Ball-Park-Figure to Ship a Yacht from San Diego to Sydney, Australia

[Laidback]

Hi Mark,

Thanks for the suggestion, but its not my boat.

[timbodreamer]

Thanks for the interesting replies. I think I will either buy a smaller yacht that fits in a 40 ft container or sail it back with the help of an experienced skipper. I need the experience so the second option might be the best way.

I've heard of people who literally jump on board and learn as they go. I've been around boats quite a lot and I am currently doing my yachtmasters theory. I grew up sailing dinghies I have done a couple of offshore races as a crew and mucked around with my 24 ft trailer sailer for a while. Would it be totally ridiculous to attempt the trip perhaps with some experienced volunteer crew?

Cheers

Tim

[DeepFrz]

With some proper inspections, shake down cruises, good planning, prepping and stocking of safety equipment, supplies and spares you could do it. I would suggest you take a few shake down cruises with a crew member before heading off shore. If you get the wrong crew only one of you might finish the trip...

But going offshore on that length of a trip is not something to be taken lightly. Many people have gotten into trouble by leaving in an unprepared boat or by being unable to handle the conditions one can find offshore.

[muskoka]

We've been quoted US $52,000. to ship a 40' catamaran from Hong Kong to Le Havre, France. That includes cradle & commissioning. I don't imagine the actual sea miles make much of a difference to the cost.

The rates for containers are irrelevant as you will need to ship a yacht as deck cargo.

[meyermm]

Originally Posted by timbodreamer

Thanks for the interesting replies. I think I will either buy a smaller yacht that fits in a 40 ft container or sail it back with the help of an experienced skipper. I need the experience so the second option might be the best way.

I've heard of people who literally jump on board and learn as they go. I've been around boats quite a lot and I am currently doing my yachtmasters theory. I grew up sailing dinghies I have done a couple of offshore races as a crew and mucked around with my 24 ft trailer sailer for a while. Would it be totally ridiculous to attempt the trip perhaps with some experienced volunteer crew? Tim

Tim you have had more experience than I had when I undertook the trip.
Time - with all sailing time is your enemy you need lots of it to do the trip safely. Right time of the year, time to prepare the boat properly, time to do shake down sails, time to find and select the right crew, time to wait when the weather is not right, time to stop rest and repair along the way and time to actualy enjoy the experience - good luck

[timbodreamer]

Very wise words meyermm! I thought about what you said and it makes more sense than anything after my weekend! We went for a cruise and had to get the boat back...a 24 hour passage starting at 3pm against the wind...result most of the crew seasick...damaged the water tanks and the water went right through the boat, broke several parts of the interior such as stairs, covers etc and spent the whole trip not being able to sleep with several of the crew catatonic in the cabins, all with the additional fun of getting the lovely smell of the toilet holding tank beining swashed about!!! I did enjoy being behind the wheel though. One day later and it would have been an easy dead run in half the time

It was also the boats first offshore since the owner bought it and there was no time for a real shakedown...the boat looked like someone had shook it up like a little snow globe...the batteries weren't charging properly, the oven broke off it's hinges etc...

Time is exactly what you need!!!

[BillAU]

Interesting project, have you bought the boat and done the trip yet? I'm curious...If you were to, or did deliver the yacht yourself, which course would/did you take from say, San Diego, to let's say, the Philippines...Before heading home to Australia. How long do you think the trip would take and what time of year would/did you choose to do the trip.

I'm thinking seriously of buying in the States but ending-up in the Philippines.

Bill
Australia

[daddle]

I would guess that anything that floats and has some windage will travel from San Diego to PI with no outside help at all. Must be one of the easiest, but longest, crossings anywhere.

[rgscpat]

Just thinking out loud and not really knowing the answer:
What would be a realistic estimate of the amount of wear and tear and breakage a vessel would suffer on a 6,000 nm-plus trip? A good crew could probably do some repairs and maintenance en route, but of course there would be expenses in doing that. I'm wildly guessing a boat that size would easily lose maybe 10% to 20% or so of its value, beyond what it would have lost sitting at the dock and doing occasional local sails. (Possibly, the boat market is enough better in Australia than California to offset depreciation and a good do-it-yourself boatyard visit after the trip could reverse much of the depreciation.) Perhaps the ocean-crossing experience is worth the boat depreciation for some people, but not for others.

[atoll]

the last trans pacific delivery i did,apart from a couple of hundred hours on the engine,some algae on the topsides waterline and,after a good clean before hand over you would never know the boat had sailed from hawaii to australisa over the previous 2months.

[sv Shearwater]

Wear and tear. As atoll says it is not a requirement.

We crossed the Atlantic this summer. 3300 miles, 20 days. The boat looked just like it did when we left. We ran the engine for about 40 hours which was probably beneficial to the motor given its previous lack of use.

Sailing a well prepared boat across an ocean can be very inexpensive. It's the time it's takes that is tricky to deal with.

We are looking at crossing back across the Atlantic next year. Unfortunately, the trip is longer and I have less time. That's starts to cut into earnings and then shipping the boat doesn't look so expensive. I might rather spend my vacation relaxing in interesting cruising grounds than just blasting across the ocean for 30 days. If I could have my cake and eat it too we'd sail for sure. But that isn't the world I live in.