Inbound shipping - how to get one large item into China?

Yeah, I should have done this when I moved and paid an exorbitant fee to have my personal belongings shipped over in a cargo container, but it's way too late for that now.

I'm secretly planning to acquire a canoe. (Secretly because my lovely wife who might be able to find this info doesn't want me to buy one.)  I can get a used one of the make and model my grandparents had at their home on a lake on eBay for a reasonable price (well under $1k).

The questions are:

How the heck do I get a 17' aluminum canoe shipped (door-to-door) to China for less than it costs to buy it?

What sort of fun can I expect from Chinese customs when this reaches the border?  Anyone have a clue what the duty rate is for used unpowered watercraft?

Yeah, I should have done this when I moved and paid an exorbitant fee to have my personal belongings shipped over in a cargo container, but it's way too late for that now.

I'm secretly planning to acquire a canoe. (Secretly because my lovely wife who might be able to find this info doesn't want me to buy one.)  I can get a used one of the make and model my grandparents had at their home on a lake on eBay for a reasonable price (well under $1k).

The questions are:

How the heck do I get a 17' aluminum canoe shipped (door-to-door) to China for less than it costs to buy it?

What sort of fun can I expect from Chinese customs when this reaches the border?  Anyone have a clue what the duty rate is for used unpowered watercraft?

get one built here... no other way.

Hey man, I might know a few local folk who can make one for you.

But, if you insist on international shipping, gotta add your local phone number to the address.

Also, second tip, just put your phone number on it. SRSLY, they literally will keep it somewhere forever, then ship it back, unless you include your local number.

I've encountered the Chinese obsession with the phone number being the absolute most important part of any shipping address, even if I'm sending to a US PO Box with a Zip+4 postal code. 

Did hook up with a guy connected to a boat building company once, but then he decided they couldn't handle aluminum or canoes, only medium sized fiberglass powerboats.

Tree, if you know someone in China (preferably as close to the Pearl River Delta as possible) who can really build a proper aluminum canoe, I'm sure I can get most of the specs and find a pile of pics covering quite a few of the details online.

Alternatively, if anyone knows someone shipping their personal household goods from the US to China, I'm willing to discuss subletting some space from them.

Find a Decathalon near you. They carry Boating and Fishing supplies. Visit or call and ask someone there where to find a boat/canoe.

Find a Decathalon near you. They carry Boating and Fishing supplies. Visit or call and ask someone there where to find a boat/canoe.

Thanks.  I tried searching for canoes on their website.  All they had was a small inflatable boat.  Guess I can try to check one of their stores for more info.