Shipping Yachts International

By Author: Miranda Cundy
Total Articles: 2
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Yachts are a ‘high end' recreational boat and can be fitted with either sails or a power engine. They are thus classified purely by their use - being used entirely for leisure purposes unlike working ships. There are many different types and lengths of yachts, with standard yachts ranging from 20 feet to 6 metres. Meanwhile a ‘mega yacht' can reach over 100 foot (34 metres) while a super yacht can reach up to and over 200 feet (70 metres). It is worth noting that this is still a small size compared to a cruise liner or oil tanker. This is just one example of how yachts vary from region to region, with mega and super yachts (also known as ‘luxury yachts') being particularly popular in the Mediterranean. These differences create a market for shipping yachts internationally in order to provide the best range of options for those that enjoy leisurely sailing.

In the 1950s, all yachts were made from wood or steel (for larger yachts). Today however a far wider range of materials are used providing more option for yacht owners. Commonly this includes fibreglass (the most common of materials) followed by aluminium, ...
... steel, carbon fibre, and others. Wood is still used for hobbyists. ‘Wooden boat purists' are those who collect and particularly enjoy the use of completely wooden boats though these are harder to come by. These are harder to find much like the luxury yachts and might require the international shipping of yachts.

The smaller yachts are also further divided into smaller categories. Sailing yachts are of course those that use sails, but these can be further delineated into ‘day sailing yachts', ‘weekender yachts' and ‘cruising yachts'. These refer to their size, with the day sailing yacht being small enough to be suitable for a ‘day out sailing', while the ‘weekender' allows for over night stays with more storage space and a cabin for sleeping, and the ‘cruising yacht' (the most common sailing yacht) being larger and more complex to allowed for continued use. Racing yachts meanwhile also use sails and are designed to reduce drag and thereby increase speed allowing for up to 30 knots.

Yachts in general are highly popular for the sense of freedom and calm they bring their users. Whether you're a fishing enthusiast, a sailing enthusiast, an adventurer, or just like the idea of sailing around the ocean with a beer and no one around for miles. They can be enjoyed alone, as a family, or as a couple for a romantic evening or weekend.

This, coupled with the vast range of different types of yacht has resulted in the production of many different types of yachts and many industries revolved around shipping yachts. International companies that build yachts are in abundance but for those looking for something more specialist or a cheaper deal (yachts are highly expensive reflecting their luxury nature) then international shipping can be a great way to get hold of a more specific boat more cheaply. Be it Italian manufactured by Ferretti Group, or British such as Hunter Boats, or French such as Dufour Yachts. Using a broker to ship yachts international helps protect your investment and avoid lengthy complications.

Buying a foreign made yacht is great and yacht shipping does not have to be a stressful process. Like most things in life, it is easier to let someone with experience at importing boats do this laborious task for you.