Shipping a 32' sailboat from Antwerp, Belgium to Chicago, USA

[boatman61]

Post what the boat is and who knows... maybe one of the many delivery skippers in CF may be willing to give it a go.
Cheaper than shipping it for sure.. wear and tear depends on route taken and weather encountered.

[Verichai]

Originally Posted by taylormobile

It might save some money to ship it to NYC then move it yourself up the Hudson River and through the Erie Canal to the Great Lakes. A great, scenic journey.

I would love to pull off a trip like that.

[Verichai]

Originally Posted by wolfgal

you are in love, admit it!

Oh, I admit it!

Originally Posted by wolfgal

you may want to peek at the process involved in "importing" the boat from abroad.

if it is anything like the EU, this boat could give you a very expensive headache.

Yes, this is what I'm afraid of...

[Door Sail]

A customer shipped a boat from the UK to Green Bay WI. They used Peters and May and were very pleased with the result.

[Verichai]

Originally Posted by Cadence

I think you would be better off continuing your quest closer to home. Especially considering the age of the vessel.

Lol, this is the logical reality.

With boats, there also an emotional reality.

[Verichai]

Originally Posted by TrentePieds

Why ever would you do that???

Do what?

Originally Posted by TrentePieds

Is YOUR skippering competence up to it?

No, my experience is quite limited.

We can't evaluate that for you since you've told us nothing about yourself, and you have not told us what the marque of boat is.

Originally Posted by TrentePieds

What I CAN tell you without the slightest hesitation is that no man should spend more money on a boat than he can walk away from with a smile still on his face

I wholeheartedly agree, and the boat itself is at the top of this 'comfort budget' before I even attempt to move it anywhere.

Originally Posted by TrentePieds

There's gotta be a plethora of functionally equivalent boats right there on The Lakes. No need to make life more complicated than it needs to be.

Spoken like a true sage. I have scoured yachtworld, craigslist, and boattrader for the past 18 months. I find the great lakes offer plenty of production boats, Hunters, Catalinas, etc...and very few boats that are a) in my budget, b) in ready-to-sail-away-condition and c) loaded with old-world charm with just enough brass, teak and brightwork to feel like a real boat, but not so much that it become a maintenance nightmare.

There are some examples on the East coast and a couple options closer to home, but nothing has bathed me the in the golden light of heaven and produced the song of angles like the one I found in Belgium. It sounds cliche, but as soon as I saw it, I knew: THAT is the boat I've been looking for.

Unfortunately, it sounds like my romanticism has gotten the best of me, and it's just going to be realistic, given my finances and experience level.

[Verichai]

Originally Posted by joelhemington

Hire a captain and go get it. If you're up to the job of captain, at least hire some help - that's a fairly long trip to undertake solo. Shipping by boat will probably double your purchase price. And then there's Covid (which is still pestering us) - can you even get to Belgium?

That's the spirit!

But, no. I can't captain the boat myself. I would like to make the trip with an experienced captain and absorb as much as possible during the trip, though.

I had no plans to travel to Europe. Thought I could have it surveyed and the arrange the shipping from here.

[wolfgal]

Originally Posted by Verichai

Lol, this is the logical reality.

With boats, there also an emotional reality.

for many of us, it is not a given to differentiate between love and lust. it is a learned thing.

if go look at some other sexy boats, you may begin to see exactly which emotions are at play.

and if this gal is still the one, there are surely a few good delivery captains on CF, who could give you a reasonable quote. perhaps check with boatman61 as he is based in europe.

[Verichai]

Originally Posted by wolfgal

and it may not be such a good idea to try to do all this while covid is raging across europe...

in france, we are in total lockdown. only essential workers/shops. no schooling. locked in our homes, cannot go out after 7 pm..., and, yes, we were counting on the j-n-j jab, but that's not really panning out so well. (thank goodness the UK got it together!)

anyway, perhaps post what the boat is, the make, etc., and perhaps folks here could point you to the equivalent (which could possibly be a much better boat anyhow) that is a bit more accessible....?

it's ok to fall for that impossible boat. some of us do it quite often...

You're correct. I had no plans to travel to Europe. It's too difficult, risky.

The problem for me is that I can't bring myself to spend the money on something that doesn't excite me. And the white plastic production boats just don't move me in any meaningful way. Some of them are great, some of them are ideal for the great lakes, I totally get that, but I'm looking for something that feels like a boat. For me, that means some dark wood below, and preferably some teak up top. I want a smaller boat with big boat features (enclosed head, comfortable berths, functional galley, quality cabinetry, a dedicated chart table or workspace and something that is possible to single-hand.

It's a bit of a unicorn, I know.

Although there is a PS Orion 27 for sale on the East Coast that I have been looking at. It's in the budget, offers everything I want and looks to be in good shape.

Man, choosing a boat is hard

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by Verichai

Lol, this is the logical reality.

With boats, there also an emotional reality.

I'm assuming this is a boat unseen? If you can have an emotional attachment and can afford it, have at it.

[Verichai]

Thanks, everyone, for your comments and advice.

I feel like I woke up this morning and smelled the smelly salts a little bit, the realities woke me from my daydream/logistical nightmare.

[Verichai]

Originally Posted by Cadence

I'm assuming this is a boat unseen? If you can have an emotional attachment and can afford it, have at it.

Could stretch the budget for the boat, itself.

Sounds like I would blow the budget getting it home.

[wolfgal]

Originally Posted by Verichai

You're correct. I had no plans to travel to Europe. It's too difficult, risky.

The problem for me is that I can't bring myself to spend the money on something that doesn't excite me. And the white plastic production boats just don't move me in any meaningful way. Some of them are great, some of them are ideal for the great lakes, I totally get that, but I'm looking for something that feels like a boat. For me, that means some dark wood below, and preferably some teak up top. I want a smaller boat with big boat features (enclosed head, comfortable berths, functional galley, quality cabinetry, a dedicated chart table or workspace and something that is possible to single-hand.

It's a bit of a unicorn, I know.

Although there is a PS Orion 27 for sale on the East Coast that I have been looking at. It's in the budget, offers everything I want and looks to be in good shape.

Man, choosing a boat is hard

Hey, the Orion 27 is great boat!

well-built, they sail well. nice big cockpit, you can sleep there, full length. below, there are two versions (facing seats and the wrap-around): small but well-thought out. the forward berth is very comfortable (im on the tall side). and they are gorgeous!

the one i viewed (years ago now) had been left to rot, in very bad shape, and i couldn't save her... but if there were Orions over here (she was the only one), i'd grab one in a heartbeat!!!

[TrentePieds]

Quote:

"I find the great lakes offer... very few boats that are a) in my budget, b) in ready-to-sail-away-condition and c) loaded with old-world charm with just enough brass, teak and brightwork to feel like a real boat"

Well, Okay, then :-)

a) What IS you budget?,

b) NO boat is "ready to sail away". There is ALWAYS something you need/want to do. The real question is this: Is what you want to do something that you NEED to do? And if you need to do it, do you have the free disposable bux to do it"

c) "Old work charm"?? Careful! In use, that ain't all it's cracked up to be. "Old world charm" doesn't do a whole lot for you when at sea. Particularly not for a novice, and particularly not on those days when Neptune gets up on the wrong side of the bed :-)! Brass and brightwork? Sure. Everything that attaches to the hull of a boat is either consumable or exchangeable. So if you're brass'n'brightwork-deprived, just change things as you go along. Teak? Oh Lord! Teak was something that in olden times was used OUT OF NECESSITY. HMS Ganges was built entirely from Burma Teak. Because that's all they had in Bombay where she was built. Had she been built at Chatham, they'd have used proper English oak. The only reason novices like teak is that they've been conditioned to think that it is "nautical". The reality is that it's a RPITA to keep. There are people who've had to spend 50K or more to repair a deteriorating teak deck. But then, spending big bux is ever so "nautical" :-)!

But lift you gaze for a moment. A coupla years ago a Fast Passage 39 came into our marina, straight off a circumnavigation. Fully found, ready to go on another circumnavigation the day tomorrow. She sold for Can$65K, a shade less than US$50K at the time. The FP39 was designed by William Garden. For a little North American romanticism study up on him.

And here is a ref to the boat itself. Only sailed one once, but what a joy!! Sez one who grew up with "traditional" European boats :-)!

https://sailboatdata.com/sailboat/fast-passage-39

TrentePieds

[Joh.Ghurt]

Verichai,

time to step back and reassess what you really want. Shipping the boat is probably a bad idea as many people mentioned earlier. And there is some risk you'll end up with damage that increases the costs even more.

If the idea of sailing her back home to America across the Atlantic makes your eyes dreamy, then this might be an option that can be realised.

As you aren't confident enough to to sail her alone, hire an competent delivery captain and play the crew. You will have the adventure of your lifetime, be proud as a peacock and build a deep bond to your boat you won't get any other way. Just budget some funds for breakage.

Yes, that will take time and cost a lot of money, probably be inefficient, but is will enrich your life. At the right time with the right captain, a feasible feat.

This is the way I would go.

Concerning Europe and Covid, don't worry too much about the news. Things sound a lot more dramatic than the reality is. Get your vaccine, check the flight regulations and Visa requirements. If you get a Visa (purpose: Business - deliver boat) and are able to board a flight, the rest will be fine.