How to choose a delivery captain.

Captnshaw · #1 (**permalink**) 12-29-2011

Clip

You should now be ready to ask the right questions to prospective captains and be realistically prepared to have your yacht delivered successfully, undamaged, cost effectively.

Minnewaska · #2 (**permalink**) 12-30-2011

By the edit, I assume this was intended as an advertisement. The poll doesn't even allow for an unfavorable review.

I will comment. I do not think these are the sole criteria to insure a good delivery skipper, nor properly reflect the skill or reliability of those without. Your odds probably increase with the noted experience and licenses, but my delivery skipper barely meets them. He has either his 50 or 100 ton, I can't recall. I trust no one more with my boat. I object to a sailboat delivery skipper needing power boat experience, or a coastal delivery skipper needing experience crossing several oceans. That's ridiculous.

References are important. I strongly prefer a skipper that owns their own boat and I like to see how they take care of it and how they use it.

p.s. Do you own the 54DS in that pic?

Captnshaw · #3 (**permalink**) 01-01-2012

My current boat is a custom sailing catamaran. I have taught sailing, sailed and raced all manner of pleasure craft from 8' El Toro's to Ex-Whitbread racers. The article is written from the POV of a professional mariner who has worked with many different captains over the years the one thing the big license captains have in common is experience and professionalism.

I one bad thing the all have in common (if they are in a rotation) is they have to get back to the $600 a day job when their days off are up and they will jump ship to go back to work, rather than complete the delivery. I have never made the mistake of bringing one of the guys from work on a delivery unless he understands the there will be no getting off for crew change.

This article was not meant to disparage anyone, it was meant to enlighten.