Many of our clients call us looking for boats without any idea of what international shipping cost are. Boat buyers need to understand that there is a drastic difference in shipping cost depending on the dimensions of a boat. There are three ways to ship a boat by ship, depending on the size of the boat.
First is the least expensive and this method is by placing a boat in a container. Although the container is less than 8 feet wide, it is possible to turn the boat sideways in the container to fit it. There are a few companies Export Yacht Sales uses , which have the facilities to do this usually without damage. The downside is that a majority of boats will need major components removed such as any sort of hard top, windshield, and engine. Also, there is more risk of damaging the boat during the load and unload process. The largest boat I have seen fit in a container is under 24’ long for a walk-around, and lightweight center consoles which can get up to 27’. The upside is price and that you can fit up to three smaller boats in one container, as well as load anything else you want in there with the boat. Prices to send a container with the loading fee and a boat to Europe is about $5,000usd, and about $6,500usd to send one through the canal to Australia and New Zealand.
The second method is using a ship called a Ro-Ro (Roll On- Roll Off) ship. With this method you can fit almost any boat on a trailer with the limiting factor being that the boat, on a trailer, must be under 14’. This is the height of the cargo door. To ship a boat on a Ro-Ro, prices usually cost about $500 per foot to Australia and the South Pacific. Prices drop to about $400 per foot to ship to the Middle East. Europe is the least expensive with prices running around $300 per foot.
The last alternative is if a boat is too large to fit on a trailer, or is over 14’ on a trailer. If this is the situation, the boat will need to be hauled out of the water with a large onboard crane. Divers will place straps under the boat. The boat will be hoisted out, then metal caulks will be welded to the deck to support the hull. This process is approximately double the Ro- Ro ship, it runs about $1,000usd per foot to Europe and about 10% more to Australia.
Please pay attention to this guideline, it can save you a large headache if you purchase a boat before you know the shipping cost. A boat that has a hard to remove tuna tower could cost you three times the amount to ship if it has to be hauled on deck. For more accurate quotes, please email us.