Center consoles

Center Console Boat Shipping Overseas: Cost and Methods

How a 26′ center console with an 8′6″ beam ships: tilted into a 40′ container, on its trailer by RoRo or on a flat rack, priced by region from our cost model, with T-top and outboard prep and the duty in six markets.

By the Seaway Export logistics team Updated October 2026 7 min read

from ⁦$4,200⁩

40′ container to the Bahamas

8′6″ (2.6 m)

Beam

4,300 kg

Weight on trailer

Size, weight and the methods that fit

A Grady-White Fisherman 257 is 8.1 m long with an 8′6″ beam, the widest a boat can be towed on most U.S. roads without an oversize permit. That beam is 26 cm wider than a 40′ door, so the boat goes in on a cradle tilted on its side, with the T-top off and the engines raised.

Tilt-loading wins where RoRo does not call, and it often beats RoRo even where it does: ⁦$4,100–7,000⁩ in a 40′ to Mexico against ⁦$4,400–6,800⁩ by RoRo. A flat rack is the fallback for consoles with a fixed tower or a hardtop too tall to come off.

Tilted in a 40′: cradle built to the hull, T-top and outriggers off, outboards raised or removed.
RoRo: on its trailer, T-top can stay if the rig is under the carrier's height band.
Flat rack: for fixed towers, triple or quad outboards left mounted, or no trailer at all.

Class	Reference model	L × W × H (m)	m³	Weight (kg)	Methods
26′ center console (8′6″ beam)	Grady-White Fisherman 257¹	8.1 × 2.6 × 2.3	48.4	3,300	40′ high cube · RoRo on its trailer or a roll trailer · 40′ flat rack

Sources^1,2,3

Price by region

The region columns show the cheapest method into each region. The Gulf column is dearer than Europe because Jebel Ali sailings route around the current Middle East restrictions; the UAE starts at ⁦$5,300⁩.

Each cell is the lowest-priced method for that reference boat to the region's featured destinations, from a U.S. East or Gulf Coast port: the range runs from the published "from" price to the typical high. Port-to-port; the importer's side is separate.^{4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12}

Reference boat	Mexico & Central America	Caribbean	Mediterranean Europe	UAE & Gulf
26′ center console (8′6″ beam)Grady-White Fisherman 257	⁦$4,100–7,000⁩40′ high cubeLowest in MexicoModel estimate	⁦$4,200–7,000⁩40′ high cubeLowest in BahamasModel estimate	⁦$4,700–7,800⁩40′ high cubeLowest in ItalyModel estimate	⁦$5,300–9,700⁩40′ high cubeModel estimate

Every destination's boat price, in one table

Sources¹²

Every method on one lane

To the Dominican Republic all three methods are open, and they spread wide. The flat rack is more than double the tilted container, so it only makes sense when the boat cannot be tilted.

Dominican Republic: port-to-port price by method^4,5,6,7

Reference boat	40′ high cube	40′ flat rack	RoRo on its trailer or a roll trailer
26′ center console (8′6″ beam)Grady-White Fisherman 257	⁦$4,200–7,100⁩lowest	⁦$9,700–16,100⁩	⁦$4,800–7,500⁩

Preparing it for the ship

1
Unbolt the T-top
The T-top or hardtop comes off its four feet and travels lashed in the cockpit; wiring for lights and electronics is labelled at the plugs.
2
Raise or pull the outboards
For tilt-loading, twin outboards are raised fully and braced; triples and quads usually come off and crate beside the hull.
3
Outriggers, antennas, rod holders
Anything that sticks out past the beam or above the console comes off, or the boat will not clear the door when tilted.
4
Fuel down, batteries off
Run the tanks low and isolate the batteries; a boat on its side cannot have fuel near the vents.

Sources¹³

Where they ship and what it costs

Offshore fishing and island hopping make the Bahamas, Mexico's Caribbean and Pacific coasts, the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica and Panama the core markets. The UAE buys large outboard consoles for Gulf fishing.

26′ center console (8′6″ beam): lowest-priced method by destination

Bahamas^{5,6,7,4,14,15,16}⁦$4,200–7,000⁩by 40′ high cubeDuty 0%Country guide Price this route
Mexico^{5,6,7,4,8,17,18,19,20}⁦$4,100–7,000⁩by 40′ high cubeDuty 15% · 0% U.S.-built (USMCA)Country guide Price this route
Dominican Republic^{5,6,7,4,21,18}⁦$4,200–7,100⁩by 40′ high cubeDuty 20% · 0% U.S.-built (CAFTA-DR)Country guide Price this route
Costa Rica^{5,6,7,4,8,22,23,18,24}⁦$4,400–6,800⁩by RoRo on its trailer or a roll trailerDuty 15% · 0% U.S.-built (CAFTA-DR)Country guide Price this route
Panama^{5,6,7,4,8,25,18,26}⁦$4,400–6,800⁩by RoRo on its trailer or a roll trailerDuty 15% · 0% U.S.-built (U.S.-Panama TPA)Country guide Price this route
United Arab Emirates^{5,6,7,4,11,12,27}⁦$5,300–9,700⁩by 40′ high cubeDuty 5%Country guide Price this route

Duty and import taxes

At ⁦$120,000⁩ CIF the Bahamas charges ⁦$13,870⁩: no duty since 2022, but VAT on CIF plus processing and the environmental levy. Mexico at the standard rate is ⁦$41,194⁩, falling to ⁦$20,314⁩ for a U.S.-built boat under USMCA.

Duty and import taxes on a $120,000 CIF value

Country	Tariff line	Standard duty	U.S.-built	Taxes after duty	Total, standard	Total, U.S.-built	Status
Bahamas^14,15,16	8903	0%	no preference	Processing fee 1% (max $1,500) · Environmental levy · VAT 10%	$13,870 (11.6%)	—	Read on the official tariff
Mexico^17,18,19,20	8903.93.99 / 8903.33.99	15%	0%USMCA	Customs processing (DTA) 0.8% · IVA 16%	$41,194 (34.3%)	$20,314 (16.9%)	Read on the official tariff
Dominican Republic^21,18	8903	20%	0%CAFTA-DR	ITBIS 18%	$49,920 (41.6%)	$21,600 (18%)	Confirm with your broker
Costa Rica^22,23,18,24	8903.93.00 / 8903.22.00	15%	0%CAFTA-DR	Law 6946 levy 1% · Selective consumption tax (ISC) 10% · VAT 13%	$52,890 (44.1%)	$29,160 (24.3%)	Confirm with your broker
Panama^25,18,26	8903.93 / 8903.3x	15%	0%U.S.-Panama TPA	Selective consumption tax (ISC) 10% · ITBMS 7%	$42,426 (35.4%)	$21,240 (17.7%)	Confirm with your broker
United Arab Emirates²⁷	8903	5%	no preference	VAT 5%	$12,300 (10.3%)	—	Read on the official tariff

Prices on this page come from our boat and machinery cost model, reviewed October 26, 2026, the same figures as the rate hubs and the calculator. They are port-to-port and per unit; duty and the importer's side are shown separately.

Sources

1. Manufacturer boat specifications (LOA, beam, weight, bridge clearance), Boat builders' published specifications (Manufacturer), accessed October 26, 2026
2. Oversize and overweight load permits by state, Federal Highway Administration (Official), accessed October 26, 2026
3. 40′ Flatrack High Cube: inside dimensions and payload, Hapag-Lloyd (Specialist carrier), accessed October 26, 2026
4. Seaway Export lane rate card (destination pages), Seaway Export (Tariff), accessed October 26, 2026
5. RoRo bunker adjustment factor and high & heavy surcharges, Wallenius Wilhelmsen (Tariff), accessed October 26, 2026
6. RoRo surcharges and high & heavy acceptance, Höegh Autoliners (Tariff), accessed October 26, 2026
7. Vessel-operating common carriers: published tariffs, Federal Maritime Commission (Official), accessed October 26, 2026
8. Yacht transport sailing schedule and pricing guidance, Sevenstar Yacht Transport (Specialist carrier), accessed October 26, 2026
9. Yacht and powerboat shipping, Peters & May (Specialist carrier), accessed October 26, 2026
10. Float-on/float-off yacht transport, DYT Yacht Transport (Specialist carrier), accessed October 26, 2026
11. Middle East and Red Sea situation: land bridge and booking status, Maersk (Specialist carrier), accessed October 26, 2026
12. Customer Advisory 25-2026: Middle East situation update (UAE), CMA CGM (Tariff), accessed October 26, 2026
13. IMDG Code: dangerous goods by sea, including fuelled engines, vehicles and machinery, International Maritime Organization (Official), accessed October 26, 2026
14. Frequently imported items: processing fee, environmental levy and VAT base, Bahamas Customs Department (Tariff), accessed October 26, 2026
15. Pleasure vessels: cruising permit fees by length, Bahamas Customs Department (Official), accessed October 26, 2026
16. Pleasure vessel import and cruising permits, Bahamas Customs Department (Official), accessed October 26, 2026
17. Tarifa de la LIGIE: fracciones 8903 y 8429, Secretaría de Economía (SNICE) (Official), accessed October 26, 2026
18. U.S. free trade agreements: tariff schedules, Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (Official), accessed October 26, 2026
19. Permiso de importación temporal de embarcaciones: 10 years, $51 + IVA (or $45 online), Agencia Nacional de Aduanas de México (Official), accessed October 26, 2026
20. Temporary import of boats: new requirements from January 1, 2025 (RGCE rule 4.2.11), Agencia Nacional de Aduanas de México (Official), accessed October 26, 2026
21. Arancel de Aduanas e ITBIS, Dirección General de Aduanas (Official), accessed October 26, 2026
22. Cálculo de la obligación tributaria aduanera (DAI, selectivo, Ley 6946, IVA), Ministerio de Hacienda de Costa Rica (Official), accessed October 26, 2026
23. Arancel de Aduanas (TICA), Ministerio de Hacienda de Costa Rica (Official), accessed October 26, 2026
24. Ley de Concesión y Operación de Marinas y Atracaderos Turísticos, art. 27: temporary import of foreign-flag vessels, Instituto Costarricense de Turismo (Official), accessed October 26, 2026
25. Arancel Nacional de Importación, Autoridad Nacional de Aduanas de Panamá (Official), accessed October 26, 2026
26. Navigation permit for foreign-flag pleasure craft (Circular DGPIMA-009-2024), Autoridad Marítima de Panamá (Official), accessed October 26, 2026
27. GCC Common Customs Tariff and VAT on imports, UAE Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs & Port Security (Official), accessed October 26, 2026

Download the full model as open data

Frequently Asked Questions

Is tilt-loading safe for the hull?

Yes, on a cradle padded at the strakes and keel and built for that hull. The boat rests on structure, not on its side rails, and is lashed through the cradle to the container floor.

Can the T-top stay on?

By RoRo or flat rack, usually yes. In a tilted container, no: it is the tallest part of the boat and will not clear the door.

How much does it cost to ship a center console to the Bahamas?

⁦$4,200–7,000⁩ tilted in a 40′, or ⁦$9,700–15,900⁩ on a flat rack. The Bahamas has no RoRo call, and many owners run the boat across from Florida instead when the weather allows.

Is the trailer needed?

For RoRo, yes. For a tilted container or a flat rack, the boat rides a cradle and the trailer can stay or ship separately.

What about boats with a 9′ or 10′ beam?

They are too wide to tilt into a 40′ and need oversize permits on U.S. roads. They ship by RoRo on a trailer or on a flat rack, priced like the 34′ cruiser on our boat rate table.