What you need to know about shipping a yacht

When my companion Nick and I had our dream boat inbuilt Asia, we knew that in the future we’d face the dilemma of someway transporting her to Europe. Cruising the Mediterranean had been a long-held dream of ours and someway – regardless of initially basing ourselves out of the UK and being full-time liveaboard cruisers for nearly 10 years – we had by no means realised this aim. Earlier this 12 months we turned our consideration to the logistics concerned in making it occur.

We took supply of our 45ft Seawind catamaran in Thailand in August 2023, and what adopted was virtually a 12 months of intensive shakedowns, studying the best way to sail a catamaran after years on a monohull and, as hull No2 of a model new design, figuring out teething points or design parts that could possibly be improved.

As soon as our shakedown cruise was full, any guarantee work carried out and our confidence improved, we contemplated our subsequent steps. We had, so far as we might inform, three glorious choices: 1, stay in Asia; 2, sail to Europe or; 3, ship to Europe.

Remaining in Asia and persevering with to discover one of the crucial underrated cruising grounds on this planet was an choice we critically thought-about. We’d already spent a lot time in Thailand and knew that crusing round distant tropical archipelagos in Indonesia or exploring the crystalline waters of the Philippines could be an exquisite choice.

Nevertheless, we had our hearts set on bringing our boat to Greece. Earlier than we turned full-time liveaboards, we used to vacation in Greece yearly and watching the various yachts coming and going really did preserve us motivated and targeted on our aim of shifting onto our personal boat.

After virtually a decade crusing far-flung places we additionally needed to be near household within the UK. We simply felt in our hearts that the Mediterranean was the place we needed to be in spite of everything this time away. So, determination made, we turned our consideration on the best way to get our boat there.

Crusing versus Delivery

Initially we’d deliberate to sail. In any case, Ruby Rose 2 is a big, comfy catamaran with glorious bluewater capabilities and we have been eager to expertise ocean crusing on her. We’ve crossed the Atlantic twice and the prospect of crossing the Indian Ocean was an thrilling one, which we felt totally ready for. If we departed Thailand in January, we’d arrive into the Mediterranean round April, which is ideal timing to benefit from the crusing season in Europe.

With stopovers within the Maldives and the Center East, the passages weren’t too prolonged, making the journey much more interesting. And though the 1,000-mile northbound passage alongside the Purple Sea could be predominantly upwind, we have been assured that with good timing, endurance, and preparation, it could show doable. We hoped to be a part of a contingent of boats making the identical journey and crusing in firm.

Sadly the outbreak of battle within the Center East implies that crusing the Purple Sea has been discounted as an choice. Getting insurance coverage – at all times tough – is now unattainable, and even except for that, the potential to be caught in a area of escalating battle is a threat we have now little interest in taking.

Nick Fabbri checks how sails fared in stowage

Choice time

So we examined our two remaining choices: crusing across the Cape of Good Hope or transport our boat? Crusing to Europe through the Cape of Good Hope would have taken not less than 18 months because of the want to finish sure passages at very particular occasions of the 12 months (it could possibly be efficiently argued that much less time is required in case you’re doing it true ‘supply journey’ type, however we’re cruisers; we prefer to see not less than a little bit of the cruising grounds we’re passing and we attempt to not set a breakneck tempo if we may help it).

If we’d set off from Thailand as deliberate in January, we might have remained within the Indian Ocean till December of that 12 months on the earliest, to be able to sail the southern coast of Africa and the Cape of Good Hope within the southern hemisphere summer time, the optimum time of 12 months.

Shifting west, after our Atlantic crossing and making our approach to the Caribbean, we’d have been held up by hurricane season between June and November, after which our subsequent deadline could be Could or June for the east-bound Atlantic crossing to Europe. That’s three ocean crossings and about 20,000 miles – an thrilling journey that we critically contemplated.

Ruby Rose 2’s foresail goes again up

The opposite choice, much less adventurous however way more expedient, was to ship our boat to Europe.

We reached out to the principle transport corporations and after contemplating all our choices, we determined to go forward with transport our catamaran with Sevenstar.

Costing it out

We determined that transport had a number of main benefits over crusing, not simply by way of expediency. For one, we have been capable of keep away from the numerous put on and tear that may happen if we selected the crusing choice. Moreover, we might not want to suit out Ruby Rose 2 for ocean crossings with all of the spares, redundancy and extra tools required for that particular goal, and there could be (we hoped) no have to cope with breakages.

Delivery a ship is undeniably costly, however what typically will get misplaced within the comparability of transport versus crusing is that crusing a ship has price implications too, typically fairly important ones, notably when considering the prolonged journey I outlined above. For instance, we have now carbon laminate sails, which give us higher efficiency than Dacron however are considerably much less sturdy.

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We’ve seen put on and tear even with the comparatively mild crusing we’ve performed on Ruby Rose 2 to date; there’s little question in my thoughts that crusing 20,000 miles and finishing three ocean crossings would put on out our primary and jib to the purpose the place we’d want replacements not lengthy after. The price of that alone is a big chunk of what our transport prices have been.

Different prices contain breakages, elevated insurance coverage premiums for ocean crossings or crusing into totally different areas, and, as talked about, setting the boat up for the journey with further tools. As soon as all of that’s taken under consideration, we realised that the prices of transport versus crusing could also be nearer than we’d initially assumed.

So, what are the prices? I do know that’s what you’re desperately desirous to know. Whereas I can’t disclose our quote, fellow cruisers have kindly handed on info on quotes they acquired (for use anonymously). These quotes are all for catamarans roughly 45ft in size, departing Asian waters this 12 months, from quite a lot of transport corporations. They vary from $100,000 to Sydney; $85,000 to North America (west coast); and $93,000 to Europe, which features a 20% improve for routing across the Cape of Good Hope – an element of the Suez scenario. [Note: we contacted Sevenstar for up to date figures but they declined to give specifics].

Yachts are loaded whereas the ship is at anchor

Getting ready for transport

We had six weeks to cowl the 1,300 miles to Phuket from Pattaya (solely 300 miles aside because the crow flies however it’s important to go through the Singapore Strait), and we arrived into Phuket with two weeks to arrange the boat for transport.

The preparation was akin to on the brink of journey out a storm, mixed with leaving the boat for a few months. Our primary goal was to make sure the whole lot was stowed away and secured, plus the boat needed to be fully shut down. Some duties could possibly be performed properly upfront; others might solely be performed because the boat was tied as much as the ship.

Some examples embody eradicating the headsails (it was suggested to take away the principle sail additionally, however we didn’t do that); make sure the dinghy was safe with drain plug eliminated; stow all free objects inside, and take away all free objects from the surface equivalent to cushions and ground matting.

We have been suggested to connect a feeder line to all halyards, run it up the mast, then put the ends of the halyard in a sailbag, thus guaranteeing that no a part of the halyard is uncovered to the weather. We didn’t do that, however I’d advise it; completely the whole lot uncovered will get caked in seawater and grime, and this step will prevent from cleansing your halyards together with the whole lot else.

Divers guarantee the right placement of lifting straps

One other good precaution towards injury from saltwater and grime is to make use of Vaseline or wax on exterior stainless-steel, cowl and shrink wrap furling foils and winches, and there are additionally coatings for painted surfaces to guard them from seawater spray.

The opposite facet of our preparation concerned readying the boat to be left unattended for about six weeks and included all the same old objects equivalent to pickling the watermaker, emptying tanks as a lot as doable (though we by chance left the rain catchment valve open, and when our boat arrived in Türkiye our water tanks have been stuffed with recent Indian Ocean rainwater!), and sanitise the heads and recent water system.

Loading onto the ship

Within the weeks main as much as departure, our agent emailed us usually with updates on the ship’s actions. We had a few two-week delay from our unique estimated date as a consequence of climate, however as soon as the ship had arrived in Phuket we got a schedule with our estimated load date and time. This was topic to final minute adjustments as a consequence of unexpected delays within the schedule and we have been instructed to not e book flights till our boat was loaded onto the ship.

On the morning of our loading we left the marina and motored the 4 miles to the place the cargo ship was anchored, able to method when the time was proper. Our agent, Chris, was in a RIB, and when the cargo ship was prepared for us, he relayed that info to us through VHF. The tie up place was indicated by massive orange fenders, and on method the ship’s crew threw us down a bow and stern line.

Boat transport corporations will fill their vessels to unfold the price of transport

As soon as the boat was safe, the ship’s crew took over with the dealing with of our boat. They jumped down onto our deck and ensured they have been pleased with the strains and fenders. Two divers went over the aspect to place the lifting straps. As this work was being performed we shut the boat down, turning the whole lot off together with our batteries. We did a final sweep ensuring the whole lot was correctly stowed and all of the hatches and doorways have been shut and locked, then grabbed our bag, locked the boat up, handed a spare key to the foreman and climbed into Chris’s ready RIB.

Watching Ruby Rose 2 get craned onto the cargo ship was fairly an expertise. She was slowly raised after which guided into place utilizing lengthy strains earlier than being lowered onto the deck and secured in cradles.

Unloading in Marmaris

5 weeks later in Marmaris, Türkiye, we watched from the deck of the cargo ship as Ruby Rose 2 was lowered again into the water, then climbed down a ladder to board our catamaran. We motored into Marmaris Bay and anchored, able to get on with the mammoth job of cleansing each uncovered inch as she was completely caked in salt and grime. This took few days, and included washing all of the clutches, strains, winches, blocks and shackles. We rigged the jib and screecher and gave the jib furler scrub.

We have been totally conscious that the method of transport could cause injury to boats, notably when craning vessels on and off the ship. Nevertheless, we’d by no means heard of rust injury earlier than, however that’s what we skilled. What we initially took for caked-on Saharan grime turned out to be a big quantity of rust stains which wanted to be chemically eliminated.

Terysa Vanderloo and her companion, Nick Fabbri, reside aboard their Seawind 1370 Ruby Rose 2 and doc their adventures on YouTube and at sailingrubyrose.com

The rust was on virtually each uncovered floor, specifically the underside of the hull and the again of the boat, together with the transom, dinghy and davits, and the targa arch. We contacted Sevenstar and have been reassured once they despatched out a surveyor instantly to evaluate the extent of the injury.

We are actually within the means of resolving the rust injury with the transport firm; a preliminary clear has taken place and when Ruby Rose 2 is hauled out for winter that work will proceed.

The decision

We spent a lot of the time between signing our transport contract and taking supply in Marmaris second guessing our determination. The upfront price was important, and a further 20% was belatedly added for taking the longer route across the Cape of Good Hope. Was it actually value it?

Nevertheless, as quickly as we left Marmaris and sailed for the very first time alongside the gorgeous Turkish shoreline, the waters beneath our hull a transparent cobalt blue, we knew we’d made the proper determination. The Greek island of Rhodes – the situation of so many summer time holidays – was seen within the distance and the prospect of crusing into Mandraki harbour the place we’d spent years dreaming about dwelling on a ship was extremely thrilling. We haven’t as soon as regretted our determination and are loving cruising within the Mediterranean.

Should you loved this….

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