Ship Shipping

[JD Ray]

I too don't understand why you can't find a boat on the West Coast - LA, San Diego, San Fran, Seattle, Vancouver, Victoria, Nanaimo, Courtney/Como, Campbell River. Nothing in those areas?

Are you using local searches like Kijiji and Craigslist? Here is one listing after about 2 minutes of searching, its listed in BC but its out of Gig Harbor Wa so I don't know if the price is Canadian or American:

https://www.kijiji.ca/v-powerboat-motorboat/victoria-bc/2001-eagle-40-trawler/1476165807

And here is a 45 Bayliner: https://www.kijiji.ca/v-powerboat-motorboat/burnaby-new-westminster/1989-4588-bayliner/1484889873

I don't know what kijiji is, but I'll check it out. Sure, I can find a boat on the West Coast. There are a lot of them here. But by asking questions and getting guidance, I know how to narrow my search and why I'm doing it.

Also, I've been generally down-in-the-mouth on Bayliner, having seen some boats in really bad condition (mostly in the 27-foot and below range). How do they do with their larger boats?

 

[ranger58sb]

Also, I've been generally down-in-the-mouth on Bayliner, having seen some boats in really bad condition (mostly in the 27-foot and below range). How do they do with their larger boats?

When we first started shopping for a "big" boat in the early '90s... we had a great broker who went out of his way to emphasize the difference between small and large Bayliners. Former being very much entry-level, latter being very good in his opinion. And several folks here have larger Bayliners, have commented favorably...

Seems odd to me, the Powerboat Guide says Bayliner -- and Meridian, the follow-on brand -- hulls are "fully cored". I'd have thought their hulls would at least be solid below the waterline... Haven't found an authoritative source refuting the PBG statement, though. There are a couple comments on the Meridian owners forum that suggest hulls are either solid, or solid below the waterline... or fully cored. IOW, I've seen no definitive answer to that one...

-Chris

 

[rsn48]

I have a buddy who owns a Bayliner 4788 much like in this video, he has owned it now for about twenty years. Interestingly it was submerged for some reason so he got it for the proverbial song and he has never really had any problems with it because of those issues. He replaced items that needed to be replaced but overall he is very happy with it.

 

[mdstrum]

Just quoted 50' Power boat La Paz to Ensenda 26K...paid a captain due to CoronaVirus limiting me to stay at my business $10K (all in fuel, travel exp, etc) to bring her to long beach, CA.

They are all very happy to quote you and the pricing seems to go up the close to sailing date vs down as other elude to.

 

[AlanT]

When we first started shopping for a "big" boat in the early '90s... we had a great broker who went out of his way to emphasize the difference between small and large Bayliners. Former being very much entry-level, latter being very good in his opinion. And several folks here have larger Bayliners, have commented favorably...

Seems odd to me, the Powerboat Guide says Bayliner -- and Meridian, the follow-on brand -- hulls are "fully cored". I'd have thought their hulls would at least be solid below the waterline... Haven't found an authoritative source refuting the PBG statement, though. There are a couple comments on the Meridian owners forum that suggest hulls are either solid, or solid below the waterline... or fully cored. IOW, I've seen no definitive answer to that one...

-Chris

My last boat was Bayliner 4788. Tons of info on the solidity of those boats on Bayliner Owners Group website. Several threads provide photos of the solid cores they have drilled for installation of additional thru hulls etc. Am reasonably certain that all 4788 and probably 4588 have solid hulls and several inches thick (do check those cores for examples).

I have also used a 50Hz 120v boat in Europe at 240v 60Hz. Its not a big deal. Most things will work on a transformer. Such transformers are readily available in the UK and elsewhere (although would need to be rewired to step up voltage instead of step down) where they are used to power worksite tools so they are waterproof also. The Microwave may need to be changed out. You'll want the transformer.

Shipping costs would certainly make any such transaction economically undesirable unless the boat will fit in a standard shipping container, in which case ocean shipping of standard containers is extraordinarily cheap and your main costs will be packaging/unpackaging.

 

[mdstrum]

Also, you may want to look into what the import taxes are going to be....as well as your state/local taxes as you doing a purchase vs. being the owner moving there boat around ...it is difference. I believe you have to own it 12 months out side use to avoid some taxation issues, but not an expert

 

[Cambriol]

We recently bought a GB46 in the North American (NA) market but did look in the European market as the boat selection for what we were looking for was good and the condition and pricing of the boats appeared equal to or better to what we were seeing in NA
We contacted a broker in Italy and agreed we would both investigate the cost of shipping
He reported back that he received an estimate for $35 usd ...not sure how complete this estimate was...the estimates I received were more in the $45 usd range which included transport to the pick up port and delivery to a port on the east coast of florida

Note; there are several variables such as limited shipping dates, designated ports available based on the company for pick up and delivery, if the cost for transport to the pick up port is or isnt included

Found several companies on the internet...one example is Seven Seas Yacht Delivery

 

[Greggnvt]

Boat Shipping Cost

Two years ago, I shipped my boat from Fort Lauderdale to Ensenada, MX and then brought it up to San Diego, where I'm at now - used SevenSeas. There were a couple of delays getting the boat loaded and ended up having to move it to West Palm, FL for loading. I shopped around for the best price and made sure the shipping companies knew I had other quotes. SevenSeas offered an additional discount if I put a deposit on the shipping and I think in the end it was about 23K for shipping.

I'm moving the boat back to FL this year. Earlier this week, I reached out to SevenSeas and was give a quote of 32K - was told that freight cost are higher moving East-not sure if I agree with that. Next week when I have firmer dates, I'll start shopping around and have also found that there are some 'last minute deals" to be had, based on receiving e-mails from the shippers that I signed up with 2 years ago.

Liveaboard fee's at my current marina, including slip fees (52'LOA) are $1600 plus electric. Water is included and a pump-out at the marina is available. I'm pretty sure someone would be hard pressed to find housing with a bay view in San Diego, gated community to rent for $1600 per month.

My boat is nothing special but I like it. I think we can all agree that boats in general are not checkbook or investment friendly. If that's all I cared about (hording money) then I'd have a completely different lifestyle. Reason I bring this up is seems that when the topic of shipping boats comes up, either in a person to person discussion or on-line, someone chimes in on the cost. It is what it is....I'm only here for a limited time and I'm going do enjoy my family and time. Plenty of things to "waste" my money on but I enjoy the lifestyle and in general, the people that I meet with similar interest.

Apologize in advance for the above rant!

Thanks-
Gregg

 

[Haetwen]

I used Dockwise (now re-named DYT, part of Sevenstar group) several years ago to ship a 43-foot sailboat from Toulon, France to Port Everglades, Florida. The beauty of the Dockwise system, where the transport vessel is partially submerged, permits you to load your yacht by driving it aboard where you tie it up and wait for the transport vessel to rise up underneath it. There is little chance of damage in loading, en route, or at its destination where you float off. Virtually no pre-shipment preparation is required. We received superb service, and would recommend it with one caveat: to control every aspect of the loading and unloading you must do it yourself. You need to be present. This is not a task that you want to delegate to others.

 

[Oldsarge]

I shipped a 41 foot heavy sailboat over land from Puget Sound area to Green Bay Wisconsin area about 15 years ago and then it cost about $ 7 K. I can't even imagine what it would cost now. I now want to take the same boat to Asia, but I think I'm going to have to do it the hard way, by sailing it.

 

[Birdman]

My friend just bought a 40' boat, 43' overall downeast style cruiser. He lives in Boston, the boat was in Washington state near Seattle. He had it shipped for $8k door to door. It took 7 days. The boat was hauled in a flatbed truck, followed by a pickup truck with "oversized" signs on it.



If it can't fit on a trailer/truck, then it's a different story.

 

[Max Simmons]

My friend just bought a 40' boat, 43' overall downeast style cruiser. He lives in Boston, the boat was in Washington state near Seattle. He had it shipped for $8k door to door. It took 7 days. The boat was hauled in a flatbed truck, followed by a pickup truck with "oversized" signs on it.



If it can't fit on a trailer/truck, then it's a different story.

Kind of ironic a guy in Boston buys a Down East boat in the PNW

 

[rfrew]

Shipping costs

I just shipped my Nordhavn 55 (65 tons) from Victoria, BC to Port Everglades, FL last month and the complete cost was $59,550. That was through the Panama Canal so that might give you a rough estimate. I guess that is about 1/2 the distance you are talking about. I would also guess that the remaining distance would only be around half of that because the additional miles don't involve the loading and unloading. So that would put my estimate in line with the $80k-85k one listed earlier. I went with Peters & May and was very happy with their service.

 

[Birdman]

Kind of ironic a guy in Boston buys a Down East boat in the PNW

LOL! You know, I had never thought of that before... I have to mention that to him, I wonder if he has thought of that.

 

[JD Ray]

My friend just bought a 40' boat, 43' overall downeast style cruiser. He lives in Boston, the boat was in Washington state near Seattle. He had it shipped for $8k door to door. It took 7 days. The boat was hauled in a flatbed truck, followed by a pickup truck with "oversized" signs on it.



If it can't fit on a trailer/truck, then it's a different story.

Do you know what the beam was? IIRC, beams on downeasters are fairly narrow (10' or so).

 

[Birdman]

43'6" LOA
14'0" Beam
25,200 lb hull
12'6" bridge clearance



They took all the gear off the hardtop before transport.

 

[Oldsarge]

Yes mine was transported on a low boy trailer, but I had to remove the pulpit and safety stanchions so that it was just barely under the height where they needed a chase vehicle.
It only took a few days for the transport. The driver was anxious to get home as he was getting married in a few days.

 

[Oldsarge]

Mine is 41 feet but slightly heavier at 28,000 lbs. About the same width, and both masts were also secured to the low boy. I don't know what the shipping height was, but it was pretty close to the maximum even on the low boy. It was a special trailer for hauling sailboat with a full keel.

 

[Pete Meisinger]

A Bayliner is a Bayliner, A Mainship is a Mainship. A K.K. is a K.K.

It is a matter of maintenance and owner pride how any boat from Bayliner to K.K. looks and operates 40 years down the road.

pete

 

[Oldsarge]

Wow Gregg that $1600 a month live aboard seems pretty steep. I was quoted about $650 for my 41 foot Formosa at a nice marina on the West coast of Florida about two years ago. It might have went up since that time, but not that much in two years. Of course your boat is longer and they do usually charge by the foot, but it isn't twice as long as mine.

 

[hollywood8118]

Wow Gregg that $1600 a month live aboard seems pretty steep. I was quoted about $650 for my 41 foot Formosa at a nice marina on the West coast of Florida about two years ago. It might have went up since that time, but not that much in two years. Of course your boat is longer and they do usually charge by the foot, but it isn't twice as long as mine.

You can also get a nice house on the West Coast of Florida for under $500K
You cannot buy a shack in San Diego for $ 1,000,000.00


Its all about location.

San Diego is prime California real estate

HOLLYWOOD

 

[AlanT]

A Bayliner is a Bayliner, A Mainship is a Mainship. A K.K. is a K.K.

It is a matter of maintenance and owner pride how any boat from Bayliner to K.K. looks and operates 40 years down the road.

pete

Agree! The Bayliner was a good solid boat and certainly capable enough for our use in the PNW, but we sold it mainly because we always felt we were camping on board. Our next boat feels more like a home and we feel we will be spending much more time afloat for that reason.

 

[Jimintheair3]

I'm always astonished of the questions asked here, the OP hasn't does HIS homework?

 

[guy with a boat]

I'm always astonished of the questions asked here, the OP hasn't does HIS homework?

It’s like an old-school barbershop here. The question doesn’t matter much, we just like to talk about boats.

 

[Birdman]

It’s like an old-school barbershop here. The question doesn’t matter much, we just like to talk about boats.

Speaking of "boats", that Nordhaven in your avatar (assume it's yours) looks sweeeeeet! I love the lines, design, layouts, build quality.... on almost ALL the Nordhavens. I only wish they would make one of those bad boys a planing hull!

 

[ranger58sb]

I'm always astonished of the questions asked here, the OP hasn't does HIS homework?

If you've not owned a boat before, never shopped for one, found this site with knowledgeable boaters willing to answer questions, discovered some boats for sale are far away...

What would be your first "homework" step? How would you know to try that first?

-Chris

 

[danderer]

If you've not owned a boat before, never shopped for one, found this site with knowledgeable boaters willing to answer questions, discovered some boats for sale are far away...

What would be your first "homework" step? How would you know to try that first?

-Chris

My first step -- and this is just me -- would be to note that this site has a LOT of information in it going back over a decade. I'd try the search function here to see if my question had already been answered.

Sure, sometimes it is hard to craft a search to find the specific info you want. And sure, sometimes the info is outdated and so the question bears asking again.

I just don't want to be the "Hi guys. Which anchor is best?" person.

 

[DDW]

43'6" LOA
14'0" Beam
25,200 lb hull
12'6" bridge clearance



They took all the gear off the hardtop before transport.

The height affects trucking costs far more than width. At 12'6" there are many fewer route restrictions and low escort costs. Over about 13'8" it starts to climb steeply.

Also, trucking west to east is often much cheaper than east to west, as more boats go east to west. West to east is a backhaul, many times trucks will return empty. They are much happier to have a load, even if charged at half price, than go empty. I've had my 45' sailboat trucked both directions, west to east was 8K, east to west was 15.5K.

 

[ksanders]

Also, I've been generally down-in-the-mouth on Bayliner, having seen some boats in really bad condition (mostly in the 27-foot and below range). How do they do with their larger boats?

Seeing a boat in bad shape has zero reflection on the manufacturer, it has everything to do with the owner.

Just because there are a couple Tollycraft here in the harbor that have not beern visited in years does not mean Tollycraft made a bad boat

I stay/live on a Bayliner 4788 Pilothouse model 2001. This is in my opinion a excellent compromise of how to divide up a 47' hull into living sections, and that is really what any boat is, a compromise. Every manufacturer needs to make decisions how to make it all fit.

The execution was in my opinion well engineered. Most things are fairly easy to get to and take care of, but again accessibility is a compromise in design. It is not perfect, but again it is well thought out.

The actual construction has been judged by the years. Every manufacturer in good faith puts out a design and and then over a production run modifies that design slightly based on feedback from the boats in service. Bayliner started with the 45' series and took that pretty much exact same boat and made it for over 15 years with around a thousand pilothouse boats being finally built. That gave them the advantage of being able to make those very important design improvements that can only happen over a long production run.

My opinion here....

Pick a boat model and brand you like, and that is very subjective. Preference should be given to models with a fairly long production run. Then pick a well maintained example of that boat that was built late in that production run to gain advantages of "lessons learned" by the manufacturer.

Then be prepared for joy and disappointment. Some days you will face a challenge and think "why did they do that?" Other days you will think "I am so glad they did that!"