Not that I can see via my VIN, but it seems no one else on NAM is going to the southeast.

Maybe I won't end up having some fat SUV in the seat next to me, and I'll get extra peanuts?

I have seen plenty of VINs VERY close to mine on the Toledo and the Asian, and I know according to AskMini it's at the port of exit right now. Mini says they lose track of it once it is at the port, and from there it is available for my dealer to track. My dealer says otherwise.

It has been there since Tuesday evening, so it hasn't been sitting unusually long or anything, but it seems like it should at least be booked onto SOMETHING by now, and the only place I can check the VIN is the WW webiste. K-Line and any others (are there any?) don't seem to offer the same service.

By the way: cool webcam
http://www.southamptonvts.co.uk/webcams.htm

Can you tell I'm looking for things to do while I wait to get word the little guy's on the way?

 

I've just been booked on the Patriot. The booking number is GBSOU507147, maybe you are there. On mine it says my car was booked on 2/15/07, two weeks before production.

 

That's the one I'm hoping for. Lemme see...

That one's port of destination is New York though, mine would be Charleston.

Different booking number, unless someone getting theirs shipped to the SE is getting the NY,NY booking number also?

My VIN still gives me nothing on the WW site.

The Patriot is scheduled to be in port for about 15 hours... seems like a good amount of time to load up some cars, particularly MINE!

 

Wouldn't all cars unload at NY to go to VDC?

 

Not as I understand it. The ship docks in NY, unloads the vehicles headed for the NE VDC, then later docks in Charleston at the BMW VDC there. Vehicles slated for the dealers in the region are unloaded, checked out, etc. Trucks leave from both locations to the dealerships. A similar dance takes place on the west coast.

 

I thought the VDC was in Charleston. I'm hoping mine will be on a ship sometime soon. I've been sitting at the port for a week, and I am very close to the VINs on the Toledo and the Patriot. How do they keep skipping me?

 

There are some ships, not WW, that go directly from Southhampton to Charleston, so I wonder if that might be the case for ours.

I'd love to see the inside of these vessels, even if not w/Minis aboard. Must be interesting.

 

More info about the Charleston port. One millionth BMW went through 18 months ago!

http://www.crda.org/news_article.shtml?id=505

Charleston is also where the Z3 factory is, and so they are shipped out from there. Quite the happenin' little burg!

 

So where did everyone go?

It got so quiet in here all of a sudden... some of us still need support!!

 

Hehe, we got our ships and went home. Looks like 20 more cars were added. You were completed before me, it's strange why you aren't booked.

 

I understand your pain! Mine has also been at the port for the past week and OL and everyone at ASK MINI keeps saying It's awaiting transport, blah!!!! Mine is also on the way to Charleston!!! I'm so excited, but this antipation is killing me!

 

Aha. Another bound for Charleston. That explains it

They must be waiting for a boatful of Charleston cars and then they'll go over. The NE, having more Mini dealers, also has more boats headed over.

And then a lengthy wait at the NJ VPC, whereas my MA says cars typically get through the SC VPC in 2-3 days. Things have a way of balancing out. (I hope.)

(And, just so no one misunderstands, I HOPE the week 10ers don't have some of the waits the folks getting cars at the NJ VPC have had to endure!)

 

Looks like wer're in the same boat...'bumped' from the Trianon to the miraculous Maersk Wind. Appears to be a net gain of 6 days travel time. Freakin sux!

 

Another thing to worry about, thanks.

 

Jmelrose, you have a lot of good information! Thanks for all of your posts!! When did you order your baby? I ordered mine on 2/17/07. I'm a little nervous that he won't be on the one that boards tomorrow for Charleston!!!!!

 

For all you folks on the west coast who do not have a ship yet, here's the booking number for the Maersk Wind (the next ship heading to Port Hueneme, CA): GBSOU507208.

A search by booking number will yield a list of VINs which you can scroll through to try and locate your own.

 

That is very cool. It doesn't look like I'm going to make that one. I should be on the next Port Hueneme one. How were you able to find the booking number?

 

AaronH: It's still early on in the booking process for the Maersk Wind, as it doesn't sail until 3/14. Your VIN may still make it onto the list.

You can't get a booking number for a vessel unless your VIN shows up on its list. It's updated constantly, so keep checking.

 

Thanks for the help. I hope it makes the Maersk Wind, but I can live with the Figaro if it must be. As long as it gets on one of those 2 I won't have to extend my current Mini's lease an extra month.

I'm really way more excited about this than I should be.

 

Heh, there is no limit to how excited one can get over the delivery of a new Mini (as I've discovered). I've infected a number of people with my excitement, including coworkers who are now in the practice of asking me for updates on Higgins.

 

Well, Patriot is loading now until about 1pm EST. I still get no results putting my VIN in so I 'm guessing I won't be aboard.

Again, anyone headed for Charleston got a booking number?

Yea, it's what I do to kill he waiting: dig around on the internet looking for something to hold me over until it gets here.

I was worried about all the sea air, but then I remembered that they are shipped covered in wax, so probably not that big a deal.

I ordered mine in, technically October, but put down the deposit in November. However, I had to wait for 3/1/07 for them to start building the Nav system and auto transmission into the US cars.

I'm not sure ANYTHING is going to Charleston on the Patriot. It's a stop this ship makes, but it's not a BMW ship, it's just a shipping carrier, so BMW may wait until they have a boatful and then send them down to Charleston. I would imagine that wouldn't take long. What I don't get is how it is at the port, turned over to the carrier, and yet there is no record of it WITH the carrier. Shouldn't they at least show that, yes, we have it, it's booked, something? Why would it not show up until it actually is ON the boat?

Unless they aren't travelling on a WW vessel, which is why I'm watching the port activity site AISLive... you can see there's like 3-4 mooring spots for ships. The one the Patriot is in currently isn't the only spot they are loading BMWs at. At least, I don't think it is.

 

Hey JMelrose,

Keep looking, I just saw my VIN number for the Patriot heading towards Charleston. The booking number is GBSOU507202.

Try it, because like a lot of people have been saying that sometimes putting in your VIN doesn't get results.

Good luck! I hope our babies are together!

 

Oh, different booking numbers for same ship going to different ports.

 

Thanks Minilondon,

I just ran the "printer friendly" manifest of the Patriot. No sign of the VIN there. Thank goodness for the "search" feature in Safari!

All the Minis starting with "WMWMF73557" being loaded are lower than mine. I guess it's just not my turn yet.

anyone know the "code" behind VINs?

 

By the way, another cool page for those in the production/tracking process:

http://motoringfile.com/2005/05/13/m...ine/#more-4175

On the plus side, the K-Line vessel is leaving 3/15 but gets in only 10 days later, effectively negating the extra wait by going directly to Southhampton. Assuming, that is, that it is carrying BMW products and not picking up, like, crumpets or something...

However, MiniUSA has told me that if there is room, they will pack as many cars as they can on board. Meaning that once the initial 200 are loaded, they will look at the space and get a few more on if they can. My fingers are still crossed. She sets sail at 4pm EST: 4 hours!!