Shipping to Australia

Wallaby Phil · Mar 11, 2014

Hi All,
Has anybody had any experience with using various shipping firms, to bring boats from the US to Australia.
Yacht Exports, 7Star and Peters and May Aust have lots and lots of blogs ranging from not-so-good to very bad. Of course, most bad blogs are from unhappy customers, the happy ones tend to not worry.
However, has anybody had any, first hand, good or bad experiences and are there any shipping companies you would recommend.
Thanks,
Phil

BandB · Mar 11, 2014

Have not done so but talking to others have heard the best things about Seven Star and DYT (formerly Dockwise, owned by Seven Star now).

Now there is some confusion in Australia to look out for. I don't know enough to sort it all out but apparently Peters and May Australia is not connected to Peters and May Ltd. Seems they were and have rights to the name. Also I'm not sure about Sevenstar Australia, whether it's the same or not.

So don't have answers on some of those, just warning there is some confusion.

pilothouse king · Mar 11, 2014

I've sent dozens of boats 41' - 61' there and New Zealand. All on either Dockwise or Seven Star. All went fine, though the times between when they were scheduled to arrive here , and when they actually arrived were upwards of 3 months apart-more times than not. The shipping along the west coast of central America to Vancouver has been extremely erratic, with them flat not stopping at all where they were promised. I've pretty much given up on even attempting a delivery there. THE BEST I can tell people, that if you can get your boat down to Golfito Costa Rica, it's most likely will be picked up BUT that can leave you in possible trouble with their cruising permit allowances. I sent a 58' out of there, and got lucky in finding a Captain there that took care of the boat, and loaded it for me. I was there with dozens of others waiting, and waiting for the ship to arrive. It did-3 months later. Also where they ended up dropping the boats in Australia once was quite far away from where promised, but at least they made it.
Since their merger I haven't yet shipped or priced a delivery. I'll no longer have the option
of shopping prices between them. Previously I've gotten prices down from $65k to $35k playing the competitive angle on a 45'er.

Insequent · Mar 11, 2014

pilothouse king said:
I've sent dozens and dozens of boats 41' - 61' there and New Zealand. All on either Dockwise or Seven Star. All went fine, though the times between when they were scheduled to arrive here , and when they actually arrived were upwards of 3 months apart-more times than not. The shipping along the west coast of central America to Vancouver has been extremely erratic, with them flat not stopping at all where they were promised. I've pretty much given up on even attempting a delivery there. THE BEST I can tell people, that if you can get your boat down to Golfito Costa Rica, it's most likely will be picked up BUT that can leave you in possible trouble with their cruising permit allowances. I sent a 58' out of there, and got lucky in finding a Captain there that took care of the boat, and loaded it for me. I was there with dozens of others waiting, and waiting for the ship to arrive. It did-3 months later. Also where they ended up dropping the boats in Australia once was quite far away from where promised, but at least they made it.
Since their merger I haven't yet shipped or priced a delivery. I'll no longer have the option
of shopping prices between them. Previously I've gotten prices down from $65k to $35k playing the competitive angle on a 45'er.

Hmmm, they sound pretty hopeless then.

I used Aurora Global Logistics here in Brisbane. I shipped a 50' boat from Vancouver BC to Brisbane last October. There are regular monthly departures on Swire vessels that bring lumber to Australia from the PNW and take steel back.

Aurora were great, happy to recommend them. Get them to handle the Customs/import side as well - it makes it very smooth. They are agents for Peters & May who handle the Nth America side. That part worked, but just. Their Chicago office handled it, but didn't seem to know much about the Canadian requirements. I was on the boat and did some of it myself.

I did have some damage from loading in Vancouver, but it was covered by insurance and repairs were first class. Loading should be simple, but the particular Canadian stevedores who loaded my boat made a mess of it.

Were I shipping again I would endeavour to use the Dockwise float-on, float-off vessel. From the West Coast that means getting to Golfito, and there appears to be only one departure to Australia per year.

pilothouse king · Mar 11, 2014

If you can get a boat to Golfito, all the regular scheduled ships from Florida to down there seem to stop there, and there (haven't checked this year yet) were at least 4 per year heading that way. Of course it's a long way down to Costa Rica.

ranger58sb · Mar 12, 2014

Wallaby Phil said:
Hi All,
Has anybody had any experience with using various shipping firms, to bring boats from the US to Australia.
Yacht Exports, 7Star and Peters and May Aust have lots and lots of blogs ranging from not-so-good to very bad. Of course, most bad blogs are from unhappy customers, the happy ones tend to not worry.
However, has anybody had any, first hand, good or bad experiences and are there any shipping companies you would recommend.
Thanks,
Phil

You might search out the blog for Loopy Kiwi and check with him about his experience shipping from US east coast to NZ. I would guess shipping to Oz would be similar?

-Chris

johnw · Mar 12, 2014

Hi Phil
I shipped our Viking 63CPMY (1991) from Savannah to Botany Bay in June 2012. I used Q7 Marine at Cabarita and they were fantastic. Obviously their assistance didn't come free, but they arranged everything and it all went very smoothly.
I highly recommend them.
If you would like to meet up and discuss anything, send me a PM.
The photo was taken as she was being lowered into Botany Bay.

Cheers
John

markpierce · Mar 12, 2014

Can't help directly, but it cost the price of a new mid-priced automobile (closer to $30,000 than $20,000) to ship from China to California:

Wallaby Phil · Mar 16, 2014

Hi John,
Did you purchase the boat through Q7 or did they just do the shipping for you. May I ask what it cost you.
Thanks,
Phil

johnw · Mar 17, 2014

Hi Phil
We went to Miami to look at several boats. We found our current boat and Mark from Q7 shipped it back for us - well worth giving him a call as Q7 have lots of contacts because they ship back many boats each year. Cost at the time was around $US1k/foot landed here inclusive of moving boat to point of departure, storage while waiting for the big ship, insurance, preparation of all export/import documentation, etc. When in Australia there is 10% GST and if the boat is not made in USA there is 5% duty - all based on the value of the boat on the day of departure.
Cheers
John

Wallaby Phil · Mar 17, 2014

Thanks John,
The prices and the details you mentioned are pretty much exactly what I have discovered and been offered, so it is comforting to know all things are pretty close to the mark.
Phil

BandB · Mar 17, 2014

SevenStars is shipping from Palm Beach on April 25th and this is apparently every two months.

KJ · Mar 17, 2014

We passed this ship on our way up the ICW last May. I believe it was at Port Everglades.

It says “UNITED YACHT TRANSPORT” on the side. She had some nice looking boats already on deck. KJ

N4712 · Mar 17, 2014

KJ said:
We passed this ship on our way up the ICW last May. I believe it was at Port Everglades. It says UNITED YACHT TRANSPORT on the side. She had some nice looking boats already on deck. KJ

Yep that's Port Everglades.

Brian Harward · Mar 19, 2014

Wallaby Phil said:
Hi All,
Has anybody had any experience with using various shipping firms, to bring boats from the US to Australia.
Yacht Exports, 7Star and Peters and May Aust have lots and lots of blogs ranging from not-so-good to very bad. Of course, most bad blogs are from unhappy customers, the happy ones tend to not worry.
However, has anybody had any, first hand, good or bad experiences and are there any shipping companies you would recommend.
Thanks,
Phil

I recently ( early this year) imported a Kadey Krogen 48 from Florida. If you private message me I can give you all the details and contacts.

Brian

Wxx3 · Mar 22, 2014

KJ said:
...

It says UNITED YACHT TRANSPORT on the side. She had some nice looking boats already on deck. KJ

Yes, but do they transport boats or only yachts?

If you're getting it transported, it MUST be a yacht.!

markpierce · Mar 22, 2014

Wxx3 said:
Yes, but do they transport boats or only yachts?

If you're getting it transported, it MUST be a yacht.!

No, if it is being carried on a ship, the yacht becomes a boat.

tpbrady · Mar 22, 2014

Then why are submarines called boats?

Hendo78 · Mar 23, 2014

Look at K-Line or WWL. Our stevedores unload imported vessels from these two companies at Fremantle all the time, both in containers and on top deck.

Sent from iPad using Trawler App

Andy G · Mar 23, 2014

tpbrady said:
Then why are submarines called boats?

For reasons of naval tradition, submarines are usually referred to as "boats" rather than as "ships", regardless of their size.(Wikipedia)

Which brings us to 'Das Boot' one of THE great war movies.

Wallaby Phil · Mar 31, 2014

No more replies, thanks

Hi everybody,
Since I posted this thread a few weeks ago I have had many wonderful responses from Captains willing to take the boat from Boston to Palm Beach. I now have more than enough well credentialed applicants and would like to request no further responses required.
Many thanks to all,
Phil

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