what is it like to work fulltime yacht delivery?

[dom]

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.

Looks like delivery crews are doomed then; even if they formed a union went on strike nobody would care

 

[Laser310]

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

all things being equal.., naturally attractive jobs (nursing might or might not be one), have to pay less than naturally unattractive jobs.., or there will be a shortage of workers in the naturally unattractive jobs

there is a reason some physically difficult and dangerous jobs can pay well compared with jobs that, at least on the surface, seem more socially useful.

I often do deliveries for free - i have been paid, but only when all the crew are getting paid.

I love doing deliveries. I am mostly a racing sailor, and I find deliveries to be a relaxing and enjoyable time on the sea. Racing is fun, but it can be stressful too.

I am lucky in that I have been able to do deliveries on boats that most people consider dream boats - mostly they have been owned by friends, and I would never want to get paid by a friend - it just wouldn't feel right.

So sure, if there are experienced sailors willing to do deliveries for free, it's going to affect the pay level.

I would say the exception is superyachts - the skill level required is high, and owners expect to pay everyone on board. They always have a permanent captain and crew, but often need extras for ocean crossings. It's something of a closed group, and the captains tend to pick delivery crew that they already know well. It can be hard to break in.

 

[langstonelayabout]

. It was a case of sleep, on watch and repeat (occasionally eat something). Hand steer because autopilot failed. Not a lot of social life

LOL - identical to working in Saudi Arabia!

 

[siwhi]

No response I can see from a full time delivery skipper so far. So I'll throw my tuppence in, having done a bit of most things: coastal cruised for many years as a boat owner, been a flotilla skipper, raced offshore and coastally and then cruised full time for years...and done a number of long deliveries.

In my experience deliveries tend to be doing the bits the owner doesn't want to do for good reason - driving upwind for weeks at a time, in wet out of season conditions, while cold, knackered and in a boat with a loads of problems. Sure, there's good craic in port and the odd beautiful leaping dolphin framed sunrise under full sail, but most of the time you'll be wishing the engine was off so you could sleep, until it stops by itself, when you'll wish you could figure out how to start it up again. So, in my experience it's quite unlike any of the other forms of sailing I mentioned above. It can't all be bad of course, though you'll need to have done your time before you get to take an Oyster to the Caribbean!

 

[Laser310]

though you'll need to have done your time before you get to take an Oyster to the Caribbean!

or just become friends with oyster owners

 

[capnsensible]

Got stuck behind an Oyster Rally once. My friend coined the phrase ' an ostentation of oysters' . ?

 

[ashtead]

If you are lucky enough to be invited to deliver say a Spirit yacht even without pay along say the Italian coast it a worthwhile trip but as said often these opportunities arise as a result of knowing the skipper or partner and being invite along to stand watches etc as a compatible person. That’s how my daughter did much of fun sailing in med while doing the more tedious mobo stuff for pay.

 

[Sailingsaves]

I delivered an Oyster once.

Lots broke, but nothing dire.

Very wet boat for 50 plus feet (spray hood was missing).

Hanging foulies in engine room after every watch was nice (engine room as big as my cabin)

 

[Tamar]

It will be mostly winter work delivering boats back to base and such, I had a few years of it doing stuff the owners didn't want to do, had to fix stuff on the way usually.

 

[[3889]]

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.....

That to me is reasonable but some delivery companies take the pi$$, IMO, by expecting a registration fee from commercially endorsed YM to work for them gratis as crew. Not mentioning any names but one in particular is a frequent poster on this forum.

 

[Gary Fox]

That to me is reasonable but some delivery companies take the pi$$, IMO, by expecting a registration fee from commercially endorsed YM to work for them gratis as crew. Not mentioning any names but one in particular is a frequent poster on this forum.

+1

 

[Uricanejack]

That to me is reasonable but some delivery companies take the pi$$, IMO, by expecting a registration fee from commercially endorsed YM to work for them gratis as crew. Not mentioning any names but one in particular is a frequent poster on this forum.

Personal choice.
I am not interested in working for free. I am not looking to get into being a delivery guy.
If I was getting looking to get started. Maybe I would.
Helping a friend is different, then I am doing the same for fun.

It does appear to be a fact of life, Deliveries often rely on people looking for experience. Working there passage.
Would I do it?
The answer, what’s in it for me.
The chance to make an interesting trip might appeal to me, if my expenses were covered. If I hand the free time available.

 

[alexincornwall]

I can understand both sides of the paid/unpaid debate but the simple fact of the matter is that:

1) Delivery skippers are paid. How much, I don't know but I suspect it would be in line with most leisure sailing vocations such as instructing i.e. not a huge amount.

2) Crew are often unpaid but do receive full expenses. Bear in mind that for those that do not own their own boat, lack the confidence to take their own boat on a long passage, require sea miles to reach exam criteria, or simply love sailing and have a bucket-list itch to scratch via a low cost (free) adventure 'holiday', there's not a huge amount to complain about. If you have a boat and the ability to take off then don't sign up as delivery crew, the choice is yours and there is no need to point criticism.

There is clearly a strong demand for crewing opportunities and I know many YM Offshore's that regularly crew for nothing. I also know many that earn a living from training comp crew and day skippers. Horses for courses.

 

[MAGTRAD]

I have been unpaid crew on several deliveries now and think it's a great way to gain experience on a varied selection of boats. I've delivered a Moody 31 from Chichester to the Crounch to a brand new Lagoon 65 from Bordeaux to Split in Croatia.

I'm slowly working towards my YM and being semi-retired it's given me a great understanding of how the Delivery sector works. You'll never get rich but it's a totally unique job and when all expenses are paid you don't lose out financially.

 

[mjcoon]

Thanks for sharing your experiences with yacht delivery.

I'm not sure such late thanks will be much appreciated!