KeelsonGraham
Well-known member
Can anyone enlighten me on the cost of yacht services in the Caribbean vs the UK. Is it generally cheaper to have work done there or in the UK?
I would definitely do it in the UK. I wish I'd done a bit more before we left actually.Thank you Sea Change. That’s useful info. I was wondering whether to get jobs done in the UK, or wait till we get to the Caribbean.
We can get most stuff cheaper than the UK. We ship stuff in from the USA using a company called West Tech shipping. Example. A couple of bearings for my pedestal shaft. Buy them in thr USA and have them shipped to the West Tech warehouse in Florida. They fly or ship, depending on what you specify, to Antigua. The cost of flying the bearings to Antigua, clearing customs and delivering to any anchorage was £8. This is the total cost. We ship 'yacht in transit' and give them copies of our customs papers, etcWe are in the Caribbean now and have been for the last year or so. I would try to get as much done in the UK as you can, especially bug ticket items such as lithium batteries (if you want them), davits, watermaker etc as they cost more here and the choices can be limited on each Island.
We are heading back to the UK this year and will look to get some works and updates done when back rather than here.
Shipped my cells with .West Tech shipping. No problem at all. Cells and batteries are often cheaper in the USA. The cost of shipping for 8x280Ah cells including customs clearance and delivery was $50USJust get any lithium installation done in the UK as the lithium batteries are more expensive here and less choice. Also a lot of shipping companies will not ship them unless at a very high cost. And I know a few people here that have tried.
Well...looks like I am wrong then....Shipped my cells with .West Tech shipping. No problem at all. Cells and batteries are often cheaper in the USA. The cost of shipping for 8x280Ah cells including customs clearance and delivery was $50US
West Tech ship to different countries in the Caribbean. I only have experience of using them in Antigua. I have had 52 parcels via them and only lost one. This was where the seller did not put my West Tech account number in the address as requestedWell...looks like I am wrong then....
Will pass this on to a friend if mine that is after some lithiums.
My lithium came in to Grenada, total cost for 4x280Ah cells and a 200A BMS was about £550. So substantially more than I paid in the UK but not eye-wateringly so. I understand that St Martin would have been cheaper, but it made sense to do the installation somewhere where I was staying put for a few months.Just get any lithium installation done in the UK as the lithium batteries are more expensive here and less choice. Also a lot of shipping companies will not ship them unless at a very high cost. And I know a few people here that have tried.
I trust there is a zero missing there in that 550 number. Please tell me I'm wrong.My lithium came in to Grenada, total cost for 4x280Ah cells and a 200A BMS was about £550. So substantially more than I paid in the UK but not eye-wateringly so. I understand that St Martin would have been cheaper, but it made sense to do the installation somewhere where I was staying put for a few months.
That's for a single battery, made up from four cells.I trust there is a zero missing there in that 550 number. Please tell me I'm wrong.