Yacht Delivery

B

bluegecko

New Member
Joined
20 Aug 2018
Messages
2
Visit site
Hi all, firstly completely new to this, so if this is posted in the wrong place, I can only apologise.

Unfortunately my father in law died in March of this year, leaving us a 2002 Jeanneau 40, moored in Gibraltar.

We initially thought about selling it, but has it has an emotional attachment, we would like to bring it back to Poole where we would learn to sail it with the family.

We have looked into leaving it in Gib, but the mooring costs and our disabled son means that this is not really an option.

My questions are:

1) When would be the best time of year to arrange a crossing from Gib to Poole

2) Can anyone give me an idea of cost, I have had quotes from 2 delivery companies, but my worry is that these are open ended with day rates rather than an all in cost

3) Is there anything I should be asking when engaging a delivery company (insurance and experience aside)

4) Anything else I should know

all help and advice much appreciated, speaking to the delivery companies, I have been given very vague answers and conflicting advice so far.

The boat is in A1 condition and was serviced out of the water in Feb this year.

Thanks
Simon
 
Have you considered hiring a delivery "skipper" to assist you in sailing the boat back?This might be cheaper than hiring a full delivery crew to do it and would have the spin off benefit of teaching you to sail the boat, thus saving you some tuition fees in future. And it would be a lot of fun.
 
Hi Biggles, more than happy to consider this if someone could tell me the definitive length of the trip (i understand weather conditions) but of the two companies I've contacted, one says 2 weeks, the other says 3!
 
Early part of the season is best - May/June before the North winds build up the Iberian coast.

Don't know what you were quoted, but a fixed quote will have a lot of slack in it because the time is unpredictable, particularly crossing Biscay.

My preference would be to sail it over to Spain and get it back by road. You may well find the cost much the same and the advantages are no time restrictions - any time of the year, no wear and tear from a long passage and you will get it back in less than a week. You have to drop the mast obviously but it does give you the chance to check everything over before you use it. Get a few quotes as they vary a lot and as you are not time constrained you can get a back load which reduces costs. At this end you can get it off loaded at Davis's Boatyard and stored there over the winter if you want.

Another alternative is that there are now transporter ships operating from Poole that take boats to and from the Med with mast up. Self loading and unloading so literally take the boat alongside for lifting and at this end crane off direct into the harbour at the new docks. Don't know who handles it but a call to the Harbour Commissioners would get the name of the shipping agent.
 
A friend of ours bought a Fisher 37 in Gibraltar and had it shipped home. I think it was a more economical option than delivery at the time some fifteen years ago.
 
bluegecko said:
Hi all, firstly completely new to this, so if this is posted in the wrong place, I can only apologise.

Unfortunately my father in law died in March of this year, leaving us a 2002 Jeanneau 40, moored in Gibraltar.

We initially thought about selling it, but has it has an emotional attachment, we would like to bring it back to Poole where we would learn to sail it with the family.

We have looked into leaving it in Gib, but the mooring costs and our disabled son means that this is not really an option.

My questions are:

1) When would be the best time of year to arrange a crossing from Gib to Poole

2) Can anyone give me an idea of cost, I have had quotes from 2 delivery companies, but my worry is that these are open ended with day rates rather than an all in cost

3) Is there anything I should be asking when engaging a delivery company (insurance and experience aside)

4) Anything else I should know

all help and advice much appreciated, speaking to the delivery companies, I have been given very vague answers and conflicting advice so far.

The boat is in A1 condition and was serviced out of the water in Feb this year.

Thanks
Simon
Click to expand...

I have brought boats back anytime between March & December. However have looked carefully at the Atlantic weather systems beforehand, so no 'fixed' time.
Don't know about current delivery company charges, but its about 1000 miles & depending on conditions & any stop overs, so work on 10 days @ about £150 per day mminimum for a delivery skipper + travelling costs + victualling + fuel + any berthing costs. You could get a fixed fee, but it will be based upon similar assumptions. Make sure your own insurance company is aware of what is happening & is covering any risks.
 
I was part of a delivery crew on a similar run years ago when I was a student. The 'perfect condition' boat owned by an ex Naval Officer and recently serviced was anything but. A day out of Gib we turned around, took her back and went home. I'm sure your boat is in great condition, but the thing is I believe she was eventually lorried to England at a very reasonable cost - which was hardly more than we (the skipper and I) had cost in 'wages', food, flights etc. With hindsight this would have been a better option for the owner to have taken in the first place.
 
"Helping" to sail it back with a delivery crew would certainly teach you a lot, but bear in mind that what you think of as terrifying weather and waves (plus you being so seasick you'd prefer to die) just might be just ordinary sailing weather for the delivery crew. You could of course thoroughly enjoy it.

In your situation I'd look at road transport - the costs are known in advance and if you give companies an open-ended date you may get a good price on a "return load". If you use a European transporter also consider getting it put back in the water in Cherbourg - the cross-channel ferry costs for a big truck and big boat are very significant. You can always get a skipper to help you sail it back from Cherbourg to Poole - hours instead of days/weeks and less than the extra costs of road all the way.

If you do sail it back April/May/June is traditional, unless you want to add serious miles and go via the Azores.
 
When I brought my boat back from Spain it was actually cheaper to have it delivered to Poole than the quotes I had to Cherbourg with French based hauliers and the cranage and mast stepping was cheaper.

You have to shop around and UK hauliers usually have to get their trucks across the channel anyway. I had a back load although his delivery was not to the same location, but the previous delivery paid the outward ferry and mine paid the return. His next job was in the UK. The range of prices I was quoted varied quite a lot with some nearly double what I paid.

I flew out to supervise the loading (not that I was really needed) which was on a Wednesday and the boat was in the water in Poole the next Tuesday.
 
Last edited:
jwilson said:
"Helping" to sail it back with a delivery crew would certainly teach you a lot, but bear in mind that what you think of as terrifying weather and waves (plus you being so seasick you'd prefer to die) just might be just ordinary sailing weather for the delivery crew. You could of course thoroughly enjoy it.

In your situation I'd look at road transport - the costs are known in advance and if you give companies an open-ended date you may get a good price on a "return load". If you use a European transporter also consider getting it put back in the water in Cherbourg - the cross-channel ferry costs for a big truck and big boat are very significant. You can always get a skipper to help you sail it back from Cherbourg to Poole - hours instead of days/weeks and less than the extra costs of road all the way.

If you do sail it back April/May/June is traditional, unless you want to add serious miles and go via the Azores.
Click to expand...

Via the direction of the azores, was what an owner wanted, quoting admiralty sailing directions for sailing vessels. The weather at the time showed high pressure all the way across the atlantic to spanish coast & up through Biscay. His tank held enough for 150 miles, so we would have been that far out, at the mercy of any wind that reached us, assuming water & food hadn't run out. Went up the coast past Trafalgar instead, picking fuel up en route. We managed to get wind just after Ushant. That was early March. Two weeks later, a Bowman 40 was abandoned off Finisterre due to horrendous weather & skipper lost.
 
Last edited:
Time is the issue... We used to deliver boats up that route... Between 2 to 4 weeks depending on the weather. Thats sailing. What is the wind goimg to do amd from which direction will it do it?

Look up 7 star yacht shipping.
 
Last edited:
I had mine brought to Ireland via the UK a few years ago, it was about 5k and travelled via Santandar/Southhampton.

I am now considering getting her back down but I might sail it myself next summer, so the plan is new rigging new new etc etc.

I reckon the trip would be just as cheap on a truck but at least I get something tangible and longlasting for my money.... If I was (am) not able to sail it back down, It would (will)be onto a truck no doubt.

Not sure I would ever sign up to an open cheque book arrangement....and to be honest it is not fair to pin a guy to a fixed price with so many variables and in particular where the quality of the Yacht is not really known, with no disrespect to the previous owner he may not have been maintaining the yacht for crossing Biscay or long ocean voyages.
 
bluegecko said:
Hi all, firstly completely new to this, so if this is posted in the wrong place, I can only apologise.

Unfortunately my father in law died in March of this year, leaving us a 2002 Jeanneau 40, moored in Gibraltar.

We initially thought about selling it, but has it has an emotional attachment, we would like to bring it back to Poole where we would learn to sail it with the family.

We have looked into leaving it in Gib, but the mooring costs and our disabled son means that this is not really an option.

My questions are:

1) When would be the best time of year to arrange a crossing from Gib to Poole

2) Can anyone give me an idea of cost, I have had quotes from 2 delivery companies, but my worry is that these are open ended with day rates rather than an all in cost

3) Is there anything I should be asking when engaging a delivery company (insurance and experience aside)

4) Anything else I should know

all help and advice much appreciated, speaking to the delivery companies, I have been given very vague answers and conflicting advice so far.

The boat is in A1 condition and was serviced out of the water in Feb this year.

Thanks
Simon
Click to expand...
Mate brought his 40 moboat to La Linea 2 years ago by freighter. £8k from south coast
 
I’ve used a delivery skipper once, to move our current boat from the Hamble to Caernarfon. His quote was for £x per day plus expenses. His estimate was a three day trip, which tuned out to be accurate. Expenses were for his and the crews travel, fuel and berthing fees. In the event, we sailed with him on the trip and it was a useful learning experience for us both, without the worry of time. We had agreed with the skipper that if the weather held the trip up, then we would leave him and the crew with the boat to finish the journey. Safe in the knowledge that we would be back at work when required, we enjoyed the trip, with the delivery skipper doing the planning but explaining to us what and why.
Impossible to tie such a long trip (Gib to UK) down to an exact number of days: it’ll take as long as it takes! That’s why quotes are usually a per day cost plus expenses. If the op could join the boat for some or all of the journey, it’d be worthwhile.
 
Don't know what the marina charges are in Gib or if you have a cheap mooring planned in Poole?
You could get a Marina here near Valencia for £2500 the year and cheap flights from UK, learn your sailing in the sun.
Try it for a year and then either sell, or return it to UK then?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Other threads that may be of interest

A
HELP! Trapper 300 Restoration - Seeking Blueprints for a Unique Family Yacht!
Replies
2
Views
268
Neeves
N
S
Marine Ply for Bulkhead Glasgow
Replies
13
Views
565
sundanceoflorn
S
P
Suggest a Yacht please
2 3 4
Replies
73
Views
2K
Greenheart
Greenheart
D
No Raw Water Strainer - Trapper 500 Nanni 2.14
Replies
3
Views
210
Dulaman66
D

Share this page

Top