From Sakaiminato, Japan to Vladivostok, Russian Federation - May, 2012

 At this time of the year (MAY) you have no choice. This is the only ferry leaving from Japan. If you can, wait until mid June, than you can leave via Hokkaidi, Sachalin. It's a lot cheaper and faster with customs and you can keep your motorcycles.

DBS Ferry

Procedure & Costs & Details & Infos
Direction: Japan via South Korea to Vladivostok

A    General steps
1.)    make a passenger reservation at DBS as soon as possible and send a copy of your passport. The ferry is filling up quickly.

2.)    get in contact with Mr. Akamine from Kamigumi regarding your motorcycle.
Send him copies of
-     your passport and
-     carnet (if you have one).
He will arrange an appointment with customs on the departure day.

3.)    get in contact with Yuri Melnikov in Vladivostok and send him copies / pictures of
-    passport and Russian visa
-    number plate
-    side view of your motorcycle
-    mc national registration & international one
-    drivers licence
-    insurance if you have already one (for Europeans the “Grüne Versicherungskarte” is   valid in Russia) otherwise Jury is arranging this for you.

B    Cost per bike and person:  12.05.2012

    Passenger fare:    27.600,- YEN in a 8-bed room
    Bike fare:              61.239,- YEN
    plus                      3.000,-  RUB for storage / unloading  in Vladivostok
                                 100,-  USD for Yuri
                       
C    Details for Sakaiminato / Japan:

Get in contact with Tatiana from DBS ferry regarding your ticket via email or phone..
She will respond very quick,  is very helpful and nice and speaks Japanese, Russian and English.
You get a reservation number only.
Allowed luggage on board: 30 kg

Payment on the departure day 2 hrs before boarding and in cash only!!!

DBS Cruise Ferry Japan Co., Ltd
〒684-0034
Tottori, Sakaiminato-city,
Shouwa-machi 9-23
TEL 0859-30-2332
FAX 0859-30-2313
tatiana@dbsferry.com; tati...@gmail.com

============================================

Then get in contact with Mr. Akamine from Kamiguni next to Tatiana.
He is responsible for loading the bikes.
He is arranging also an appointment with customs on the departure day.
It was 15:00 for us bikers.

Mr. Akamine
k_ak...@kamigumi.co.jp
TEL 0859-45-8707
FAX 0859-45-7182

He never responded to emails. So best is to check via telephone again, if he received all your copies and about your appointment with customs. Loading is afterwards. He can speak English. (Just in case Tatiana from DBS Ferry can help with getting in contact with him regarding the information).

Payment on the departure day before customs and loading and in cash only!!!
We could pay everything in Yen, although some rates are quoted in USD.
Make sure you can pay everything in YEN

Invoice for bike:

Ocean freight:              600,- USD (ex-rate Y 80,72)       =       48.432,- Yen

Comission:                   10.000,- Yen                               =     10.000,- Yen

BAF                               10,- USD   (ex-rate Y 80,72)       =           807,- Yen

DOC Fee                      2.000,- Yen                                  =       2.000,- Yen

Total: 61.239,- YEN

After customs you can ride your bike on board and can help with fixing it. It’s worth watching the guys so you make sure, they don’t squeeze anything like your seat for e.g.

Take everything with you, you need. After loading you will have no access to your motorcycles until you receive them from the warehouse in Vladivostok. It will take a couple of days after arriving in Vlad!

INFOS:
You also have to give your motorcycle key to the reception on the ferry. They will pass it on to customs or the warehouse guys, who will unload the bikes. (We did not like the idea much, but had no choice).
Also cover your seat with eg a plastic bag and everything you do not like any writing on.
The warehouse people in Vladivostok will do some writing / marking on your bike.
(we saw that on a Japanese guys MC, who took the ferry and still has the writing on his mc seat)

===============================================
Time table:

Saturday: 15:00    payment motorcycle transport, customs, loading
Saturday: 17:00    payment passenger ticket and boarding
Saturday 19:00    ferry departures Sakaiminato
Sunday 9:00        ferry arrival Donghae / South Korea  (same time as in Japan)

You have to leave the ferry and enter South Korea (no transit area)
You will face the same prodedure as at airport –luggage check, passport control, finger prints,so leave pocket knifes, etc on board.

IMPORTANT:
you will also get a new boarding ferry ticket for the Donghae –Vladivostok part
make sure you got it before you go through passport and luggage control

Sunday: 12:00        boarding ferry again
Sunday: 14:00        ferry leaves Donghae / South Korea
Monday: 14:00    ferry arrives in Vladivostok / Russia - Russian time (+2 hrs to Japan)

Now we had to wait 1,5 hrs on board until Russian customs was ready! Then only 10 people could leave the ferry. The next until these have been finished and so on.
Customs and luggage control was easy going. Small rooms, everything squeezed in, dog patrol.

GPS coordinates in Sakaiminato / Japan:

Sakaiminato DBS International Ferry Terminal    N35 32.838 E133 15.173
& all procedures

Plant 5 Mega Super Market                      N35 31.185 E133 15.098
(very cheap & good for stocking up)

Sakaiminato Post Office                N35 32.317 E133 13.945

D    Details for Vladivostok / Russia

Get in contact with Yuri Melnikov and send him all necessary documents before, so he can start working on everything.

Links Ltd
Yuri Melnikov
89, Svetlanskaya str, suite 312
690078 Vladivostok, Russia
www.links-ltd.com

TEL +7 (423) 2220 887
FAX +7 (423) 2221 578
MOB +7 (902) 5243 447
Mail: ymelnik@links-ltd.com  he had problems to receive our mail via gmx so try also
ymel...@mail.ru

Yuri is absolutely reliable and worth his money and a very nice guy. He knows how to deal with customs and everything else.
He will call you or your hosts for all appointments at customs, warehouse, etc.

100,- USD is Jury’s charge for customs clearance, etc, plus
  50,- USD if you need insurance (without insurance you don’t get customs clearance)
           (Yuri is
3.000,- RUB for the port

Coordinates in Vladivostok:

Vladivostok ferry port:    N43 06.665 E131 52.986
Warehouse office:        N43 06.615 E131 52.915
Warehouse:            N43 06.594 E131 52.902
Customs house:        N43 05.802 E131 52.049
Yuri Melnikov’s office    N43 06.949 E131 54.298
Iron Tigers Bike Club        N43 09.836 E131 55.731
Iron Angels Bike Club    N43 08.754 E131 57.121

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(This is only for the ambitious, who try to do the procedures on their own:
In the big building at the ferry port is the office hidden, where you have to pay the
port fees. With the payment receipt, you go to the warehouse office and then you can collect your vehicle with another receipt.
Before all that customs has to be done, which took until Wednesday evening with Yuri’s help)

 (During unloading procedure the harbour workers damaged one of the BMW. The driver had fortunately the right spare parts with him. They pay the damage straight away in any case, but if you have to wait for spare parts…..)

DBS Ferry facilities:

Free hot / cold drinking water on board
Restaurants  is serving buffets for a good price: get tickets at information counter
    Saturday: dinner: 800,- YEN for buffet (was good – more Korean style)
    Sunday: breakfast: 500,- YEN (can’t say anything about that)
dinner buffet: 700,- YEN( cheaper because YEN got stronger - can’t say anything about that)
    Monday: breakfast and lunch
Bar – drinks & food very expensive
Disco
Little convenient shop: sweets, drinks (expensive)
Some vending machines: drinks (some take only YEN others only WON)
Payment on ferry only in USD; WON or YEN (no RUB)

Male / Female showers have soap, shampoo, body rinse, hairdryer

Japanese spa with view to sea (soap, shampoo, body rinse, much better than the shower rooms!!!!!! You can feel the sea inside ;-)) )

Any kind of rooms:
a suite can be Japanese style with fridge, TV, Shower
economy can be Japanese style or with beds
we had 2nd class and ended up in a 8-bed room with a wash basin, no window. 4 beds on each side – 2 above the other 2 (bunks beds) – all with curtain and extra light. Room was spacious. For the same amount of money and class you can end up in the bigger compartments with less room and more people.
They also have big rooms for 40 to 80 people on Tatami – no private space.
Best is to clarify this with Tatiana before. We expected Tatami floors and ended up in the room