Delivery options & recommendations: Miami to San Diego

[socalrider]

Update: the PC looks to be in significantly worse condition than represented. Think this one is going to be a hard pass unfortunately.

 

[SteveK]

The decision is made.
Now I can ask why, if the boat of interest to you is on the east coast, have you considered, buying and leaving it there, using it there for a year or two and then decide if you want to bring it out west. Your statement shipping is the price of the current boat, so keep it for this trial period for west coast use. That $65K shipping would go a long way to supporting two boats.

 

[socalrider]

The decision is made.
Now I can ask why, if the boat of interest to you is on the east coast, have you considered, buying and leaving it there, using it there for a year or two and then decide if you want to bring it out west. Your statement shipping is the price of the current boat, so keep it for this trial period for west coast use. That $65K shipping would go a long way to supporting two boats.

Our cruising windows are in the summer, which takes a good bit of the Caribbean out of play as I understand it. That said, I would consider such a strategy if the boat were close to turnkey (functionally - we're fine with aesthetic issues). But this boat would need months of yard time 3000 miles from home - just not workable for me with 3 kids in school.

Even a "turnkey" boat will have issues though... I just don't think I want to own a boat that far from home, especially through the first year of ownership, where you learn about all the things the survey missed.

 

[Stonechamps]

Shipping vs own bottom FL to US WC

I shipped our 55ft motorsailor 3 years ago from W Palm to Vancouver via SevenStar. At $60k it was a lot to swallow but it I still ended up with boat I wanted in place I wanted at net cost that worked for me. SevenStar owns operates its own boats and provides pretty reliable schedules (although I see they cancelled on someone in this thread). I decided to go with them even though I might have saved 15-20k from other companies. The other guys that I got quotes from at the time basically hire deck space on boats that are doing other shipments so they are at the mercy of the schedules and delays of those one off charters. Because they are basically subletting I suspect that your are going to also be at the mercy of the crew of the vessel they hire whereas SevenStars guys are seasoned pros at getting your boat on board, securing it and getting it to destination in decent shape. With a Cat the stowage on board may be easier and less exposed but its still a consideration. Some of these deck space 'brokers' for lack of better term may cancel at the last minute if they don't fill the deck and cover their costs. So it may be that you can save a lot of if you are willing to wait and fill an empty slot at the last minute. In worst case tho you would miss sailing at all and be stuck in FL for hurricane season. Fine if you are in no hurry. At the end of the day I think you have to look at it as the total cost of the boat you want where you want....if you factor in your shipping costs and there is still nothing in SoCal that fills your needs then the net cost is what it is.



Having done US WC to US EC with 3 kids over 2 years I had no need to retrace my steps. But On that trip we spent a delightful hurricane season in Panama's San Blas Islands. So happy there we didn't do Boca del Toros at all to my great regret. Back then - 2000 - the facilities were rudimentary but I suspect they have improved and there would be places to 'park'. unless you really are going to cruise and enjoy the process of getting here (AKA fixing your boat in exotic places) I think the risks of long passages, wear and tear and mishap simply arent justified with a new to you boat....

 

[JOHN CLAYMAN]

Shipping Cat

In the course of a long career, I have arranged for shipments of well over a hundred yachts. Our advice to clients who want to get their boats from the East to West Coast or reverse is that unless they have a burning desire to make the trip, they are better off shipping their boat as deck cargo. We only use the Dutch firm Sevenstar as they own about 600 vessels whereas most of the other players just went deck space. Sevenstar is just more reliable. Also with the water levels so low at the canal, a delivery crew could be delayed for weeks while waiting for slot.