Shipping to EU

[rujan65]

I want to ship 24' Wellcraft Airslot Walkaround from CA to Europe.
It is turning out to be very expensive since the boat is 8 ft wide and containers are only 7' 6".
I was thinking of placing the boat on its side to fit it in to the container.
Can anyone tell me if that would be OK (can the boat take it structurally)?
Any other suggestions?

Many thanks.

[CDK]

The difference is very small, so an angle of 15-20 degrees will be enough.
Make a wooden support with the proper angle and strap the boat to it.

[apex1]

Tie it down to a level wooden support, as CDK said, then turn the whole support and build a stable reinforcement to it.

[rujan65]

Thank you for your suggestions.

[Frosty]

Its going to cost more than the boats worth. Sell it and buy one in Europe.

You know about VAT I presume?

15 20 degrees would be them measuring from rubbing stake to the first chine,--probably more than 8 feet. You would have to angle it more like 45, then you have hight probs.

Have you enquired of deck cargo? They lift it on deck on a prefab frame when all the containers are on. Still expensive. Weather permitting it should still be there when the ship arrives. But it will be insured --wont it? more expense.

Ask about a "flat bed" same size as a box but open on all sides, it is then sheeted with strong covers.

Go back to suggestion number one.

[marshmat]

rujan- are you really, really in love with this boat, to the point where you just HAVE to have this exact one halfway around the world?

The VAT alone, if you're going to keep it there, could be a killer. Standing it on edge in a container might work, but could wreak havoc with engines, batteries, etc. unless they're taken out or very carefully prepared. Shipping it level, ie. on a flat bed or as deck cargo, could get pricey. You could easily end up spending more than it would cost to sell this boat and buy something similar on the other side of the pond.

[Frosty]

rujan- are you really, really in love with this boat, to the point where you just HAVE to have this exact one halfway around the world?

The VAT alone, if you're going to keep it there, could be a killer. Standing it on edge in a container might work, but could wreak havoc with engines, batteries, etc. unless they're taken out or very carefully prepared. Shipping it level, ie. on a flat bed or as deck cargo, could get pricey. You could easily end up spending more than it would cost to sell this boat and buy something similar on the other side of the pond.

Good post, I wish I had said that!!!

[CDK]

I don't want to put evil ideas in you head and it also might not work in the UK, but every summer a find myself surrounded by watercraft bearing a DL registration. That stands for Delaware, Texas. It seems they have registration facilities on the internet, so you need not go there even once.

I got my local registration without paying any taxes although I was fully prepared for it. At the time the customs office made lots of carbon copies on an old typewriter that easily shifted when inserted in the machine. It so happened that the cross before "duties to be paid" landed at "duties paid" on all forms except the original that was archived....