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MBWhite · 22-01-2016, 15:55

Hi all,

I was wondering about the economics of shipping a boat across the Atlantic from the East coast to either the UK or France? Thinking in terms of a lighter weight/shallow draft/retractable keel boat for light coastal and inland cruising, or even a powerboat. 25-30 foot range. A boat that would be fun to explore waterways but something you wouldn't necessarily wish to venture offshore in type of thing.

Would it be practical to trailer to an east coast port and unload on the other side, or would it end up costing 2X what it would to just purchase a boat over there? Has anyone ever done this?

Thanks, don't know if I'd ever actually do this but it is certainly something I've thought about over the years.

Paws · 22-01-2016, 16:41

It depends. If the boat is small enough to fit into a standard shipping container it could be very reasonable. On deck with the various yacht shipping companies figure 10-20k. You can get deals at season end when the charter boats are moving their fleets and may need to fill out.

John

**boatman61** · 22-01-2016, 16:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by MBWhite

Hi all,

I was wondering about the economics of shipping a boat across the Atlantic from the East coast to either the UK or France? Thinking in terms of a lighter weight/shallow draft/retractable keel boat for light coastal and inland cruising, or even a powerboat. 25-30 foot range. A boat that would be fun to explore waterways but something you wouldn't necessarily wish to venture offshore in type of thing.

Would it be practical to trailer to an east coast port and unload on the other side, or would it end up costing 2X what it would to just purchase a boat over there? Has anyone ever done this?

Thanks, don't know if I'd ever actually do this but it is certainly something I've thought about over the years.

You could buy what your talking about in the UK for the price of the shipping..
Hurley 30/90 for sale UK, Hurley boats for sale, Hurley used boat sales, Hurley Sailing Yachts For Sale Hurley 30/90 built 1974 Fin Keel - Apollo Duck
Westerly Konsort for sale UK, Westerly boats for sale, Westerly used boat sales, Westerly Sailing Yachts For Sale 1981 WESTERLY 29 KONSORT BILGE KEEL - Apollo Duck

Cocodemer · 22-01-2016, 21:10

Paws is right... I am new to the forum but just shipped a boat back from Greece to Lauderdale... Was all charter boats on board except me and one other. For reference we are a 49' catamaran and it cost us 25K +\-. Greece is a heck of a lot further than what you are trying to do but I wouldn't expect the rate to be half or anything... There is tons of time spent loading and unloading and I'm sure cost involved. We used Peters and May and they were awesome and took good care of our baby.

Sent from my iPad using Cruisers Sailing Forum

MBWhite · 22-01-2016, 22:00

All very good information and suggestions everyone, and thanks paws for suggesting a container!

I just did a quickie rate quote for Chicago to Southhampton for a 40' standard container and price was a little under $2600, not including insurance and I'm certain a host of other minor fees but this included the major ones far as I know.

Main issue is the door/inside width is 7'8", but if that hurdle could be overcome by mounting it at an angle on a trailer first it might be a relatively easy way to get a boat and all the associated cruising gear in order and transported in one package with everything together in one place when it gets there.

Again, thanks all!

**Dockhead** · 23-01-2016, 00:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by boatman61

You could buy what your talking about in the UK for the price of the shipping..
Hurley 30/90 for sale UK, Hurley boats for sale, Hurley used boat sales, Hurley Sailing Yachts For Sale Hurley 30/90 built 1974 Fin Keel - Apollo Duck
Westerly Konsort for sale UK, Westerly boats for sale, Westerly used boat sales, Westerly Sailing Yachts For Sale 1981 WESTERLY 29 KONSORT BILGE KEEL - Apollo Duck

I'm with Boatie on this one. There is a great variety of nice 25' - 30' cruising boats which can be had in the UK for peanuts.

If your idea is to knock around the English Channel and estuaries (a very GOOD idea!

), a nice bilge keeler is just the ticket. Like a Konsort. Remember the tides here range up to 45', so a boat which can take the ground will enormously expand your cruising options.

Pick up a nice one for less than the cost of shipping (and half of what it would cost in the U.S.); then sell it when you're done. By far the cheapest and simplest way to do it from the U.S.

valhalla360 · 23-01-2016, 01:17

If you can get the beam down to where it will fit in a container, lots of options open up but it comes with a lot less living space.

If you get above around 8', there are options but prices go up:
- Deck cargo: Craned up and placed on the top of the deck or highest layer or containers.
- RORO: Roll On-Roll Off, these are essentially floating parking garages often used for shipping new cars. You can pull the mast and trailer them on.
- FOFO: Float On-Float Off, this is what the big yatchs use. The entire ship submerges, the yatchs drive in and then the ship comes back up (search dockwise) They will take smaller boats but it's not generally thier focus.

We priced up our gemini (34'x14'). RORO & deck cargo it was around $10-12k. FOFO was around $18k but we've heard if you can show up last minute there are often substantial discounts for unused space.

If you are talking 1970's vintage 25' boats, shipping is probably more than the boat is worth.

We wound up picking up a boat in europe rather than shipping.

Eleuthera 2014 · 23-01-2016, 01:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cocodemer

Paws is right... I am new to the forum but just shipped a boat back from Greece to Lauderdale... Was all charter boats on board except me and one other. For reference we are a 49' catamaran and it cost us 25K +\-. Greece is a heck of a lot further than what you are trying to do but I wouldn't expect the rate to be half or anything... There is tons of time spent loading and unloading and I'm sure cost involved. We used Peters and May and they were awesome and took good care of our baby.

Sent from my iPad using Cruisers Sailing Forum

You can get a delivery crew and sail the boat across for 1/4 of the "on deck" price. From Gibraltar to Eastern Carib = 15 days... then the boat is somewhere fun to sail. Just saying... Enjoy it!!

Paws · 23-01-2016, 03:53

Thanks.

The only other thought is to talk to whoever ships cars from Germany. It's a roll on-roll off affair. Not sure what the ships are carrying eastbound but would bet they are scrambling to fill out. They may make room for a trailer.

John

valhalla360 · 23-01-2016, 06:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paws

Thanks.

The only other thought is to talk to whoever ships cars from Germany. It's a roll on-roll off affair. Not sure what the ships are carrying eastbound but would bet they are scrambling to fill out. They may make room for a trailer.

John

If you were shipping to China that might work but there is plenty of two way shipping between Europe and the USA.

With the FOFO shipping, that might be more of an option as the big charter boats do tend to move seasonally between the med and the carribean.

KWISPEL · 23-01-2016, 09:50

If you like to stay for a long time than have you also import taxes to pay. If buy one in europe and rigister this in England or a other countrie no taxes and the boat can stay so long if you want. Just you need visa.

MBWhite · 23-01-2016, 20:43

Thanks for all the information and insight!

What got me thinking about this was I once went over to Europe for 6 months, bought a car and just pretty much toured wherever I thought would be an interesting place to go. On this awesome forum here was where I first learned you can boat from Paris to the Mediterranean, and it seems to me to be a great way to see another part of Europe that many do not.

This is what got me thinking about what sort of boat would be suitable, and at this point I am of the opinion that a boat light enough to be fun and convenient to navigate canals and backwaters would probably be a bit too lightweight for me to do an Atlantic crossing without excessive worry. If I can fit a boat into a container and ship ot for ~$3Kish, that means I can use it here for a year or 3 first and have it all fitted out for cruising when shipped and pretty much absolutely no surprises on that end when sailing & motoring in a foreign land. Plus, everything can be shipped in one package so the boat already has spares and tools on board, and I'll have even figured out how to bring bicycles along by then so quite a few less things to purchase once I get over there.

It seems like the 27 foot water ballasted sailboats made by Macgregor, Hunter, Catalina, Odin, and possibly others may fit in a container, the MacGregor is advertised that it can fit in a container on its trailer once the main axle is removed (there are supposed to be tiny wheels on the trailer that allow it to slide into the container) and I'm sure the others have some sort of system too.

I'll research the roll-on/roll-off ones as well, but I do like the idea of it being locked in a container.

And a nod to Boatman for figuring out I have a weakness for the bilge keeled Hurleys!