Hey Everyone. Now I've had my Nacra 5.2 for a season and I'm completely and irrevocably hooked. Now, I'm starting to look at getting my second cat.

Yes, I know I'm insane but I've been looking at the F17s and F18s and have started lusting after carbon masts and booms as well as spinnakers and wave piercing hulls. Hey call it a mid life crisis and I don't like sports cars.:)

Anyway there are some reasonable deals to be had for a cat that is a couple of years old but there aren`t any dealers or even modern Nacra catamarans within 1000 miles of me. So I thought I would ask the question.

Has anyone shipped a cat long distance? How would one go about that? Who the heck does it (I'm don't think a cat will fit in a UPS truck)? I know I can ship a car clear across Canada on the train for a couple of thousand bucks but a cat is even bigger and more fragile than that.

Anyway this a long term plan and I was just wondering if anyone had done this or had some advice.

Regards,
Dave

--
Dave Bonin
1981 Nacra 5.2 "Lucile"
1986 Nacra 5.7 "Belle"
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
--

i'm reminded of k1200lt barry in australia

who had an old 14' maricat, loved it, so...

bought an old 17' nacra, loved it so...

sold it and bought a newer 18' nacra

loved it, but found he hardly ever sailed it as organising crew turned out to be more hassle than the slight step in performnace the bigger boat returned

so he sold it and went for a newer 16' cat

while it some ways it seems the next step after an old 17'cat is a new 18'cat, unless you are always with crew maybe you should be looking for newer but smaller boats with spins, like the f16, f17 or weta tri

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-DnRiP83fE



edited by: erice, Dec 04, 2009 - 11:54 PM

/agreed. If i could have any, but only one, cat I'd take an F16. No crew worries at all, but it'll hold'm if they come along.



--
Rob
OKC
Pile of Nacra parts..
--

Wolfman

Hey Everyone. Now I've had my Nacra 5.2 for a season and I'm completely and irrevocably hooked. Now, I'm starting to look at getting my second cat.

Yes, I know I'm insane but I've been looking at the F17s and F18s and have started lusting after carbon masts and booms as well as spinnakers and wave piercing hulls. Hey call it a mid life crisis and I don't like sports cars.:)

Anyway there are some reasonable deals to be had for a cat that is a couple of years old but there aren`t any dealers or even modern Nacra catamarans within 1000 miles of me. So I thought I would ask the question.

Has anyone shipped a cat long distance? How would one go about that? Who the heck does it (I'm don't think a cat will fit in a UPS truck)? I know I can ship a car clear across Canada on the train for a couple of thousand bucks but a cat is even bigger and more fragile than that.

Anyway this a long term plan and I was just wondering if anyone had done this or had some advice.

Regards,
Dave

Hey Dave,
This a great question. There is a strong demand for the modern rigs like the F18, F16, N20, and A cat and many miles have not stopped the sale. For instance, when I sold my red N20 I had many commitments from buyers in California, New York, and Canada (I'm in Alabama), as well as other areas, and they all had made arrangements to get the cat home via different methods. Some had chosen to fly in and rent a tow vehicle and drive it home. Several had enlisted the service of a driver through a website that puts drivers in touch with needers like yourself. It's a win/win as the driver is making the trip anyway, and he gets gas money, and you get the boat delivered reasonably.

First thing I would do is place an ad in the classifieds here for the boat wanted. Do you want to sail solo and spin? If so, I recommend looking F16. The other option is F17. I know of a few nice boats available in both. My opinion about the F17 is it's heading towards the dreaded "dead boat society" while F16 is growing. If you just want to kick around the lake and not race, a good buy on F17 might be the ticket. The rule of thumb is that buyers will commit cross country for the right boat. Typically, a boat that has been raced is current and well maintained.

I forget where you are located . . . is it SLC?

--
Philip
--

Wolfman

Anyway this a long term plan and I was just wondering if anyone had done this or had some advice.

Regards,
Dave

I work in the logistics industry, though I mainly deal with dangerous goods if you are really interested I could make some calls for you.

In general shipping charges make up a good percentage of the cost of everything. The issue with the cost of moving a cat is though relativly they are light (as freight is concerned) they would be charged out in volume. Basically it would take up a lot of space the shipping company has to charge for the space instead of the weight.

UPS small package service wouldn't handle a cat, but the UPS freight service would. If you are going to have a trucking company, ship line or air carrier move a cat it would need to be crated.
ALWAYS INSURE FOR COST OF BOAT,CRATING AND FREIGHT CHARGES.
When the boat arrives thoroughly look over for damage or tampering. Once you sign for the freight it makes it more difficult to file a successful claim if it isn't note on the bill of lading that you signed off on.

For the actual transportation you would be best contacting a freight forwarder or broker.

Hey guys,
This is more a theoretical discussion at this point (because I don't have money in hand right now) but it is a problem I will have to address soon enough so I wanted to get some info.

I would probably lean towards an F17 despite it's 'dying' status. I've sailed 16 footers and really prefer the size and performance of my 5.2 (I'm about 220 lbs myself and my usual crew is the same). The F18 is very enticing simply because its seems to have status as the 'premier' catamaran class and has everything I would ever want in a boat. That and all the development money seems to be going into that class. I would likely keep my 5.2 also (I have a large cottage lot).

I'm in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, and for most of you who have never heard of the place that is the center of North America if you include all of the North. It is also 3 hours North of Fargo, North Dakota - so you see how far away I am from almost everything except great ice fishing and sailing (in the summer). :) I have no idea what SLC is short for by the by. :)

Shipping would likely have to be Freight because the chances of hooking up with someone needing to come here are pretty low. We have a local Hobie Dealer, but he probably wouldn't be too interested in helping me ship a Nacra (but he is a super great guy so you never know). When the time comes I will likely talk to the Nacra dealer in Toronto first, but I wanted to know what options are open.

Regards,
Dave

SLC= Salt Lake City, Utah

FYI, lots of boats that end up in Canada are driven there from the US.

--
Philip
--

mma600psi

Wolfman

Anyway this a long term plan and I was just wondering if anyone had done this or had some advice.

Regards,
Dave

I work in the logistics industry, though I mainly deal with dangerous goods if you are really interested I could make some calls for you.

In general shipping charges make up a good percentage of the cost of everything. The issue with the cost of moving a cat is though relativly they are light (as freight is concerned) they would be charged out in volume. Basically it would take up a lot of space the shipping company has to charge for the space instead of the weight.

UPS small package service wouldn't handle a cat, but the UPS freight service would. If you are going to have a trucking company, ship line or air carrier move a cat it would need to be crated.
ALWAYS INSURE FOR COST OF BOAT,CRATING AND FREIGHT CHARGES.
When the boat arrives thoroughly look over for damage or tampering. Once you sign for the freight it makes it more difficult to file a successful claim if it isn't note on the bill of lading that you signed off on.

For the actual transportation you would be best contacting a freight forwarder or broker.

I work for a trucking company too, and this is definitely great advice. If I were shipping a nice carbon mast, I'd of course make sure that all the rigging and spreaders were removed, the ends were capped with sturdy cardboard, and the whole thing was wrapped with heavy-duty plastic or shrink wrap. A crate for a cat shouldn't be too hard to build, but definitely make sure everything is individually wrapped and secured inside the crate. A freight broker is definitely a good choice, especially if you are considering crossing any borders.

That said, if the boat is on a trailer and located in North America, you might be better off to find someone that will tow it directly to you, rather than crating it and paying a trucking company. I don't have any experience with this, but it might be a lower cost option. I'd still make sure everything was secured and protected from road debris before making a 1000+ mile trip.

Any more questions, let me know. Good luck with it!

Quote

F17 is it's heading towards the dreaded "dead boat society" while F16 is growing

F17 is one of the fastest growing single-handed fleets in
Great Lakes & Eastern Canada.

http://www.nacraclass.com/F17.htm

Try uship.com
Various shippers will bid on your proposal. Probably will cost about 50 cents a mile, maybe a bit more.

My guess is I really should talk to a Nacra dealer first before I purchase anything. They must get thier boats somehow. :) But all your advice sounds good.

I like the F17's better than the 16's and hope they stick around. From the Nacra F17 web site, it looks like there is at least one F17 about 3 hours east of me - wonder if they are looking to sell... :)

--
Dave Bonin
1981 Nacra 5.2 "Lucile"
1986 Nacra 5.7 "Belle"
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
--

Quote

My guess is I really should talk to a Nacra dealer first before I purchase anything. They must get thier boats somehow

They grow them from kittens... no shipping needed

Darn I thought that's what they did. You would only need a little box then! :) It also explains why my dogs hate the thing too, never thought of that before.

--
Dave Bonin
1981 Nacra 5.2 "Lucile"
1986 Nacra 5.7 "Belle"
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
--

Banned spammer.

Now THIS is an AWESOME reply!

I had to read the thread to figure it out...I should have read it more thoroughly before blowing 10 minutes... Live and learn.

BTW, I ship my cats via cat-a-pult service. I prefer the trebuchet up-sale option as it's more dramatic and delivers the fur faster. Tried Red Tailed hawk service before, but they kept arriving broken and parts missing...

--
Chuck C
NACRA 500 Mk2
Hobie 21se (sold)
--

Oh - clarification - I DO NOT ship my boats this way! I would NEVER treat a beach cat in such a fashion.

Note:
No beach cats were hurt in the making of this post, but a Skype meeting was actively ignored.

--
Chuck C
NACRA 500 Mk2
Hobie 21se (sold)
--

I used Uship to deliver my last cat. Cost about $1000 to deliver an I20 on trailer about 1500 miles. Finding someone to cross the border might be an issue, but you could consider meeting at the border and bringing
it across yourself.

Pete

--
Pete Knapp
Schodack landing,NY
Goodall Viper,AHPC Viper,Nacra I20
--

Might check with some people who race a lot. They will drive insane distances, by my thinking, to attend races.
I bought a mast and sails from somebody going from Mass. to Fla. Only had to drive an hour to meet them. I bought a boat that was is Calif. and a sailor brought it to NC for $1000 then headed to NY to take another boat back to California. When I sold it the buyer shipped it to TX.

Many years ago I had an 18ft cat shipped from CA to FL. I used one of the major movers, Allied I think, but had to wait a short time till they had someone moving coast to coast and they had extra room on the tractor-trailer. The boat was disassembled and the mast was tied to the bottom of the trailer. When they arrived to pick up the boat, they let me supervise the loading and make suggestions on how to tie the mast to the bottom of the trailer. Everything arrived without a scratch but I don't remember how much it cost. It must have been reasonable, otherwise I wouldn't have done it.

--
Bill Townsend
G-Cat 5.0
Sarasota
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I used uship.com once to ship from CA to IL. Worked out great. Someone towed it behind their pickup.

--
Scott,
‘92 H18 w/SX wings
‘95 Hobie Funseeker 12 (Holder 12)
‘96/‘01/‘14 Hobie Waves
--

I "shipped" my last Nacra F18 from LA to Washington, DC for $1600 using a driver from UShip and the boats trailer. This was a deal as the driver was dead heading to the East Coast from the West Coast. Normal price was closer to $2k. Crossing the border and going somewhere off the beaten path could easily be $2500-$3k.

Typically the Nacra dealers bring boats in a container to their specific country.

If you are interested in a 2 man boat, I highly recommend stepping up to the F18, which is the most supported class of all mentioned. My Exploder Scorpion is going on the market (yes I'll buy an ad), PM me for details.

Forgive my jumping into this thread a little late, but I think I can offer some useful experience.

When I bought my TF about a dozen years ago, it couldn't have been easier: Seller was in Boston and I almost immediately found (via craigslist rideshares) a girl who was driving from there to Portland via Montana, where she had family. We met up in Great Falls, which is an easy day trip from here, I paid her a grand, and hauled it home, doing the customs clearance en route.

After that, when I bought the SC19 from Long Island NY last summer, I thought getting it here would be easy. Boy, was I wrong. Someone suggested uship, and the quotes I got were up around $5K - more than twice the value of the boat - so that was a non-starter. I screwed around with craigslist for a couple of months with a series of people over different possibilities. Best would have been to get it to Montana (as previous), but I didn't mind driving further to an adjacent state for the handoff, and since I was facing an Oct.1 deadline (when the marina where it was being stored was scheduled to close for the season) I was willing to just get it as far as my pal's place in Madison WI (where I thought I'd be able to pick it up in the spring - good thing that didn't happen, thanks to the border closure) or even his coworker's place in NJ - anything to get it off Long Island. At one point I had a guy ready to do the NY-NJ run - for $500, which was just stupid, and I kept hearing about what a nightmare that part of the drive would be. One prospect fell through after the other, and October passed, and on Nov.1 I just said "screw this, I'm driving", and hit the road. The trip took nine days, cost me about a grand, I got to stay with my bud in Madison twice, and hung for an evening and had a terrific supper at a hardcore kosher deli on Long Island with Bobby, the boat's PO. And for the record, getting from Long Island, across Manhattan, and to New Jersey wasn't any different than towing a cat around LA freeways, which I did a bunch of a long time ago - no big deal.

So my original experience, and that of the previous poster, constitute pure luck. Nothing better than getting a bargain from someone who's otherwise deadheading, that's for sure, but if you're off the beaten path you could be SOL. Start looking early.

As for the (Canadian) border crossing, do it yourself. I'd never dream of trusting someone to do the customs clearance for me. For the craziest possible trailering-stuff-over-the-border story, you might like this (bit of a long read, but you're stuck at home and have time on your hands, right?):

https://nitpickingbastard…-of-the-sea-doo-trailer/



Edited by jonathan162 on Jan 13, 2021 - 02:28 PM.

--
Southern Alberta and all over the damn place.
*
1981 SuperCat 20 "Roberts' Rockets"
1983 SuperCat 19
TriFoiler #23 "Unfair Advantage"
Mystere 17
Unicorn A-Class (probably made by Trowbridge) that I couldn't resist rescuing at auction.
H18 & Zygal (classic) Tornado - stolen and destroyed - very unpleasant story.
Invitation and Mistral and Sunflower and windsurfers w/ Harken hydrofoils and god knows what else...
--

All good suggestions!
I'm looking for someone to transport a boat on a trailer (apart, hulls inverted) from Rhode Island to GA

--
Cameron
Tornado (Marstrom) USA 851
--

I've never been there, but it seems like the kind of trip lots of people would be making for spring break, no? If so, you should be able to find a reasonably responsible one (yeah, I know, "spring break") with a trailer hitch who could use some extra scratch.

--
Southern Alberta and all over the damn place.
*
1981 SuperCat 20 "Roberts' Rockets"
1983 SuperCat 19
TriFoiler #23 "Unfair Advantage"
Mystere 17
Unicorn A-Class (probably made by Trowbridge) that I couldn't resist rescuing at auction.
H18 & Zygal (classic) Tornado - stolen and destroyed - very unpleasant story.
Invitation and Mistral and Sunflower and windsurfers w/ Harken hydrofoils and god knows what else...
--