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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

Catalina 250 Specific Forum

Shipping a C250 from Florida to Australia

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OzzieRick
Deckhand

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Australia
2 Posts

Initially Posted - 11/15/2006 : 01:03:36

G'day from Downunder. I think I have almost bought a 2005 WK Diesel C250, currently lying at St. Petersberg, FL and I need to get it home to Brisbane, Australia. A broker wants to charge me about the same amount again that I'll pay for the boat, so I'm considering organising the export/import myself. So am I crazy? Has anybody got any experience in exporting yachts and can warn me of some obvious pitfalls to look out for? And how about packing it up for the long on-deck ship voyage? I plan to dismantle as much as I can (I'll be over in early December - a nice time of year in Florida I understand) and then shrink-wrap it all to seal it up from the elements. So I'm looking for a cheap trailer to put it on, puerly as a shipping cradle, as it will be kept on the water back home (12 months sailing season where I live)
Or perhaps I should just sail it home......?

Edited by - on

aeckhart
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1709 Posts

Response Posted - 11/15/2006 : 10:00:34

Rick,

Having shipped a car to Europe while in the Army, and knowing you'll have stuff stolen and many dings and scratches in shipment, I would skip the shrink wrap and consider shipping your boat in it's own shipping container. I'm no expert but I recently saw a 30+ foot yacht with a beam narrow enough for it to be shipped in a container, so I know there are containers available that will fit your boat and trailer. This way it's secured from sticky fingers and damage. The only drawback is if the container fallls overboard, which I understand sometimes happens, though rarely. Good luck, and stick with us when you get back down under.

Edited by - on

welshoff
Captain

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USA
253 Posts

Response Posted - 11/15/2006 : 10:16:08

I would go along with Al on this one. Look into a company that handles shipping containers. The boat should fit nicely inside a container with mast and all the gear safely inside.

You will probably need a cradle to keep the boat up right during shipping. Then lots of foam to wedge the boat into the container. I would insure against loss as containers do get lost at sea.

A side note: I worked on a project in Seattle, WA at a major shipping terminal. The containers always come to the US full and go back across the ocean empty (says a lot for the US and its consumerism) - these ships were shipping on/across the Pacific Ocean. I would think shippers would be looking for cargo on the return trip. I am not sure which way your boat would go from Florida - around Africa or through the Panama Canel?

Good luck - let us know what you end up doing. Someday I would like to ship my boat to Australia and sail downunder. I think our boats could be shipped to a lot of countries and enjoy a diversity of sailing options.

Edited by - welshoff on 11/15/2006 10:30:19

Nautiduck
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3704 Posts

Response Posted - 11/15/2006 : 14:30:19

Rick, sail it back.

Edited by - on

Frank Hopper
Past Commodore

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Pitcairn Island
6776 Posts

Response Posted - 11/15/2006 : 14:40:04

Find a boat in Au that is coming to Florida and ask about an available empty container for the ride back, maybe by guaranteeing them a return cargo it will be cheaper. Maybe you should talk to a company that is shipping a container to the US rather than a boat company.

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frog0911
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1349 Posts

Response Posted - 11/15/2006 : 15:43:01

I retired from the steamship industry and can offer some advice on shipping in a container. First of all our boats might not fit in a standard 40 foot container since they are 8X40 feet exterior measurements. So you would have to get a oversized unit called a 102 wide or 8.5 feet. This requirement puts the container on deck and then because of its weight will put it on the top of the deck containers, which in most cases is 5 high. The containers are secured with one inch steel rods and tighten with a four foot long turnbuckle. So they are very secure unless you run into a hurricane or a 60 foot wall of water. Our company lost 27 units in a hurricane which snap the rods. Most of them were 40 ton refrigerated units so a lot of inertia created with rolling and pitching.
The advice of using a container is IMHO the best way to go for security and the additional advice of looking for a steamship company looking for a full backhaul container from Australia would be my staring point. So I would start looking in Australia for a company that moves boats regularly to the US. Tampa has a hugh port and sailing arena so you might not have to move the boat far if you can get one going there.
Good luck and stay intouch through the forum. Oh light bulb, you might contact Catalina about this since the C250 is now produced in Largo, just North of Tampa, and see if they can assist you since I am sure they move boats around the world from there.

Edited by - on

Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 11/15/2006 : 16:28:18

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by frog0911
 ...So you would have to get a oversized unit called a 102 wide or 8.5 feet...<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
External width? Since the C-250 beam is 8'6", won't that unit be a little snug?

Edited by - on

dlucier
Master Marine Consultant

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Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
7583 Posts

Response Posted - 11/15/2006 : 19:52:56

Is it cheaper to buy a boat in the States then ship it to Australia than it is to just buy it from an Australian Catalina dealer?...From your post, I'm guessing it is.

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OzzieRick
Deckhand

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Australia
2 Posts

Response Posted - 11/15/2006 : 20:26:47

Thanks for the input so far people. I have been trying to source an oversize container, plus I have been advised, with the keel off, she'll fit on an angle into a standard 40' X 8' - not sure if I like the idea of chocking her at an angle, but I did intend to take the keel off anyway, as we tend to use a different bonding product over here (or so I'm told - I know someone will ask what it is and I'll let you know when I can remember!) so my local rigger (my sister's partner, so I'm 'obliged' to listen to him) wants me to take the keel off anyway. As to the location of the Catalina factory - great idea - I didn't know they were so close so I'll chase that one up as soon as the time zones allow. As for the reason I'm buying over your way and not here, let me just say that there is a HUGE mark up on new and used boats in Australia - we probably end up paying double what you guys have to pay, so consider yourself lucky over there (it doesn't seem to work the other way though - last time I was over in the US, Australian beer was cheaper than what I pay here, so go figure!)

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stampeder
Master Marine Consultant

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1608 Posts

Response Posted - 11/16/2006 : 22:34:58

I spent a year in Australia (1988) and would love to hear any sailing tales you have with your C250.
Spent about a month in Brisbane at Expo 88. We powerboated around Cairns a little, and dove the GBR.
I'm suprised you would be putting so much effort into getting a monohull in a country that seemed to me, to prefer multi-hulls.
What are the preferred sailboats in the 25ft (8 meter) category in your area? I recall seeing h-boats, Benneteaus, Jeanneau and J-boats in this size category.
Also, I was on the Reeftel about a year before it sank. We anchored straight out from Cairns, on the far side of the Reef scuba diving. A sudden squall came up while we were on the bottom, and the boat slipped its anchor. When we surfaced the Reeftel was gone and we (there were about ten of us) waited for about an hour for her to come back and get us. When we were picked up the swells were about 20 feet with breaking waves. It was the one and only time I ever got sea-sick.

Edited by - on

dwadle
1st Mate

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29 Posts

Response Posted - 11/19/2006 : 21:11:14

why don't you buy my 2005 250K instead? Did you look in the Boattrader or Sailboat trader? Mine is advertised at $27,500 or best offer. You can call me: 305-989-0063 (david wadle)

davidwadle@hotmail.com

Edited by - on

Dkn420
Captain

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USA
298 Posts

Response Posted - 11/19/2006 : 22:27:48

I have a 2004 250WK with diesel in California that I would be willing to sell...I don't know if that is a closer transit than Florida or not, but it sure seems so...Dkn420@sbcglobal.net

Edited by - on

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