Shipping stuff from US to Caribbean

[FSmith]

I may need to ship household and boat stuff from the US to the Caribbean and I'm wondering if anyone has done this. Specifically, what shipper did you use and how did you pack it. Thanks in advance

[JayH]

Originally Posted by FSmith

I may need to ship household and boat stuff from the US to the Caribbean and I'm wondering if anyone has done this. Specifically, what shipper did you use and how did you pack it. Thanks in advance

I'm currently assembling a load for my first ocean shipment. I'm using King Ocean's LCL cargo service (less than container load). They have routes all over the Caribbean and their schedule is on their website. If they go to your destination, suggest you give them a call and discuss the process with them. They will likely put you in touch with a local agent for details.

I send whatever I want to their warehouse in Miami. When I'm ready, I tell them to put my stuff on a ship. For my route, they have ships leaving every Friday and arriving the following Tuesday. My location is duty-free, so in theory I just pay the freight based on volume. I'm expecting it to work out to about $5 a cubic foot.

Cargo Ship Company | King Ocean Services

[FSmith]

Thank you JayH. How are you packing the items you take to their warehouse?

[JayH]

I'm not packing it myself. I'm in the Caribbean ordering from Amazon, ebay, etc. I expect that they'll be putting all those boxes (23 and counting!) on a pallet and wrapping it in plastic, but I don't really know. You could probably bring stuff loose or already palletized, but it's best to call and ask. They will want documentation for everything.

[sailnautilus]

If you are in the US, particularly Florida, you can pack and take items directly to the shipper. We have shipped boat parts, solar panels, household goods and rigging and sails to Grenada and Curacao. It is absolutely cheapest to ship without a freight forwarder, pack it in boxes like you would ship it, and when you arrive at freight company they will lay down a pallet behind your vehicle and give you the shrink wrap. We have used Tropical and Caribe with excellent success...see their web sites for schedules.
Cost will be about $0.50 per pound, insured, when all said and done.
If you cannot do this yourself, you will pay a freight forwarder to receive your items, pack on pallet and forward to the shipping company.

[Locquatious]

When we ship our products, PropPurr™ or a Kiss Extractor™, to the Caribbean we suggest some of the shippers listed on our website Proppurr.com product pages.

That means that we ship our products to a Florida carrier or a St. Thomas freight forwarder (for the BVIs) for free, since they are in the US. The carrier or freight forwarder then transports the products to their island locations. When it arrives, they let you know. You go pick it up and pay their fees, which are usually lower than UPS or FedEx. Often the other services will help out with customs paperwork and payment.

[bjymd]

I have used Crowley in Florida and I was very happy with the service. I had items packed in boxes and two heavy canvas duffle bags . They were placed on a pallet and shrink-wrapped in plastic by the shipper. Make sure you have a good list to present to Crowley because it goes with the shipment and is looked at by customs. If you send items in Amazon or other new boxes there is a risk of paying duty on all the items and it will be harder to claim them as " household items ".

[FSmith]

Thank you guys! I'm shipping to Grenada and this is exactly the the information that I need.

[blueazimuth]

Tropical Shipping out of Miami and Palm Beach. Have shipped with them twice. Acted as my own broker/agent at both ends, loading all numbered boxes onto a pallet and wrapping it myself. (Wrapping provided, as are labels). All boxes were labelled "Yacht-in-Transit" and with shipping info.
Detailed inventory of what is in each box is recommended. Take extra copies.

At the other end, Trinidad, collected papers from Tropical's local shipper, cleared Customs at dock, and again at Chagaramus. No agent required but pay shippers $20 for paperwork. Very reasonable.

Customs at Chagaramus can be easy or difficult. This time they strongly objected to the phrase SPARE PARTS but the wording REPLACEMENT PARTS which they described as "anything necessary to make the boat go" were accepted.
Injectors, pumps, outboard, anchor, tools and more were all deemed taxable. After opening every box, and unwrapping everything and listening to his ranting lecture about how he could probably make everything taxable (while holding my water), Customs officer walked away saying "Go"
Unpleasant gentleman.

[Seymore]

In 2002 I bought my boat in the BVI. I lived in Port Colborne, Ontario and I shipped some stuff in five boxes,each about 2 x 2 x 3 feet, by Canada Post, for $50 or $60Can. each, standard insurance.

Two of them arrived. There was no sign of the other three. I disgustedly gave up hounding the BVI post office after a long month. The word on the street was that 'the Dominicans rifled whatever came through their island'

When I got back home to Port Colborne I made a claim. The cover letter was pretty bitter, saying, among other things , that Canada Post should consider refraining from delivering mail to the BVI under these circumstances. I sent a copy to the Postmaster in the BVI. Canada Post paid something like $60 back for each of the three lost parcels.

Two long weeks later the three missing boxes showed up at my door, opened and rifled!! Each had 1/4 of the stuff that was in it originally. I disgustedly gave them to Canada Post, since they'd paid for them.

Shipper beware!

[LLizzard]

Sorry if I'm hijacking the thread. By August (hopefully before) I'm moving to St. Thomas to locally manage the charter of a boat I'm in the process of buying to replace the boat I owned for 5 days before Irma destroyed her.
I imagine ocean freight would be handled similar to the above, but what about new purchases from, say, Amazon or West Marine? Would they be handled like any other domestic shipment? Would Amazon Prime work the same for USVI as the lower 48?
Also, I'm trying to decide whether I'm going with just what I can get in a couple of suitcases or ship my tools, kayak and sups there. Fishing rods and reels are definitely going!! After 4 hrs in the garage today prepping for our garage sale this weekend, I'm leaning toward a minimalist lifestyle.

[sam1358]

I hope this information helps anyone who is looking to ship household goods to the Caribbean :
https://usgshipping.com/shipping-to-...g-to-caribbean

- Never ship to another island
- Ask for door to door
- Local trucking is a hassle
- make sure there s no hidden fee