Delivery Captain from San Diego to Seattle

[Celestialsailor]

Originally Posted by Compass Rose

We're considering buying a boat in San Diego and hiring a delivery captain to bring it up to Seattle. We've trucked a boat in the past but never hired a delivery captain and have no idea how to go about finding a dependable, reputable one.

Does anyone know of a delivery captain you would recommend? Any input about how to find a good one? I'm sure there are some good ones out there and some not so good ones.

The other option is to have the boat trucked north, but I'm thinking that would be more expensive and more of a hassle.

I'd appreciate any referrals, suggestions or other input anyone has.

Actually, the person to talk to on this forum would be "Rebel Heart". He knows the know...

[Compass Rose]

Good point about the tsunami debris. That's frightening. Trucking is sounding like a better option at this point.

[MyYachtCaptain]

Hi... Saw your post about getting your boat up to Seattle. Several things come into play when you are thinking about boat delivery. First thought is WHAT TYPE OF VESSEL IS IT AND WHAT SIZE IS IT? (Some boats are just too big to want to break down, haul out and put on a truck whereas some are simply too small to try and run uphill to Seattle from San Diego)
WHAT TIME OF THE YEAR DO YOU WANT TO TAKE IT?
WHAT KIND OF CONDITION IS IT IN (INCLUDING NAV GEAR)?
WHO SHOULD TAKE IT?

My suggestion to find excellent delivery captains would be to look at the Master Captains on www.YachtCaptainsForHire.com and read about several San Diego and beyond captains and the services they offer.

If you have other concerns, fell free to drop me another line and I'll try and help.

Sincerely,
Captain Eric Lamb

[Captain Jeffry]

I am a USCG licensed 100 Ton Master with over 105,000 documented international sea miles. I am particularly familiar with the entire West Coast US to Seattle, Baja and Mainland Mexico, I have many Trans Pacifc crossings both directions, Santa Barbara to Auckland New Zealand, ICW, Grenada to Ensenada via the Canal, Auckland to Bora Bora. Miami to Cascais Portugal via Bermuda and Azores Islands.

Delivered a Catalina 38 from Long Beach to Seattle August, 2011

Cheers,

Jeffry Matzdorff

[webejammin]

We bought our Gemini 105Mc in San Diago but it was in Nov before it was a done deal and ready to leave for our trip north to the Columbia river so we arranged her to be trucked to Portland Or for about the same as hiring a captian to take her but the weather window is not good untill July and August and we didn't want to waite that many months.

We are planning a costal trip to the San Juan islands up the coast of WA and are planning doing day crusing only to keep an eye on floatsome the last of July and back to the Columbia river in August. The heavier floatsome will be on our coast in 2013 and 2014 the experts say.

[Captain Jeffry]

Excellent! Have great adventures!

Jeffry

[byro]

I'd recommend google search under "delivery skipper" See what pops up and then start making some phone calls. Be prepared with some facts about the boat you are asking someone to delivery: year, make, model, history of use, current configuration, condition of rigging, sails, hours on engine, age of batteries. I've been in the business now for 20 years and you'd be amazed at the condition of most of the vessels folks want me to take to sea.

San Diego to Seattle is going to stress every system on board and if you routinely use your boat in that way in those conditions you'll be fine. If we are talking about a Southern Cal sailor in waters south of Pt. Conception then you vessel is used to mild conditions and isn't prepared for the passage.

If she is small enough to truck up I5 do that! You get her in Seattle in the same condition she left San Diego without all the wear and tear and the expense of getting her ready for the passage north on her own bottom. Once you get her to Seattle you can safely use her in the Puget Sound area and north along the Inside Passage for you are in protected waters for the most part.

When you are talking to Delivery Folks some key questions: 1) Ask for an estimate; 2) Ask for a copy of their delivery contract. Don't ever turn over your vessel to anyone absent some sort of contractural agreement; 3) Inquire into how long they think it will take and the route they intend to take - near shore or offshore; 4) Check out their backgrounds - google their name and see what pops up if anything; 5) ask about their philosophy in approaching and executing a delivery; 6) ask them for the phone number of one or two clients they have worked for in the past. Naturally they are going to offer you phone numbers of "successful" deliveries vice unsuccessful but ask them about their less than ideal deliveries and why they were less than ideal. If they say they have never had a bad delivery, they are lying or they just haven't done many.

I would suggest to you that every delivery must be a team effort on the part of both the owner and the crew conducting the delivery. If you are the least bit uncomfortable with what you are hearing or seeing find someone else.

[Capt Phil]

+1, byro... good advice! I'd be tempted to throw my hat in the ring but now retired and happy just to do the odd job driving a well found yacht to Catalina in fine weather. The time of year to head north on the west coast is critical to the health of the crew and the vessel. Any time between October and April can be problematic and the offshore/Hawaii route is preferred IMO. Capt Phil

[Roy M]

I'm up for it. I've done this trip a number of times. I'm a 100 ton Master with sail endorsement. I am a multihull vet (set record on YANMAR ENDEAVOR to Hawaii in 1989), I'm based in San Diego, and I have a crew of multihull experts. For references, contact West Marine San Diego, San Diego Marine Exchange, Windseekers Yacht Sales, ask them if they know Roy Miles.

Ooops! I confused you with another user and assumed you were a catamaran buyer. I am not interested in taking a "leaner" north. Truck it, you will thank yourself many times over. Or, ship it via floating transport providers. They pick up in Ensenada, 90 miles south of San Diego, and deliver to Puget Sound. No damage, no worries, and the cost will be comparable to having a manned delivery (without the cleaning services after).

[Captain Jeffry]

Hello Again! Agreed BYRO. ALWAYS get a sailing c/v and multiple references! AND check nthe references! I am currently delivering a 47' Vagabond Garden Ketch to Port Townsend..currently in Coos Bay. I will then ferry to Anacortes and deliver a Viking 58 back home to Santa Barbara. These waters are stricktly for experienced skippers. Been helpijng with routing some return Pac Cup boats this summer and several saw 20'-35- motor boat upside down roughly 350-425 miles due east of San Francisco. The Pacific High was quite low at times this year and that allowed them to hit SF from the west like that. Scary indeed! Happy it was in daylight hours. Who knoiws what they missed at night. I am happy to send my references and c/v to anyone with interest. Also, my WS is www . offshoredeliveryskipper dot com.

Cheers to all and safe passage!

[Captain Jeffry]

Also, I am delivering an Island Packet from California to Panama and then transit through the Canal to Shelter Bay this November.

[webejammin]

Your about to run out of fair weather up the Cal. Oregon and WA coast. You may have a week or 2 but then the storms start coming from the NW and you may as well truck your boat or the delivery captain will be doing the delivery in short hops without a scheduled time of arrival. Next time for fair weather is about January and again mid July thru mid Sept., It's into the breeze, waves and current all the way north.

[Richard5]

Just to add to Byro's excellent comments: North of Conception the coast is mostly outer unprotected waters, north of the Mendocino escarpment the fun really begins. That means the full fury of the N Pac, if there be any at the time of delivery, is thrown at the boat. And, unless standing off the coast the south flowing cold water California current is setting against you. These two conditions make mighty strange bedfellows. Add that winter is upon the waters and trucking on I-5 makes all the more sense.

The trip is doable...if given enough time...measured in months.

[Morrissey]

I dont want to hijack the thread, but when is the latest time of the year that I could take a 50ft trawler the other way, Seattle to San Diego?

[webejammin]

Currently the weather is calm but in 10 days or so we will get our strong NW breezes and all you can expect is a 3 day weather window and harbor hoping is best if you can get in passed the ocean bars if there not already closed. The swells get really choppy and steep and winds in the 60kt range.