International Shipping From Fl

I am in the process of buying a sailboat (if I state yacht later, then I do mean cruising sailboat), which I plan to take down to South America. I have a number of options on how I can do this, but would like the boat to be in the vicinity during Dec '08, Jan / Feb '09.

It will be my first boat and I am trying to keep things as cost effective as possible.

Now I have investigated some prices from shipping companies which is proving to be more expensive than I thought but figures are based on provisional dimensions and weight as I have not actually bought anything, yet although I have found some great boat on the Internet.

My queries with regard to this are:

• Will prices be there or thereabout with provisional information, or am I going to be nicely shocked to find out that the companies have overpriced to cover themselves? Or quite the opposite that it is competitively priced and then they tell me about some hidden costs? It is my first time for shipping something internationally.
  
• Also I have searched the Internet for shipping companies, and maybe not have found some good, reliable, with a good track record (I believe that I have found a mixture) but is there and easy to use phone book / website on the Internet to help me find shipping companies who will sail from Florida?
  
  
  

Any help welcome, as if I do find a means of economic transportation soon, I am on my way to Florida to start shopping.

Thanks

rascalarg

p.s. there are alternatives, so look out for another post..

p.p.s. honesty welcome… I am just covering all my options before making any final decision.

[MMNETSEA]

Originally Posted by rascalarg

I am in the process of buying a cruising sailboat, which I plan to take down to South America. I have a number of options on how I can do this, but would like the boat to be in the vicinity during Dec '08, Jan / Feb '09.

Hi Rascal,

Can give you some pointers - however, we need to know :-

#1 which port in South America ?

#2 what size boat ?

#3 will it require a cradle to be built for the boat?

#4 will it fit in a Container ? 40' or 20 ' ??

#5 will it go as deck cargo ? will it be covered?

#6 Insurance?

#7 Duty on arrival?

What about the Mast/s ?

etc...............

Have you considered buying a boat in the Caribbean and having it professionally delivered by sailing it to a destination?

Originally Posted by MMNETSEA

Hi Rascal,

Can give you some pointers - however, we need to know :-

#1 which port in South America ?

#2 what size boat ?

#3 will it require a cradle to be built for the boat?

#4 will it fit in a Container ? 40' or 20 ' ??

#5 will it go as deck cargo ? will it be covered?

#6 Insurance?

#7 Duty on arrival?

What about the Mast/s ?

etc...............

Have you considered buying a boat in the Caribbean and having it professionally delivered by sailing it to a destination?

Hi MMNETSEA,

Thank you for your quick response...

This is the information that I have been sending for an estimate:

dimensions in feet: (LxWxH) 40' x 13' x 13'

weight: 20,000lbs

from Florida ( Miami , Jacksonville , Port Everglades etc..) to Montevideo , Uruguay

(or as an alternative Rio de Janeiro , Brazil )

the object is a sailboat that should not exceed this data (the mast will be remove and will not exceed the length of the boat) and will be ON a trailer that can be with or without its wheels, while shipping.

Now I am not sure if this will fit into a container, making it a more economic option... I have generally been provided with a RO-RO price, and as I have not requested that it be covered I am not sure if this is included as it has not been clarified.

I will require shipping insurance, and I am with regard to Duty, I am still asking this end what it might be as it is a drop-off not an import. Trying to find written information here is not an easy task, so if there are fixed costs then information on this would be appreciated.

With regard to buying in the Caribbean, I have looked around the Internet and there is less options and the purchase prices seem to be higher, generally...

This was my next post regarding buying in the US and contracting a delivery captain / instructor, as I would love to benefit from this experience... but shipping was my first option...

If you require any more information please let me know

many thanks

rascalarg

[JeanneP]

We shipped our 34' power catamaran from Florida (Ft. Lauderdale) to Rauma, Finland in 2007 as deck cargo. It was not cheap, and the delays were unexpected by us, but apparently the norm. The shipping company was Sevenstar. I don't know if they have a shipping route to S. America. The shipper blocked and secured the boats it transported, none were on a trailer, none had their masts stepped. Insurance for the transport was provided by the shipping company, through Pantanaeus.

To my knowledge, the only sailboat that will fit into a ship container is a boat that Bob Perry recently designed for that specific purpose.

I just did a Google search and found this company: http://www.rjjgroup.co.uk/boat_yacht_delivery.html

Why do you say that the delivery would be a drop-off, not an import?

Not many 40' boats would have a mast only 40' high.

I think that you might have difficulties finding a yacht transport company that could bring the boat to Uruguay. Sailing on its own bottom to Uruguay would also be tough from the US. The boat would have to sail halfway to Europe before being able to tack down and clear Brazil. Much easier from South Africa.

[MMNETSEA]

Rascal,

On the information which has been provided to shipping companies ie. dimensions in feet: (LxWxH) 40' x 13' x 13'

weight: 20,000lbs -- Unfortunately a boat of this size can ONLY go on a cradle as deck cargo - on container ships there is usually flat deck on which the cradle is anchored. The mast on a 40ft boat is likely to be much longer than 40ft. There is not much point on having the boat on a trailer if it is to be launched by the ship's own crane directly into the sea.



There are boats for sale in the Caribbean - also in Brazil and here is one in URUGUAY

Boat in Uraguay

Best advice is to further your search in Uruguay, Argentina and Brazil - Even if you find a boat in the Caribbean it will still be some 4,000 odd nautical miles to Uruguay - that will COST.

Richard

Once again both, thank you very much...

The feedback is once again very helpful, and has given me more food for thought.

The reason that I included the information about it being a drop-off and not an import to the shipping companies, to clarify that I did not have permenant residence here, as some countries in South America will not allow the importation of vehicles with motors, and that would include a boat, except if you are a diplomat and these regulations can change like the wind.

Recently, I heard that many expats had been waiting for sometime for there containers to be released from the ports, because the Gov. had discovered that the someone in Customs and Excise had been permitting the import of cars, very expensive cars, without the payment of import tax which is incredibly high (electronic goods, is 50% of the value). There would have been a exchange of funds some where but not to the government's pocket.

Now importing or getting things delivered is very complicated and nobody is sure what the regulations are. It is truly a different mindset, not only in importation and exportation...

Thanks again and will keep in touch with questions or helpful information about buying in a boat in South America, or maybe Jeanne it maybe up conimg from South Africa, , you never know..

Onward with my hunt!