Yacht transport
 |
Yacht transport is the shipping of a yacht to a destination instead of sailing or motoring it. Yacht transport is an alternative to the traditional passaging (sailing or motoring) to reach desired destinations around the globe. Transport when compared to passaging is cost-effective, safer and improves availability.
For many dedicated sailors, passaging or an ocean crossing is a rite of passage, but it comes with many risks and expenses. For many serious cruisers, financial, business and family considerations argue against the long-term full-time dedication that ocean crossings require. Yacht transport becomes an alternative when the destination and cruising is more important than the passaging.
Yacht transport generally eliminates costly, time-consuming, and dangerous difficult ocean crossings, opening up cruising to more people. Container cruising, one approach to yacht transport, is significantly less expensive and has greater flexibility with respect to timing and destinations. The drawback to container cruising is that there are a limited number of yachts that have the necessary 7.5 ft maximum beam (2.29 m) to fit in the 8-foot-wide (2.44 m) standard container.
Transport methods
[edit]Overland transport
[edit]Small boats being transported short distances are often moved using private or commercial trailers. As the boat size and the over-land distances increase, commercial trailer services are typically employed by boat owners to move vessels. Insurance coverage, transport permits, trailer safety and proper preparation and loading of the vessel and contents are aspects commercial boat/yacht services provide.
Semi-submersible ships (SSS)
[edit]
Semi-submersible ships were developed to move large (project) cargoes, but have now been adapted for yacht shipping. These ships are semi-submersible. This means that by ballasting, they can submerge their cargo holds. Yachts motor under their own power into the flooded cargo holds to load. Once all the yachts are in position and mooring lines attached, divers install temporary underwater supports into place. Ship deballasts and when deck is dry the seafastening stands are welded into place to secure boats for ocean passage. Most important is to keep in mind that cradles and seafstening stands shall be certified for marine transport, which normally approved by one the members of IACS [[1]] (International association of Classification Societies). Once all yachts are safely secured ship sails away. At discharge port arrival, the process is reversed, with the ship ballasting, allowing the yachts to exit. Semi-submersible designed for yacht transportation with specialized gear on board are exclusively provided by DYT [[2]], however other types semi-submersible vessels are also available on the market but they are mostly suitable for other floating objects which are less sensitive in handling.
Deck cargo
[edit]
Yachts can be shipped as deck cargo [[3]], mostly on HLV [[4]] or MPP vessels [[5]] and that is mostly limited to those equipped with own cranes, which makes a transport less costly comparing to options requiring usage of shore or floating cranes but also, in addition, opens up additional geographical destinations, those which have no shore or floating cranes available and even loading and discharging at the protected anchorages without necessity to use costly port infrastructure. There is a small number of transport companies in the world offering this highly specialized transport, which require custom-build sophisticated gear and highly-skilled personnel [[6]] Yachts are loaded directly from the water or from shore. Yachts are loaded by ship or by shore cranes on the cradles, either supplied by the yacht transport company or the owner but it is wise to remember that those cradles and seafstening gear shall be suitable and certified for ocean transport [[7]] [[8]]. Deck cargo shipping is normally arranged directly with the shipping lines, which are specialized in handling this type of the cargo [[9]], or with the specialized yacht transport companies [[10]].
Container shipment
[edit]Yachts are also transported by container ships. Because container freight is sold on the basis of total enclosed volume, efforts are made to decrease that volume, including de-rigging the boat. If a yacht meets the restrictions imposed by container sizing, typically 39 ft (11.89 m) x 7.5 ft (2.29 m) x 9.3 ft (2.83 m), container shipping is an alternative. Container shipping is arranged through freight forwarders.
Costs include the cost of preparation, cradles, documentation, and customs and other government fees. Container shipment costs are almost independent of distance shipped and depend more on imbalances in container locations.
Scheduling
[edit]The Semi-submersible ships travel on fixed schedules over popular routes such as to and from the US, Europe, the Caribbean, and Pacific Ocean destinations.
While in theory, deck cargoes can be arranged between any two ports and at any time, costs are reduced if a number of yachts are shipped together. Because most ships are non-US flag carriers, they are forbidden by law to transport cargoes between US ports. To comply with the law, they load or discharge in Canada, the Bahamas or Mexico. Container shipping offers complete flexibility with respect to ports and timing.
Security
[edit]The locked and sealed container provides the best overall security. Since the semi-submersible ships are dedicated to yacht transport, they also offer a secure environment. In addition to theft, another potential problem is partial or total losses at sea. Probability of losses is low, reflected by the lower cost of insurance.
The increasing cost of fuel, the convenience, and the ability to go anywhere make yacht transport an attractive alternative.