, Oct. 5th on the Canadian Prairies, at the Riverside Hotel in Gainsborough, SK?
     Bill Harris, owner of the Don Atkinson Trucking Co. of Jordan Falls, N.S. for 21 years now, won the contract to truck the Kona Concept III to Monterey California, and original plans called to trasport the boat through Canadian roadways due to the recent security problems at the state of Maine crossing and throughout the U.S.
     However Bill Harris with the heavy 49 ton, and extra wide, truck, trailer and the boat, was refused access into Quebec and did have to cross over at Vermont.   Traveling the short distance through Vermont and New York state, with bureaucracy and delays took five days to travel the 130 miles, at a cost of $7000.00 U.S. for state permits and state highway patrol escorts, along with his own two escorts, before he got to cross back again into Ontario.
    Every state and province has it's own regulations as to permits, police escorts and roadways to use for such a large load and Bill says getting through Ontario was a $5000.00 expense alone.
    A good ten hour day could see the truckers cover 600 miles, having to travel zig zag routes, keeping off the busier main roadways, so that after nineteen days on the road, having left N.B Sept.16th, they found themselves in Gainsborough, SK 4978 km later. That normally would be a 3200 km trip, on Oct. 4th. So there were not that many good 600 km days!
    Bill has five trucks and six trailers that he specially builds himself for his trucking company. The very personal Bill Harris explained that they transport a great many boats, 60 ft. and less throughout the Maritimes and eastern seaboard. His company has made trips to Washington and even Alaska over the years and with this trip being his sixth one to California.
    This specially built hydraulic trailer carries the tuna fishing boat with a road clearance at times of only three to seven inches.
    Bill, with his escort drivers Rudy O'Conner, a retired welder, and Rudy's uncle, Charlie O'Conner, a retired N.S. linesman don't get to stay in very elaborate or fancy overnight accommodation on their route, and they do have some interesting stories to tell about the places and very fine people they've met, but, said Charlie, "The reception and welcome that the friendly people extended was the best yet, and the supper was just great."
    The truckers, and their load, left Gainsborough in the early hours of Saturday, Oct 6th with plans to cross over into Montana at the Regway Port, to travel south through Idaho, Nevada into California where the Kona Concept III will be launched into the waters of Monterey, hopefully by Wednesday, Oct. 10th if all goes well.
    The Tuna fishing boat will leave Monterey, this time by water, for a seven day 2300 mile trip to her final destination of Kona, Hawaii.
    Special permits and police escort costs for the whole venture will run at $15000.00 said trucker Bill Harris.
    Now that's a long haul trucking trip!
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Coast to Coast
Boat Transportation