Shipping a Dome from the US to Dublin

there has to be a cheaper european alternative from which you could buy from, the customs/duty will be a hit on the cost for sure.

Do a web search involving the terms "groupage" and "freight consolidation".

One such find:

www.airocean.ie/airocean/Main/Import.htm
(I've not used them - its just an example).

If your dome is broken down and packed on pallets you should be able to get a door to door service all the way from the States.
Note the insurance - I'm not sure if all groupage / freight consolidation schemes provide insurance.

For large items these types of services work out cheaper than the popular courier services typically used for small items.

I'm only aware of this because either my telescope or my mount was delivered several years ago under a groupage scheme - but I don't remember any of the details.

Let us know how you get on.

Mark C.

If I could throw in my tuppence worth here on this one.

First off discount all the usual Fedex, UPS, DHL etc. type shipping companies, What you need is a proper deep sea shipping company, who specialise in bringing containers to and from the US. Avoid airfreight companies or companies that offer airfreight as part of their services, as they tend to be much more expensive.

What you will also need is for the vendor to provide you with a packing list. You will give this to your shipping company and ask them to quote you for both a shipping and final destination delievry price. Make sure that the price included customs clearence and duty payable. On surveying the packing list the shipping comapny will decide what is the best way to ship it, either by groupage or by dedicated container. After that all you have to do is agree the price. Get a number of quotes from different shipping co's.

You're right you don't need a loading bay or a forklift, specify to your shipping company that the delievery truck must have a tail lift. All you need after that is to get it on site. Bear in mind that you must have a place so that the truck can safely park while unloading.

Over the years I have found the Fedex, UPS DHL type companies tend to be way to structured and less in tune to their Irish customers needs.

The following link is a good start,
www.goldenpages.ie/shipping-companies/dublin-county/
scroll down the page until you come to the individual listings and pick a company in your locality

Hi all,

Thanks for all the advise guys :grouphug:. I got a few quotes and best so far is a moving company called AMC. Its looking like it will cost 2650 euros to have the dome shipped door to door, with port charges adding 250 and customs clearance fee's of 150. So its about 3k euros into total. This is the cheapest from 4 companies so far (1 in the USA and 3 from Ireland). There might be a small of amount of haggling but I don't think their price will change too much.

Its shipping in a 20ft container. A smaller dome might have been possible on a groupage but this looks like it will take most of the 20ft container itself and cannot be palatalized so it shipping solo.

So all going well in a few weeks I should have it delivered . I will be sure to get pic's for when it arrives. Construction wont happen for a while yet though. I am still undecided where its going to be placed. My garden is very small and while it would fit, there would be very little room left. My parents back garden was offered generously by them that i could place it there. Their garden is bigger and better field of view, but of course i would get more use from it and the equipment if I had it at my my own house. So still some planning and logistics to work out!!

I am green with envy :x
But I will say that the location of your observatory is entirely your choice.....but as they say (there is always a they...) your best telescope is the one you use, and unless your own home is totally light polluted - I would have it in my own back garden. You are more likely to use it (unless of course, your parents live next door :huh:

looking forward to the photos....

Sounds like some happy nights ahead. Can I be the first to offer a home for your new dome in Mayo lots of space in my garden.