transporting a sailboat via container ship

faithab · #1 01-09-2006

We have heard of sailboats being transported by a big container ship and would like to look into this from R.I. to FL. Anyone know who does this? Anyone done it? What''s the cost? I hear you do not have to derig. So that is a savings. Thank you, Faith

paulk · #2 01-10-2006

What you may have heard about is a special floating drydock ship. It has a gate in the transom that the boat all enter through. Then the gate closes and they pump out the water while divers fit poppits or cradles under the boats to hold them upright. When it''s not needed for moving damaaged ships around, sometimes they schedule a transatlantic run (I think it''s owned by a Dutch outfit. ) so that 20 or 30 boats can sail at Cowes or the Nioulargue without having to do the ''pond themselves. Not likely to be doing the East Coast, and especially unlikely to be headed into the Gulf, but you could try a Google search to see what you can find out. It will NOT be cheap. A delivery crew would be the only other way to move the boat w/o unstepping the mast. Other than that, trucking would be the way to go.

Irwin32 · #3 01-11-2006

Sail Magazine did an article on this during the last year or so. Check the library.

gstraub · #4 01-12-2006

Here is a link to one such ship:

http://www.yacht-transport.com/index.php?sid=1#

Gerhard

faithab · #5 01-12-2006

Thank you, I discovered that the above yacht service only goes from the US abroad but from US port to US port. They said they were the only float in and float out system and that there were some lift in/ lift off systems but that they could not give me the names of those. Faith

WHOOSH · #6 01-14-2006

Faith, there are several shipping companies which offer well-dock service; Dockwise is the largest and transports boats all over the world using a relatively large fleet of well-dock ships. http://www.dockwise.com/

This can be costly tho'' costs can be less if you catch the ship on its ''deadhead'' run e.g. when the ship is leaving a U.S. port for the Med in the Fall, when there''s more demand for vessels to be heading for the Caribbean *from* the Med than vice versa.

Aside from well-dock service, there are many companies which are willing to sling you aboard as deck cargo. This requires a cradle for your vessel to sit in, and the safety of your boat is dependent on the weather conditions experienced by the ship, soundness of the tie-down, degree of theft present on the boat, etc. It''s all these variables - and the effort it takes to track down a ship willing to provide this service - that makes the well-dock companies so inviting.

Jack

sailingfool · #7 01-14-2006

FaithAb,

Have you considered the standard overland? For FL-RI there''s no need for a ship. If you can schedule in advance you should be able to pick up the flip side of a truck bringing some race toy back from FL. I''ve used http://www.brownellsystems.com/ in MA twice and they sure have boat shipping down to a science.

razorseal · #8 01-18-2006

wow I didnt know about this... I could take my boat from FL to turkey for summer! I sent them a quote to see how much, but i''m SURE it would be so much I could only dream about it lol

thorJ30 · #9 02-07-2006

i send my old boat from germnay to the us on its trailer ( 24 footer ) on top of the containers on a regular container ship... cost was 4500 bucks including insurance for 20 grand ... worked pretty well

thor

Allan C&C Less · #10 02-27-2006

You are asking about shipping a boat via ship from RI to Florida??????
Come on why would you encure that big cost??? Why the heck don't u sail it there. Or hire a capt/crew. Are sail boats meant to be sailed not shipped or hauled via truck. Hey just my 2 cents worth!
Good luck, Allan