Yacht Delivery

I naively thought the delivery crew would sail a sail boat most of the way - but no, they motored about 95% of it.

If they cannot maintain 7 knots on the rhumb line, down come the sails, and on goes the engine (actually it probably works out cheaper than paying additional crew costs for the extra days over budget).
It's fair enough, the crew probably have a deadline, if not for the owner, then for themselves. And being late could possibly start eating away their profit on the trip. If the delivery crew motored for 95% of the trip it sounds like the winds were either light or coming from the wrong direction, which is just bad luck.

Another consideration is this, the relative costs of wear on the engine, and wear on the sails, rigging, deck gear etc. It's amazing how much damage can be done even by a careful crew on a passage of thousands of miles. Safer to motor if you can. Diesel engines take the punishment so much better than dacron.
 
Thanks for the list of delivery companies, I hope to phone a few to see if they have any delivery work.

Some very useful information comes out of these forums and this is one good example.:)
 
Reliance Yacht Delivery?

I can't recommend anyone but, from previous threads on here, avoid any delivery company with the word "Reliance" in its name. :(

Hi, considering using Reliance Yacht Delivery, but I am picking up warning signs here and there. Any opinions or experiences?
 
Reliance

When I 'skippered' for Reliance Yacht Management, Nick Irving (same Director of Reliance Yacht Deliveries), 'embellished' my CV by a few thousand miles to show 'lots of deliveries in the Med' for the 'benefit of the owner and his insurance company'.

After a 2 year dispute I got a Court Order for monies he owed me, had to get the Bailiffs to collect... but he wriggled out of paying by 'ceasing trading then dissolving' the company named.
He has done the same under similar circumstances with another 'Reliance' named company when a yacht owner claimed money for his damaged yacht.

Reliance Yacht Services 'ceased trading' in October '07 after a Judgement of over £50,000.

Should you decide to risk your yacht with a Reliance company ask the skipper for contact names of his/her previous owners they have delivered for so you can get references.
Two Reliance skippers I met were 'fast tracker' Yacht Masters. I am not saying that is bad.. but they didn't have 'years of experience'.
Also be aware that Reliance may change the skipper mid trip if need be.
The two crew are likely to be 'mile builders' with just the skipper as a YM.
 
Thanks for feedback on Reliance. To add to this I can mention that another person contacted me with a court transcript where the judge was trying to establish Reliance's guilt in damaging a yacht and then lying about it to the yacht owner. But then the skipper eventually admitted that they had hit a rock, and it was interesting reading how Reliance tried to wiggle their way out of that...
I finally ended up using another company, that did a great job.
 
Reliance Yacht Mismanagement

Hello Braempa,
Please do consider Direct Yacht Deliveries for this. We are bringing a couple of boats back from Greece next month and always keen to do more. I won't add more to the thread, but am sure anyone reading this will draw reasonable conclusions as to who, and who not, to entrust their yacht to.
Regards
Mat
DYD
 
I strongly recommend Matt Pike. He charges by the day and thus is happy to sail. Most companies, as mentioned, will run the engine flat out for days or even weeks (you pay for the fuel) and basically trash the boat e.g will sit on seats in salty wet weather gear.

I would not use TVyachts.

If you want Matt's tel no and email address please PM me.
 
Blimey, talk about dragging up an old thread. It was nearly a year ago I posted the original question. Anyway it has been a busy year. Bought a boat, sold a boat, moved house, changed job, changed car and got divorced. I did use halcyon in the end though to help with the delivery and I highly recommend them. Can I go to bed now?
 
I used Halcyon Yachts last summer to bring home my First 40.7 from Bretagne to Stockholm. Really happy with them. Had engine trouble half way and they really took care of that in a great way, trying to fix it, finding a local Volvo mechanic etc, and finally getting my baby home to daddy. Good price, good service, nice guys. pete@halcyonyachts.com
 
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