As a result of the successful bi-annual movement of some of their yachts from the Caribbean to the Mediterranean, Sunsail has set up a new company that can offer private yacht owners reasonable rates to ship their yachts and motorboats across the Atlantic on two occasions each year.

Atlantic Yacht Shipping organises a ship every November, loading at three locations in Europe, the Ionian, Palma de Mallorca and Nantes and delivering the boats to the British Virgin Islands and then St Vincent in the Caribbean. The reverse trip back to the Mediterranean takes place in April.

Sunsail has been shipping its own yachts for four years between the Mediterranean and Caribbean and has now opted to formalise a company to offer the service to private yacht owners. Monohulls of up to 45ft will cost ‘6000, up to 49ft, ‘7000 and over 50ft, ‘8000. Catamarans and motor yachts are also accepted for shipping. The maximum weight of vessel able to be shipped is 25 tons.

These figures show a vast reduction on other commercial shipping charges for yachts and motorboats across the Atlantic and will be of great interest to any owner contemplating a season or two in the Caribbean. Shipping is obviously safer than sailing the boat on its own bottom and causes much less wear and tear.

Qualified staff, trained to deal specifically with the shipping of yachts and boats, accompany the vessel across the Atlantic and supervise the loading and launching of each of the boats. Specially designed yacht cradles are used and are included in the cost of shipping. For motorboats, cradles are provided at minimum cost.

Commenting on the opening of Atlantic Yacht Shipping to private yacht owners, Nick Webster, Development Director of Sunsail said: –

“We have been shipping our yachts successfully across the Atlantic for the past four years and we thought the time was right to open up the service to private yacht owners as well.

“The ships we charter have plenty of space to accommodate vessels other than our own and in this way we are able to keep the costs down and make the transatlantic shipping of private yachts an affordable reality.

Atlantic Yacht Shipping has its own web site at www.atlanticyachtshipping.com.
or can be contacted by phone on 44 (0) 23 92 222370
or by fax on 44 (0) 23 92 219846