One of the posters asked about having the boat shipped by water. Hard to do from a U.S. port to a U.S. port. The Jones Act requires that cargoes being transported between U.S. ports be carried in U.S.- flagged bottoms. I think that there are, maybe, three U.S.-flag cargo ships left; the rest are Liberian, Panamanian and other flags of convenience.
There has always been a disparity in price between East Coast boats and Northwest boats; but right now it's just staggering. Check on Yachtworld.com for the prices on 65 to 80 foot Hatterases. Million- dollar boats at fire-sale prices. I've spoken to some brokers about various boats, and owners are willing to take almost any offer; those asking prices are pure fiction. Because of this, I've been looking in to transporting a boat around the canal. I've been most impressed with Dockwise Yacht Transport. Their ships are custom-designed for yacht transport, nothing else. They are kind of like a floating drydock: The deck well is flooded, boats are driven in, workers in scuba gear construct the support systems, then the well deck is drained and the ship sails. Trips from Florida to the West Coast start at Port Everglades, touch in the Caribbean and Panama, then LaPaz and Ensenada, Mexico, and end at Vancouver, B.C., Canada. Because of Jones Act requirements, Ensenada and Vancouver are the closest they can get to U.S. ports. Other ships will hoist a yacht to deck level and carry it as deck cargo in a cradle. All I need to tell you is that there is a subset of maritime law cases called "dropped-yacht" cases, and you can begin to imagine the things that can happen. And maritime law is full of screwball rules, including such things as the Carriage of Goods at Sea Act, which limits an ocean carrier's liability to $500 per "package," even if that package is a million-dollar yacht. And liability may be limited to the salvage value of the carrying vessel if it is damaged or sunk while carrying your cargo. Which is why, when the Titanic sank, the White Star Line's total obligation to the surviving passengers and the families of the over 1,500 dead was limited to about $92,000 (the value of its remaining lifeboats). Having said all that, I think that hauling a 36 SS from California to Texas will be less expensive by road than by sea. But get estimates. And insure, insure, insure. I would urge you most strongly to engage the services of a freight broker to book any ocean carriage of your boat. Make sure you tell them in writing that you are relying on their expertise to obtain all necessary insurance against any damage to your vessel of any kind and nature, and that this reliance supercedes any disclaimer to the contrary in any contract you sign with them. --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "UnifliteWorld" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/UnifliteWorld?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
