Got word this morning that my MCS Clubman will roll off the production line on Friday, April 26, which I make to be the end of week 17. Anyone else out there on schedule for this particular week or day?

 

Me. Although I haven't been given an estimated date for completion, I got my VIN on the 17th, so I'm guessing it'll be finished about the same time as yours, if not slightly earlier. It'll be tight for it to make the next available ship on the 28th, unfortunately!

 

So - paint booth for my car today (Thursday), assembly tomorrow.

 

I wasn't able to find out dates for body/paint/final assembly, so I've been watching the WW shipping site for my VIN. It just showed up this morning, and my car is booked on the voyage for the 28th after all, which will put it on the ground here in Halifax on May 6.

The next ship leaving for Port Hueneme sails Apr. 30. I imagine that one will be your target.

 

Just checked, the VIN does not show up, which could mean a variety of things, I suppose. I suspect that the sailing on the 30th is too soon, but who knows? It should roll off the line today, so I'll check with my MA on Monday to see what he can tell me.

 

I have a feeling mine rolled off the line yesterday so I'd be one day ahead of you - your VIN should show up over the weekend, if it works the same way, of course.

You're right, it's a guessing game as to when it will actually ship. A fair number of vehicles got bumped off the last voyage to Port Hueneme because they didn't get to the yard in time or the ship was full. So those probably get priority on the next available sailing. But you never know how it might work out.

 

Just got word that my car left Southampton today, 5/1, aboard the Morning Claire. It will arrive in Port Hueneme, Calif., on the 21st. MA says getting it processed and to the dealership will take about a week. Cool.

 

Here's the latest on my MCS Clubman: Six hours ago, the Morning Claire, the ship it is aboard, was off the southeast coast of the Dominican Republic heading for the Panama Canal. We're making progress.

Just a note - the Ro-Ro ships, car haulers, are enormous things. If you're interested, you can Google the Morning Claire and find a picture of it. Huge!

More on this: The Morning Claire is making way at about 16.5 knots, or 18.9 mph. So 500 miles, or so, per day. She should be at the entrance to the Panama Canal Sunday morning, May 12.

The Web sure has some cool vessel-tracking tools.

 

As of today, the Morning Claire (199 meters by 32 meters, with a draft of 9.3 meters - a huge vessel) is moored in Manzanillo, Panama, awaiting passage through the canal.

Best guess, from what I can gather, is that canal passage usually burns about 24 hours. We shall see.

Kind of fun to track the ship's (and therefore my car's) progress.

Still scheduled to arrive in Port Hueneme on May 23.

 

And now it's in Gatun Lake, starting on its journey from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean.

 

OK, today we're through the canal. We're off the coast of Costa Rica and heading north.

 

Progress report: The Morning Claire, the ship my new MCS Clubman is aboard, this morning is sailing past San Diego. It is scheduled to arrive in Port Hueneme today, Tuesday, May 21, at 4 p.m. I'm hoping to perhaps take delivery of my car next weekend. We shall see. Man, the six weeks have passed quickly.

 

And as of about 4:25 this afternoon, the Morning Claire is moored quayside in Port Hueneme. This website, marinetraffic.com, has been fun to watch during the past two weeks while my car has been in transit.

Here's a post script to all this - the marinetraffic site seems to be real time. As of about 4:45 it shows a sat photo of the ship with unloading already commenced, car-haulers all lined up, ready to take new cars to the prep/distribution center. Pretty cool.

 

It would appear that the journey is almost over. I understand from my MA that I will be able to take delivery of my MCS on Sunday, May 26. The order was placed, if I recall correctly, during the first week of April. So the whole drill has taken just a bit more than six weeks. Not bad, for getting exactly the car one wants.

 

This date, 12:15 p.m., signed the papers for my new MCS Clubman. What a wonderful little car. I'm thinking it's a modern BMW 2002.

 

Looks groovy Jon!

 

Funny, I'm finally getting mine today, even though mine was built the same week and I'm on the Atlantic coast -- you'd think it'd be an earlier pickup than someone in California. Delivery was delayed two weeks due to travel and dealer incompetence. But all that will be forgotten, I hope, in a few hours.

Congratulations. Love the BRG.