Race Boat Shipping to Los Angeles

[Canboria]

As some of you may know I was for many years involved with offshore ski racing, I am still involved with a local F2 team that has just been selected to represent the UK in this years World Championships in Long Beach California this October, although the BWSF does provide some funding to ship the boat (21ft Phantom) to Los Angeles, it does not go anywhere near to covering the shipping costs and the hire of a tow car, we have been advised to hire a container, strap the boat down inside and ship it out to the USA.

My question is do we have anyone on the Forum that is connected with hiring of containers and shipping that would be prepared to do a good deal.

Many thanks

Derek

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[steved]

I work with various shipping lines / freight forwarders and can put you in touch with some good ones, depends on where you are based as to which port you go from. Port to Port cost will be around US$3300 for a 40'. I am based in Ipswich, and could do you a favour with regard to the loading / securing within the container. PM if you want further details.
Steve

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[Blue_Blazes]

I recently shipped a Fairey Swordsman back from Florida. The agent I used was very helpful and the price was reasonable. He can also arrange trucking within the US. His name is Patrick Griffin and his details are below.

Patrick Griffin
Boat Shipping International, Inc.
36 Pleasant Cove Road
Inlet Trail
Boothbay, ME 04537
Ph: (207) 633 3160
Fx: (207) 633 3170
Web: http://www.boatshipping.com
Email: pgriffin@boatshipping.com

Hope this helps,

Bill.

<hr width=100% size=1>One of these days I'll have a boat that WORKS

 

[Happy1]

Derek, No problem mate, get some people on here to sponsor you OR even better, stick the name of a charity on the boat, get loads of sponsorship, there are some on here only too willing to pay up, that will pay for all your air tickets, hotels, expenses & shipping admin (because it costs to raise the awareness of a charity /forums/images/icons/wink.gif) and then give the remaining 8% to the charity. That way you can legaly have a lovely time at the expense of the donor and help a good cause. Don't travel first class it does not look good, go business class, IMHO it's just as good and saves money, having done both loads of times. Don't forget to keep the reciepts for the audit, but as long as you have your 8% left you are OK /forums/images/icons/wink.gif

Hope this helps.

<hr width=100% size=1><font color=purple> "You only see what you recognise, and you only recognise what you know" <font color=purple>

 

[miket]

I'm sure this sort of advice will be much appreciated.

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[kingfisher]

We shipped our 36ft gig to Rockland, ME last summer for a competition, in a 40ft container.

US Shipper was Albatrans. Local was Wilson Logistics. 3000€ one way, but got 50% sponsored. It was a logistical nightmare. But most of it was due to our unpreparedness. IOW if I knew then what I know now, it would be a cinch.

1) CARNET ! This is the most important word to learn. Find out what it is!!!!!! It will saves days and days of customs. We shipped the boat to the US a month before the competition (training schedule?), and it arrived in 14 days. But it took customs 14 days to clear us. So the whole team (20+ kids) were in country three days before that, to get over the jetlag and train in local conditions, but no boat. It arrived three hours before the opening event !!!!!
A carnet is basicaly a customs document that says that everything you have brought with you, you will bring it back. Because we didn't know about the carnet, we had to pay import duties, which were refunded afterwards, but still....
Shipping agents will tend to asume that you know these things. ASK THEM!

2) Conditions: we had to soap up the interior of the container, as the brakes of the trailer had frozen up from the salt. A container isn't airtight. try to avoid getting it shipped on top, where the sun will shine hard on it. it can get 50°C+ if your container is on top of the stack. Can't arrange it, but plead a lot.

3) Trailing in the US? We tried it, but forget it. Insurance costs an arm and a leg. Put it on a loader. Besides, US uses a different bollard size for the trailer. So if you do plan to rent a jeep, bring a bollard.

4) US CG was monitoring the whole event. And are very courtious and strict. Make sure you are wearing your pfd's. They escorted the suport tender (with me at the wheel,ahum) when we failed to show our life vests. Stupid. Embarassing.

5) Let go. You will have absolutely no control over the shipping part. It will arrive when it arrives, they will pick up the boat when they decide. Horrible. Stressfull.

<hr width=100% size=1>Group of people on the pontoon: skipper is the one with the toolbox.
http://sirocco31.tripod.com

 

[longjohnsilver]

I suppose you've checked, but would it not be cheaper to hire a boat over there?

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[Canboria]

We are talking about high performance race boats that have taken months to set up, many thousands of pounds spent on blueprinting the engine and other various tweaks, not that easy to hire that sort of equipment, you can have your skier race behind an American race boat but again the sport is about the trust that is built up between the skier driver and observer, takes time to get to know each other and to know when the skier can be pushed considering we could be doing speeds in excess of 70mph for around 50 mins.

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[longjohnsilver]

I see, just a thought. Hope it goes well for you.

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[Canboria]

Thanks for the info, we are arranging a carnet as we speak, we have no option but to trail the boat as it has to be moved after each race, (4 races) when you say bollard what are you referring to, I take you mean the tow ball or hitch.

We are still looking for sponsers, just to get the boat over to Los Angeles we still have a little time left, works out around £5500 return trip plus insurance.

Derek

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[Canboria]

Thanks for you thoughts LJS, will keep you posted.

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[Alistairr]

If you are hiring a 40' container, could you not put the tow car in it as well. And save some hassle?????



<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.hamptonandmcmurray.co.uk>Hampton and McMurray</A>

 

[Canboria]

Not that easy as the tow car this end is a 35ft American coach camper, still its a thought.

<hr width=100% size=1><P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by Canboria on 07/07/2003 17:17 (server time).</FONT></P>