USA shipping costs

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Dannyc86

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Hi all,

Looking for some real-world advice on the cheapest way to ship a 2009 Sea Ray 240 Sundancer from the US to the Mediterranean (ideally Turkey).

Boat will be on a twin axle trailer, so I’ve got flexibility between RoRo and container, but trying to work out what actually makes sense cost-wise.

Boat + trailer dimensions (approx):
Length overall: ~25 ft (7.6 m)
Beam: 8 ft 6 in (2.59 m)
Dry weight: ~2,500 kg

On trailer:
Total length: ~30 ft (≈9 m)
Width: ~8.5–9 ft
Height: ~10–10.5 ft (depending onarch/windscreen)

The question: From what I can see, the two main options:

1) RoRo (Roll-on Roll-off)
Tow it to port, drop it off, drive away
No dismantling needed
Charged by volume (L x W x H)
Generally considered the cheapest method for vehicles/rolling cargo

2) 40ft High Cube Container
Internal size roughly:
Length: ~12 m
Width: ~2.35 m
Height: ~2.7 m
Beam is basically maxed out already
Likely need:
Arch/windscreen down
Possibly remove from trailer or cradle it
Extra loading/unloading costs

Important issue. The West Coast (LA especially) seems much harder for RoRo.
From what I’ve found:
Fewer RoRo sailings compared to East Coast
Some ports (LA/Long Beach) don’t really cater for private RoRo shipments like cars/boats the same way
More geared toward containers Which is pushing me toward:
Texas (Galveston / Houston)
Or possibly East Coast / Florida
My situation:
Buying in the US (location flexible)
Shipping to Turkey on a temporary import licence (no VAT/duty)
No intention of boating in the UK — weather/tides just don’t suit this kind of boat
Plan is Med use only (Turkey/Greece etc)
My thinking so far:
RoRo seems the obvious choice:
No stripping the boat
Trailer included
Less handling risk
Typically cheaper for rolling cargo
Container only makes sense if:
You heavily modify/remove parts
Or share a container (but that adds delays and coordination)
Costs I’m roughly seeing:
Container: ~$4k–$5.5k + fees
RoRo: varies a lot depending on route/availability

Questions:
Has anyone actually shipped a ~24ft cruiser like this recently?
What did you pay (ballpark)?
Is RoRo genuinely cheaper once all costs are included?
Best departure ports? (Galveston vs Florida vs anywhere else)
Is West Coast basically a dead end for RoRo?
Final note: I know people will say “just buy in Europe” — but honestly US boats seem:
Better condition
Better spec
Still cheaper even after shipping
And the Med is just a completely different world for boating compared to the UK.
Cheers 👍
 
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Also I need opinions and advice on shipping not the opinions on whether I should ship from the US. Ok in that case I task any of you to find a good condition sea ray 240 between 2007-2009 . You can’t find them at all. The only 240s like most boats in the UK are old 1998s -2000s that have been round and round. I like what I like and like what I’m use to . Thanks
 
You can probably ship this boat to Turkey and use it, or north African countries like Egypt or Morocco, but I think you'll never be able to import it into an EU country because it won't be certified (RCD?).

I can't remember all the details (someone else will) but, from previous discussions, either the cost of certifying a single boat is prohibitively expensive, or it can be actually impossible to make the boat legal.

It's a question of importing, so an identical boat of the same model may be legally registered in EU, because it was imported before the law (directive?) came into effect, but yours never can be (or will cost thousands to certify and register).
 
Sea Change said:
But I believe he can keep it in the EU on temporary admission for eighteen months, and rest that by taking it out of the EU for a day?
Click to expand...
That’s correct between Turkey and Greece which is where I plan to boat anyway you can get a temporary import licence or TIA in Greece. I don’t intend to use it out side of these areas. Anyhow Turkey and Greece have some of best waters for boating and anchoring.
 
If it will go in a 40ft high cube container, put it in one. Commonest container on the WCUSA, so easy and cheap to hire. The ports are used to handling them, and importantly a forty foot high cube container can be transshipped easily.

Look for a Ro-Ro service direct to Turkey from California and you will look all day, and transshipping ro-ro cargo is labour intensive and therefore expensive.

Your box can go, for instance:

Long Beach - Balboa
Balboa - Algeciras
Algeciras - Izmir

Be meticulous in securing the boat on (preferably) the trailer or off it but very well chocked and strapped down and in securing the trailer in the container. People have no idea of the stresses that can be imposed, or the range of temperatures.

I run container ships for a living. I don’t handle cargo but I do have some idea.
 
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As an Ex Ships Officer .....

Ro-Ro .... such a boat / trailer combo would most likely be top open deck cargo - open to all the elements

Container .... more chances of finding passage .. but needs care in securing inside container

Personally ... if so convinced that this is way to go - contact a Company that ships boats as a business ... they will literally plastic wrap the boat .. secure passage ... look after documentation ... deliver to point of import at destination. Not cheap - but then you don't have all the hassle of sorting it out.
 
KompetentKrew said:
You can probably ship this boat to Turkey and use it, or north African countries like Egypt or Morocco, but I think you'll never be able to import it into an EU country because it won't be certified (RCD?).

I can't remember all the details (someone else will) but, from previous discussions, either the cost of certifying a single boat is prohibitively expensive, or it can be actually impossible to make the boat legal.

It's a question of importing, so an identical boat of the same model may be legally registered in EU, because it was imported before the law (directive?) came into effect, but yours never can be (or will cost thousands to certify and register).
Click to expand...
And then if try to tow into the EU probably got an extra can of legal worms with a US spec trailer which is unlikely to be legally usable in the EU.
 
Can you temporarily import a boat that way? I thought the RYA guidance was for boats arriving as your mode of transport, i.e. in the water and you sailing it there.

As other have said, getting a US boat through RCD or UKCA may require new engines. Not sure on Turkey, but it did have a very strict pollution regulation when I worked there as a charter skipper - so you would at least need to fulfil that.
 
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