[808e46m3]

Actually looks like we're right on time!

[808e46m3]

Ah, I take it back! We did get slightly delayed - the original schedule shown in the post above has 1/25 arrival in GA and 2/6 in PH, but now it's 1/27 (today!) and 2/8 in PH, which is also reflected on the PH port schedule here:

http://www.portofhueneme.org/community-home.php

Darn! Oh well, 2 days is not too bad considering that we just made it out of Germany before those storms came in.

[yedoc]

Well according to the WWL website we have left Brunswick, GA and are headed towards the Panama Canal! Hopefully we'll be able to see the ship on AIS or even on a webcam. I'm started to feel it. :rocks:

I told my wife we would have the new car around Valentine's Day. She said she would understand if she had some competition for my attention this year....

[808e46m3]

Just checked AISlive - don't see her on the screen yet - maybe tomorrow. She's supposed to dock at Manzanillo on thursday, which is on the pacific side of the canal, so it should be soon! Too bad they don't publish the schedules for ships passing through the canal. We could use that as an estimate of when to watch the webcams.

[flush01]

lucky ... i still got 3 months to go

[808e46m3]

Originally Posted by flush01

lucky ... i still got 3 months to go

Hang in there! It's slow and painful, but good things come to those who wait!

[yedoc]

Should be arriving at the Canal tomorrow. Let's keep an eye on this site and see:

http://aisfree.aislive.com/Influx.as...ama%20Overview

Then, once we've found the 'ol Tristan, maybe we can watch our babies go through the locks on this site:

http://www.seacruisechat.com/panamacanal/

Getting close!

[yedoc]

Well looks like we're anchored at Manzanillo!

Gotta go to work, but hopefully we'll be able to check in during the day and see her on the webcams.

[808e46m3]

Almost there! I wonder why she has to stop in Manzanillo? What could possibly be there?

[yedoc]

Woohoo! I did it!

I found her, I found her!!! See first on AISLive and then on the live webcam, going through the Locks. I captured a bunch of images and hopefully will put 'em together later tonight for motion video!

[yedoc]

Ok, and here's the video (just click on the image):




Woohoo! Next stop - Port Hueneme!!!!

:rocks: :rocks: :rocks: :rocks:

[808e46m3]

Very cool! Thanks dude! You da man. Next stop PH! Unfortunately, I'm still gonna have about another 1-2 weeks after it gets out of VPC cause it's gotta go down to Long Beach (about 75 miles away from PH) and get put on another ship to come to Hawaii. Fortunately, the sailing time is WAY quicker - only four days and the shipping company (Matson) has the awesomest tracking system available on their website - it actually shows the live GPS data direct from the ship 24 hours a day - you can also see the stats like how fast she's going, etc. Very cool!

[yedoc]

Yea that extra wait after the VPC is going to suck. I live in L.A. but am actually picking up my car in the San Francisco Bay Area so by the time I get up there to get it we may actually end up getting our cars around the same time!

Do you have to pay extra at all for buying the car in Hawaii? I guess you don't have too many dealers to choose from there?

[808e46m3]

Nah, no extra charge. I guess the dealer here (there's only one for the whole state) or maybe BMW absorbs it as extra overhead. Matson charges private customers (retail) about $1000 to ship cars to/from the west coast, so it's probably costing an additional $500-750 for each car sold by the Hawaii dealer.

Originally Posted by yedoc

Yea that extra wait after the VPC is going to suck. I live in L.A. but am actually picking up my car in the San Francisco Bay Area so by the time I get up there to get it we may actually end up getting our cars around the same time!

Do you have to pay extra at all for buying the car in Hawaii? I guess you don't have too many dealers to choose from there?

[yedoc]

So I guess you just have to pay whatever price that dealer quotes you since you can't go elsewhere?

I guess if you buy on the mainland you have to factor in those extra shipping fees?

[808e46m3]

Yup, the Hawaii dealer has a captive market so he can pretty much charge/ask whatever he wants, within reason. Obviously he can't get too greedy, since it would be easy enough to pickup a car via the internet and have the other dealer ship it to here, but as long as it's within $1000-1500, you might as well get it from him. Although, he's fairly reasonable - you can almost always get MSRP at the most, except for the M5/M6 maybe. Also the service dept has you stuck, at least until the warranty runs out. There's actually a very good independent BMW mechanic right around the corner from the dealer.

[m4tte F82]

Hi everyone...I'm new to the forum, just ordered my e92 last weekend, and am starting the LONG wait until delivery. I'm in Hawaii as well - the last BMW I ordered took a little over 3 months to get here, and I'm suprised 808e46m3's car is taking that long. Is there any reason for that? My salesman at BMW of Honolulu quoted me about 3 months for this one as well.

Thanks!

[808e46m3]

Who's your salesman? Yeah, it takes that long, unless you can manage to get a production # for the same month you order it in, which is not likely.

[m4tte F82]

Cool...my salesman is Curtis. Nice guy - I bought my first one from him too. Hopefully I'll have a production no. soon. I hear there are some minor upgrades on the March builds, so maybe the timing will work out well.

[yedoc]

Hey 808 the ship should be at Port Hueneme since yesterday, but I haven't been able to figure out if my car has made it to the VPC yet. Have you been able to confirm anything?

[imua]

Matt335i, looks like we ordered about the same time. I got my production # and build week a few days after my order. Good Luck.

[808e46m3]

According to the WW website, the ship left PH already, but when I track my VIN, it doesn't show any offload activity. Called the 800# just now, but unfortunately it does not seem to be updated.