The chances of your yacht being damaged, if shipped by a professional, are slim and are reflected in the low premium. However, accidents do occur and a yacht is more fragile than most cargoes.

There are plenty of videos on the web of yachts being dropped. It could happen to yours.

Why are you shipping your yacht? Do you know what to expect at the other end?

It’s surprising just how many yachts are shipped when, if the owner had been in possession of all the facts, it would have stayed where it was. Check the customs requirement at the destination, the duty requirements, whether the flag of your yacht is accepted, or, if your yacht is new, whether you have to get her registered before she arrives at her destination. Even better – use a professional organisation with a network of offices or highly qualified agents who can comprehensively advise you on this. A reputable organisation will give you the right advice even if it costs a shipment. Others will not.

The company you choose to use should be strong on the route you need, with an office or good agents at the other end, if possible. This is not always so – the lesser known destinations generally do not have people specialising in yacht shipping, the business is too small. Make this one of your first questions, there is no specialist in this business that does not have weak areas.

The yacht moving industry is the same as any other – there are the good guys and there are the bad guys. Do not believe anyone who tells you that a particular vessel is nearly full and space can only be secured if the entire freight is transferred NOW. Read the contract he sends you. It will almost certainly mean “no refunds” and if that vessel does not show, he can keep your funds for months while he looks around for a ship. We call this a “fishing licence”. You need a yacht shipping professional, not a fisherman. Some companies, mine included, will request a deposit to cover any financial outlay that is incurred to facilitate the booking, in case the yacht is cancelled for some reason. However, it should never be a requirement to pay the full amount up front. If this is requested, read the contract (which you should have done anyway) and make sure you can get a refund of any freight paid, less any incurred expenditure, if the carrying vessel is cancelled or unreasonably delayed unless you are happy to go with the suggested changes.

Finally, do not be slow to check web forums on this issue. The bad guys get named and shamed in some of the cases so they are not hard to find.

By all means find someone who can offer you the most cost-effective package. However, on certain trade routes, you may have to wait some time for a suitable vessel that can do the job. You may have to wait for a cradle to be positioned. The budget you have may be impossible to meet. A good professional will advise you in these aspects if you ask and before he accepts any booking from you.

Someone gave you a low quote and asked for a deposit? He may not have a sailing in mind. He may take your booking and then go looking. He knows what he can pay to the shipowner so if he can find a ship, great. If he cannot you face a serious delay and loss of deposit.

Choosing the professional that will carry your yacht is all about having trust in the carrier and achieving that “comfort factor”. You may end up shipping with someone you don’t particularly like personally, but if he comes recommended by friends of yours or generally has a good reputation with dealers in your area, this will help. At the end of the day, you may only ship your yacht once but you need to get it right and be happy about the decision.

The chances of your yacht being damaged, if shipped by a professional, are slim and are reflected in the low premium. However, accidents do occur and a yacht is more fragile than most cargoes.

There are plenty of videos on the web of yachts being dropped. It could happen to yours.

Why are you shipping your yacht? Do you know what to expect at the other end?

It’s surprising just how many yachts are shipped when, if the owner had been in possession of all the facts, it would have stayed where it was. Check the customs requirement at the destination, the duty requirements, whether the flag of your yacht is accepted, or, if your yacht is new, whether you have to get her registered before she arrives at her destination. Even better – use a professional organisation with a network of offices or highly qualified agents who can comprehensively advise you on this. A reputable organisation will give you the right advice even if it costs a shipment. Others will not.

The company you choose to use should be strong on the route you need, with an office or good agents at the other end, if possible. This is not always so – the lesser known destinations generally do not have people specialising in yacht shipping, the business is too small. Make this one of your first questions, there is no specialist in this business that does not have weak areas.

The yacht moving industry is the same as any other – there are the good guys and there are the bad guys. Do not believe anyone who tells you that a particular vessel is nearly full and space can only be secured if the entire freight is transferred NOW. Read the contract he sends you. It will almost certainly mean “no refunds” and if that vessel does not show, he can keep your funds for months while he looks around for a ship. We call this a “fishing licence”. You need a yacht shipping professional, not a fisherman. Some companies, mine included, will request a deposit to cover any financial outlay that is incurred to facilitate the booking, in case the yacht is cancelled for some reason. However, it should never be a requirement to pay the full amount up front. If this is requested, read the contract (which you should have done anyway) and make sure you can get a refund of any freight paid, less any incurred expenditure, if the carrying vessel is cancelled or unreasonably delayed unless you are happy to go with the suggested changes.

Finally, do not be slow to check web forums on this issue. The bad guys get named and shamed in some of the cases so they are not hard to find.

By all means find someone who can offer you the most cost-effective package. However, on certain trade routes, you may have to wait some time for a suitable vessel that can do the job. You may have to wait for a cradle to be positioned. The budget you have may be impossible to meet. A good professional will advise you in these aspects if you ask and before he accepts any booking from you.

Someone gave you a low quote and asked for a deposit? He may not have a sailing in mind. He may take your booking and then go looking. He knows what he can pay to the shipowner so if he can find a ship, great. If he cannot you face a serious delay and loss of deposit.

Choosing the professional that will carry your yacht is all about having trust in the carrier and achieving that “comfort factor”. You may end up shipping with someone you don’t particularly like personally, but if he comes recommended by friends of yours or generally has a good reputation with dealers in your area, this will help. At the end of the day, you may only ship your yacht once but you need to get it right and be happy about the decision.

The chances of your yacht being damaged, if shipped by a professional, are slim and are reflected in the low premium. However, accidents do occur and a yacht is more fragile than most cargoes.

There are plenty of videos on the web of yachts being dropped. It could happen to yours.

Why are you shipping your yacht? Do you know what to expect at the other end?

It’s surprising just how many yachts are shipped when, if the owner had been in possession of all the facts, it would have stayed where it was. Check the customs requirement at the destination, the duty requirements, whether the flag of your yacht is accepted, or, if your yacht is new, whether you have to get her registered before she arrives at her destination. Even better – use a professional organisation with a network of offices or highly qualified agents who can comprehensively advise you on this. A reputable organisation will give you the right advice even if it costs a shipment. Others will not.

The company you choose to use should be strong on the route you need, with an office or good agents at the other end, if possible. This is not always so – the lesser known destinations generally do not have people specialising in yacht shipping, the business is too small. Make this one of your first questions, there is no specialist in this business that does not have weak areas.

The yacht moving industry is the same as any other – there are the good guys and there are the bad guys. Do not believe anyone who tells you that a particular vessel is nearly full and space can only be secured if the entire freight is transferred NOW. Read the contract he sends you. It will almost certainly mean “no refunds” and if that vessel does not show, he can keep your funds for months while he looks around for a ship. We call this a “fishing licence”. You need a yacht shipping professional, not a fisherman. Some companies, mine included, will request a deposit to cover any financial outlay that is incurred to facilitate the booking, in case the yacht is cancelled for some reason. However, it should never be a requirement to pay the full amount up front. If this is requested, read the contract (which you should have done anyway) and make sure you can get a refund of any freight paid, less any incurred expenditure, if the carrying vessel is cancelled or unreasonably delayed unless you are happy to go with the suggested changes.

Finally, do not be slow to check web forums on this issue. The bad guys get named and shamed in some of the cases so they are not hard to find.

By all means find someone who can offer you the most cost-effective package. However, on certain trade routes, you may have to wait some time for a suitable vessel that can do the job. You may have to wait for a cradle to be positioned. The budget you have may be impossible to meet. A good professional will advise you in these aspects if you ask and before he accepts any booking from you.

Someone gave you a low quote and asked for a deposit? He may not have a sailing in mind. He may take your booking and then go looking. He knows what he can pay to the shipowner so if he can find a ship, great. If he cannot you face a serious delay and loss of deposit.

Choosing the professional that will carry your yacht is all about having trust in the carrier and achieving that “comfort factor”. You may end up shipping with someone you don’t particularly like personally, but if he comes recommended by friends of yours or generally has a good reputation with dealers in your area, this will help. At the end of the day, you may only ship your yacht once but you need to get it right and be happy about the decision.

The chances of your yacht being damaged, if shipped by a professional, are slim and are reflected in the low premium. However, accidents do occur and a yacht is more fragile than most cargoes.

There are plenty of videos on the web of yachts being dropped. It could happen to yours.

Why are you shipping your yacht? Do you know what to expect at the other end?

It’s surprising just how many yachts are shipped when, if the owner had been in possession of all the facts, it would have stayed where it was. Check the customs requirement at the destination, the duty requirements, whether the flag of your yacht is accepted, or, if your yacht is new, whether you have to get her registered before she arrives at her destination. Even better – use a professional organisation with a network of offices or highly qualified agents who can comprehensively advise you on this. A reputable organisation will give you the right advice even if it costs a shipment. Others will not.

The company you choose to use should be strong on the route you need, with an office or good agents at the other end, if possible. This is not always so – the lesser known destinations generally do not have people specialising in yacht shipping, the business is too small. Make this one of your first questions, there is no specialist in this business that does not have weak areas.

The yacht moving industry is the same as any other – there are the good guys and there are the bad guys. Do not believe anyone who tells you that a particular vessel is nearly full and space can only be secured if the entire freight is transferred NOW. Read the contract he sends you. It will almost certainly mean “no refunds” and if that vessel does not show, he can keep your funds for months while he looks around for a ship. We call this a “fishing licence”. You need a yacht shipping professional, not a fisherman. Some companies, mine included, will request a deposit to cover any financial outlay that is incurred to facilitate the booking, in case the yacht is cancelled for some reason. However, it should never be a requirement to pay the full amount up front. If this is requested, read the contract (which you should have done anyway) and make sure you can get a refund of any freight paid, less any incurred expenditure, if the carrying vessel is cancelled or unreasonably delayed unless you are happy to go with the suggested changes.

Finally, do not be slow to check web forums on this issue. The bad guys get named and shamed in some of the cases so they are not hard to find.

By all means find someone who can offer you the most cost-effective package. However, on certain trade routes, you may have to wait some time for a suitable vessel that can do the job. You may have to wait for a cradle to be positioned. The budget you have may be impossible to meet. A good professional will advise you in these aspects if you ask and before he accepts any booking from you.

Someone gave you a low quote and asked for a deposit? He may not have a sailing in mind. He may take your booking and then go looking. He knows what he can pay to the shipowner so if he can find a ship, great. If he cannot you face a serious delay and loss of deposit.

Choosing the professional that will carry your yacht is all about having trust in the carrier and achieving that “comfort factor”. You may end up shipping with someone you don’t particularly like personally, but if he comes recommended by friends of yours or generally has a good reputation with dealers in your area, this will help. At the end of the day, you may only ship your yacht once but you need to get it right and be happy about the decision.