About us

Ship to Shore was originally set up in 1994 to cater for long term cruising yachtsmen in need of a UK postal address. However, over the years it has changed to keep up with demand and it now caters for anyone who needs a secure holding address in the UK. Customers include those working or living abroad or travelling on the road, inland waterways and oceans either through business or pleasure. We are able to forward or hold mail until it is required, scan mail in a PDF format and then forward via email or forward post via Royal Mail or courier service. We are also able to receive any size of packages from couriers or internet shops to hold or forward as requested. Basically, it’s a service that is totally tailored to your needs!

Ship to Shore becomes your UK base and we will collect, store and forward your mail anywhere in the UK or overseas. We offer a confidential, professional and friendly service at low cost and the positive feedback we have had over the years has helped us to grow to be one of the best mail forwarding businesses in the country by constantly improving our unique service.

How does it work?

As soon as you have completed our registration form and paid the registration fee (There is a yearly or monthly fee for long or short term travelers), you can start having your mail redirected to the Ship to Shore PO Box.We normally work from our PO Box number but, if needed, can also offer a street address. Your registration period will not start until the first post has been sent to you which gives you time to notify people of your change of address if you are still in the planning stage. To change your address you can either use the Royal Mail redirection form or you can inform your banks, building societies, utility providers, family and friends directly of your new Ship to Shore address.

Whenever you want your mail, you can contact us via phone, fax, email or SMS text and leave your name and details of your mailing address and your mail will be dispatched there within 24/48 hours. Within the UK, mail is sent by first class post and overseas mail is sent by ordinary airmail unless otherwise requested. If you require a more secure or speedy service we can use recorded mail or one of the various courier services

For yachtsmen who have a set timetabled cruise plan, i.e. The Blue Water Rally, we can make sure that your forwarded mail arrives for when you do. For all of you who are staying in the UK you can use the Royal Mail Poste Restante service and Post Offices will keep your mail for you. To find the nearest post office, click on this link.

Each shipment is numbered and includes a statement showing the number of items sent, items filtered and a running total of funds in the account up to the last mailing. Each envelope is also sealed with our very distinctive tape.

What does it cost?

Annual Fees.

There is an annual registration fee of £125 or a monthly fee of £12 per application. This will include up to two adults and two children under the age of 12. If there are more than four adults aboard or in the group, the fee becomes £200. We also request a deposit of £50 against which charges for handling, postage and packaging are deducted. For the full fee structure please see below.

Mail handling.

There is a charge of 25p for every item handled, including junk mail. Junk mail is the bane of all of our lives and unwanted, unread mail isn’t wanted in anyone’s yacht, campervan, or narrowboat ! To try and stop any junk mail before you set off on your trip, visit the “Mail Preference Service” website which helps you try to stop any unwanted mail, calls, texts etc, www.mpsonline.org.uk, therefore, reducing the cost.

There is an additional charge of £1 for small packets, which have to be opened for customs purposes. For more complex filtering or redirection, a charge of 35p per item is applied. This entails opening each item of mail, filtering and discarding the envelopes. This is normally done when items are scanned but also when customers like their post forwarded but not the additional cost of paying for the envelopes as well!. In this way we hope to maintain low costs for those clients who have the simple need of forwarding a few letters a month, as opposed to the more complex requirements of those who need larger volumes of mails to be more rigorously filtered. Obvious junk mail can be discarded at no extra cost.

For those opting to have their mail opened and filtered, the specific requirements will be discussed and put into place once registration is complete. For instance, frequency of opening and sending mail or advising what mail is being held. A small charge may be applied for a mail search and listing of mail held depending on the amount of mail held. By completing the filtering form, we hope that only important mail is forwarded to you.

Download the mail filtering form

For those in faraway destinations, we can also open all mail and photocopy important documents before dispatching in case mail goes astray. Please see the charges for this service on the fee structure

Postage and Packaging.

In addition to the above charges, you will also incur the cost of your own postage and packaging expenses. Currently, mail is charged according to not only weight but also size of the envelope. Postal rates are always on the increase and therefore you can regulate what you spend on your mail; those wanting a weekly package to Australia are bound to spend more than those receiving mail once a month in the Mediterranean but you are guaranteed that all packing charges will be kept as low as possible.

We are not able to offer credit card payment facilities at present but Ship to Shore does accept payment by cheque, bank transfer or standing order. When your funds are running low, we will send you a reminder to top up your account. If you are on the move for long periods of time, it is advisable to arrange for a standing order payment to be made monthly or quarterly to cover the handling, postage and packaging costs. Late payment charges are applied if the account is in debit for more than a month.

A statement of account will also be issued once or twice a year showing all transactions and payments made to enable you to keep track of your spending.

Fee structure

Fee structure as of 1st January 2009


Description Registration fee Handling charge Additional services
Primary account holder(s) + 2 children (under 12) on boat and/or account £125 per annum
£12 per month
Primary account holder(s) + 2 adults on boat and/or account £200 per annum
£15 per month
Forwarding of unopened mail to primary account holder(s) and filtering of obvious junk mail* 25p per item of mail
Sorting and forwarding unopened mail to primary account holder(s) as well as to the other nominees on the account with different addresses to primary account holder(s). Junk mail filtered* 30p per item of mail
Opening all mail, filtering* and discarding envelopes 35p per item of mail
Photocopying mail before despatching 20p per item
Paying in cheques £3.50
Mail listing £5.00
Sending and preparing faxes £1.50 per sheet
Scanning 20p per item
Arranging for courier service £3.50
Miscellaneous requests £3.50 minimum charge plus expenses or pro rata of £20 per hour

*Filtered mail is held for one month

Contact us

Ship to shore, P.O. BOX 400
Winchester
SO22 4RU
UK

Telephone / Answerphone and Fax +44 (0) 1962 868 642
E-mail: lindsay@shiptoshore.co.uk or admin@shiptoshore.co.uk