Shipping a free non-sailing boat from USA

freetao

Hi everyone,
I'm looking into converting a disused non-sailing boat into guest accommodation on my small-holding. After some research I found some great classic wooden boat on offer for FREE on an American website. It is just ideal for my project! But I'm concerned about shipping and importing cost. Suppose the boat would fit into a standard container, any idea what sort of figure am I looking at? And if the item has no market value, neither going to be sailing or re-sold, will I still have to pay customs duty on it?
Thanks for reading.

fergal.b

I think you would be a lot better off buying buying an old boat here, waterways Ireland sell off boats each year that they have lifted from canals and rivers also check out some of the marinas they often have old boats for sale. The old wooden boats are a lot smaller on the inside so to get one that fits inside a container it would make for very small accommodation also a lot of containers are shipped by weight and an old wooden boat will be in the tons, I think a standard container is 8 foot by 20 by 8 and by the way boats are shaped you will find it hard to get and good sized boat into one you will also have the cost of loading and unloading and crane and truck hire for transport.
I'm restoring an old fibreglass cruiser thats 30 foot by 11 foot with over 6 foot headroom http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057583016 and I find it's still a bit tight for space and I have made it open plan.



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freetao

Hi Fergal,
Thanks for replying. I had a look at your restoration project and it looks so interesting. Are you renting it out as a holiday boat? The insurance for that must be rather hefty.
I've now abandoned the idea of shipping anything from America - too far and expensive for transport! Instead I'm looking into the possibility of getting traditional wooden boats from Norfolk in U.K. There are loads of old Broads wooden cruisers going cheap as projects. The main cost would be transport - about £1.50/mile using one of the marina's boat truck with crane, and that doesn't include ferry crossing cost.
I'm just hoping there won't be restrictions on bringing boat into Ireland from U.K. and not sure about custom duties.
Anyone out there that has brought boat over from U.K.? Any info would be greatly appreciated.

fergal.b

freetao wrote: »

Hi Fergal,
Thanks for replying. I had a look at your restoration project and it looks so interesting. Are you renting it out as a holiday boat? The insurance for that must be rather hefty.
I've now abandoned the idea of shipping anything from America - too far and expensive for transport! Instead I'm looking into the possibility of getting traditional wooden boats from Norfolk in U.K. There are loads of old Broads wooden cruisers going cheap as projects. The main cost would be transport - about £1.50/mile using one of the marina's boat truck with crane, and that doesn't include ferry crossing cost.
I'm just hoping there won't be restrictions on bringing boat into Ireland from U.K. and not sure about custom duties.
Anyone out there that has brought boat over from U.K.? Any info would be greatly appreciated.

Yep it will be a holiday and weekend boat thats wheelchair adapted for my family I wont be renting her out so once the marine surveyor ok's her the insurance wont be too bad maybe a few hundred a year.

I still think you should look around Ireland as there are quite a few about I was offered this one but passed it on to the scouts as I had other projects on at the time.

freetao

I've checked out some boats for sale from a few marina's in Ireland but they seem to be steel motor cruiser, not the sort I'm looking for. I only have passions for classic wooden boats.
May I ask a real silly question:- if I want to moor a boat at any marina just as holiday accommodation (not for sailing), would I still need to have marine surveyor to issue safety certificate? For instance, can I moor a boat without an engine? I know this sounds absolutely stupid, but using a boat as a holiday pad (either for myself or for letting out to others) is a far far cheaper option than buying a holiday flat!

fergal.b

To moor in a marina the boat will need to be insured and most boats over 10 years old will need a surveyor's report to get insurance, even without the engine the boat could still break free from it's mooring and cause a lot of money's worth of damage to the other boats.



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Bigus

freetao wrote: »

I've checked out some boats for sale from a few marina's in Ireland but they seem to be steel motor cruiser, not the sort I'm looking for. I only have passions for classic wooden boats.
May I ask a real silly question:- if I want to moor a boat at any marina just as holiday accommodation (not for sailing), would I still need to have marine surveyor to issue safety certificate? For instance, can I moor a boat without an engine? I know this sounds absolutely stupid, but using a boat as a holiday pad (either for myself or for letting out to others) is a far far cheaper option than buying a holiday flat!

You couldn't fart on a marina without somebody knowing, so if your boat never sets sail you'll be in a sticky situation with bye laws local rules etc which are in place to stop precisely what you have in mind.