Catamaran Shopping: Move Cat from East to West Coast?

[rbfin]

Disclaimer: I am a 100% wannabe cruiser, own(ed) a few sailboats (36'-25'), lots and lots of daysailing, but I've only sailed on a Cat twice. But I have plans to cruise SoCal at some point.

So...

In searching around (Yachtworld, etc.) I see many cats on the east coast and Florida that appeal. The basic question is: is there any reasonable way to move a 40' cat from east to west coast? The first reply to this question will be a snarky "sail it, duh"... but in lurking and such, that would put a ton of wear and tear on the boat. So, I get it that sailing it to the west coast is one of the options, I just wonder how it stacks up with other options, if indeed there are other options.

Thanks in advance,

[atoll]

dockwise,sevenstar shipping all service the east and west coast ports,expensive though

[Sand crab]

My friend told me that he spent $30,000 shipping his 38' cat to Seattle. I think he said his friend only had to pay $25,000 for a 38'. Generally the shippers don't stop in the US. You'll have to pick it up in Ensenada or Vancouver, BC.

[rbfin]

Thanks for that... and as I checked out those two shippers it's clear that the don't make stops on the west coast. I wonder why, but I am going to guess it has to do with insurance.

[chubby]

Originally Posted by rbfin

Thanks for that... and as I checked out those two shippers it's clear that the don't make stops on the west coast. I wonder why, but I am going to guess it has to do with insurance.

foreign flagged commercial ships i dont believe can work domestic routes


(is the reason everything in PR is expectantly expensive compared to the local income/lack of employment)

[Sand crab]

It might be the insurance but I thought it was the costs and rules of doing this in the US. I think it's Dockwise that floods the bilges and sinks the transport ship. I can see that the regulators might be concerned about that.

[Zzmeyer]

I am taking delivery of a 47 cat in Florida in March with ultimate destination of San Diego. Still in planning stage of whether to sail, ship from Florida or sail through the Canal and shipping from Gofilito, Costa Rico. The quote I got last week from Florida is $50,000 including insurance, etc. They all ship to Ensenada, MX, 50 miles south of San Diego. I've kept my boat there in the past and it is a nice place. As was mentioned, none stop, that I'm aware of, in US (I did have a boat shipped from France to Los Angeles) because of the Jones Act (can't ship on a foreign flagged vessel from US to US port.). Jeanneau and Beneteau dealers do ship regularly to Southern California directly from France so it can't be environmental or cost concerns, I would think.

[Boatguy30]

Jones act. If they load in FL can't unload in CA. Hence the Mexico or Canada.

[Sand crab]

If that boat makes one or more intermediate stops in other countries then I believe it can then make a 2 stops in the US as long as they aren't one after the other..
Anyway, I looked at Dockwise site and they don't come the the US west coast at all. Even when they start in Asia so I don't think the Jones Act is at issue here.
Sevenseas says they will come to Seattle but it's not highlighted like Fort Lauderdale. No other US west coast location is listed.

[Sand crab]

Originally Posted by Zzmeyer

Jeanneau and Beneteau dealers do ship regularly to Southern California directly from France so it can't be environmental or cost concerns, I would think.

I wonder what transport company they use? Just wondering...

[Zzmeyer]

I had both a Jeanneau and Beneteau shipped, but was handled by the dealer so I don't know who they used. I think most of the companies are really brokers and don't own their ships. Some do, of course. The dealer is arranging my FP to be shipped from La Rochelle to Fort Lauderdale for $30,000 which is substantially less than what I was quoted. Their reason is that they do a bunch of boats every month, which makes sense.

[chowdan]

Take time off work, sail through the canal and back up the coast

[Sparx]

Here is a very sweet cat available on west coast. ...I have no vested interest.

[URL="https://www.mecat.com/brokerage/allelu-mc-38-hull-2/"[/URL]

https://www.mecat.com/brokerage/allelu-mc-38-hull-2/

[LeeV]

Yep, it’s a dilemma, although for me it’s the opposite direction! There’s a 50’ cat on the west coast I’d like have here in Md! I can’t even imagine what it would cost to put it on a freighter to ship here. Yikes! No, I can’t take off to sail it home as much as I’d like to. ��

[tarian]

Sorry am I missing something , you say wear and tear on your boat , it is a boat that sails , and sits on the water , how much wear and tear are you considering to a 5 figure sum to ship it , one can assume that you bank balance would be better of sailing the boat and having the experience in doing so , to the so called wear and tear , so sorry for the snarky response as you put it , but sail the boat that;s why you bought it.