Delivery Experiences

[J Ventura]

I would like to learn about people's experiences with deliveries , so if you have ever contracted a delivery , can you share how did it work for you , what was the best and worst about it and what would you do differently?
Thanks!

[yeloya]

You can either use a company or hire a captain. The first option may cost a bit more but if you get a good company, it's safe. (I'd used Reliance and it did work well for me..)
If you decide to hire skipper, the best is to get someone that you know. If this is also not possible, you can try internet, but the things get more risky.
In any case, join the skipper during the delivery. That's a very valuable experience. If you won't be able to join the delivery and cannot find someone that you know, then go for a reliable delivery company.

There are in average 30-40 boats of every kind delivered each year to our marina in Turkey from France. I have seen captains that left the boat in the middle of the Med because of their personal issues, one who had slept or was busy in the cabin with her girl friend when they hit a huge cargo ship but also some very good professionals.
I believe there are also some people on this platform who are doing deliveries. If you cannot get any body, send to me a personal note.

Cheers

Yeloya

[J Ventura]

I'm not looking for a delivery service , I'm just asking about people's experiences , insights and opinions , like yours.
Thanks!

[FSMike]

From the boat driver's point of view, never deliver a boat for a big shot politician.
If his boat blows an engine, he blames the captain and you don't get paid, and the legal recourse that is available is not practical against deep pockets and lots of influence.

[oscar]

In any case, join the skipper during the delivery. That's a very valuable experience.

Depending on the personalities involved. Someone has the last word, and if there is a hired captain on board it is him/her until relieved of command IN PORT with a ticket home. Some owners cannot step back, and this can lead to problems. I have a few friends that do deliveries, and one of them will not have the owner on board for that very reason.

[Joli]

That's the difference between hiring a captain or hiring a mate.

Originally Posted by oscar

Depending on the personalities involved. Someone has the last word, and if there is a hired captain on board it is him/her until relieved of command IN PORT with a ticket home. Some owners cannot step back, and this can lead to problems. I have a few friends that do deliveries, and one of them will not have the owner on board for that very reason.

[fishwife]

I hired an experienced trawler skipper to deliver my boat from the States to the Azores. I employed him and two AB's to teach me along the way and to make watch keeping bearable. Although I've had sail boats for 40 years, I needed someone to instruct me in the finer points of power boat maintenance. It worked very well. So well that the skipper and crew decided to stay on board, unpaid, until the boat was in the UK, even though I took over the skippering after the Azores. I know not all skippers are keen to teach along the way but one who will is worth his weight in gold.

P.

[barnakiel]

I have delivered a boat with owners onboard. I find it easier when the owner stays on the dock.

I always strive to avoid delivering less than ocean-ready boats, but too often end up doing just this. Which means I not only deliver the boat but also fix it before delivery, at no extra pay.

b.

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by oscar

... Someone has the last word, and if there is a hired captain on board it is him/her until relieved of command IN PORT with a ticket home. Some owners cannot step back, and this can lead to problems. I have a few friends that do deliveries, and one of them will not have the owner on board for that very reason.

Originally Posted by barnakiel

I have delivered a boat with owners onboard. I find it easier when the owner stays on the dock...

My Rules 1, 2, & 3:
No owners aboard a DELIVERY.

If the owner is aboard, i's something else, and I'm a glorified (or not) servant.

[yeloya]

I joined the delivery of my boat. The first thing that the skipper told me was: "you are the owner but I am the captain and the only captain of the boat until our final destination."
We were three on the boat and we shared every duty on board equally. It worked perfect and I've learnt a lot.
If the skipper is rejecting to take the owner onboard, I believe he should have a good reason for this...

Yeloya

[boatman61]

I've had good and bad owners....
Only trouble when they're green is, you can end up solo sailing the boat when they succumb to sea sickness/fear in heavy weather and cannot or wont leave their bunks .... I ended up solo sailing the boat for 1100 miles of a 1500 mile trip.

[gbanker]

We just arrived in Tortola after 41 days from South Africa. Although we have a lot of off shore experience we hired a delivery captain as he had made this trip about 30 times prior to ours, 12 or so of these trips were on sisterships. And, this is our first catamaran. We got along well and had a great trip.

[Palarran]

I'm sorry but reading some of these posts makes me wonder if delivery captains trip over their ego's constantly. It seems the owners who've hired delivery skippers haven't had a problem and the "Captains" have had nothing but problems with owners.

This is an observation, not a statement of fact.

[FSMike]

[QUOTE=Palarran;420059] --- reading some of these posts makes me wonder if delivery captains trip over their ego's constantly. It seems the owners who've hired delivery skippers haven't had a problem and the "Captains" have had nothing but problems with owners.
[/QUOTE

I would think that if the owners have not had a problem then most delivery skippers are pretty level-headed, otherwise the owners would complain.

The ego of some of the owners, on the other hand --- well, let's just say that some of them have such an emotional relationship with their vessel that they can be a tad difficult to deal with in what is supposed to be a business transaction. They probably wouldn't care if you were delivering their car.

Everybody please note that I said "some" of the owners.

[CaptMarc]

I was crew, (unpaid, except airfare). One time the owner was onboard, good guy and all was well....
The Delivery Captain also wrote for a regional magazine. He wrote one aticle: MFO : Mighty Fine Owner Onboard....

The article advised knowing the owner and trusting the owner at sea or be ready to turn down business $$$

He tried not to have owners onboard

MArc