Freight Page

Professional Boat Transport & Logistics Boats International offers competitive prices on boat transports throughout the world. We own and operate our own in-house shipping company which is licensed by the Federal Maritime Commission as a Non-Vessel Operating Common Carrier (NVOCC). We are the preferred choice for boat dealers worldwide who strives to excel through streamlined logistics and continuous attention to details. From our marina in Pompano Beach we're making sure that our customers get the service they require. Most customers contracts with us to provide a door-to-door solution which often involves pick-up of the boat, loading and reloading onto transport cradles, freight preparation, shrinkwrapping, arranging with port deliveries, and booking the boat for ocean freight to an overseas destination. Other customers, who arrange with their own local preparation, choose to use our booking service for ocean freight - which we are more than happy to provide for them. We're offering Professional, multi-lingual staff that assists you before, during, and after the transport/export mission Freight preparations, local freight, transport cradles, loading, re-loading, shrinkwrapping Ocean freight from the entire Eastern seaboard & LA to destinations worldwide Export declaration & customs questions CE-marking consulting Call us at +1(954)788.2900 or send us an email at request@boats.de
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

I'm thinking about importing about from the U.S. - how do I do that?
Our export service is all-inclusive and tailor-made. We can assist with a comprehensive door-to-door service but we also assist customers who simply would like to make their bookings for ocean freight via our contract. Step I - BUDGET As is true for all decision-making, you do need a budget for your boat importing project. In addition to the boat purchase itself, there are additional outlays involved in terms of freight and fees. A typical do-it-yourself deal includes some or all of the following: costs associated with taking the boat out of the water or out of the marina in which it is presently stored, freight preparation (e.g., de-assembly of radar wing, shrink-wrap), loading, and re-loading, transport cradle, local freight from palace of purchase to port of export. Port fees, crane fees, export declaration, ocean freight to foreign port, customs duties, import taxes, VAT, unloading charges, freight forwarder commission, and local freight to your marina/place of discharge. Step II - FINDING THE RIGHT BOAT There's more boats available in the U.S. than anywhere else in the world. There's a seemingly endless supply and the prices are therefore very competitive. To find the right boat means to find the boat that brings the most personal value to you for the money spent, taking into consideration your requirements and specifications. You will soon realize that it is not necessarily always the least expensive boat which is the one which suits you the best. Geographic distance to port of shipping can and will have a large impact on the final shipping price, for instance. From the Eastern seaboard, you will have no problem shipping from the coastal cities of New York, Baltimore, Charleston, Savannah, and Brunswick. For an additional fee, we also offer our customers the opportunity to ship out boats from Long Beach, California. Step III THE DEAL MAKING Once you found a boat that match your criteria you need to lock up a deal with a contract or an agreement with the selling party. Once you have a contract you can choose whether or not you should hire a marine surveyor to inspect the boat on your behalf (at your expense, of course). Once you're satisfied with the condition of the boat and the equipment to go with it, the deal should be finalized; transfer of ownership is evident - money vs. merchandise, boat vs. payment. The boat is now yours and the task to transport it from its current location to your house is underway. NOTE! In certain cases, we're able to assist you in the deal making process by acting as your buying agent. Hence, we're assisting you with Steps II & III against a set fee. Step IV THE SHIPPING PROCESS While most shipping deals are similar, they are still unique and thus require special attention. Boats are being bought all over the U.S. and trucks run all over the continent on a daily basis picking these up for export. Most U.S. boat dealers have limited or no experience in the field of boat export and trucking. Some boat dealers have access to mechanics and transporters; some don't. In the shipping process it is important to know that practically every boat need some sort of physical transport to be able to be shipped overseas. Another common denominator is that practically every boat is in need of some sort of freight preparation. This is where we enter the picture. We have an excellent track record and documented experience of coordinating local transportation - especially in the South-eastern continental U.S. We own and operate our own trucks which are driven by trained and fully insured professional drivers. If the boat is located outside of our geographical reach, we are still able to coordinate your transport through some of our partners. Once the boat is prepared and transported to the port, our valued partner Wallenius Wilhelmsen makes sure that your boat is ocean freighted to your destination of choice. In summary our involvement in your import project can range from a simple freight booking from let's say New York to Bremerhaven. On the other hand, our involvement can also be all-inclusive in that we walk you through the entire process from locating the boat, assisting with inspection, negotiating the deal, monitoring of your interest, analyzing results, research title work, arrange with payments and bank transfers, pick-up of the boat at seller, freight preparation (e.g. taking down a radar arch, storing canvas, shrinkwrap it, reload the boat on transport cradle, truck it to the port of export, pay for port fees, and arrange with the fastest and most secure means of ocean freight to port of destination.	??? ??? ??? ??? ???
Shrinkwrap - what's that?
Shrink wrap is a low density polyethylene film made from fractional melt resin and other additives. Boat dealers and boat transporters use shrink wrap to protect boats during transport and for storage. The film is taped to the hull with a specifically designed adhesive tape made for optimal adhesion on fiberglass surfaces. Once attached as a cover the film is heated up with propane gas which makes the film shrink (that's how it got its name). The film protects the boat from rain and snow; dust and dirt while in transit from the U.S. to your home.
How much customs duties should I pay?
EU customs duties on powerboats is levied at 1.7% of the boats value + the value of the freight (including all transport costs and forwarding fees). For example, if a boat cost $20.000 and the freight-related charges amounts to $5.000, that is $25.000 total, then the customs duties become 25.000 x 0,0175 = $425	1.7% customs
How much VAT should I pay?
Depending on where you declare customs, VAT differs from country to country. Germany, for example, has a VAT of 19% If the boat and freight cost $25.000 and the customs duties is $425 then the VAT-based value is $25.425 then the VAT amounts to 0.19 x 25452, i.e., $4.831	VAT
My boat is on its way across the Atlantic - who do I contact about the pickup of the boat in the port of unloading?
We have an agreement with one of the world's largest steamship line for RORO cargo - Wallenius-Willhelmsen. We ship more than 400 boats per year to customers all over the world. All shippings can be tracked at Wallenius' website using the booking number that has been assigned to your cargo. Please visit www.wlna.com , click on cargo tracking, and then click on track by booking number and enter your booking number. To ensure that your boat is ready for pickup at the day of unloading, please contact your local Wallenius representative (for Gothenburg, please contact Lisbeth Carlsson at +46 31 64 50 61 lisbeth.karlsson@2wglobal.com - visiting address: Sydatlanten, Skandiahamnen, Gothenburg	We ship with Wallenius Wilhelmsen
What is a transport cradle?
A transport cradle enables shipping the boat without having a trailer. The boat is being loaded onto a specially designed, pressure-treated wooden cradle. Shipping your boat on a cradle as apposed to on a trailer makes the total cubic volume smaller which in turn makes the ocean freight charges lower (a trailer makes the package longer, wider, and higher - resulting in higher transport costs).	transport cradle
Transport insurance - where do I obtain that?
A separate transport insurance policy can be purchased through either your own insurance company or through our forwarding agent in Germany. The policy 0.5 % of the VAT value with a deductible of $500 Read more about this policy [click here]
How do I arrange with inland freight in the U.S.?
Land transport in the U.S. can be arranged either through us or through the selling party. We recommend that you make sure that the 3rd party transport agency carries valid insurance (all of our drivers and trucks are fully insured and do carry special cargo coverage).
What is meant with U.S. port charges?
U.S. port charges are calculated using various formulas which takes into account, linear footage, weight, volume, and whether or not the load is being delivered into the port on its own keel, via trailer, or on cradle (crane charges might apply).
CE-certificate - what's that?
CE-certification was instituted in 1998 on all imported boats that where brought into the European Union from an outside country. In our opinion, CE is nothing but a hidden trade barrier. We are working in direct cooperation with approved CE-testing firms who can CE-mark your vessel, should you choose to.
How do I come up with a freight price?
Total freight cost consist of the following components: Loading and reloading of the boat from the seller's dock or marina. Be aware that loading charges can be levied by the marina. It is advisable that you agree with the seller beforehand whether he or you should pay for this charge. Freight preparations such as de-assembly of radar arches and hard tops, winterization of engines and water systems, generators, shrinkwrap, reloading, cradle fees are all part of freight prep. charges Local land freight from place of sale to port of loading, whether this is to be done on its own keel or via truck. Port fees in the U.S. Ocean freight from the U.S. to overseas port of discharge is calulated on the total cubic volume of the boat, including cradle or trailer. In other words, an oversized trailer makes the freight considerably more expensive and a taylor made transport cradle. Fuel surcharges. Due to the existing level of fuel prices an extra fuel surcharge is levied on the ocean freight by the steamship line. Forwarding fees in the EU. Although you do not have to, many customers choose to use a forwarding agent in the EU to handle all the import documentation. The forwarder clears customs and pays the duties and charges the customer a handling fee for their work. Port and unloading fees in port of discharge.
How long does it take to ship a boat from U.S. East coast to the EU?
From the eastern seaboard of the U.S. to Bremerhaven, Germany the transit time is about 12-14 days. Due to current regulations, the boat needs to be admitted to the port of loading at least 3 days prior to departure. All in all, a trans-Atlantic freight takes about 22 days.
How long does it take to wire funds from EU to the U.S.
A wire transfer from the EU to the U.S. can take everything from 1 do 4 business days.

Freight Inquiry

How can we get hold of you?
Name: E-mail: Mobile*: Country:

Export Information:
Where's the boat now ? Where should it be shipped?

Information that we need about boat!
Year: Brand & model:Hull number:(if available):

Length: Beam: Total height: Weight:Length on trailer:
Should the boat be shipped on a trailer? If not, do you want to buy a cradle from us?

Do you want the boat shrinkwrapped? Do you want a separate transport insurance?

[home]