When clients think about international shipping services, overseas car and construction equipment shipping comes to mind. This makes sense, considering that freight forwarders often specialize in automobiles and high heavy equipment. However, shippers can also transport their boats and watercraft just as easily! This process is very similar to the transport of cars and equipment, with only minor differences. With a reliable and experienced international shipping company like K International Transport, shippers should feel comfortable shipping all boats and other watercraft.
The process of shipping watercraft starts the same way as the transport of any other cargo. The freight forwarder will need to obtain several documents from the shipper, including a signed power of attorney form allowing the company to handle your shipment, identification information for the shipper and consignee, and the original title including details about the dimensions of the watercraft. In addition, shippers will also have to prepay for the shipment in full, once all costs are known, and tell the company their desired schedule for shipment. Clients should note that for this stage of the process to go smoothly, the watercraft must be completely paid off without any lien on it. If there is a lien on the watercraft, some clients may still be able to ship if they obtain a letter from the financing bank authorizing the export of the watercraft. The shipper must have sufficient finances or assets for this exception to apply. If you are not sure if you can transport your watercraft, contact K International Transport and we can help!
After all documents are received, the watercraft must be transported to the domestic port. K International Transport can ship from virtually any domestic port in the United States, including New York, Maryland, Virginia, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Texas, or California. We can help shippers determine the best domestic port by considering the location of the watercraft, the destination port, the services offered at each domestic port, and other factors to make the shipping process as easy and affordable as possible. Clients can transport the watercraft to the port themselves. If this is impossible, K International Transport can set up inland trucking and transportation services to pick up the watercraft and take it to the domestic port safely. This transportation company has been working in tandem with our international shipping services and is very safe and efficient.
Once the cargo arrives at the domestic port, it will have to be loaded onto the vessel. Typically, boats and watercraft can be transported on cradles or trailers. Trailers are typically recommended because they are more affordable than cradles and often work just as well. Cradles, on the other hand, are custom made to fit the dimensions of the particular watercraft, which increases the cost of shipment. Once loaded, the cradle will be strapped to a flat rack and secured to the ship. Boats on trailers can simply be towed onto a vessel, which is a simpler and more affordable method of loading.
However, shippers should also be aware that this decision may be made for you depending on the dimensions of the watercraft. The size restrictions for roll-on/roll-off (RO/RO) shipping via trailer can preclude some watercraft from being transported in this manner. Typically the maximum height of the watercraft on the trailer is 12 or 13 feet. Also, smaller watercraft may be better served by container.
Although this information and the choices that must be made before shipping overseas can be overwhelming, a reliable freight forwarding company like K International Transport can help clients throughout the entire process. Clients shipping watercraft love to ship to various ports around the world, with the most popular being Port Sydney or Port Melbourne in Australia, Port Valencia in Spain, Port Southampton in the United Kingdom, Port Jebel Ali in the United Arab Emirates, and Port Doha in Qatar. K International Transport loves to ship yachts, fishing boats, motor boats, jet skis, and any other watercraft you can think of!
With the declining cost of overseas shipping compared to a few decades ago, there is no better time to transport a watercraft overseas! To start the process, clients can start getting their required documents together. You can also visit our rate request page for a preliminary price quote. For more information, call us at 212-267-6400 or send us an email at inquiries@kinternational.com. You can also reach out to us on Skype at kinternationalny. We look forward to hearing from you!
