Gypsy
Well-Known Member
A note of warning to anyone considering shipping their yacht by sea.
In November/December last year I shipped my 44ft yacht from La Spezia Italy to Sydney Australia.I booked the service through Yacht Shipping Ltd UK the agents for Sevenstar Yacht Transport BV, Amsterdam. The prime reason I chose their service was because they offered a "water to water with mast up" service.
My yacht was one of 4 which assembled in La Spezia booked for this passage, 3 of us had been living aboard our yachts during the year(s) prior tot he shipment, the other was delivered to the marina and had the shipping agents take care of the loading.
When I met with the two other owners it became apparent that the shipping company did not have a ship available for the service - apparently they usually use one from their parent company's (Spliethoff) general cargo fleet. 10 days after the date we were required to be ready for loading they advised they had a ship for us but it would sail from Genoa 60nm away and that we had to take our masts down for the shipping as they would ship on a container vessel (not a Spliethoff vessel as it turned out).
After protestations from the 3 owners Sevenstar agreed to arrange for and bear the cost of unstepping the masts and also advised that a La SPezia loading could be made after all.We asked for confirmation that the company would pay for the re-stepping in Sydney but they remained evasive.
Happily the shipment proceeded without much further drama but upon arrival in Sydney I was informed that I would have to pay for restepping the mast myself! This is potentially a $1200-$1600 on cost which I should not have had to bear. Despite my protests the company have refused to pay even though I arranged the job for $750 because I took on the detailed work of adjustment and sorting out the running rigging.
The message here is to be careful of promises made by these companies. Look very hard at their shipping contract as it is very one-sided. I could have shipped with other companies at lower cost using a container ship and knowing beforehand that it would be mast down but felt it was worth paying extra for a mast-up shipment. More fool me!
Perhaps knowledge of this experience will help someone else avoid the same situation.
Ray
In November/December last year I shipped my 44ft yacht from La Spezia Italy to Sydney Australia.I booked the service through Yacht Shipping Ltd UK the agents for Sevenstar Yacht Transport BV, Amsterdam. The prime reason I chose their service was because they offered a "water to water with mast up" service.
My yacht was one of 4 which assembled in La Spezia booked for this passage, 3 of us had been living aboard our yachts during the year(s) prior tot he shipment, the other was delivered to the marina and had the shipping agents take care of the loading.
When I met with the two other owners it became apparent that the shipping company did not have a ship available for the service - apparently they usually use one from their parent company's (Spliethoff) general cargo fleet. 10 days after the date we were required to be ready for loading they advised they had a ship for us but it would sail from Genoa 60nm away and that we had to take our masts down for the shipping as they would ship on a container vessel (not a Spliethoff vessel as it turned out).
After protestations from the 3 owners Sevenstar agreed to arrange for and bear the cost of unstepping the masts and also advised that a La SPezia loading could be made after all.We asked for confirmation that the company would pay for the re-stepping in Sydney but they remained evasive.
Happily the shipment proceeded without much further drama but upon arrival in Sydney I was informed that I would have to pay for restepping the mast myself! This is potentially a $1200-$1600 on cost which I should not have had to bear. Despite my protests the company have refused to pay even though I arranged the job for $750 because I took on the detailed work of adjustment and sorting out the running rigging.
The message here is to be careful of promises made by these companies. Look very hard at their shipping contract as it is very one-sided. I could have shipped with other companies at lower cost using a container ship and knowing beforehand that it would be mast down but felt it was worth paying extra for a mast-up shipment. More fool me!
Perhaps knowledge of this experience will help someone else avoid the same situation.
Ray
