Delivery of boat to Cardiff - options.

Bosun Higgs said:
I'm a bit surprised by your comments Pete. The trip that the OP is planning on making is one that I have done at least twice and usually four times a year for the past 20 years so I am reasonably familiar with it. If I was a relative newbie , had not sailed for 7 years and the boat was completely new to me, I would not risk sailing that coast.

You are of course right in that if the OP was prepared to take a long time waiting at each stop for the right weather then he could do it in the boat he is buying and maybe even in a sailing dinghy. But that isnt the way of things - he will inevitably be anxious to get back in a sensible time scale. And to be caught out in a lightweight 23 foot boat on the north cornish coast with likely no refuge between Padstow and Combe is not something to be taken casually. Whats more the trip will be tedious. He's likely looking at 15 hour legs from Penzance to Padstow and Padstow to |Combe which means in both cases that he will miss the gate / tide and have to anchor off.

I think you are also missing the issue of weather patterns. Suitable weather for the legs to lands end is rarely also suitable weather for lands end to cardiff. Occasionally I have managed to time it such that the wind vered from easterlies to westerlies os similar as I rounded lands end but usually I have had to chose relaticvely light winds and motoring. Again not good in a 23 footer.

Finally your comment about Plymouth being a better place to get to know the boat than Cardiff is simply nonsese. I cant believe you have ever sailed into Cardiff to say that. Behiind the barrage at Cardiff is an ideal area for the first few steps which is why its used to train kids in Oppies and the sheltered waters outside the barrage are good thereafter. Cardiff Bay really is one hell of a facility these days.
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Hi Bosun Higgs,

Clearly there are divided opinions about the best way for the op to proceed and the choice will be theirs to make. I was merely trying to express my own feelings that sailing round will be very satisfying and, if carefully planned, extremely enjoyable.

Cardiff vs Plymouth is really a matter of personal opinion. I have sailed to and from both places many times (I must admit I am more familiar with Plymouth). For me Plymouth to Fowey or perhaps Falmouth would be the ideal trip as a test sail, for you I guess Cardiff would be preferred.

Buying a yacht from a distant port can either be viewed as a chore or an opportunity. Will the op ever have such a good opportunity to explore Cornwall whilst learning about their new yacht?

We often provide skippers and crew to assist new owners. Many of our skippers are Yacht Master instructors and we regularly provide tuition whilst on delivery. We don't really compete with road transport as sometimes a truck will be the right option for either the vessel, the route or the owner.

Your point about the weather is true and you do have to be lucky to get perfect winds when heading both west then east. We are perhaps coming from very different places when it comes to passage time and weather conditions (definitely worth avoiding excessive winds, but I would consider it to be normal to have some headwinds or light winds when on passage). When delivering yachts, a 15 hour passage would be considered to be very short and I have to say that I never find being at sea tedious - for either 15 hours or 15 days...

Really in a nutshell I am saying that the yacht would be best sailed round. The skipper would provide a full report and advise on any modifications or maintenance issues and if the owner felt that they had the time and the stamina they could join for all or part of the journey as required.

Best of luck to them whatever they choose...

Pete
 
Just been reading the last few pages of debate with interest.

I think people on here are just trying to give the OP their best advice based on their own life experiences. I absolutely agree that boats are for sailing and in my own experience, I have suffered far more damage to boats over the years moving them about ashore/cradles/road haulage than the minor breakages incurred at sea. However, I am glad to see that the OP has gone for road haulage.

The debate is not whether or not the journey from south coast to cardiff is good or not. You can sail half the world and not find better. creaming along past tintagel with a school of dolphins for company is a good as it gets.

however, the OP was not comfortable making the journey as skipper. Wisely so given recent lack of experience, new boat, size of boat and frequency of inclement weather these days. this leaves delivery crew or road haulage.

so, pete of halcyon yachts, I genuinely would be really interested to know what your charge would be for said delivery? to which presumabley one can add berthing fees and any other incurred costs?
Also, what happens if, during the first legs of the journey some part of the boat or rigging fails? presumably you would sensibly put in to the nearest port and the owner would have to arrange for repairs. enter the lovely battle of daily berthing rates versus extortionate south coast (heaven forbid, falmouth) boat yard fees while repair is effected. then your fees to come back and finish the job off.

please note, im not slating delivery skippers/crews here. For a larger, more expensive yacht it makes perfect sense.
But really for a little 23 footer probably only worth a few grand, that you could stick on a truck for £500 it makes no sense at all.

Cardiff bay will be perfect for the OP to shake down the boat, then out into the channel and beyond. He can make DIY repairs and modifications at sensible cost at his lesuire until he has a boat that he can sail down to the scillies with confidence.
 
When i shifted mine i did it on the haulage companies return trip which made it cheap.Worth asking to save them driving back empty?
If you have time why not coast hop all the way back?
 
Hi, first post.

The Internet transport bidding site, shiply.com has a section for Boat transport.

Register and put the details of the Boat with the collection / delivery postcodes and transport people who are on there will bid for the job. You may likely be pleasantly surprised at the cost if someone can utilise an otherwise empty return trip.
 
Having had a poor experience with a road delivery, I would go for a sea delivery every time unless the boat was a complete shed, in which case I wouldn't buy it.

Also - if you are buying a modest boat, there is a strong case for concentrating your search close to home!
 
Bosun Higgs said:
I'm a bit surprised by your comments Pete. The trip that the OP is planning on making is one that I have done at least twice and usually four times a year for the past 20 years so I am reasonably familiar with it. If I was a relative newbie , had not sailed for 7 years and the boat was completely new to me, I would not risk sailing that coast.

You are of course right in that if the OP was prepared to take a long time waiting at each stop for the right weather then he could do it in the boat he is buying and maybe even in a sailing dinghy. But that isnt the way of things - he will inevitably be anxious to get back in a sensible time scale. And to be caught out in a lightweight 23 foot boat on the north cornish coast with likely no refuge between Padstow and Combe is not something to be taken casually. Whats more the trip will be tedious. He's likely looking at 15 hour legs from Penzance to Padstow and Padstow to |Combe which means in both cases that he will miss the gate / tide and have to anchor off.

I think you are also missing the issue of weather patterns. Suitable weather for the legs to lands end is rarely also suitable weather for lands end to cardiff. Occasionally I have managed to time it such that the wind vered from easterlies to westerlies os similar as I rounded lands end but usually I have had to chose relaticvely light winds and motoring. Again not good in a 23 footer.

Finally your comment about Plymouth being a better place to get to know the boat than Cardiff is simply nonsese. I cant believe you have ever sailed into Cardiff to say that. Behiind the barrage at Cardiff is an ideal area for the first few steps which is why its used to train kids in Oppies and the sheltered waters outside the barrage are good thereafter. Cardiff Bay really is one hell of a facility these days.
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+1
 
pete - I guess the difference between us is the 23foot bit. All my boats bar the very first one have been delivered by sea by me, but all bar the first have been 33ft or more and not lightweight either. The first was a 26ft hunter bilge which got delivered byroad when I found that no delivery companies were prepared to take her round lands end in the autumn. I must have missed your company.:D
 
Bosun Higgs said:
pete - I guess the difference between us is the 23foot bit. All my boats bar the very first one have been delivered by sea by me, but all bar the first have been 33ft or more and not lightweight either. The first was a 26ft hunter bilge which got delivered byroad when I found that no delivery companies were prepared to take her round lands end in the autumn. I must have missed your company.:D
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I suppose so... and it does tend to be quite cheap to use road when the vessel is lightweight.

It wasn't that long ago that I sailed a 22 fter from Falmouth to Gloucester - very easy passage with no troubles. Smaller boats are a bit slower; I would still want a good forecast whatever size yacht I was on.

"it's not the size that matters but what you can do with it" (sorry, couldn't resist).

Pete
 
Halcyon Yachts said:
It wasn't that long ago that I sailed a 22 fter from Falmouth to Gloucester
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c'mon, how much did it cost then?! im not trying to prove a point, im interested. I want to do the scillies/southern ireland at the end of the summer. the worry for me is always running out of leave. I either cut my cruise short so I have plenty of leave in hand for getting back, or enjoy it to the max and plan to come home in the last day or so of my leave. so if the boat ended up stuck in newlyn or crosshaven and I was well and truly back in work roughly what would it cost to get my benny delivered back to cardiff? typically with my work it would be at least 2 weeks on visitors rates before I could get some time off again to retrieve the boat. £300-£350. then theres always the risk that the retrieval mission is scuppered by insane weather... got the t-shirt for that one. I have also been reckless and put to sea in silly weather because of the pressure of running out of leave.
Clearly my problems revolve around work but thats life. need to work to afford the boat!
 
contessaman said:
c'mon, how much did it cost then?! im not trying to prove a point, im interested. I want to do the scillies/southern ireland at the end of the summer. the worry for me is always running out of leave. I either cut my cruise short so I have plenty of leave in hand for getting back, or enjoy it to the max and plan to come home in the last day or so of my leave. so if the boat ended up stuck in newlyn or crosshaven and I was well and truly back in work roughly what would it cost to get my benny delivered back to cardiff? typically with my work it would be at least 2 weeks on visitors rates before I could get some time off again to retrieve the boat. £300-£350. then theres always the risk that the retrieval mission is scuppered by insane weather... got the t-shirt for that one. I have also been reckless and put to sea in silly weather because of the pressure of running out of leave.
Clearly my problems revolve around work but thats life. need to work to afford the boat!
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This is a common situation and we often help people who have run out of time and have to be back at work. Unfortunately there are too many unknowns for me to give an accurate price. We don't charge for weather delays therefore the time of year would be a factor, exactly what the client wants (for on board tuition and the option of stopping in various places then a day rate might be agreed), how many crew are required, how much notice we have, would we need to organise additional equipment etc etc. Each job is quoted individually. Feel free to call me anytime if you want to discuss your specific or potential requirements.

Pete
 
Wow - I seem to have opened up a real can of worms with that post.

Anyways, the boat is now being delivered by road with South West Boat Transport (http://www.boat-transportation.co.uk) - £500 fully inclusive so it makes sense. I have been working in France for the past week and will find the boat on her new mooring in Cardiff on my return (31st May) so it has been very little hassle for me. If I waited for the correct weather and to find an available skipper I could have been waiting for weeks - and at a much larger cost!

Thank you all for your replies.
 
Dear Craig,

The 'owner assist' is becoming a popular choice for yacht owners. Its slightly different from normal yacht deliveries, it requires a different kind of skipper in a way.
Check out the owner assist page for the guys at Thumbs Up. http://sailingyachtdelivery.com/yachtownerassist.html
We do a lot of that sort of stuff and I'm sure we could come up with a very reasonable rate.

Sorry about the self-promotion. But I do believe there isn't enough information around on owner assists. And not many delivery companies offer it as a dedicated service.

All the best,
Matthew
 
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