Shipping a Boat - One guy's experience.....

[mvweebles]

Interesting. I remember when I shipped my motorcycle from Panama to the US, they wanted the gas tank drained. Did they say anything about no gas with dingy motor?

Nothing mentioned. Makes sense though. How was your motorcycle shipped? Did it get crated and deck-freight? All went well?

Peter

 

[DDW]

Not really relevant but I did have two motorcycles (BMW and Ducati) shipped from Europe after picking them up there and a tour of the Alps. They wanted the gas tanks nearly empty, but the main worry was "no foreign soil". A couple of days prior we had followed several cattle herds being driven out of the Alps (end of the season) which they do right down the highway. The cows are stressed by this so the roads were paved with 1" thick cow diarrhea curb to curb. It took several cycles at the DYI car wash to get it all cleaned up! They would not insure unless crated, and crating cost $800 each plus the insurance, so we took a chance and left them on Lufthansa's loading dock in Munich. They were flown to San Francisco and arrived more or less undamaged. Postscript was, no way to get them off the loading dock in SF (4' drop) so we walked them through the business offices and down the handicap ramp. I had been advised to fly them, told that if sent on a ship we would be unlikely to see them again.

 

[Jklotz]

Nothing mentioned. Makes sense though. How was your motorcycle shipped? Did it get crated and deck-freight? All went well?

Peter

No, crated and airfreight. Had it shipped the shop where I bought it, as they knew how to deal with the paperwork and uncrating. Had side panniers filled with stuff and they never arrived. Had they allowed me to put them in the crate with the bike, would have been fine. They made me ship them separately. It was a bit of an ordeal; everybody down there wants their cut, but nothing more than what you are dealing with.

 

[twistedtree]

With batteries off, what happens to refrigeration? Do you empty fridge and freezer and shut down? I supposed you have to.

 

[rslifkin]

With batteries off, what happens to refrigeration? Do you empty fridge and freezer and shut down? I supposed you have to.

Good point. Having to make the boat electrically dead-ship definitely adds more headaches to the process in my mind. Generally that's one of those things I try to avoid doing even during storage or maintenance.

 

[mvweebles]

With batteries off, what happens to refrigeration? Do you empty fridge and freezer and shut down? I supposed you have to.

We'll be empty and shut-down the fridge/freezer. We've been planning it for a month which has led to some interesting meals (Chile Verde for breakfast anyone??).

I'll ask the shipping agent what folks do. The instruction manual is pretty specific about shutting down solar but only wants LFP batteries "declared" (whatever that means). I would think these big sportfisher's wouldn't want to shut down their refrigeration.

I'll ask and update in a few days.

Peter

 

[DDW]

When I was researching moving my sailboat on Dockwise, the offer included staying onboard for the trip. They would run shore power to your boat, you could live on it for the trip (this would have been Miami - Victoria). I actually thought that would be pretty neat, canal transit and all. But the price was 3x compared to a truck.

 

[Stonechamps]

If I recall, you have a N68. Relatively easy boat to deliver because it has plenty of range and can handle bumpy conditions (F6+). Being able to do 1500-2000 mile legs nonstop really helps in speed and cost. 600 engine hours isn't really much in the big scheme of things though perception is otherwise I suppose. But you do need a crew you can trust.

On the other hand, being part of the PAE/Nordhavn family hopefully affords you some clout - you guys are pretty right and PAE has to be an attractive client.

Would be a tough decision.....assuming the desire is there to cruise elsewhere.

Peter

 

[Stonechamps]

We shipped our Bruckmann 50 from FL to BC. The day of arrival I was informed that due to customs delays they were diverting from Victoria to Vancouver. These vessels get charged about 25k / day of demurrage so saving 3 -4 days earned the owners 100k. I told them it was fine to deliver at a non contractual port but they would have to cover my costs of diversion - I think I billed them $2500 - and they paid up. Peanuts but I felt better!

 

[mijmoto]

Interesting thread. I just got a few quotes for shipping our KK48 from SevenStar. First was Port Everglades to La Paz, $46k. Next Port Everglades to Genoa, Italy, $43k. Finally, La Paz to Victoria, BC, $39k. I found the numbers acceptable in comparison to the "on your own bottom" approach. Last year we were in Honduras waiting for a window to go to Panama or Columbia. We waited a month but a persistent low pressure system kept the conditions beyond our pleasure boater parameters. So we moved to the Caymans hoping for a decent window. Waited a month till our visas ran out then went to Jamaica. Same story in Jamaica. We turned left at Jamaica through the windward passage to Inagua then back to VA where the boat is today. After that experience I am happy to ship but hope for the best as the boat was just painted in Guatemala and is as close to perfect as a 25 year old boat can be. I totally respect Weebles shipping plan! I wish them well and am anxious to hear the rest of the story. Jim

 

[mvweebles]

Interesting thread. I just got a few quotes for shipping our KK48 from SevenStar. First was Port Everglades to La Paz, $46k. Next Port Everglades to Genoa, Italy, $43k. Finally, La Paz to Victoria, BC, $39k. I found the numbers acceptable in comparison to the "on your own bottom" approach. Last year we were in Honduras waiting for a window to go to Panama or Columbia. We waited a month but a persistent low pressure system kept the conditions beyond our pleasure boater parameters. So we moved to the Caymans hoping for a decent window. Waited a month till our visas ran out then went to Jamaica. Same story in Jamaica. We turned left at Jamaica through the windward passage to Inagua then back to VA where the boat is today. After that experience I am happy to ship but hope for the best as the boat was just painted in Guatemala and is as close to perfect as a 25 year old boat can be. I totally respect Weebles shipping plan! I wish them well and am anxious to hear the rest of the story. Jim

Your story of long weather window wait times was a bit motivating factor to ship. Last spring we crewed on a friends N55 from Panama to Key West. They waited 2-months. When we arrived, we ended up waiting almost 5-weeks for a wx window that was just okay. Shelter Bay Marina is a nice enough marina but pretty isolated. Gets really boring waiting there.

Peter

 

[mvweebles]

Shipping is on for tomorrow. Here's what I received from the local agent on Sunday afternoon - it's good, actionable information:

​

Operations Wednesday, January 21st ​

Discharge:​

08:30 am 50 Riviera​

Loading:​

9:00 am 76 Viking​

11:00 am 60 Guthrie​

1:30’pm 36 willard​

5:00 pm ETC​

Contrast that with the following that I received from Cross Charter yesterday.

Good day,​

Please find below our schedule update for mv BBC GENOA:​

Loadmaster in Golfito: Mr. Francisco “Paco” Chang +526469476473 ​

ETA Golfito: 20-21 Jan
ETA Panama Canal: 22-23 Jan
ETA Port Everglades: 28-29 Jan​

Above schedule is weather permitting, all going well, without guarantee​

The guy I'm paying $355 (local agent in Golfito) has reached out to the Load Master on my behalf (and the other three boats) and worked out a fairly precise schedule. The guys I paid $22k regurgitated AIS information, except they gave me the name/contact of the load master so I can confirm information myself. Something to think about......

Today is get-ready day. I figure the ship will do approx 25-knots into headwinds of around 25-30 knots. Weebles will be Gale Force winds much of the time. What's even more thought provoking is there is no guarantee she'll be facing forward. I'm pretty sure they do their best because boats are designed to point-into oncoming weather. But still.

So we're prepping as if a hurricane. Dinghy cover and chaps removed. Extra lashes on dinghy. Check anchor lashings. Remove exterior canvas (not much on Weebles). Tape plastic instrument covers down. enders and lines inside. Shut-down fridge/freezer (some helpful co-cruisers helped us get rid of beer last night - picture attached). Relocate heavy items from upper cabinets. I'm told a common damage is many boats have decorative items and statuary that get loose and can really bang-up the interior.

We'll do this work ourselves of course. But many owners would need to hire a delivery captain. Between the variability of departure and boat prep, I'd budget at least 3-4 days of a delivery captain locally in addition to any actual transit time. Plus a couple days on the other end to put Humpty Dumpty back together again. Probably $3k-$4k plus expenses for a delivery skipper if you need one.

Peter

 

[NoRain]

Peter, where did you get the notion the ship will travel 25 knots? It is currently running 13.3 knots which is fairly typical. And also consistent with our trip from Ensenada to Victoria which we were fortunate enough to ride along with our boat.

 

[mvweebles]

Peter, where did you get the notion the ship will travel 25 knots? It is currently running 13.3 knots which is fairly typical. And also consistent with our trip from Ensenada to Victoria which we were fortunate enough to ride along with our boat.

View attachment 171721

I stand corrected. I thought most ships went a bit faster. Schedule has it taking 9-days from Ensenada to Golfito which around 12-kts on average.

@NoRain - given this thread is about shipping a boat, can you contribute your experience? When, where, what kind of boat, how was it to ride along, etc?

Thanks for the update. I feel a bit better prepared with the slower speed

Peter

 

[NoRain]

Silverton 453 Aft Cabin Motoryacht. Ft Lauderdale to Ensenada Sept 2017. Stayed there for eight months, then Ensenada to Victoria with us on the ship. Used SevenStar and satisfied with the experience. Our departure from Ft Lauderdale was delayed while we watched Hurricane Irma blast through and stretch our dock lines (our second hurricane in two years), and then the ship headed out to do a do-si-do with Hurricane Maria as it charged up past Puerto Rico. Turned right to head for the Canal and missed the storm but still took some wind and seas. We were supposed to travel on this leg but could not. Our best guess is they wanted to minimize civilians on board with the weather they were facing. Got some great pics of our boat on board the ship going though the canal from the canal webcams (I posted the link to the cameras on your Weebles in Mexico thread). The deal was due to the hurricane a couple boats dropped out and now out ship didn’t have enough going to Victoria to justify the leg, so we negotiated going as far as Ensenada and then picking up the next ship from there to Victoria. But weather was nice in Ensenada and we love Mexico anyway, so managed to procrastinate the remainder of the journey until May 2018….and caught the last ship of the season heading north. This time we managed to snag passage on the freighter, but only after some serious whining (like running ironwood through a planer)….repeatedly….for several months. In fact it was so close that as we were motoring to the ship to get lifted we still didn’t know if were going to be allowed. We literally got a call on the way that we were clear to go, so just hauled our suitcases on board instead of heading for San Diego and a flight home. There are several cabins set aside for folk accompanying their vessels; usually captains or head stewardesses (like the one for the yacht in front of us, guarding her mistresses art and wine collections ). But it was awesome - dining in the officers mess with the captain and other officers, spartan but serviceable accommodations, detailed tour of the engine room, and basically full run of the ship (unsupervised). I’ll attach a pic or two of me alone, on the bridge, at the “wheel”. Just wild. And, best part, we could go aboard our own boat to keep an eye on things and get some projects done.

We got diverted on arrival from Victoria to Nanaimo and rode up in the bridge all the way chatting with the pilot. If you have any interest, inquire about the ride along, you may get lucky.

Good luck!

 

[slowgoesit]

So Peter, Today's the DAY! Looking forward to getting Weebles here so we can buddy boat!
I hope everything goes smoothly.

 

[mvweebles]

So Peter, Today's the DAY! Looking forward to getting Weebles here so we can buddy boat!
I hope everything goes smoothly.

Indeed.

Two people from the shipping company just came to take exterior pictures. In a half hour, a drug sniffing dog will come. Apparently, a few years ago a yacht was laden with narcotics which was discovered by Mexican officials in Ensenada and the ship was seized. Took years and a lot of money for the ship to sort so they now require a private inspection.

Screen shot of chart plotter. BBC Geneva arrived midnight. I have no further update beyond load time of 1:30 pm. We also need to get our rental car this morning to drive to San Jose airport after the boat loads.

Peter

 

[Jklotz]

Awesome Peter! Finally made it. Hope everything goes smoothly!

 

[ScottC]

I wish you the best of luck with this, Peter. It has been a fascinating story to follow!

 

[Insequent]

Thanks for regular updates, hope all goes smoothly!

 

[mvweebles]

We're hovering waiting to load. Ship is running 1.5 hours late. Pretty slow process to load. Weebles will be last on - maybe she'll be first off in ft Lauderdale?

Viking 76 was the first to load this morning. Then this custom Guthrie 60 is loading now. We'll go on after.

I think this is a KK48 on the aft deck. Personally, I would have removed the window covers but hey, I'm new at this.

Peter

 

[mvweebles]

The Guthrie 60 is being hoisted now. Really flat aft section with almost no dead rise. Props give me the willies ----- and it's headed to Florida's skinny waters!!!

She's for sale if anyone is interested.

60 Guthrie Grand Slam 2004 New Smyrna Beach | Denison Yacht Sales

Grand Slam Yacht for Sale is a 60' Yacht built by Guthrie in 2004. Currently she is located in New Smyrna Beach and awaiting her new owners.

www.denisonyachtsales.com

Peter

 

[RDJackso]

The Guthrie 60 is being hoisted now. Really flat aft section with almost no dead rise. Props give me the willies ----- and it's headed to Florida's skinny waters!!!

She's for sale if anyone is interested.

60 Guthrie Grand Slam 2004 New Smyrna Beach | Denison Yacht Sales

Grand Slam Yacht for Sale is a 60' Yacht built by Guthrie in 2004. Currently she is located in New Smyrna Beach and awaiting her new owners.

www.denisonyachtsales.com

Peter

And I quote; "Twin CAT C12.9s at 850 HP... provide an economical 27 kt cruise burning less than 60 GPH." It's a good thing they only burn 60 gallons per hour, if it were one gallon more, it's a deal killer for me!

 

[SteveK]

It looked like the loaded boats are facing AFT?

 

[NoRain]

They can face in all directions, including in the hold beneath decks.

 

[Frosty]

Thanks for all the photos and details. So interesting. I guess you must be aboard now.

I think this is a KK48 on the aft deck. Personally, I would have removed the window covers but hey, I'm new at this.

Kinda looks like they may be covered in sections of shrink plastic? But maybe that's just in the photo.

 

[mvweebles]

Loading was 5-6 hours late. We didn't get to our hotel until 11pm and about to board a flight to Florida. Schedule for ship through Canal is 12:00AM (00:00???) Sunday.

Whew......

Peter

 

[slowgoesit]

Cool! at least she's on board now. Too bad you can't keep the solar panels hooked up. It would be tempting to leave the chartplotter on, with it set to show a "trail" for your course for posterity!

 

[DDW]

When I had my sailboat trucked from Florida to Washington, I left the Inreach on and watched it as it moved across the country.

 

[mvweebles]

Soooo........Tally Ho, the 1916 gaff rigged restoration and central character of a prominent YouTube channel, is in the canal zone wiring to transit on Feb 8th. They spied BBC Genoa and snapped the following picture showing Weebles on her port side, just aft of the yellow crane in the attached. Wonderful picture - we had no idea where they shoe-horned Weebles on the deck load of yachts.

Peter