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"Jane" Starfisher 8.4m
Contracted by the owner who was taking her down to Southern Portugal for the summer by road transport. Arriver 4 days later at her destination in the same condition that she left the UK,once the cover had bee removed. The owner very kindly wrote the following about his experience with IMS in Yachting and Boating World:
"Firstly, I have no connection whatsoever with the companies I am mentioning here.
Just had my boat delivered from Hayling Island to Lagos, Portugal by lorry. Never had a boat delivered this way before - so I was more than a tad nervous.
The preparation which we did consisted of taping down everything that might possibly move - sealing up doors with blocks of wood - and securing pillows or other soft items to seats that might otherwise rattle themselves apart over the journey. We had no training for this - just used basic commonsense really.
It was very much a last minute thought to have the boat shrinkwrapped. I used IMS Shrinkwrap whose web site is http://www.yachtcover.co.uk/ (Paul Wilshaw) - and it hurt a bit financially as it added nearly £400 to the cost.
Paul turned up at Sparkes Marina the day before transport and spent 4 hours with one of his guys wrapping the boat. Its a work of art really - they build a framework of rope all over the boat - then cover any "proud" parts of the boat with bubblewrap, and finally drape over the polythene.
Then the magic - out comes a special blowtorch and the whole lot is shrunk to size. It takes a long time, but the result is first class. They even build in a door so you can have access to the boat (and so can H M Customs!) after they have finished.
I have to say its the best 400 quid I have ever spent. The lorry driver encountered snow, hail, thunderstorms and gales across europe. Despite this the shrinkwrap literally weathered the storm, and it looked no different when it arrived at Lagos to how it did when it left Hayling Island.
By contrast, the other boat on the lorry had been shrinkwrapped by another company. The lorry driver told me that it didnt even survive the first day through France and he had to cut it off at the end of the day as it was in tatters and damaging the boat as it flapped around.
Moral of the story - get your boat shrinkwrapped but by someone who knows how to do the job properly.
Next we come to the transport element.
I was just as impressed. We used Andersons Boat Transport from the West Country. Dont think they have a web site but the phone is 01208 862179.
Again - absolutely no problems at all. The lorry driver even gave me his mobile number so I could call him during the trip across Europe and see how things were going.
They promised me that they would be in Lagos some time today but didnt want to fix a time bearing in mind they had 2000 kms to travel across Europe.
In reality - they made it to Lagos last night, and by 10am this morning the boat was in the Marina at Lagos, tied up in my new berth and I was enjoying a "Full English" breakfast at the Marina with the lad who drove the lorry.
Not a mark on the boat - no damage of any sort - absolutely as pristine as it was when it left Hayling Island last week.
10 out of 10 for both Andersons and IMS Shrinkwrap. Thanks lads in both cases."
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The Ancient Mariner
(Well thats what it says on my cap)
http://www.myspace.com/peterb26
Date of this Project: 26 March 2007
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