14/02/2023Author: Multihull Central | General news, Owner blog, Seabbatical

Image Above: Seawind 1260 on the Saigon River, Ho Chi Minh City (image courtesy of Sailor.com.au)

Tips for Delivery by Sea – Asia to Australia / New Zealand
The Summer of 2022 / 2023 has been and interesting journey for many of our customers taking delivery of boats over this period. With country borders being opened up in earnest, this saw new boat owners taking delivery of their cruising catamarans on mass, as we helped coordinate deliveries of 4 x Seawinds and 1 x HH50 from Asia back to Australia and New Zealand. We have gained some new and valuable insights for those considering taking delivery in Asia.

So here are some key points to consider…

First, is this a cruise or a transit?
If you are planning to take delivery of your boat and sail back to Australia or New Zealand over the course of a few months, or even years, exploring exotic Asia including beautiful locations such as the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia and down into the Pacific Islands such as the Solomons, Vanuatu and Fiji – then you can really get some amazing value out of this option. You save on shipping costs while exploring areas of the world that take a great deal of effort to normally reach.

However if you are going from zero experience to hero adventurer, be sure that you get suitably qualified and some sea time up first. It’s not a good idea to learn on the job on the ocean…Asia offers incredible beauty and is a cultural melting pot, however for all its beauty it can have unpredictable tropical storms, busy shipping channels and fishing boats with nets that are not well marked. For the newly initiated this can be intimidating and frankly quite stressful if done in a hurry – but if you get qualified, get experienced, go with the flow and take your time this can be an incredibly rewarding journey and travel adventure.

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Image above: Seawind 1260 visiting Gizo, Solomon Islands enroute to New Zealand (image courtesy of Yacht Delivery Solutions)

Qualifications
You need recognised qualifications to clear out of Vietnam. So we recommend qualifications equivalent to a Yacht Master if you intend to be in charge of your own vessel, or Day Skipper level if you plan to crew with a professional skipper as you will still be required to skipper on shifts. Our sail training programs in Sydney onboard catamarans can help get you qualified as the first step with further options to build up miles. See more info online here:
https://charterboatcentral.com.au/boat_activity/sail-training-school/

Professional Skipper and Crew
A delivery skipper could be a good option to move the boat from the factory to a cruising base, such as Pattaya Thailand, Batam Indonesia, or Cebu Philippines. We expect soon that both Seawind and HH will offer delivery to Pattaya and Cebu for handover from their respective factories as part of the local commissioning and handover option. Stay tuned for further info here.

However if you are planning to simply have the boat delivered back home quickly and efficiently as a mode of transport, then consider that this is a work place and the boat is the legal responsibility of the skipper which makes them in charge. The skippers we source are both qualified and experienced in delivering catamarans and usually know the waters and have probably seen lots of problems before and know how to avoid them. This means they will make judgement calls with regards to weather, sea state, provisioning, refuelling, ports and so one.

It also means that the price is variable and is subject to change based on weather delays or gear failure. There are also personalities to consider, spending long periods of time with (of approx. a month or more) the same people can prove testing. So we recommend that if you opt to have the boat delivered home, best let the pros do the hard work and enjoy some sailing after delivery.

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Image above: Seawind 1260 at Lombok, Indonesia enroute to Australia (image courtesy Sailor.com.au)

Preparation

Even for a professional crew, there is a multitude of items needed to prepare for these passages. This can include:

Safety equipment suitable for offshore passages including lifejackets, harnesses, flares, Epirb, First Aid, Dinghy and or Liferaft.
Electronic Charts of Asia Continental PLUS Australia / New Zealand – Asia charts are hard to come by but can be purchased online and downloaded.
Linen or sleeping bags – optional from the factory
Basic cooking equipment – optional from the factory
Engine Spares – available from Australia
Tools
Jerry Cans for fuel
International Registration – Australian AMSA (allow up to 8 weeks) or Cook Islands (allow 2 weeks)
Insurance – we can help arrange blue water insurance via Pantaenius, which reverts to a domestic policy once in Australian / New Zealand waters. Budget around 2.5% premium / boat value for blue water and 1% for domestic.

Local Launch and Handover
Vietnam can be a bit restrictive when it comes to taking delivery. They don’t really recognise recreational boating and as the boats are considered export products which avoid local taxes, you are expected to move out within about 2 weeks of the boat being launched. So the launch schedule is fairly rigid, but the local launch team will ensure the boat is prepped and sea trialled with you and the skipper before departure. The industrial nature of the ports means its best to focus on prepping the boat and leaving efficiently for a comfortable cruising base such as Batam or Pattaya. The factory will organise accommodation and help coordinate your local travel to source provisioning etc. Be aware however there are no ship chandleries so be sure to bring as much boat stuff or personal safety gear as possible, or organise it to be sent to the factory in advance.

Which Way Home?
The next consideration to make is the path home. Delivery skippers ideally have experience in this part of the world, or at least the wherewithal to research a sensible journey home considering prevailing weather, refuelling and provisioning ports. These are important considerations as the weather can be on the nose at certain times of the year and there are the doldrums to motor through, so fuel is important also. Many of the ports are small islands with fuel bowsers inland which require loading up several jerry cans and transporting by vehicle.

If planning to head to New Zealand or the South Pacific, its favourable to head east to the Philippines and above New Guinea to the Solomons, eventually clearing into Opua in New Zealand.
Route of a Seawind 1260 from Vietnam to New Zealand

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If heading to Australia, the common route is to head south to Batam and then weaving in the lee of the Indonesian islands before dropping down into either Darwin or Thursday Island.
Route of Seawinds from Vietnam to Gold Coast

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Post Delivery
The first stop in locations such as Batam often allow the crew to attend to any items that need adjusting after the boat’s first proper sea passage, along with the engines first oil change.

However after arriving into Australia or New Zealand, the boat will need a full engine service, rig tune, detail and probably a list of jobs for repair or tweaking. In many respects this is an almighty shake down cruise that puts the boat through their paces shaking loose any shackles, blocks or rigging that needs further tightening – stressing and tensioning the structure with green water, various wind conditions. So after a full service you would expect cruising offshore to have less little jobs.

Multihull Central can help prepare and plan your delivery in Asia. We also arrange shipping directly to Brisbane and Sydney which is becoming more competitive again and provides a much more relaxed onboarding experience in home waters. Talk to our team about the best options for you an your boat.

Arrival and Importing

On arrival into Australia or New Zealand, be prepared to import the boat – unless you are a non-resident non-tax payer – in those scenarios you can for a control permit (See Australian info here).. To import the boat this will entail paying the GST on the value of the boat and delivery cost, however if you arrive within 12 months of launch you should get the 5% Import Duty waived thanks to the Free Trade Agreement between the ASEAN countries. However you will need the correct paperwork supplied by the factory and submit through a customs broker before arrival ideally to avoid delays. A quarantine inspection will happen at this time also. Be sure any visiting crew have the appropriate visas for entry into Australia.

Post Delivery
After arriving into Australia or New Zealand, the boat will need a full engine service, rig tune, detail and probably a list of jobs for repair or tweaking. In many respects this is an almighty shake down cruise that puts the boat through their paces shaking loose any shackles, blocks or rigging that needs further tightening – stressing and tensioning the structure with green water, various wind conditions. So after a full service you would expect cruising offshore to have less little jobs.

Image: Seawind 1160 Lite launching in Port Botany, Sydney

Shipping – A Simple Alternative

We also arrange shipping directly to Brisbane and Sydney which is becoming more competitive again with prices falling rapidly as the world gets back to normal. This option provides a much more relaxed onboarding experience in home waters. After the boat leaves the factory, it takes around 3-4 weeks for the ship to arrive into Australia. On arrival our commissioning team will meet it at the port with a support vessel as it get’s launched into the water. Over the fortnight the boat a huge amount of local work gets done including: Quarantine inspection, unwrapping of protective covers, stepping the rig, installing sails, installing solar panels, connecting and calibrating electrics and navigation equipment, engine checks and calibration, Gas certification, Electrical certification plus any special inspections and installations required for commercial survey if selected.

Then its onto the fun part as our team provide both a systems handover and then an onwater handover, covering sailing, reefing, anchoring, docking and more. We won’t teach you how to sail but we can offer additional coaching if you need it beyond the handover process. This allows you to take your time and get comfortable with the boat working up to coastal trips and eventually a passage.

Video: Seatrials in Australia after arrival by ship