what is it like to work fulltime yacht delivery?

[Sailingsaves]

I am talking about working for a company. I know the money is poor, but that does not worry me.

I last delivered a yacht in the early 2000s. I remember thinking: "never again". It was a boat that cost over £500k second hand. Lots went wrong mechanically and electrically, but we managed. It was a case of sleep, on watch and repeat (occasionally eat something). Hand steer because autopilot failed. Not a lot of social life as only one person on watch at a time. Force 8 Gale for some of it.

I returned to my little cruiser with lots of confidence and was happy to stick with that since,

Now my boat has been broken into and gone, I still yearn to sail. My Jester Challenge hopes have been dashed (but not owning and worrying about a boat is a plus).

I am footloose; I have plenty of time. If delivery experiences are good, I would happily make a life of it for a few years.

I am very fit and strong still, can fix just about anything mechanical and electrical and can sail well and have common sense. I enjoy the exhilaration of bad weather in a sound vessel as well as the beauty of a good wind over calm seas with the sun shining.

Would signing on with a decent company be a solution? Do lots of hard work, build a good reputation as a reliable sort. Can fun be had whilst on delivery?

Or is delivery the drudge and misery I remember in the 2000s (it was a 55footer with 3 souls on board, 2 hours on and 4 hours off). Barely talked to one another owing to fatigue.

Alternative is to not sail whilst I spend time trying to launch a LTD business (that is not just in the maritime sector).

Thoughts and experience appreciated; I know there are some hard core delivery sailors on here.

Thank you.

 

[atol]

with half the worlds borders closed probably not the best time to be looking for work that involves travel!

 

[Sailingsaves]

with half the worlds borders closed probably not the best time to be looking for work that involves travel!

I am looking into the near future when I will have had my second vaccine dose.

I notice that a well known yacht delivery firm on this forum has been delivering a lot of yachts (for the people that cannot travel I presume) during lockdown. The firm cannot work from home, so perhaps they were exempt from lockdown?

The website shows a lot of boats delivered in Dec 2020 for example. They even transited countries in lockdown and had to top up fuel supplies, so they seem to be working inspite of the pandemic.

Recent Deliveries Archives - Yacht Delivery Crew | Halcyon Yachts | International Yacht Deliveries

I also read that the company's staff are allowed to travel for the business and all necessary paper work is supplied.

 

[capnsensible]

Having had two sea going careers, I'm happy living out of a bag. And watch keeping. Plus I enjoy being out there. Put that together and you get top job.

I've always mixed deliveries with other sailing work, I think it pays to not pile em up, too many back to back, to keep you fresh. So that means not making it your sole source of income. I have that luxury!

There are a few pukka companies operating. As you say, it's work plus they know the details of the rules. First step is to contact a few, most have online questionnaires. Then front up for a few non paid deliveries so you can see if you like it and they can check you out. Where it goes from there is up to you.

Good luck, it's not all sun and fun as you know, but it beats sitting in an office.

 

[Gary Fox]

You need lots of varied experience and YM Ocean with commercial endorsement to work for big name companies like that, I suggest you start crewing for expenses, as mate/deckhand with big name companies like Halcyon to get known and trusted; also, they have websites, and maybe even Youtube channels, with advice for wannabees, quals required etc.
Lots of hopeful delivery crew advertise on the excellent Crewbay site. There are Facebook groups as well. You have to get out there, keep asking, a lot of deliveries are word of mouth.
Reliance is another big company with a varied reputation although I never had any issues personally, and they have continual work and used to take anyone with Day Skipper.
All pre-covid of course.

 

[Gary Fox]

I am looking into the near future when I will have had my second vaccine dose.

I notice that a well known yacht delivery firm on this forum has been delivering a lot of yachts (for the people that cannot travel I presume) during lockdown. The firm cannot work from home, so perhaps they were exempt from lockdown?

The website shows a lot of boats delivered in Dec 2020 for example. They even transited countries in lockdown and had to top up fuel supplies, so they seem to be working inspite of the pandemic.

Recent Deliveries Archives - Yacht Delivery Crew | Halcyon Yachts | International Yacht Deliveries

I also read that the company's staff are allowed to travel for the business and all necessary paper work is supplied.

Why don't you start by listing your experience, quals, and availability here, within the spirit of the forum rules, ie not asking for cash wages; you never know your luck, writing a sailing CV is hard because nobody can tell what you are like to sail with, especially your resourcefulness and good cheer when things start breaking..but you need to make a start, you will get some good advice I'm sure

 

[Sailingsaves]

You need lots of varied experience and YM Ocean with commercial endorsement to work for big name companies like that, I suggest you start crewing for expenses, as mate/deckhand with big name companies like Halcyon to get known and trusted; also, they have websites, and maybe even Youtube channels, with advice for wannabees, quals required etc.
Lots of hopeful delivery crew advertise on the excellent Crewbay site. There are Facebook groups as well. You have to get out there, keep asking, a lot of deliveries are word of mouth.
Reliance is another big company with a varied reputation although I never had any issues personally, and they have continual work and used to take anyone with Day Skipper.
All pre-covid of course.

Very surprised to hear Reliance are still going.

I worked for them a long time ago and had no issues, but subsequent to me leaving the news was full of issues with that company (that changed its name a lot).

 

[RupertW]

I spent a year doing deliveries on and off and loved it after 10 years of owning my own boat. Very spartan compared to cruising but that was part of the fun as was being alone on watch day after day with no stopovers in the nice harbours we passed.

It helped my sailing a great deal as my skills got honed over weeks and months continuously not just weekends. No good for money earning but enjoyable if being alone day after day with frost forming on your oilies is your idea of heaven. To my surprise it was at the time.

 

[penfold]

Having had two sea going careers, I'm happy living out of a bag. And watch keeping. Plus I enjoy being out there. Put that together and you get top job.

I've always mixed deliveries with other sailing work, I think it pays to not pile em up, too many back to back, to keep you fresh. So that means not making it your sole source of income. I have that luxury!

There are a few pukka companies operating. As you say, it's work plus they know the details of the rules. First step is to contact a few, most have online questionnaires. Then front up for a few non paid deliveries so you can see if you like it and they can check you out. Where it goes from there is up to you.

Good luck, it's not all sun and fun as you know, but it beats sitting in an office.

Anyone mingebag enough to be a parasite and expect people to work for nothing generally gets what they pay for; crew may be there for the ride but the skipper gets paid. If they're stingy about the delivery crew what else are they cheaping out on?

It's a long time since I did a delivery but even then the skippers were doing well to make NMW, crew got fed and plane tickets.

 

[capnsensible]

Anyone mingebag enough to be a parasite and expect people to work for nothing generally gets what they pay for; crew may be there for the ride but the skipper gets paid. If they're stingy about the delivery crew what else are they cheaping out on?

It's a long time since I did a delivery but even then the skippers were doing well to make NMW, crew got fed and plane tickets.

?

 

[RupertW]

Anyone mingebag enough to be a parasite and expect people to work for nothing generally gets what they pay for; crew may be there for the ride but the skipper gets paid. If they're stingy about the delivery crew what else are they cheaping out on?

It's a long time since I did a delivery but even then the skippers were doing well to make NMW, crew got fed and plane tickets.

I think you misunderstand the financial value of jobs. For novel writing, acting, publishing and many other professions including sports like sailing the job itself is so rewarding that employers can get good people for nothing more than enough for them to eat. That’s why equally skilled professions which are profoundly unattractive or not held in high esteem get paid a lot because nobody would do them for job satisfaction alone. Think of corporate lawyers, accountants or even more extreme my current career as a hospital manager.

That all seems reasonable to me as a way for an employer to behave - it isn’t desperate people who go for yacht delivery or other low hourly paid jobs, it’s those who have chosen a whole lifestyle they like instead of a job they don’t that pays them well.

 

[pvb]

I think you misunderstand the financial value of jobs. For novel writing, acting, publishing and many other professions including sports like sailing the job itself is so rewarding that employers can get good people for nothing more than enough for them to eat. That’s why equally skilled professions which are profoundly unattractive or not held in high esteem get paid a lot because nobody would do them for job satisfaction alone. Think of corporate lawyers, accountants or even more extreme my current career as a hospital manager.

That all seems reasonable to me as a way for an employer to behave - it isn’t desperate people who go for yacht delivery or other low hourly paid jobs, it’s those who have chosen a whole lifestyle they like instead of a job they don’t that pays them well.

Intriguing viewpoint!

 

[V1701]

I think you misunderstand the financial value of jobs. For novel writing, acting, publishing and many other professions including sports like sailing the job itself is so rewarding that employers can get good people for nothing more than enough for them to eat. That’s why equally skilled professions which are profoundly unattractive or not held in high esteem get paid a lot because nobody would do them for job satisfaction alone. Think of corporate lawyers, accountants or even more extreme my current career as a hospital manager.

That all seems reasonable to me as a way for an employer to behave - it isn’t desperate people who go for yacht delivery or other low hourly paid jobs, it’s those who have chosen a whole lifestyle they like instead of a job they don’t that pays them well.

You have a point, however similar principle is also used as justification for making professions like nursing poorly paid...

 

[capnsensible]

Unless you have a commercially endorsed sailing certificate of some kind to prove your competence, shipping out as an unpaid hand for a few trips is normal. You are obviously fed and may get travel costs paid.

Lots of people do it to get more experience, particularly going offshore. And to find out if there is an end to seasickness.....

 

[ashtead]

As a boat owner used to the south coast and channel was lucky enough while on gardening leave to be asked on a delivery trip many years ago from Gib to Croatia. Learnt a lot but night watches when motoring along at 8knots sometimes dull but always shared watches . Vessel had an excellent full time paid skipper and cook for the charter guests (on arrival) Certainly worth it for the experience if you can gain a berth in return for flights and food and meals ashore plus what might be termed expenses for travelling etc. . I guess it depends on quality of yacht and owners attitude to those who doing it for experience but maybe another option is helping owners with deliveries etc might be worth looking into(what might be termed gentlemen crew). I think therefore just as important to do your homework on yacht and the skipper if opportunities arise . Whether it improves your sailing knowledge is debatable but for learning about using radar and other kit certainly useful for own sailing. For paid work I wonder if the market might be over saturated though. Just be wary of signing up with a disillusioned skipper with a chip on both shoulders of type that you often find on sun sail courses .

 

[Kukri]

Definitely not for me! I get twitchy driving someone else’s car! I have crewed without pay on some deliveries, so as to gain experience outside the rut that I fall into, and I have huge respect for delivery skippers.

One key ingredient in NW Europe at least is reading the weather and I am just not good enough at that, let alone the ability to diagnose a few hundred possible problems in sundry makes of engine etc.

 

[RupertW]

You have a point, however similar principle is also used as justification for making professions like nursing poorly paid...

That’s not a “however” that’s exactly my point. Nursing is a much admired and sought after career so only earns in England 25k for day 1 newly qualified up to 50k ish 15 years later if you are a good nurse and leader.

 

[Skylark]

...............Just be wary of signing up with a disillusioned skipper with a chip on both shoulders of type that you often find on sun sail courses .

Are you sure that you have the right one with a chip on both shoulders

 

[V1701]

That’s not a “however” that’s exactly my point. Nursing is a much admired and sought after career so only earns in England 25k for day 1 newly qualified up to 50k ish 15 years later if you are a good nurse and leader.

Having worked on the wards I guess I'm struggling with thinking about nurses and HCAs being poorly paid for essentially the same reason that delivery skippers, diving instructors (I did that for a bit as well), etc. are poorly paid. But yes you're quite right...

 

[RupertW]

Having worked on the wards I guess I'm struggling with thinking about nurses and HCAs being poorly paid for essentially the same reason that delivery skippers, diving instructors (I did that for a bit as well), etc. are poorly paid. But yes you're quite right...

I know - I work with nurses every day. Doctors are the main exception to the rule in healthcare but they have that “conspiracy against the public” - a registered profession and a very influential union. Good for them and I suspect that nurses would be far worse paid if they weren’t unionised too.