Stage 2, The Long Haul

Well February starts with a bang. Not a big one but a positive nudge in the right direction. The shipping agents came as promised and took all our possessions. This was a laborious process of checking each and every item. However this needs to be done in order for the Customs at the other end to be able to process (...and charge, what will most likely be extortionate duty charges) for our items. Having dropped my daughter off at school, we waited for the truck to arrive at the storage facility. Roadworks on the motorway slowed their progress, and dulled my excitement. Eventually having battled the traffic the lorry turned up half an hour later than expected. Each and every item was carefully logged as they were taken from what has been their home for the past few months into what will be the first stage of their long journey across the Atlantic. The shipping company will now be taking these items to repack them, so they are robust enough for their journey.

And so the transition begins. All that last minute rush of panic buying ends, the wondering if we packed too much, too little, and thinking about when the day will come ended today.

Now comes the paying back the credit card, saving like mad, and praying that these items will be reunited with us in a timely fashion at the end of the month. It takes 11 to 12 days for the actual sea crossing to Barbados. We decided not to take our car at this stage, as the import duty is around 75% of the value of the car! Also to make matters worse, the value would be based on the Barbados listed price. This is not helpful, as cars are around one and a half times more expensive than the UK. As far as household effects are concerned, we are told that these will be inspected, and any electrical items will have duty charged. It remains to be seen what this will amount to!

Still it feels good to know that we have got to this stage, regardless of what the recession has thrown at us. We now need to concentrate on clothing, I suppose, since we are going into a two climate environment (sunshine and warm rain/tropical storms), rather than the UK ever changing climate. Summer clothes all the way, as the other three season become redundant. 

Well we are not there yet, but as always, I dream....

  See You Soon!
http://www.transpakship.co.uk/caribbeanshipments.html