Mark, congratulations! Now the hard part begins...
Having bought (and brought from the US) a boat last year, I can share some experience. 1. Survey I would strongly suggest doing a survey. You can find the list of local surveyors here: http://www.marinesurveyor.com/usa.html Count on about $500 for decent survey. But I consider it some of the better spent money in that whole deal. 2. Customs broker If you have a third party bringing the boat to Canada (and you are not present at the border) hire a Customs Broker. For me, it was the second best money spent. Count on about $250. They would prepare all necessary documentation, verify that the border crossing you are planning to use does not require anything else (and that everything in that package is to their liking - the requirements vary from crossing to crossing) and would collect the HST, so the boat would not be impounded until you pay it. With the help of the broker, my boat cleared in under 10 min. 3. Transport If you plan to sail her, you don't need to read on. If you plan to bring her in, the most cost effective option is uShip. But beware. Triple verify the reputation of the carrier (especially, how long he is in business). There are many fly by night operations that seem to be OK and are there only to steal your down payment (guess how I know). Your transport should be probably under $2500 (count about $1/mile or less). If you are not in rush, only better. Try avoiding sending cash. they would insist on getting a big down payment (for the gas); try resisting it as much as you can. Consider whatever you pay down as potential risk. Everyone I talked to recommended not to use the cradle for transport. It happens often enough that the cradle support goes through the hull during the transport. If you have a cradle, you can get some non-boat transport company, but the savings might be gone if you have to repair the hull. Rather, try finding a company that specialises in transporting boats and they would have a dedicated boat trailer. If you plan to transport her yourself, be very careful. These boats are heavy and the trailer you have available might not be in the best condition. You don't want to destroy the bearings 1500 miles from home in the middle of nowhere. Just to give you perspective; the guy who brought the boat for me, someone with 15 years experience transporting boats and with a new trailer (1 year old) had a bearing in the trailer exploding when travelling at about 40 mph. He spent two days driving around for parts and fixing it. Before you do that yourself, think if you are up to that challenge. Btw. he checked the temperature of each hub and the pressure in each tire every hour. I wish you good luck. And strong nerves. Marek
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