# Cars on the MV Tiger (probable European Delivery drop offs to West Coast, 5/20-6/10)



## Dave 20T (Apr 7, 2013)

Anyone's car going to be on the MV Tiger? My car is going to be on that ship! My very rough estimate is that those who dropped off their European delivery cars somewhere between May 20th (other than Munich), May 27th (Munich) and June 10th and live in the Western U.S. and Canada may have their car transported on this ship. Of course, some people who ordered cars might know their VIN and might know that the car is going to be on the ship.

Here's some recent activity:

MV Tiger
Completed 6/2011, South Korea
Length x Breadth: 232 m X 32 m
Gross Tonnage: 74255, DeadWeight: 30140 t
Speed recorded (Max / Average): 18 / 15.1 knots
Flag: Malta 
Call Sign: 9HA2271
capacity: 7930 cars

5/30/13 4:45 am arrived Zeebrugge, departed 5/31 5:25 pm
6/1 5:33 pm arrived Bremerhaven, currently docked at the port near Steubenstrasse

Any webcams of this ship with a red bottom and white top?
It's been sitting in Bremerhaven for a week and will be sitting there another week  Let's go!

6/14 scheduled departure Bremerhaven
6/16 scheduled arrival Zeebrugge
6/17 scheduled departure Zeebrugge
6/18 scheduled arrival Southampton, scheduled to depart the same day
7/1 scheduled arrival Manzanillo, Panama, scheduled to depart the same day
7/10 scheduled arrival Port Hueneme, U.S. cars (even those to Tacoma and Seattle) scheduled to be offload, ship scheduled to depart the same day
7/14 scheduled arrival Tacoma, Canadian cars offloaded


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## enigma (Jan 4, 2006)

I think my M3 will be on the same ship.

My last ED ship came in a few days early, so I am hoping for the same this time around.


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## enigma (Jan 4, 2006)

I think this is her... getting ready to leave soon?


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## edx1 (Oct 17, 2012)

I posted a picture of it pulling in to the loading dock (it was sitting a few hundred meters away for the past week or more) on the "People who dropped off" thread. I dropped off in Frankfurt on 5/27 and I was hoping to be on the ship that left May 31st, but no go, so I'm to be on the Tiger. My car showed up about 5 hours ago in the 2wglobal tracking system.


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## enigma (Jan 4, 2006)

I see mine on the 2wglobal website too. It's going to be long 4 weeks.

I dropped mine off in Munich on 5/31.


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## khlay (Apr 1, 2013)

My 528 will be on this one, too. 5/28 Paris drop-off.
Totally agree, long 4 weeks for us.


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## edx1 (Oct 17, 2012)

They've started loading cars in the last half hour. I'm off to bed, maybe the ship will be under way before we're all awake... They are 6-9 hours ahead of US time zones after all.


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## Dave 20T (Apr 7, 2013)

Although the wait will be long, it is longer for those in western Canada and Singapore. Canadian cars get offloaded 4 days later. Cars to Singapore will be on the ship more than two months since being loaded. When they arrive in Singapore, the cars will be sold for roughly $200,000 for a 5 series, not much less for a 3 series. Very expensive!


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## enigma (Jan 4, 2006)

Dave 20T said:


> Although the wait will be long, it is longer for those in western Canada and Singapore. Canadian cars get offloaded 4 days later. Cars to Singapore will be on the ship more than two months since being loaded. When they arrive in Singapore, the cars will be sold for roughly $200,000 for a 5 series, not much less for a 3 series. Very expensive!


Because most of the $200k price tag is local taxes. They truly discourage owning a car.


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## enigma (Jan 4, 2006)

Still docked (local time 9:26AM 6/14), but should be leaving sometime today.


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## Dave 20T (Apr 7, 2013)

Nice links from another thread



alee said:


> https://att.2wglobal.com/gstattweb/
> Full VIN in the Cargo ID field
> 
> Here are the webcams I used...
> ...





mdsbuc said:


> Check out marinetraffic.com
> 
> http://www.marinetraffic.com/ais/shipdetails.aspx?MMSI=248223000


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## edx1 (Oct 17, 2012)

They're loading the earth mover trucks now. Hopefully that means all the cars are loaded. Anyone have their tracking info updated to show their car is on board or is "received at port" the last update?


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## Dave 20T (Apr 7, 2013)

edx1 said:


> Anyone have their tracking info updated to show their car is on board or is "received at port" the last update?


Just check seconds ago.

For my car, WWL only lists RECEIVED AT TERMINAL BREMERHAVEN 13-06-2013 
BOOKED BREMERHAVEN 04-06-2013

The webcam shows the multilevel parking garage structure but the cars look like they haven't moved. Those cars are wrapped in white.

If they are moving heavy equipment, that means less room for cars. On this ship, there are also cars going to Singapore so that's additional competition for space. It's possible that cars to Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei, and Mauritius are also on the ship but those markets are probably small for BMW and other companies. In fact, BMW 3 series are assembled from kits in Malaysia due to the high tariffs.


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## Dave 20T (Apr 7, 2013)

Moments ago, a caravan of cars seen driving over the bridge. Can you identify them?


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## Dave 20T (Apr 7, 2013)

LOADED ON VESSEL BREMERHAVEN 14-06-2013

The time stamp is less than 45 minutes ago. The above picture was taken a little less than an hour before my car was loaded to the ship.

Yippee! My car was not bumped for a dealer ordered car or a car going to Singapore or Panama or Western Canada. :thumbup: My guess is that there is some extra capacity or European delivery customers would report delays.

Let's start the Tiger Club of June 14th! Bon voyage, MV Tiger! May the seas be calm! Try to run at your top speed of 18 knots, not 15! Too bad I am not allowed to meet the ship in Tacoma, WA and drive it off the ship myself.


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## edx1 (Oct 17, 2012)

Loaded at 14-06-2013 21:26:59 here. They'll be leaving very close to midnight but I don't think that's behind schedule, I've seen most ships leave near midnight for the last few days.

Edit: Nevermind, it's loaded and closing its ramp.


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## Dave 20T (Apr 7, 2013)

edx1 said:


> Loaded at 14-06-2013 21:26:59 here. They'll be leaving very close to midnight but I don't think that's behind schedule, I've seen most ships leave near midnight for the last few days.


We've been tricked! My car was loaded the exact same second. They must load the information as a batch because even if my car was driven on the ship after your car, it would be 1-2 seconds behind, at least.

I thought that the ship would be leaving very late in the night because it is not due to arrive in Zeebrugge, Belgium until June 16th, probably in the morning.

I am somewhat interested in seeing the ship on webcam at Zeebrugge or Southampton but much more interested in a picture when it going through the Panama Canal.


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## edx1 (Oct 17, 2012)

Tiger is on its way out of the channel. I think the captain on the Dover is in a rush, it's already against the dock no more than 5 minutes from when the Tiger had moved away from it.

Edit: Tiger stopped part way through the channel and appears to have docked again after traveling only a few hundred meters.


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## Dave 20T (Apr 7, 2013)

edx1 said:


> Tiger is on its way out of the channel. I think the captain on the Dover is in a rush, it's already against the dock no more than 5 minutes from when the Tiger had moved away from it.
> 
> Edit: Tiger stopped part way through the channel and appears to have docked again after traveling only a few hundred meters.


Maybe they forgot to load your car and they are getting it? Or they forgot the _____. (insert name of product or item).

According to this, the ship is moving at the port.

Latitude / Longitude: 53.5693° / 8.5497° (Map)
Speed/Course 1.7 knots / 185***730;
Currently in Port: BREMERHAVEN
Info Received: 0d 0h 1min ago (AIS Source: 237)
Current Vessel's Track
Wind: 6 knots, 64°, 15°C
Itineraries History
Voyage Related Info (Last Received)
Draught: 9.1 m
Destination: ZEEBRUGEE
ETA: 2013-06-15 22:00
Info Received: 2013-06-14 20:43 (0d, 1h 38min ago)


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## edx1 (Oct 17, 2012)

Yeah, it started moving again about 5 minutes ago. It only took an hour to go 1km from dock to out of the channel. They were unloading my car... I'm on the next boat. Actually they probably were dropping the harbor pilot off.


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## enigma (Jan 4, 2006)

Yep, it looks like they update the loading information at the same time, as my also reflects the loading same time down to the second.

It looks like Tiger is picking up steam, up to 15kn now.


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## Dave 20T (Apr 7, 2013)

Besides plotting the course that the ship has taken, we also need to keep track of hurricanes and tropical storms. They form about every two weeks. Hope the seas are calm, particularly between June 21-28.


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## Dave 20T (Apr 7, 2013)

The ship is now in the middle of the North Sea on the latitude where The Hague and Cambridge lies. It's roughly 70 miles north of Zeebrugge. The ETA is 22:00 which is about 4 hours from now, though the position is about 1 hours old (meaning that the last position is about 5 hours from Zeebrugge).


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## Dave 20T (Apr 7, 2013)

The MV Tiger is turning in to Zeebrugge. ETA was 22:00 but that is 14 minutes from now and the ship is at least 10 miles away so it will be a little late. This is not serious because it is supposed to be there for a full day, probably to pick up some Volvos.

Funny, it passed Zeebrugge slightly and is making a greater than 90 degree turn to sail back. Maybe that is the traffic pattern there?

For anyone tracking the ship, it will be a quiet day tomorrow probably. When the ship is in the open ocean, it probably will be fairly quiet. Maybe checking only once a day is sufficient as there are few features in the ocean for perspective, other than a dot representing the ship moving slightly.


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## edx1 (Oct 17, 2012)

Tiger passed a few hundred feet from the Don Juan (Our east bound friends are on that boat) and it's now docking at Zeebrugge. I saw this as it passed into the harbor. Now back to 100 degree sun and wasting more time on a saturday building a garden railroad...


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## Dave 20T (Apr 7, 2013)

I saved the same screenshot. It is now 22:12 local time so if you refresh it, the ship will probably be out of the photo.


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## edx1 (Oct 17, 2012)

Tiger is being refueled by the Montana right now but I'd still imagine the Tiger won't be leaving port for another 12-18 hours.


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## Dave 20T (Apr 7, 2013)

edx1 said:


> Tiger is being refueled by the Montana right now but I'd still imagine the Tiger won't be leaving port for another 12-18 hours.


Interesting! Any photos?


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## edx1 (Oct 17, 2012)

Tiger is on the move now, will be in the webcame in about 20 minutes at Zeebrugge harbor.

Edit: Looks like the Tiger was missed by the web cameras 5 minute snapshot interval.


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## Dave 20T (Apr 7, 2013)

Great job with information sharing and tracking!

The updated estimated arrival time in Southampton is now 4:30 am, 30 minutes earlier than the original schedule. That is 8:30 p.m. Pacific Time tonight (Monday).

UPDATE: 2:25 pm Pacific Time/2225 GMT. The Tiger is at the English Channel now, between Dover and Calais.


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## edx1 (Oct 17, 2012)

Tiger is a bit behind schedule, instead of 05:00 UTC it will arrive around 7:00 UTC or 1am Pacific time. It's been following the Dover all day and has been running 15-17 or so knots most of the day so I'm not sure why it's behind ETA except maybe ETA isn't really a true ETA. The ship should be docking in an hour or so and will stay there until June 19th. I've had enough work for tonight and am heading to bed, maybe Dave is still up and watching its every movement.  

FYI, I couldn't find any online web cameras alone the channel, anyone know of any?


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## enigma (Jan 4, 2006)

It got to Southampton around 7:00AM local time. So, about 2 hours behind schedule? Hopefully, it'll leave the port on time.

Edit - Arrival time = 6:43AM to be exact.


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## Dave 20T (Apr 7, 2013)

In about two days, the ship may move into featureless ocean. At that point, checking daily or every other day will be ok. While it hugs the coast of Europe, Panama, or Mexico, that's not ok!


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## Dave 20T (Apr 7, 2013)

Dave 20T said:


> 6/18 scheduled arrival Southampton, scheduled to depart the same day
> 7/1 scheduled arrival Manzanillo, Panama, scheduled to depart the same day
> 7/10 scheduled arrival Port Hueneme, U.S. cars (even those to Tacoma and Seattle) scheduled to be offload, ship scheduled to depart the same day
> 7/14 scheduled arrival Tacoma, Canadian cars offloaded


On WWL's website: update to schedule
6/18 arrival Southampton, schedule to depart 6*/19*

8/13 scheduled arrival Singapore, scheduled to depart the same day

marinetraffic.com shows:
Destination: MANZANILLO
ETA: 2013-07-01 14:00
Info Received: 2013-06-18 17:05 (0d, 1h 8min ago)


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## edx1 (Oct 17, 2012)

Dover is pulling out, and it pulled out just before the Tiger did at Zeebrugge and then led the Tiger all the way to Southampton. If things go as before hopefully we'll see the Tiger moving in 30 minutes to an hour or two, but this is probably wishful thinking as logic says it's unlikely the two ships would keep the same schedule.


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## Dave 20T (Apr 7, 2013)

But based on the WWL revised schedule, the Tiger will depart Southampton on June 19th. Even if 1 am, that is a few hours from now (5 pm Pacific time).

I wouldn't mind at all if they wait until 8 am.

I wonder if they will hug the coast of Spain or head straight into the ocean to Panama. I think the currents are such that the Gulfstream flows from New York to Ireland and the reverse is farther south.


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## enigma (Jan 4, 2006)

It's 6:15AM June 19, and she is still anchored in Southampton.


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## Dave 20T (Apr 7, 2013)

2:40 pm (6:40 am Pacific time): still at Southampton


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## Dave 20T (Apr 7, 2013)

The ship is moving this minute. Speed 0.1 knots, still in dock. (8:17 am Pacific time, 4:17 p.m. local time)


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## Dave 20T (Apr 7, 2013)

http://www.marinetraffic.com/ais/shipdetails.aspx?MMSI=248223000

The ship is now well out of the port. It is off the south coast of the Isle of Wight. Next stop, Panama!

Funny, it showed a 2 minute unscheduled stop at Fawley, which is very close to Southampton.

Port Arrival (LT)	Departure (LT)
FAWLEY	2013-06-19 17:29	2013-06-19 17:31
SOUTHAMPTON 2013-06-19 17:08

I don't think it actually docked. It just slowed down while passing 6 anchored ships.


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## edx1 (Oct 17, 2012)

Dave 20T said:


> Funny, it showed a 2 minute unscheduled stop at Fawley, which is very close to Southampton.


Perhaps to dropped off the pilot?

In most major ports the ships captain is not allowed to navigate the boat but rather pick up and drop off a "pilot" while the ship is going in and out of the port. In most cases a pilot will transfer ships while the boats are moving but they can also pull up to a dock on the way in or out. I've witnessed 20 knot transfers and full stop transfers mid ocean.

When the Tiger goes through the Panama Canal a pilot who is specifically trained with navigating the canal will be the one who is control, not the captain. The captain is almost always present because if the pilot screws up and damages the boat, the captain is still the one held responsible. Pilots also get used (sometimes optional and often required) when there are additional risks that captains may not be skilled for. These include dangerous currents, depths, areas that are protected natural or wildlife (ie near Alaska where many cruise lines have a pilot on the ships the entire time or even pick up different ones as they proceed along their route) or areas that require additional training.


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## Dave 20T (Apr 7, 2013)

The satellite photo looks good. There is some sort of storm and clouds near Puerto Rico now. Hopefully the Caribbean Sea will be calm around June 27.

http://www.accuweather.com/en/pt/ponta-delgada/271961/satellite/271961


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## edx1 (Oct 17, 2012)

Tiger is out of range as of an hour ago and will probably be rarely seen until it gets to Panama. It did appear to be heading directly for Panama rather than following any coast for a while. 

There is a storm building in its path so lets hope it doesn't get much stronger. If anyone knows where you can find wave hight maps/reports that might be fun to monitor. I was checking wind maps and it's 15-25 knots from almost directly starboard. That is likely to make for some slightly rough waters.


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## Dave 20T (Apr 7, 2013)

Sometimes this website has positioning information while the ship is in the open seas. The fact that the last position is near Southampton should not be discouraging as it is common to have this happen then suddenly position data willl be posted.

http://www.sailwx.info/shiptrack/shipposition.phtml?call=9HA2271
quote:
_This database contains only a small fraction of the ships worldwide, those that participate in the World Meteorological Organization's program of voluntary at-sea weather reporting._


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## Dave 20T (Apr 7, 2013)

It does not look good for tracking. A few years ago, WWL ships did submit positioning to sailwx.info website. However, of two previous WWL voyages to Port Hueneme, California, the Tongala and the Faust, neither submitted positioning information while the ship was in the middle of the ocean. 

Judging the distance, it should be about 5 days or June 24th when the Tiger is close to the Azores. Around June 28th, it should enter the Caribbean Sea, having pass through the chain of islands bounded by the British Virgin Islands, Monserrat and Barbados.


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## Dave 20T (Apr 7, 2013)

There is a circular storm almost midway between Dakar, Senegal and Bermuda, but closer to Bermuda. However, that storm should pass well before the Tiger is in the vicinity.

There are some concentrated clouds just west of Sierra Leone, in western Africa. That could impact Dominica at around the time the Tiger is near there.

I wonder if there are any ships from Europe to Panama that do report their position?


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## Dave 20T (Apr 7, 2013)

Dave 20T said:


> I wonder if there are any ships from Europe to Panama that do report their position?


We may be in luck, to some extent.

The Anjeliersgracht is a cargo ship on a roughly similar course. It is slightly slower, traveling at 13 knots, instead of 15 for the Tiger. It left Vlissingen, Netherlands on 6/14 18:49 and is heading towards La Guaira, near Caracas, scheduled arrival 6/28 18:00. The Tiger is supposed to arrive at Manzanillo, Panama 7/1 14:00. The Tiger and Anjeliergracht should be at the same longitude on 6/28 18:00. Right now, the Anjeliergracht should be ahead of the Tiger but the gap should close over the next week.

Conclusion: The trajectory of the Anjeliersgracht is about the same as the Tiger but is about 3.5 days ahead. The gap should slowly close over time. The Anjeliersgracht is reporting positioning hourly as it transits the Azores and a few times a day before then.

Estimated position of the Tiger 6/20 16:34 Pacific Time N 47°42' W 008°36' 
(position of the Anjeliersgracht 2013-Jun-16 12:00 UTC)


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## edx1 (Oct 17, 2012)

I wish I had done this many days ago, but I just looked up the Tongala which is 2 weeks ahead of the Tiger and got it's last 5 days of history. Had I done this earlier I would have had a really good idea of when the ship would be in and out of range. 

2013-06-21 11:27	TONGALA	Midday position Pacific North 0	0	Satellite 
2013-06-20 22:42	TONGALA	Midnight position Pacific North 0	0	Satellite 
2013-06-20 08:13	TONGALA	Midday position Pacific North 0	0	Satellite 
2013-06-19 22:56	TONGALA	Midnight position Pacific North 0	0	Satellite 
2013-06-19 10:07	TONGALA	Midday position Pacific North 0	0	Satellite 
2013-06-19 00:03	TONGALA	Midnight position Panama Canal	8.5867 / -79.4954	15.9	210	Terrestrial	Show on Map
2013-06-18 23:02	TONGALA	In Range Panama Canal	8.83987 / -79.4897	15.9	157	Terrestrial	Show on Map
2013-06-18 20:33	TONGALA	Departure	PANAMA CANAL Terrestrial	Show on Map
2013-06-18 12:51	TONGALA	Midday position Panama Canal	9.25675 / -79.9052	0.1	175	Terrestrial	Show on Map
2013-06-18 09:52	TONGALA	Arrival	PANAMA CANAL Terrestrial	Show on Map
2013-06-18 09:24	TONGALA	Departure	PANAMA ANCH ATLANTIC Terrestrial	Show on Map
2013-06-18 08:49	TONGALA	Arrival	PANAMA ANCH ATLANTIC Terrestrial	Show on Map
2013-06-18 03:32	TONGALA	Departure	MANZANILLO Terrestrial	Show on Map
2013-06-18 00:58	TONGALA	Midnight position Panama Canal	9.36726 / -79.8851	0	247	Terrestrial	Show on Map
2013-06-17 12:58	TONGALA	Midday position Panama Canal	9.36722 / -79.8851	0.1	101	Terrestrial	Show on Map
2013-06-17 11:44	TONGALA	Arrival	MANZANILLO Terrestrial	Show on Map
2013-06-17 08:37	TONGALA	In Range Panama Canal	9.72523 / -79.7051	14.4	213	Terrestrial	Show on Map
2013-06-16 21:45	TONGALA	Midnight position Caribbean Sea 0	0	Satellite


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## Dave 20T (Apr 7, 2013)

Still no information but estimated position as of 9:00 am Pacific Time / 1600 UTC is N45 degrees, W18 degrees, about two-thirds of the way between Southampton and the Azores based on the track of the Anjeliersgracht.

I propose contacting WWL to kindly ask for positioning information. If they respond, then asking again around mid-point between Panama and California around July 5th. They might not even respond. Any suggestions on when to contact them? I propose Monday since they are back from the weekend and the ship will be slightly past the Azores. Monday would also be about 5-6 days before the ship is within tracking range of Panama.

We should try to look hard for the ship on the Panama Canal webcams.

We might try to see if there are ships traveling from Panama to Port Hueneme, Long Beach, San Diego, or Oakland to see their trajectory.


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## edx1 (Oct 17, 2012)

For me I just like tracking for curiosity and learning about something new but it ends before using up someones paid time. 

The ocean looks pretty decent: http://www.stormsurf.com/page2/links/atlannewww3.html The Pacific is a bit rough but it looks like it might be clearing up before the ship gets there.


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## Dave 20T (Apr 7, 2013)

The Tiger, by my estimation, is by the Azores. Specifically, it may be about 50-100 knots north of Flores Island. This is based on the journey of the Anjeliersgracht, a freighter traveling from the Netherlands to Venezuela. There are some clouds in the area. 

The Tiger may escape tropical storms. There are some clouds but they may pass over Barbados before the Tiger is in the area. Some other clouds, currently over Nigeria, may reach the Caribbean after the Tiger passes.


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## Dave 20T (Apr 7, 2013)

I contacted WWL and they said told me the scheduled arrival date to Manzanillo, Panama but would not tell me the position citing security reasons. This contrasts with 2005 when WWL ships reported their position to sailwx.info, a website which collects weather data from ships.

I estimate the Tiger is 500 miles southwest of the Azores now. It is not quite half way to Panama. It should be at the half way point sometime this evening or early tomorrow morning Pacific Time.


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## Dave 20T (Apr 7, 2013)

The Anjeliersgracht provided some information but it also is not transmitting its position on the open seas. However, I have found a ship that is.

The container ship, E.R. Sweden, a ship operated by APL, is currently heading from Simes, Portugal to Freeport, Bahamas. It is probably a few hours, perhaps half a day ahead of the Tiger. The trajectory of the Sweden will probably diverge from the Tiger's as the Sweden gets closer to North America since its destination is the Bahamas, not Panama.










Approximate location of the Tiger. See finger arrow.


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## guppyflyer (Oct 26, 2006)

Dave, thanks for the updates! I have a car on her as well, however this time it's not a BMW. Maybe next time!! :thumbup:

Here's my new acquisition:


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## Dave 20T (Apr 7, 2013)

Based on time, the Tiger reached the halfway point between Southampton and Manzanillo, Panama about 2 hours ago (10:30 am Pacific Time, 1730 UTC). In terms of using the container ship, Sweden, as a guide, the Tiger is also at the halfway point. This would roughly be N50 degrees, W30 degrees.


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## Dave 20T (Apr 7, 2013)

Marinetraffic.com now lists the Tiger has arriving 2 hours later, 16:00, not 14:00. That would mean that the mathematical half way point to Panama is about now or maybe an hour ago.

The seas look free of clouds but there is a band of clouds one third of the way, closer to Suriname than West Africa. That band will likely move northwest and might cross a day before the Tiger but maybe might cross at the same time in the vicinity of Barbados.


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## edx1 (Oct 17, 2012)

Thanks Dave, all of us appreciate you keeping up on this! It feels like like it's been sailing for a month.


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## Dave 20T (Apr 7, 2013)

It's less agony to break up the journey. Half way to Panama already (from the UK, more than half way from Bremerhaven). The Panama Canal should be interesting, especially if there is a group effort to get a webcam picture of the ship. After the canal, it will be 9-10 days to California. On that stretch, there is bound to be other ships between Panama and Long Beach or Oakland that will help plot the estimated location of the Tiger.

Too bad, WWL doesn't disclose the ship's location anymore.


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## Dave 20T (Apr 7, 2013)

New website found:
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/?epac (National Hurricane Center)

They report no tropical cyclones in the Atlantic so those clouds between Suriname and West Africa are not a tropical storm at this time. That's good.

Off Mexico, there is a hurricane, Hurricane Cosme. It's midway between Panama and Los Angeles, just where the Tiger will be, except it won't be there until about July 5 when Cosme will be long gone.


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## guppyflyer (Oct 26, 2006)

edx1 said:


> Thanks Dave, all of us appreciate you keeping up on this! It feels like like it's been sailing for a month.


+1 Not thrilled about how it keeps slipping further behind!


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## Dave 20T (Apr 7, 2013)

Two ships, the Sweden and the Anjeliersgracht, have provided useful information to estimate the path and position of the Tiger but there are limitations. The Sweden is heading to the Bahamas and the Anjeliersgracht to near Caracas so their path close to Europe and the Azores was useful data but their most recent data has limitations. Not to worry, I have identified a better ship.

The Q Jake is a cargo ship heading to Panama from Rotterdam but is traveling at a slower speed so only the path is useful, not the speed of travel. It was between the Domincan Republic and Puerto Rico on 6/22 and will arrive in Panama on 6/28. This is where I think the Tiger will enter the Caribbean Sea. My prediction is that the Tiger will pass this point some time between late Thursday and Friday night Pacific Time.









Path of the Q Jake, estimated path of the Tiger


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## Dave 20T (Apr 7, 2013)

Weather-wise, the NOAA has issued the following information:

AN AREA OF DISTURBED WEATHER HAS FORMED SEVERAL HUNDRED MILES SOUTH
OF ACAPULCO MEXICO. SLOW DEVELOPMENT OF THIS SYSTEM IS POSSIBLE
DURING THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS AT IT MOVES WESTWARD OR
WEST-NORTHWESTWARD AT ABOUT 10 MPH. THIS SYSTEM HAS A LOW
CHANCE...10 PERCENT...OF BECOMING A TROPICAL CYCLONE DURING THE
NEXT 48 HOURS.
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/gtwo_epac.shtml

The circled area is exactly where the Tiger should be during the first week of July.


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## Dave 20T (Apr 7, 2013)

This picture shows some clouds north of Puerto Rico right where the Tiger is heading within a few hours. The picture in the link may change so if the clouds are not there, it's because the picture has been updated.










The good thing is they report:
FOR THE NORTH ATLANTIC...CARIBBEAN SEA AND THE GULF OF MEXICO...

TROPICAL CYCLONE FORMATION IS NOT EXPECTED DURING THE NEXT 48 HOURS.

The bad thing is:
A DISORGANIZED AREA OF DISTURBED WEATHER CONTINUES SEVERAL HUNDRED
MILES SOUTH-SOUTHWEST OF ACAPULCO MEXICO. UPPER-LEVEL WINDS ARE
GRADUALLY BECOMING MORE CONDUCIVE FOR DEVELOPMENT...AND THIS SYSTEM
HAS A LOW CHANCE...20 PERCENT...OF BECOMING A TROPICAL CYCLONE
DURING THE NEXT 48 HOURS AS IT MOVES SLOWLY WEST-NORTHWESTWARD OR
NORTHWESTWARD.

It was 10% yesterday, now 20%. This area is exactly where the Tiger will go a day or two after it leaves the Panama Canal. Hopefully, the weather front will move on before then.


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## Dave 20T (Apr 7, 2013)

In the Caribbean, there is a tropical wave and I think the Tiger will hit it.

(NOAA website)
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS HAVE INCREASED THIS MORNING IN ASSOCIATION
WITH A TROPICAL WAVE A FEW HUNDRED MILES EAST OF THE LESSER
ANTILLES. UPPER-LEVEL WINDS ARE NOT FAVORABLE FOR DEVELOPMENT...
AND THIS SYSTEM HAS A LOW CHANCE...NEAR 0 PERCENT...OF BECOMING A
TROPICAL CYCLONE DURING THE NEXT 48 HOURS AS IT MOVES WEST-
NORTHWESTWARD AT 20 TO 25 MPH. REGARDLESS OF DEVELOPMENT...GUSTY
WINDS AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAINS ARE EXPECTED TO SPREAD ACROSS THE
LESSER ANTILLES AND NORTHEASTERN VENEZUELA LATER TODAY AND TONIGHT.

After the Panama Canal, there is much worse weather.

SHOWER ACTIVITY ASSOCIATED WITH AN AREA OF LOW PRESSURE CENTERED
ABOUT 500 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHWEST OF ACAPULCO MEXICO HAS BECOME
BETTER ORGANIZED THIS MORNING. UPPER-LEVEL WINDS HAVE BECOME
FAVORABLE FOR ADDITIONAL DEVELOPMENT...AND A TROPICAL DEPRESSION
COULD FORM DURING THE NEXT DAY OR TWO AS THE SYSTEM MOVES SLOWLY
NORTHWARD OR NORTHWESTWARD. THIS SYSTEM HAS A HIGH CHANCE...
70 PERCENT...OF BECOMING A TROPICAL CYCLONE DURING THE NEXT
48 HOURS.

Hopefully, by the time the Tiger enters that area, the storm will have passed. The Tiger will get there around July 4. That's quite a few days for the storm to pass.


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## edx1 (Oct 17, 2012)

Shouldn't the Tiger be about back in range in the next day or so? Even if just for a moment as it passes into the Caribbean?


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## Dave 20T (Apr 7, 2013)

It all depends on if they report their position. My estimate is that they will pass between Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic late this afternoon based on the movement of other ships. However, it has been so many days since the Tiger's last reported position off the coast of France that I can't be sure of the position. On the other hand, the other ships' positions and the due date of the Tiger in Manzanillo, Panama are consistent with each other and are not conflicting pieces of data.


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## edx1 (Oct 17, 2012)

Odd, according to its history http://www.marinetraffic.com/ais/datasheet.aspx?datasource=ITINERARIES&MMSI=248223000 the Tiger reported it was in the Caribbean about 18 hours ago. It also did not check in at noon today.


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## Dave 20T (Apr 7, 2013)

edx1 said:


> Odd, according to its history http://www.marinetraffic.com/ais/datasheet.aspx?datasource=ITINERARIES&MMSI=248223000 the Tiger reported it was in the Caribbean about 18 hours ago. It also did not check in at noon today.


Great find!



Dave 20T said:


> Two ships, the Sweden and the Anjeliersgracht, have provided useful information to estimate the path and position of the Tiger but there are limitations. .... My prediction is that the Tiger will pass this point some time between late Thursday and Friday night Pacific Time.


So my estimates were correct! It was between late Thursday and late tonight. Seems like at 23:08 it was either in the Caribbean or just entered.

Now, perhaps we can plot the trajectory (assumed to be between Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic) at 23:08 6/27/2013 and Manzanillo, Panama 7/1/2013 16:00?


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## Dave 20T (Apr 7, 2013)

I can't locate any suitable ships but dividing the time left until estimated arrival to Panama, I've come up with this rough map.

The finger arrow is the approximate position now (1:50 pm Pacific Time, Friday 6/28/13).
The tan triangle in the center is an estimated position for noon Saturday
The tan triangle on the left is an estimated position for noon Sunday
Off the coast of Panama somewhere is likely for noon Monday.
16:00 is the estimated arrival time to Manzanillo, Panama.


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## Dave 20T (Apr 7, 2013)

I think my arrows are a little off. The line connecting the arrows is a little further south than the ship will probably travel. A line connecting the Tropic Palm, CSAV Laraquete, and the Ocean Atlas is probably a more accurate line of travel.

The Tiger, in my estimate, might be where the Laraquete is by 3 p.m. Saturday and where the Ocean Atlas is by 3 p.m. Sunday.


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## edx1 (Oct 17, 2012)

Tiger is in range now and as I write this it's passing on the east side of the Dominican Republic. Apparently the reporting from Tiger 24 hours ago that it was in the Caribbean was not correct.


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## Dave 20T (Apr 7, 2013)

The seas are generally calm but there is "scattered showers, isolated thunderstorms" where the Tiger is located now. I think the Tiger is located a little north of where the Maersk Dayton is shown in post 69.

Of more concern is the tropical wave in the Eastern Pacific off Mexico is now Tropical Storm Dahlila.

FOR THE EASTERN NORTH PACIFIC...EAST OF 140 DEGREES WEST LONGITUDE..

THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER IS ISSUING ADVISORIES ON TROPICAL
STORM DALILA...LOCATED SOUTH OF THE COAST OF SOUTHWESTERN MEXICO.

The storm is approximately where the Tiger will be around July 5th or 6th. However, the 3 day warning cone track shows it moving northwest. It is possible the Tiger will hug the Mexican coast a little more to avoid the storm.

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/refresh/graphics_ep4+shtml/173348.shtml?gm_track#contents

We should plan to watch the webcams of the Panama Canal and not miss it. Panama is UTC-5, the same as Central Time in the U.S. Arrival into Manzanillo, Panama is scheduled to be 18:00 on Monday. Perhaps the ship will leave the port 4 hours later, assuming there aren't too many Panamanian cars that need to be offloaded?

Webcams that I know about include:
http://www.pancanal.com/eng/photo/camera-java.html

The Gatun Locks is closer to the Caribbean/Atlantic side. The Miraflores Locks is towards the end of the journey.

Quote from the Canal website: A ship takes an average of 8 to 10 hours to transit the Panama Canal.

Let's not miss it!


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## Dave 20T (Apr 7, 2013)

fleetmon.com says the ship is due in 16 hours which would be about 8:30 am Pacific Time, 17:30 UTC. I don't know whether that is based on the schedule many days ago or an updated time.

The last ship, the Tongala, spent 14 hours in Manzanillo.

Monday evening and Tuesday morning may be a big day for watching the Panama Canal webcams.


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## edx1 (Oct 17, 2012)

Tiger came back into range a half hour ago it looks like and should be entering the Panama canal in the next hour or so.


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## guppyflyer (Oct 26, 2006)




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## edx1 (Oct 17, 2012)

There are 3 webcams I can find for the Panama Canal passage: http://www.webcamgalore.com/EN/webcam-map/Panama/Panama-Canal/city-1021.html


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## Dave 20T (Apr 7, 2013)

Great news! It looks like it is about 10 miles from Panama. The ETA has been moved earlier to 12:30 UTC, which is 5:30 am Pacific Time. Obviously, it's late because it is nearly 8:30 am Pacific Time. However, the original estimate was 14:00 at the start of the voyage and 18:00 after leaving the UK.

It will be in Manzanillo for some hours, how many, I don't know. Then it might be off to the canal tonight, which makes worse webcam photos.


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## khlay (Apr 1, 2013)

She is circling around, like a flight waiting for the runway.


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## enigma (Jan 4, 2006)

Now docked in port.


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## Dave 20T (Apr 7, 2013)

edx1 said:


> Tiger came back into range a half hour ago it looks like and should be entering the Panama canal in the next hour or so.


The Tongala, the last WWL ship, was in Manzanillo for quite a few hours. Maybe (????), the ship will leave by mid-afternoon Pacific Time. If it leaves at 3 p.m., it should be out of the canal in 8-10 hours, according to the canal website, making it 11 p.m.-1 a.m. Pacific Time.
If it leave by 9 p.m. (9 hour layover), it would be out of the canal by 5 a.m.-7 a.m. Pacific Time.

Looks like the path is to sail around Colon to the Limon Bay.
Next is the Gatun Locks, followed by Gatun Lake.
Then the canal, Lago Miraflores, Miraflores Locks, Panama City on the port (left) side, then the Pacific Ocean.

Updated schedule after Port Hueneme (dates are arrival and departure - same day for all ports)
Tacoma, WA 7/14/2013
Yokohama, Japan 7/27/2013
Dalian, People's Republic of China 8/2/2013
Singapore 8/13/2013

Perhaps the ship will carry BMWs to Japan and Singapore. Maybe some US cars will also be shipped there. Probably Japanese cars will be shipped to Singapore.


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## Dave 20T (Apr 7, 2013)

Same for me, exact same time stamp.

Maybe that means that all of our cars have been delivered to the parking lot at the port and are now awaiting customs clearance.

Left to go on the WWL tracking website:
LINER RELEASE PORT HUENEME, CA _____
CUSTOMS RELEASE PORT HUENEME, CA ______

Left to go at the VPC: everything
Transport to the dealer: not yet
Take re-delivery: not yet

What should we expect?
Customs release (shortest) July 16, (longest July 26), possible July 19
VPC finished, shortest July 17, longest August 15, possible July 24
transport to dealer, shortest July 20, longest August 25, possible July 29
take re-delivery, shortest July 22, longest August 28, possible July 31


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## Dave 20T (Apr 7, 2013)

I am considering trying to see the Tiger in person. It sails past Seattle probably in the late afternoon on Sunday, assuming it arrives in Tacoma at 0100 UTC (6 p.m.). I think the best point to see it might be where Puget Sound is narrow at Edmonds (first choice) or the Ballard neighborhood of Seattle. Around the Port of Tacoma, it's probably restricted so one might barely be able to see a part of the ship in the distance.


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## enigma (Jan 4, 2006)

It looks like US Customs is working extra hard... It's released from Customs:

LINER RELEASE PORT HUENEME, CA 12-07-2013 16:35:30 
DELIVERED FROM PORT HUENEME, CA 12-07-2013 13:35:00 1
DISCHARGED PORT HUENEME, CA 12-07-2013 03:00:00 1
CUSTOMS RELEASE PORT HUENEME, CA 12-07-2013 00:00:00 
LOADED ON VESSEL BREMERHAVEN 14-06-2013 21:26:59 1
RECEIVED AT TERMINAL BREMERHAVEN 13-06-2013 13:15:45 1
BOOKED BREMERHAVEN 06-06-2013 16:05:21 1


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## khlay (Apr 1, 2013)

enigma said:


> It looks like US Customs is working extra hard... It's released from Customs:
> 
> LINER RELEASE PORT HUENEME, CA 12-07-2013 16:35:30
> DELIVERED FROM PORT HUENEME, CA 12-07-2013 13:35:00 1
> ...


They worked way to hard. CUSTOMS RELEASE even before DISCHARGED.


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## Dave 20T (Apr 7, 2013)

enigma said:


> It looks like US Customs is working extra hard... It's released from Customs:
> 
> LINER RELEASE PORT HUENEME, CA 12-07-2013 16:35:30
> DELIVERED FROM PORT HUENEME, CA 12-07-2013 13:35:00 1
> ...


I think customs clearance is out of order because they didn't input a time and it defaults to midnight.

My liner release is a few minutes later. Therefore, I don't get credit for fast customs clearance. Instead, enigma probably gets credit, being a VIP. Are you Senator Feinstein? Ha ha

My car was in flawless condition, no curb rash or scratch. Hopefully, the VPC will pass it and it will be on a truck by Tuesday morning.


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## edx1 (Oct 17, 2012)

What's the next line to be expected on the 2wglobal tracking or is further info only available from the dealer?

Here's the last of my tracking then:

LINER RELEASE PORT HUENEME, CA 12-07-2013 15:58:46 
DELIVERED FROM PORT HUENEME, CA 12-07-2013 13:35:00 1
DISCHARGED PORT HUENEME, CA 12-07-2013 03:00:00 1
CUSTOMS RELEASE PORT HUENEME, CA 12-07-2013 00:00:00 
LOADED ON VESSEL BREMERHAVEN 14-06-2013 21:26:59 1
RECEIVED AT TERMINAL BREMERHAVEN 13-06-2013 13:16:10 1
BOOKED BREMERHAVEN 03-06-2013 09:47:51 1


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## Dave 20T (Apr 7, 2013)

That's it from WWL (2wglobal). They've released the car (liner release). Also other cars delivered in recent months confirm this. The VPC taking 3 days is common but I don't know if Saturdays count. If ED cars are a batch parked together, we may all be cleared about the same time if no repairs are needed. Let's keep reporting here.


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## Dave 20T (Apr 7, 2013)

The Tiger has discharged our cars so the urgency of knowing its position is not as great. I was going to watch the ship as it passes within 1/2 mile of Seattle but it is not to be. The ship is scheduled to arrive in Tacoma at 0100 UTC (6 p.m.) but it will probably be late. It is currently still in the Pacific Ocean just north of the Columbia River (Oregon-Washington border). It will take time to enter the Strait of Juan de la Fuca, between Canada and the U.S. before heading down the Puget Sound. This is a roughly 100 mile journey. It will not happen in 3 hours 10 minutes. Instead, it will happen in the evening, perhaps in the dark, and also when I won't be able to drive to the shore.

Canadian bound cars are unloaded in Tacoma. Perhaps BMW in Canada figured it was cheaper than unloading in Vancouver, B.C.?


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## Dave 20T (Apr 7, 2013)

The Tiger arrived in Tacoma about 12 hours late at about 6 a.m. today, not 6 p.m. yesterday. Perhaps, it took longer than expected to unload in Port Hueneme. Perhaps, the customs officer knew of the delay and also wanted to go home on Friday afternoon so there was fast clearance?

People in Vancouver, B.C. might actually get their cars faster. If the cars are bonded, they could be exempt or practically exempt from U.S. customs then head on a truck to British Columbia. A loaded truck is liable to be cleared in Blaine (US-Canada border) without too much delay. This is assuming that more of the car's preparation happens at the dealer. I wonder if BMW Canada doesn't have a VDC in Tacoma, Washington.


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## Dave 20T (Apr 7, 2013)

Perhaps we should bug our CA about our cars, but do it in a coordinated fashion?

My assumption is that non-European delivery cars were cleared by customs first and will then be processed by the VPC first. I read somewhere that 3 days is a common length for turnaround at the VPC. It's not completely true because if there are 2,000 cars unload at Port Hueneme, they don't all get processed in 3 days but some may take 1-2 days and others take 4-5 days. On the other hand, over the long run, all the cars should be finished by 2 weeks because another ship would come then.

One assumption could be that the European delivery cars are in one batch so if one car is processed, all the other European delivery cars that don't need repair are also processed at a similar time. This is a big assumption. Assuming that is the case, perhaps one of us could call their CA on Wednesday, another person on Friday, and another the following week?

One could call the VPC but they may not like calls and refer callers to their CA. BMW North America is another possibility. Waggoner Trucking might not want calls.

If we have a cooperative effort, I'll volunteer for Friday.
---
Not very reliable and behind is the website and automated telephone line. Today, the automated line says my car is "in transit". The website says "en route to the U.S.", not yet "finishing touches".

I'm trying to predict when the car will be at the dealer. 
Scenario 1 (fast): VPC processing finished-Wed. 7/17, truck arrives at dealer-Fri. 7/19, pick up Sat. 7/20
Scenario 2 (slightly slow): VPC processing finished-Mon 7/22, truck arrives at dealer-Fri. 7/26, pickup at dealer Wed. 7/31
Scenario 3 (some repair needed): VPC 8/10, dealer 8/20 (ouch!)


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## khlay (Apr 1, 2013)

I'll call my CA and maybe BMWNA if CA has no idea on Wednesday.


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## Dave 20T (Apr 7, 2013)

If there are 4 of us, maybe even a daily call is ok.

person 1: Wednesday
person 2: Thursday
person 3: Friday
person 4: Monday
person 1: if Wednesday, then the following Tuesday is not unreasonable.

I think we have volunteers to be person 1 and 3. edx1 and enigma, interested in being on the schedule for person 2 or 4? No obligation to participate, just a suggestion.


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## edx1 (Oct 17, 2012)

I'll go first if we need someone, I was actually planning on asking my CA to check tomorrow and next Monday.


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## enigma (Jan 4, 2006)

If I am not mistaken, I don't think VPC takes calls from customers.

My last ED (2011 M3) spent 2 days at VPC, but I think I just got lucky (and the fact that the dealership was in Oxnard, only a few miles from the port).

I e-mailed my CA about the status of my car, so I am hoping for good news shortly.



Dave 20T said:


> Perhaps we should bug our CA about our cars, but do it in a coordinated fashion?
> 
> My assumption is that non-European delivery cars were cleared by customs first and will then be processed by the VPC first. I read somewhere that 3 days is a common length for turnaround at the VPC. It's not completely true because if there are 2,000 cars unload at Port Hueneme, they don't all get processed in 3 days but some may take 1-2 days and others take 4-5 days. On the other hand, over the long run, all the cars should be finished by 2 weeks because another ship would come then.
> 
> ...


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## enigma (Jan 4, 2006)

Dave 20T said:


> If there are 4 of us, maybe even a daily call is ok.
> 
> person 1: Wednesday
> person 2: Thursday
> ...


If needed, I can e-mail every day of the week


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## Dave 20T (Apr 7, 2013)

edx1 said:


> I'll go first if we need someone, I was actually planning on asking my CA to check tomorrow and next Monday.


I am not a dictator so feel free to do so.

Summary of previous posts:

Monday: enigma already e-mailed
Tuesday: edx1
Wednesday: khlay
Thursday: I'll do it instead of Friday.
Friday: open
Monday: edx1

Did you keep one key fob? How about on Saturday, bring bolt cutters and AK-47's. Rescue our cars. Not steal them, rescue them! One person stays behind to post bail and give us phone cards when we are in prison.


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## brianjk777 (Apr 22, 2013)

As a fyi I received an email from my CA last night that my non-ED was put on the car carrier last night at 5:08 pm to travel to Sacramento. So just a little over over 2 days at the VPC.

I asked her for the license plate of the car carrier so I can track it on the highway and she thought that was humorous.


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## Dave 20T (Apr 7, 2013)

brianjk777 said:


> As a fyi I received an email from my CA last night that my non-ED was put on the car carrier last night at 5:08 pm to travel to Sacramento. So just a little over over 2 days at the VPC.
> 
> I asked her for the license plate of the car carrier so I can track it on the highway and she thought that was humorous.


Thanks for the info. Based on customs clearance being a day later than brian, maybe our cars will be on a truck at 5:08 p.m. today. I think that is unlikely because there are hundreds of cars ahead of us and they can only process an average of 300 cars per day. If that figure includes cars that need major repair, maybe early on they can process 350 cars per day. I figure that BMW offloaded about 2,000 cars, based on the sales figures of BMW/MINI, Mercedes, Volvo, and Jaguar, ship's capacity, and need for a little space for Canada, Japan, Singapore, Panama, etc. Audis do not unload at Port Hueneme but rather Texas. Mercedes may use Long Beach but might get offloaded at Port Hueneme.


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## Dave 20T (Apr 7, 2013)

I was looking to see when the Tiger comes back to Panama and Port Hueneme but the schedule is not out. However, I do see the Boheme!

BREMERHAVEN GERMANY 24/08/2013 24/08/2013
ZEEBRUGGE BELGIUM 26/08/2013 26/08/2013
SOUTHAMPTON UNITED KINGDOM 27/08/2013 27/08/2013
MANZANILLO, PA PANAMA 06/09/2013 07/09/2013
PORT HUENEME, CA U.S.A. 15/09/2013 15/09/2013
TACOMA, WA U.S.A. 19/09/2013 19/09/2013

The Boheme brought my European delivery car back to the U.S. in May, 2005. That was the last voyage of the ship when she was cut in half and lengthened.


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## enigma (Jan 4, 2006)

Dave 20T said:


> Did you keep one key fob? How about on Saturday, bring bolt cutters and AK-47's. Rescue our cars. Not steal them, rescue them! One person stays behind to post bail and give us phone cards when we are in prison.


We should all have kept one fob, so we are good there.

I don't know how wise it is to plot it on an open forum, but I'll volunteer to stay behind to post bail. It would be a major disappointment if you guys were successful in breaking in only to find that the cars have already left VPC.

I got a reply back from my CA, and no new information (i.e. "will let you know when the car is scheduled to come in").


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## edx1 (Oct 17, 2012)

khlay said:


> Dear friends..good news.
> 
> My CA just told me that my car in on the way. Maybe arrive this evening.


What does your status say on the 800 number and bmwusa's website, if you don't mind checking for us?


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## khlay (Apr 1, 2013)

edx1 said:


> What does your status say on the 800 number and bmwusa's website, if you don't mind checking for us?


What 800 number?

mybmw: Finishing Touches
WWL:

LINER RELEASE PORT HUENEME, CA 12-07-2013 16:37:12 
DELIVERED FROM PORT HUENEME, CA 12-07-2013 13:35:00 1
DISCHARGED PORT HUENEME, CA 12-07-2013 03:00:00 1
CUSTOMS RELEASE PORT HUENEME, CA 12-07-2013 00:00:00 
LOADED ON VESSEL BREMERHAVEN 14-06-2013 21:26:59 1
RECEIVED AT TERMINAL BREMERHAVEN 13-06-2013 13:15:34 1
BOOKED BREMERHAVEN 05-06-2013 09:43:45 1


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## Dave 20T (Apr 7, 2013)

edx1 said:


> What does your status say on the 800 number and bmwusa's website, if you don't mind checking for us?


Results of my assignment:

Car's preliminary date of arrival to the dealer is Sunday, 7/21. It is possible that it might come sooner, according to the CA. That dealer is waiting for other cars and mine helps fill the truck. One other car cleared on Monday and the rest of the dealer's cars cleared Tuesday and Wednesday.

The 800 number's automated system says my car is in transit, check with the dealer. I also checked another car that the dealer already sold and the message is the same. Therefore, I think that's the last update. The "in transit" message has been that way for weeks presumably meaning in transit by ship and/or truck.

The website says "finishing touches" but there is one more column that reads "at the dealer".

I presume that my car wasn't damaged or it would be delayed more. Either that or minor damage.

I read that another car company's European delivery program for Australia required that customers pick up their cars at the port.


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## edx1 (Oct 17, 2012)

BMW Automated status check: 1-800-831-1117 You need your production # or VIN. It's more updated than the bmw website.


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## Dave 20T (Apr 7, 2013)

Dave 20T said:


> I am not a dictator so feel free to do so.
> 
> Summary of previous posts:
> 
> ...


Looks like:
brianjk (non-ED) - 7/16 arrival at dealer
khlay - on the way, maybe this evening (7/18)
guppyflyer (Volvo) - cleared customs on 7/16, processed by Pacific Vehicle Processors, not BMW
Dave 20T - truck arrives 7/21, possibly earlier, meaning the truck might leave Port Hueneme 7/19
edx1 - truck leaves with car on 7/20, arrival 2 days later
enigma - - - (best of luck!)

Seems like none of our cars were crushed by mistake or fell into the water leaving the ship.

The Tiger arrives Yokohama, Japan 7/27/2013 1600 UTC, which is 7/28 locally. I'm not tracking the ship besides that. Thai BMW have to wait longer. The Tiger arrives in Singapore 8/14/2013. Thailand bound cars are loaded on another ship in Singapore. On the other hand, some Thai BMWs are probably assembled in Malaysia for tariff reasons so the number of Thai customers waiting might be small. Singapore is a fairly large BMW market in Asia. More BMWs are sold in Singapore than Hondas or Nissans.


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## enigma (Jan 4, 2006)

Yikes... I haven't heard back from my CA. I left an e-mail but today's an off day for him. 

Since the dealership is less than 100 miles from VPC, hopefully, it is ready this weekend.


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## enigma (Jan 4, 2006)

According to the CA, my car is still at VPC. Damn...


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## Dave 20T (Apr 7, 2013)

enigma said:


> According to the CA, my car is still at VPC. Damn...


Sorry to hear that.

My guess is that when the ship arrives, there's a flood of 2,500 BMW. That number is merely a guess based on the ship's size and some cars offload at different ports. Of those cars, 50 are damaged (2%) and will take a while to fix. Maybe there are roughly 2,400 cars remaining, which can be processed at 300 cars/day. That is 8 working days.

In the extra day it took to clear customs, some of those 2,400 got ahead of the ED cars.

My car is still at the VPC but projected completion of processing and projected loading to the truck gives a 7/21 arrival. I did not ask my CA specifically if processing was completed but maybe I should have. I figured that if there was an arrival date, things are already lined up.

I am hoping to pick up the car on Monday 7/22 but I think there is a good chance that I won't be notified in time to go, particularly if they notify me sometime in the morning. Maybe later in the week I'll pick it up. I hope they don't park it outside in an unfenced area.


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## khlay (Apr 1, 2013)

Final report:

Just picked-up my car. Both plates are on the original places. The green zone sticker stays on, too.

Drop-of 5/27 on Paris. Total re-delivery took 53 days, 3 days from the 8 weeks mark.


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## edx1 (Oct 17, 2012)

khlay said:


> Final report:
> 
> Just picked-up my car. Both plates are on the original places. The green zone sticker stays on, too.
> 
> Drop-of 5/27 on Paris. Total re-delivery took 53 days, 3 days from the 8 weeks mark.


Congrats and glad to hear! That gives me good hope that my zoll plats, green sticker and 2 vignettes will be as they were when I dropped it off! *crossing my fingers I'll get my car next week*

Oh, I'm curious too, does the 800 number or the website still list your car as in transit or ready at at the dealer?


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## khlay (Apr 1, 2013)

edx1 said:


> Congrats and glad to hear! That gives me good hope that my zoll plats, green sticker and 2 vignettes will be as they were when I dropped it off! *crossing my fingers I'll get my car next week*
> 
> Oh, I'm curious too, does the 800 number or the website still list your car as in transit or ready at at the dealer?


Just checked them for you:
MyBMW still shows Finishing Touches.
1800 said in transit


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## edx1 (Oct 17, 2012)

khlay said:


> Just checked them for you:
> MyBMW still shows Finishing Touches.
> 1800 said in transit


Thanks for doing that. Looks like we can assume those two sources of status aren't reliable at the end of the redelivery process.


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## Dave 20T (Apr 7, 2013)

edx1 said:


> Oh, I'm curious too, does the 800 number or the website still list your car as in transit or ready at at the dealer?


In transit seems to be the last message for the 800 number. I gave the VIN for several cars on the dealer lot and all say "in transit".


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## Dave 20T (Apr 7, 2013)

Delay...

The initial estimate from the dealer was that they would get a bunch of cars, including mine tomorrow. None of the cars have even been picked up. New estimate is that Tuesday is the earliest should the truck start tonight but that is just a hypothetical. There is no ETA but later next week is a guess.


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## guppyflyer (Oct 26, 2006)

Dave 20T said:


> Delay...
> 
> The initial estimate from the dealer was that they would get a bunch of cars, including mine tomorrow. None of the cars have even been picked up. New estimate is that Tuesday is the earliest should the truck start tonight but that is just a hypothetical. There is no ETA but later next week is a guess.


Ugh! I guessing I'm in the same boat, only problem is I'll be in the hills camping Tue-Thu. She'll have to wait for me instead!  Go figure, 10 weeks of waiting and it'll be me causing the further delay!  :rofl:

Erik


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## enigma (Jan 4, 2006)

So, anyone besides khlay who picked his/her ED car yet? I wonder how they decide which ED cars to process first... FIFO?


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## Dave 20T (Apr 7, 2013)

I am merely guessing but there is probably some FIFO component to it. Another factor is San Diego is the end of the line going south. San Diego cars probably all left so your car is by itself.

My dealer is smaller and has less than a truckload of cars. Maybe if Medford or Eugene, OR has a partial load, they will combine them?


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## enigma (Jan 4, 2006)

Dave 20T said:


> I am merely guessing but there is probably some FIFO component to it. Another factor is San Diego is the end of the line going south. San Diego cars probably all left so your car is by itself.
> 
> My dealer is smaller and has less than a truckload of cars. Maybe if Medford or Eugene, OR has a partial load, they will combine them?


Actually, my dealer is Pacific BMW (Glendale/Los Angeles area), so there should be plenty of cars going there.


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## edx1 (Oct 17, 2012)

My car was not loaded on Saturday as expected. No word on what is going on yet but it's not on a truck. 

Edit: I should note, my CA will hopefully be finding out tomorrow morning what is going on. Based on Dave's comment below (I probably should have just replied instead of edited) I'm guessing they're running behind since both of our cars were to leave Saturday and didn't, and they are likely on different trucks.


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## Dave 20T (Apr 7, 2013)

Mine was supposed to be loaded so that it arrived yesterday but, as of late Saturday, it was still at the VPC. I am beginning to think that the car won't be ready for me to pick up on Thursday. My second hope is Saturday. They should allow pick up at the VPC and offer a credit if you do.


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