Dockwise and others...

[RW Sailor]

Hello,
I am currently living on a 30ft Sailboat in Annapolis and am working on plans to move back to my roots to Europe.
Now I am not 100 percent comfortable to sail her across the ocean but I am hearing of companies like dock wise to ship the boat across but they seem rather expensive to me (the quote was in the 15000USD)
Are there better priced options out there? Or would it be worth going round the other way?
I am happy to move the boat up and down the coast as required and as long as I get it back somewhere near coast of Europe I am happy with the result...
Every kind of help is welcome!
Thanks a lot already!

[Chasing Summer]

Post an ad on this site under the CREWS tab then select 'crew wanted'. Also, there is Latitude38.com. Latitude 38 Crew List
There are alway people with lots of sailing experience wanting to go the same way as you. It'll save you a ton of money, you'll gain some blue water experience, and you'll have some one with you that's done it before.
Good luck

[hoolie]

With a 30ft boat the costs of crossing to Europe are bound to be disproportionally high. Much though you may have great affection for your boat you'd probably be better off selling in the US and buying another in Europe. At least you'll avoid all the hassle of RCD registration (may be virtually impossible if your boat is old) and VAT payment.

[RW Sailor]

A lot of affection for the boat is definitely there, also just replaced the engine, built the entire interior myself and spend a lot of time and money on it... so I wouldn't really want to sell her right now... But in the end - home is europe and also this boat, would be a shame not to be able to combine the two.
Thanks for the replies already though - hoping for more good ideas ;-)
Thank you all!

[boatman61]

A delivery skipper would cost you around 50% of that Dockwise price.. at most.

[RW Sailor]

Quite true - Depending on season it could be a nice ride too... Are there organised crossing from the US East coast to Europe? I know about the one that goes the other way, but couldn't find anything about the sail the other way.
If there are other boats in the same area heading the same way I do realise it doesn't make things easier or necessarily safer but for the piece of mind it would help me a lot...
Thanks already!

[JPA Cate]

Originally Posted by RW Sailor

Quite true - Depending on season it could be a nice ride too... Are there organised crossing from the US East coast to Europe? I know about the one that goes the other way, but couldn't find anything about the sail the other way.
If there are other boats in the same area heading the same way I do realise it doesn't make things easier or necessarily safer but for the piece of mind it would help me a lot...
Thanks already!

This very issue, concerning the ILLUSION, the fantasy, of safety in numbers is being discussed in another thread at this time. It was posted by deuxgentils, and you can search for it using that "name".

In a nutshell, if your boat fails due to bad conditions it is highly unlikely that it would be safe for a buddy boat to come to your aid without risking the safety of their boat and crew. If their boat is faster than yours, it could mean beating back towards you for a long time. Buddy boating involves going at the pace of the slowest boat.

On the other hand, if the delivery skipper would accept you on board--and some do not, because having the owner on board can be a hassle for them--you'd even have a chance to enjoy both the trip and learn a lot. The Dockwise option is expensive, I agree.

[boatman61]

The closest you'll get to 'Buddy Boating' may be if you can get the boat to Bermuda for April/May... then link up with some folk who may be heading 'Home' from the Caribbean...
Dunno why.. but quite a few opt for that route... then the Azores followed by mainland Europe..

[rockDAWG]

Safety in numbers is a myth. You are better off to rely on your skills and the brave men and women in the SAR unit.

I know you don't want to sell your boat, but it is the best and least headache option.

If you have a sound boat with proper offshore safety equipment, You can do it in three legs, Norfolk to Bermuda, Azores and Spain. Between late Spring to before the hurricane season would be perfect. It is a trip of a lifetime, plan it properly with Plan A, B and C. Just do it.

Good luck.

[RW Sailor]

Thanks for all the advice...
Sailing across the ocean is something I am not too worried about. The thing I am short of are capable people to join in - even though if I time it right I will probably get a few of my ships crew to join me and it could definitely be a trip of a lifetime...
I was just hoping to get it done the "lazy" way. I am a Sailor for living and crossing oceans in my leave time doesn't sound super appealing (not that I don't enjoy it) but sailing around the Med would sound much more enjoyable for holidays at least...
Either way: Thank you all for the input and feel free to post more ideas!
Manuel

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by RW Sailor

Quite true - Depending on season it could be a nice ride too... Are there organised crossing from the US East coast to Europe? I know about the one that goes the other way, but couldn't find anything about the sail the other way.
If there are other boats in the same area heading the same way I do realise it doesn't make things easier or necessarily safer but for the piece of mind it would help me a lot...
Thanks already!

If the OP is moving domicile , then all his possessions can enter the EU VAT free permanently.

RCD can be done too, not difficult.

Dave

[RW Sailor]

So let me make sure I got you right on that one:
Being a EU Citizen and owning a boat in the US, US registration as well I can sail it over to Europe without getting in trouble with VAT and others?
Is there any experiences about that?
I'm grateful for any hints...

[valhalla360]

Consider going as deck cargo or RORO (roll on-roll off) shipping as alternatives. You may need to pull the mast (for RORO). I've done some checking for our 34' Gemini and RORO was coming in around $11k after you added in all the misc costs.

I would factor in wear and tear if you have a crew do a delivery and make sure you get a professional captain with insurance. You may find by the time you cross your T's and dot your I's, it's not much of a savings.

What is the value of the boat? If it's worth $20-30k, it's probably more cost effective to sell it and buy a new one in Europe. Also consider the cost of upgrades and hassles to use it in Europe (ie: 220v-50hz power vs 110v-60hz power).

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by valhalla360

Consider going as deck cargo or RORO (roll on-roll off) shipping as alternatives. You may need to pull the mast (for RORO). I've done some checking for our 34' Gemini and RORO was coming in around $11k after you added in all the misc costs.

I would factor in wear and tear if you have a crew do a delivery and make sure you get a professional captain with insurance. You may find by the time you cross your T's and dot your I's, it's not much of a savings.

What is the value of the boat? If it's worth $20-30k, it's probably more cost effective to sell it and buy a new one in Europe. Also consider the cost of upgrades and hassles to use it in Europe (ie: 220v-50hz power vs 110v-60hz power).

I took the 'Cheap n Easy' route... one of these for £35...

Or.. as I did the industrial version which had 240 to 120 and 12v outlets which ran at the same time.. bought off E-Bay for £25 for my H37c.. heavy buga but small enough to stow easily when sailing and simple to connect up when using shore power..
If your moving back (no existing residence in Europe) and an EU citizen no VAT on belongings as stated earlier.. to the best of my knowledge..
It may apply however if/when you choose to sell.. in which case you would also have to make her CE compliant.. or sell her in a non-EU country like Morocco..
but until then your fine.

[valhalla360]

Originally Posted by boatman61

I took the 'Cheap n Easy' route... one of these for £35...

Or.. as I did the industrial version which had 240 to 120 and 12v outlets which ran at the same time.. bought off E-Bay for £25 for my H37c.. heavy buga but small enough to stow easily when sailing and simple to connect up when using shore power..
If your moving back (no existing residence in Europe) and an EU citizen no VAT on belongings as stated earlier.. to the best of my knowledge..
It may apply however if/when you choose to sell.. in which case you would also have to make her CE compliant.. or sell her in a non-EU country like Morocco..
but until then your fine.

That is a cheap and easy solution for a short term situation.

Make sure your devices can accept 50hz power (some are fine, others not so much).

If you are passing thru for 3-6 months, may be a great option and you can live with the drawbacks.

If you are talking years (pressumably, the OP is moving permanently), I would want something more permanent that takes care of hte 50hz issue, so I don't have to vet every electrical device that comes aboard. Also, if you are staying permanently, you will presumably want to switch over most devices to local 220/50 devices rather than keeping the old 110/60 devices.

If you are someone who prefers a very simple boat with strictly 12v devices or a very limited number off AC devices, it may not be much of a consideration.

It's not the end of the world but definetly something to research before finding out you need to plunk down another $2-5k to get your boat up to the standard you want.