The Maersk Wind is chugging toward Port Hueneme. I spotted her off the coast of San Diego on the AISLive website.

 

Me, too!

She's set to dock today. I wonder if there is any way I will be able to get Basil by the weekend in San Jose.

 

I heard that the VDC is very backed up, i'm planning my MCS arriving sometime in the next week and a half

 

where did you get the VDC info? I hope it clears up before the Wave comes through

 

Oh, man. Say it ain't so.

I have until the 18th before the lease on my 2004 MCS runs out, but I'm itching to get rolling in the new wheels.

 

That might be too optimistic of a schedule. My dealership up in Portland said it usually takes them two or three days to get the cars ready for the customer.

It also sounds iffy for how much time a particular car stays at the distribution center. My MA said the cars are unloaded last on-first off. Which may be good for me. Mine went aboard in about the last 90 minutes of loading.

By being the last loading stop, that at least puts us ahead of the BMWs.

He told me he doesn't know yet how soon a truck is scheduled to head this way.

 

my MCS was on this same ship.
but I'm on the east coast and I'm enjoying it already.
dont worry, it'll be there soon enough, and it'll be well worth the wait!

 

It must have been a different voyage, since the Wind didn't stop off at the East Coast on this run. Glad you're enjoying your car.

 

oops. my bad....you're right my Coop was on the Maersk Teal.

enjoy the car, post some pics when you get it!!

 

That's understandable. Those Maersk ships all look alike. I think the Teal pushed off from Southampton a couple of days before the Wind, so they were close by.

 

The Trinion docked at Port Hueneme on Sunday and dropped off hundreds of MINI's. Now the Maersk Wind. My MA told me that my car has been waiting at the VDC for eight days for inspection. Too many cars he said.

 

Nice to see a thread devoted to the ship our MINIs are on. I haven't heard about the backup at the VDC, but I'm not surprised, MINIs are popular.
Hopefully it'll only take 10 days so I can take delivery the weekend of the 14th.

 

My MA says it normally takes 5 to 7 days from arrival to delivery. Not surprising since we're only about a 5 hour drive from Oxnard.

Now, a backup of over 8 days waiting to inspect them at the VDC?! That's seriously distressing. My MCS current lease is up on the 18th. I ogtta have it by then - and I really want it ASAP.

 

8 days for inspection? I was hoping to take delivery of my car by the beginning of next week. I wonder if the different priority classifications would affect that timeframe at all (i.e. priority 1 cars that are supposed to spend a max of 2 days at the VDC)?

 

To the best of my knowledge no one as yet defined what is priority one? Can anyone enlighten me?

 

I believe a "priority one" car is one that has been ordered by a customer (as opposed to on-spec dealer stock).

 

I guess this means that the majority of us on the West Coast are "Priority Ones." Virtually all cars here in the Northwest are custom ordered.

 

Well, I'm still showing up as "Loaded on Vessel" on the W&W site, but I can see on the AIS site that the Maersk Wind is back underway. I assume that means they are just slower to update the website.

Still, good things are happening. Gotta' call my MA tomorrow.

 

My MA just called and said that my car should arrive at Northwest MINI on the 12th after being held at the VDC for the past 11 days. He said the backup was holding most everyone up.

 

So much for "priority one."

 

Priority 1 cars are already sold, not just custom ordered.

 

I didn't think anyone would pay for the car sight unseen. Could this mean those of us with a deposit down could qualify for Priority One.

 

W&W now lists my car as being off the boat.

I was thinking of trying to do most of the sales paperwork (less signatures) ahead of time so if my son were with me when I picked up the car it wouldn't take all day. I wonder if that would help with "priority 1" thing.

@Loui: Did you order your car or was the one you are getting one that dealer had already ordered and was on its way anyway? Did you have a deposit on the car?

 

I had a five hundred dollar deposit on the car since Feb 06. I custom ordered the car on Feb 8, 2007 from Northwest MINI. The owners lounge has been slow to acknowledge almost everything. Ask MINI has not been much better since it still says "waiting at the port." The best source has been my MA since docking in California. My MA told me that three auto vessels unloaded during the past ten days.

 

Thanks for the update. I've got a call into my MA but haven't heard anything back yet.