Yacht Transportation Insights for Q4 2024

Key Advice on Yacht Shipping for Owners and Brokers

As the largest and most reliable yacht carrier in North America, Cross Chartering Yacht Transport leads the industry in volume and consistency, with North American sailings every 4-6 weeks.

In 2023 alone, we completed over 24 North American sailings between the East and West coasts – five times the number of the next largest carrier. Whether you’re a yacht builder, broker, or owner, staying updated on Q4 2024’s top shipping options is essential for efficient and hassle-free transport.

This blog will share some yacht shipping insights and advice from our experts about the rest of 2024 and beyond.

If you’d like to meet with us in person, visit our team at booth 850 in the US Superyacht Pavilion at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show (FLIBS) from Wednesday, October 30 to Sunday, November 3, 2024. Our experts will be available to answer questions about our sailings, shipping methods, and routes.

Preparing for Yacht Transport in Q4 2024

Cross Chartering Yacht Transport, the largest yacht carrier in North America, is continuing to add extra season sailings in North America to meet the higher-than-expected demand.

Planning is essential for a successful move in the last quarter of the year. With demand increasing, especially along routes like Port of Victoria to Port Everglades, early booking and preparation are critical for a smooth process.

Here are a few tips to help ensure you have a positive yacht shipping experience:

1. Book Early: With higher demand in Q4, securing your preferred route and time is key to avoiding scheduling conflicts.
2. Have Documentation Ready: Having customs paperwork and clearance documents in order ahead of time helps avoid any delays.
3. Make Sure Your Carrier’s Team is Highly Experienced: Liner services typically use less skilled and less experienced staff. Using a larger carrier will help you avoid issues. Our operations team at Cross Chartering has loaded over 10,000 boats, that’s over 20 years of experience focused purely on superyachts and yachts.
4. Coordinate with Your Crew: Make sure your crew is available at both departure and arrival ports to oversee the process.

Cross Chartering’s President Paul Haber further emphasizes, “Proper planning is key. We encourage clients to book as early as possible to secure their routes and have all documentation in order well in advance.”

Fishing Tournaments – Save Your Boat and Crew – “Ship, Don’t Run”

For yachtsmen preparing for high-stakes fishing tournaments like Los Cabos Billfish Tournament, Bisbee’s Black & Blue Marlin Tournament, and Los Sueños, transporting your boat rather than running it directly to the destination can be a game-changer.

For yachtsmen preparing for high-stakes fishing tournaments like Los Cabos Billfish Tournament, Bisbee’s Black & Blue Marlin Tournament, and Los Sueños, transporting your boat rather than running it directly to the destination can be a game-changer.

Our advice this tournament season is to avoid the wear, tear and extended running time of a multi-day trip, and give your crew a well-deserved break! Instead of six days on the water, opt for yacht transport, allowing everyone to arrive fresh and ready for the tournament.

With Cross Chartering at the helm, you’ll have your yacht delivered directly to the tournament, so you can focus on the event and have your boat in prime condition. By the time you reach the dock, your vessel will be as ready as you are to dive straight into the action.

Most Popular Port Destinations for Q4 2024

Our primary market for Q4 2024 includes North America, with frequent routes between the East and West Coasts, as well as routes from North America to Asia. We also serve the Mediterranean with regular routes from Port Everglades, Florida. These primary destinations allow yacht brokers and owners the flexibility to ship vessels for sale, extended cruising, or seasonal relocation.

The Most Popular Routes Chosen by Our Clients This Year Have Been:

• Port Everglades to Port Victoria in British Columbia: Florida, as North America’s number one location for yacht sales, serves as the primary shipping point for vessels heading to the West Coast. From Port Victoria, yachts can reach their home ports throughout the Pacific, from Seattle to San Diego.
• Port Everglades to the Mediterranean: Mediterranean routes remain highly popular for owners seeking extended yachting seasons. Key ports like Palma, Genoa, Lavrio, and Fethiye in Turkey provide excellent unloading facilities, making them ideal entry points for Mediterranean cruising.
• Port Victoria to Asia: Cross has been transporting factory boats from Asia to North America for over two decades. We handle factory transport for well-known builders like Horizon, Hargrave, Nordhavn, Ocean Alexander, and Viking. Our yacht transport services are the gold standard for yacht manufacturers, and our consistent North American sailings set us apart in the industry.

We transport over 2,000 yachts annually to and from key global destinations, including:

• Port Everglades: A major hub for yacht transport, serving as a departure and arrival point for vessels heading across North America and around the world. Cross Chartering provides reliable transport services to and from this highly popular port.
• Asia: Our routes cover numerous major ports in Asia, including Hong Kong, Busan, Yokohama, and Singapore, providing access to the ports most frequently used for yacht transport by the largest boat manufacturers in the world.
• South Pacific: A favored route for yacht builders and brokers, we offer transportation to prominent locations like Brisbane and Auckland, supporting international sales and deliveries.
• Antwerp: As a primary European port, Antwerp provides ideal access to continental destinations, making it a strategic entry point for extended cruising throughout Europe.

Lift-On/Lift-Off (LOLO): Heavy-Lift Yacht Transport

Our primary method for yacht transport is the lift-on/lift-off (LOLO) approach, which involves carefully lifting yachts with cranes to load and unload them onto a heavy-lift vessel (HLV). Our skilled loadmaster determines the optimal lifting points on each yacht, while professional divers position heavy-duty slings under the hull for secure lifting.

Once secured, a crane gently raises the yacht from the water or truck bed and places it onto the ship’s deck. The yacht is then carefully fastened to the deck and cradle, ensuring it remains secure during transit. This meticulous process is controlled entirely by our team, from onload to offload, providing seamless coordination at both the departure and arrival ports.

Trust Cross Chartering With Your Precious Cargo

Yacht shipping in Q4 2024 presents unique challenges and opportunities for owners, builders, and brokers. Cross Chartering offers tailored yacht shipping solutions, ensuring efficient and cost-effective transport on high-demand routes like Victoria to Port Everglades.

 

As we all know, unlike running the yacht on its bottom, transporting by sea prevents excessive engine hours and minimizes maintenance needs.

Ocean transport is the most efficient way to move yachts internationally and across long distances. Our scheduled sailings, along with our experienced logistics and operations team, make yacht transport via sea a straightforward process that reduces wear and tear on your vessel and provides time off for your crew.

We are a direct carrier and not a broker or freight forwarder with over 20 years of experience transporting yachts worldwide. In that time we’ve developed a streamlined system designed to handle each yacht with precision.

Our in-house logistics and operations team manages each phase of transport, ensuring your yacht arrives in excellent condition at the destination. We make yacht shipping simple, secure, and reliable, supporting owners and builders alike.

“We’ve been transporting factory boats from Florida to the West Coast and Asia to the US for over 20 years. We’ve honed our process to guarantee the highest level of safety while balancing cost considerations for yacht owners and builders alike.”

– Paul Haber, President

By choosing the right method, proper planning, and working with an experienced provider, you can get around the complexities of open sea transport of your super yacht this season with ease.

Reach out today to secure your booking now. Simply click here. To reach our team directly in the US call us at +1 (954) 686-6902, for international services, you can reach our Antwerp, Belgium office at +32-475-43-45-31.