South West Boat Transport Limited

Terms and Conditions of Carriage

❖ National transport: is carried out under the RHA Conditions of Carriage. It should be noted that (unless a higher limit has been agreed in advance) the maximum claim is £200,000. Under RHA your vessel is insured to £1300 per tonne. We would therefore recommend that customers obtain an independent transport insurance contract to cover the difference, for the period of transport.

❖ International transport: is carried out in accordance with the Convention on the Contract for the International Carriage of Goods by Road (CMR). It should be noted that under CMR your vessel is insured to £8000 - £10000 per tonne, depending on the exchange rate. We would therefore recommend that customers obtain an independent transport insurance contract to cover the difference for the period of transport (unless a higher limit has been agreed in advance) the maximum claim is £200,000.

❖ Payment: Unless credit terms have been agreed in advance, bookings are not confirmed until payment has been received. Please note that we do not accept cheques. All payments should be made via bank transfer. A 50% payment of invoice will secure the booking. The remaining 50% must be paid prior to the truck leaving the yard, - which is generally, but not always, the day before collection for UK boat movements – unless by prior agreement. In all cases, for national and international journeys, please see the invoice for date full payment is due.

❖ Cancellations: Bookings cancelled more than one week in advance will incur a fee equivalent to 10% of the full invoice amount. Bookings cancelled between 1 week and our vehicle departing our yard will incur a fee equivalent to 50% of the full invoice amount. Once our vehicle has left our yard no refund will be given. If a booking has been made on the acceptance of a discounted rate due to it being a return load, the truck is deemed to have “left the yard” when it starts its outward leg of the complete journeys. This condition takes precedence over the one week and less than one week cancellation fees above. Any costs already incurred (such as for permits, ferries, pre-payment for European pilots, etc.) will be charged in addition to the above cancellation fees.

❖ Postponements: Bookings postponed are treated in the same manner as for cancellations, unless we are able to re-fill the originally agreed time-slots allocated to the move.

❖ Access to marinas/boatyards: The access to some marinas/boatyards involves passing down narrow tree lined roads with overhanging branches. There is a possibility of damage to the boat including, but not limited to; scratching, broken windscreens and bent/broken stanchions. Transport along such roads is carried out entirely at your own risk and we cannot be held responsible for any loss or damage that may occur.

❖ Additional Costs: Lifting costs, mast stepping and boat preparation are not included in our prices. Should our driver be required to carry out any preparation work this will be charged at £100/hour + VAT. Please see our boat preparation guide.

❖ We allocate two hours free of charge at both the loading and unloading points. After this period, we reserve the right to charge £50 + VAT per hour or part thereof, up to £800 per day, for delays caused to our vehicle and £30 + VAT per hour or part thereof for delays caused to our pilot car (if applicable) up to £480 per day.

❖ Customs: For international journeys, the customer is responsible for all paperwork including import/export/customs documents.

We can assist by suggesting a customs agent you could use but whilst we can help with advising on the truck/trailer to be used for your boat movement, we do not get involved in the customs process in any other way. The contract for customs paperwork (both import and export) will be between the customer and the customs agent.

We will allow four working hours for customs clearance, starting from our announced arrival at the customs point or the opening time of the customs point, whichever is the earliest. Any delays longer than this will be charged at £50 per hour or part thereof, up to £800 per day, for delays caused to our vehicle and £30 per hour or part thereof for delays caused to our pilot car (if applicable) up to £480 per day.

❖ Abnormal Loads: In general, with the boats we are carrying, a load will become abnormal by virtue of its beam before any other of the criteria. Any load of over 2.9m is considered abnormal, and requires 2 clear days’ notice to police to move on the road.

This is known as a movement order.

Once the load is over 3.5m wide it needs either a second attendant in the cab or an escort vehicle. We always use an escort vehicle in this instance, as they can provide greater help. The charge for this will be included in your quote. In addition, however, there are cases when the police will insist on an additional police escort for movements. In this instance, we may not be informed of the requirement until the movement order has been approved. The customer will be held responsible for paying any fees charged in respect of this, or indeed any other unforeseen costs incurred by us.

❖ Whist we will make every effort to keep to the agreed collection and delivery schedule, we cannot be held responsible for delays beyond our control, such as, but not limited to, road traffic accidents, strong winds preventing cranes from working on a previous job, customs delays in a previous job and the like.

❖ All goods must be presented in a suitable and safe condition for road transport. We will not be held responsible for items that are not packed correctly. Please refer to our packing guide for further guidance.

❖ Whilst we take the upmost care of your boat whilst loading, transporting and unloading it, we cannot be held responsible for any loss or damage that is not a result of our negligence.