Trailer re-assembly from container

For MacGregor/Venture owners in Australia and discussions about country-specific sailing-related topics.
igooba
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Sailboat: MacGregor 26M
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Trailer re-assembly from container

Post by igooba »

Hi Everyone,

I was wondering if anyone had experience re-assembling their Mac without any help from the wharf guys, forklifts etc. (OHS means they won't help)
I was briefly told I had to drag it out of the container with my car, jack up the trailer, fit the axel with U bolts and fit the wheels and done.....
I am a little apprehensive the thing will fall over when i jack it up or I won't be able to reach the U bolts with the boat on the trailer...

If anyone has done it I would be really appreciative if you could give me some tips or photos as when the time comes I will have to do the process quickly as I will be charged storge fees and they won't like me lingering round all day in the quarantine area.

I am planning on paying the $250 for a flat bed tow truck to bring it home as I can't see how I can legally tow it home.
That way I can take my time and get the trailer up to specs.

Thanks for your help
Peter
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Mistral
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Re: Trailer re-assembly from container

Post by Mistral »

Peter,

My trailer was part assembled, i.e. enough for the boat to be put on the trailer, so axles and wheels and boat on trailer. I had to assemble the rest at the yard, but they lent me their tools. Double checked their work though, before I drove off. All in all it took me about 3 hours.
Dirk
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davidbagnall
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Re: Trailer re-assembly from container

Post by davidbagnall »

I found that a case or beer helped with the unloading exercise :)
Here are some pics of my Mac's trip home http://cid-d1962ecb9b057f5c.skydrive.li ... 057F5C!126
I initially towed it about 1K to a trailer repair shop (who turned out not to be too helpful) so I then got it put onto the back of a truck and had it delivered to someone who was quite keen to help me out. I think that trip was about $250~ish for about 40K
igooba
Deckhand
Posts: 35
Joined: Wed Oct 14, 2009 9:16 pm
Sailboat: MacGregor 26M
Location: Sydney Australia

Re: Trailer re-assembly from container

Post by igooba »

Thanks everyone,
I am trying to work out how to lift the boat without a forklift. Would it be too heavy for 2 people to lift the toung of the trailer onto the towbar off the ground? I was thinking some long pieces of timber and 2 x car jacks.
I am also unsure what to expect with the suspension and where the U bolts connect.
Did anyone take any close up photos?? Case of beer isn't out of the question!
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The Mutt
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Re: Trailer re-assembly from container

Post by The Mutt »

We put our trailer back together at the Customs yard, Port Botany, we had at one point four guys with three forklifts, my wife and myself, one of the guys told me that I would not have been allowed to lift the boat and trailer by myself incase there was an accident ... too much paperwork.

Image

Image

The offer of a box of beer goes down well.

Glenn
igooba
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Re: Trailer re-assembly from container

Post by igooba »

Hey Glen,
Did you just get lucky in having such helpful dock workers/forks or did you have them arranged prior?
The importer told me the guys at the holding yard might not like me much because of needing assistance, OHS etc.

thanks
Pete
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The Mutt
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Re: Trailer re-assembly from container

Post by The Mutt »

The dock workers like to do something out of the norm to break the bordom, we were at the Patricks Customs yard at Port Botany, they will never let you lift the boat yourself, too much paperwork if you drop it on yourself, they wont you to get your boat out of the container, bolted together and inspected ASAP, the workers arranged themselves, all of a sudden there is a call out to another guy and another forklift arrives, I have nothing but praise for the workers there, I should have taken three or four boxes of beer not one as the office lady advised me.

The Customs inspectors .............. if I posted what I really think of them here and how they treated us I would have the moderators jumping up and down.

Glenn
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Mistral
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Re: Trailer re-assembly from container

Post by Mistral »

Glenn,

I agree with you in regards to the custom inspectors. As I said before my boat was on the trailer and trailer part assembled, when I picked it up. That was after the custom inspectors knocked the boat back 3 times before. 1. bird sh~t, 2. packing wood (either fumigate it, burn it or return it to the USA), 3. Can not remember exactly. Than after we had the boat in the water I wanted to check the porta potti, well it was still full of decomposed sh~t, especially exported from the USA and missed by the clever inspectors.
igooba
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Re: Trailer re-assembly from container

Post by igooba »

Thanks for your help everyone,
Well I am happy to say I now am the proud owner of a 2005 26M!!

She arrived in the container 3 weeks ago and passed through quarintine 1st time with no fumigation required. (lucky!)
I have been enjoying tinkering around on it the past few weekends changing over to 240v, new charger etc.
I need to register her and the trailer and should be on the water ready for winter!

I don't want to seem negative about the experience of importing as I would do it again but I wanted to let everyone know of a problem I had so others can be more careful.

I used a company called Import-A-Boat Australia, they had an impressive website, great marketing emails saying the process would be painless etc, and John the owner told me they had done about 10 Macgregors and are experts in packing them on the USA end. I won't bore you with all the details but they really did a job on me:
- Kept me in the dark the entire process, and didn't have a clue where it was, what boat it was on, what port etc
- Scratched down the side of the boat
- Packed the boat in the container with 3 pieces of 4x2 wood. (not the sled pallet they promised)
- Shoved the boat into the container so hard they did a 2m gash in the container floor
- Rammed the tow hitch into the brakes on position so hard a trailer machanic spent 4 hours and gave up
- Lost brake parts when disasembling them

The owner of the company tells me it isn't his problem, and is obviously unhelpful. He tells me they are not responsible for any damages. I am happy with the boat anyway but I don't want this guy to get away with it, the guys packing the boat had obviously never done it before and didn't care.

Just a word of warning if anyone is thinking of using Import-A-Boat. dont!
On a lighter note, I am in the middle of mod number 1 and can't wait to get her out on the water.

Hope to see some of you out there.

Pete
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The Mutt
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Re: Trailer re-assembly from container

Post by The Mutt »

G'Day Pete

I talked to Import-A-Boat Australia, got a bad vibe during the conversation, he sounded like a Queensland politician patting himself on the back all the time, we then talked to one of our customers that brings trucks, tractors, combine harvesters, etc into the country every week and went with the guys they recomended.

We were also in the dark about what boat the container was on, we were told the boat name our Mac was on, paper work arrived with a different boat name, the container arrived on a completly different boat, ends up the docks in the US will throw the container on whatever ship is going to the correct location as soon as there is room aboard, our Australian agents were also in the dark.

Now the fun starts getting for you, getting ready for RTA compliance.

Fair winds
Glenn
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Mistral
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Re: Trailer re-assembly from container

Post by Mistral »

G'day Pete

Congratulations on getting your boat.

As you can see from the previous replies we all had our problems importing. I too would go again with the company I used, even with the minor problems

Happy sailing
MysticMac
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Re: Trailer re-assembly from container

Post by MysticMac »

I wish i had read this forum. Unfortunately i am in the process of bringing in a :macx: with import-a-boat. John quoted in $AU verbally then changed his mind when our exchange rates fell now wants to charge same figure but in $US to pick up an extra few thousand $$$. Is threatening to leave the boat at the wharf and i will be charged extra if i don't bend over. I will not swear on this forum.
igooba
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Re: Trailer re-assembly from container

Post by igooba »

Sorry to hear you had trouble with Import-a-boat as well Mysticmac,

I was also quoted $AUS but was invoiced in $USD and then had to pay a conversion fee that was not a good rate on top.
John also added an extra $800 on top of that with any explanation and the invoice wasn't itemised.
I had tried to contact John for weeks prior and the only time he responded was when he wanted the invoice paid just days before the boat arrived.

Just be careful....The minute you pay the invoice you will not hear from John and Import-a-boat again.

He will pass it onto another company who will do all the clearance paperwork and he will tell you it is nothing to do with him anymore. This was such a relief for me actually as the company who do the Australian clearance are what you would expect, professional and actually reply to your emails and calls. This company will invoice you for their work separately.

I contacted the QLD Consumer Affairs who told me Import-a-Boat are well known to them for similar incidents in the past. They could not tell me any more due to privacy. I have lodged a complaint and they have told me they are trying to contact Import-a-Boat.

If I were you I would try and hold off paying the invoice as long as you can (before your boat arrives) and see if Import-a-Boat has any industry certification body you could contact to lodge a complaint. Also you can lodge a QLD consumer affairs complaint as I did online at their website.

Unfortunatly John knows too well that the storage fees and penalties for late pickup on the wharf deter people from doing anything other than paying the inflated invoices.

Let me know if you want to chat about some of the tips I learnt removing the Mac from the container.
Regards
Peter
igooba
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Re: Trailer re-assembly from container

Post by igooba »

Hi Everyone,
I thought I would share some pic's of my Mac coming out of the container.
Image
Image
Image
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fireant
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Re: Trailer re-assembly from container

Post by fireant »

I was told that the Mac does not fit into a standard container without removing the gunnel rubber.
It seems to have gone into this container ok.
What size container do you need for importing a :macm: or :macx: ?

Has anyone got the names of any good import people here in OZ ?
I already have my :macm: but I would like to able to recommend a company to anyone who likes mine and would like to import one.

Phill
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