Keeping your budget under control
Our "total fix price" approach makes the difference.
Having a yacht delivered has an impact on your spending budget. We will keep that budget in control also ensuring your "baby" is in good hands
Our total fix price means that our customer will receive one invoice for the delivery including all costs for travel, marina fees, fuel, food and waiting time.
No surprises.
To our knowledge, we are the only company offering a fixed price for yacht deliveries. Owners like to have a fixed price instead of the need to cover costs on the sideline after the delivery. Costs which quite often can double the cost of the delivery. Certainly when it comes to deliver a boat over a relative short distance.
Most delivery companies offer a price for the delivery but all expenses excluded: travel, food, marina fees, fuel consumption. All those expenses will come on top of the delivery cost.
Example: A delivery of a 40' sailing vessel from Brest to Lisbon is normally planned as a 6 day passage. This means non-stop sailing. The average price for such a delivery is around 3000 €.
-Travel: This passage is normally performed by a skipper and 2 crew members. Meaning 3 times travel cost. Depending where the skipper and crew comes from, the average travel cost (to and from the boat) will be around 750 €/pp. Including taxis, public transport, trains and planes. Total travel cost: 2250 € - Food: adding food for 3 people @ 10€/pp/day = 180 €
- Marina fees: This passage certainly can almost never be done in one go. Sometimes, the skipper needs to wait a few days waiting for a weather window for the next leg.
For a 40' mono hull, the price/night during high season is around 40 €/night. Assume 2 days waiting time results in 80 € marina fees
- Fuel: a delivery skipper will sail the boat even with no wind because most delivery companies pay their skipper only for the 6 days he is hired for.
The skipper wants to go as fast as possible. Meaning high revs on the engine and maximum fuel consumption. And quite often overpowering the boat during sailing.
In most instances, this passage on this specific boat will consume around 200 liters.
The cost for fuel will be 200 liters @ 2€/l = 400 €
Conclusion: The owner had a quotation of 3000 € for the delivery and almost another 3000 € on expenses.
Our Quotation Process All Costs Included Yacht Delivery Offer
Because we are making an all costs included yacht delivery offer, we need to assess the request for delivery in detail. Therefor we have a free zoom meeting with the owner ensuring we have all the information we need to make a delivery quotation. That information includes details of the boat, equipment, when to perform the delivery etc.
Only with that information, we know if we have to plan extra stops, which crew we need to select, fuel consumption and marina fees.
When the boat needs to be delivered is an important factor for the price settings. Not only when, but also how flexible the owner is with dates.
For example: a winter delivery is requested crossing Biscay. As we know, crossing Biscay is always challenging. We will normally do this passage using a stable weather window. If the client demands to leave on a fixed date, we can never assure a safe passage. Therefor the client needs to agree we can only leave under favorable conditions.
The type of boat and, the equipment on board and the age of the boat plays also an important role in the price setting.
For example: The delivery of a brand new, ex factory sailing boat in the 45' category. By experience we know that new yachts often have failures which were not detected during the commissioning process. Our quotation will in this case include a full test and sea trial before the skipper sets sail to the destination. A full report of these sea trials will be made to the owner and we will inform the owner if a safe passage can be undertaken. Not doing so may result in a towage of the vessel on the passage or an intermediate stop to perform repairs. Most delivery companies have big discussions with boat owners in case the skipper need to stop the delivery because of major defects. How we deal with those circumstances will be part of the delivery agreement. Delivering a new boat mostly includes a stop during the passage for the first engine maintenance. Our people will arrange the intervention of a diesel technician to perform the maintenance. Quite often we order the spare parts (filters, impeller etc) in advance not loosing time during the delivery waiting for the maintenance parts.
Which yachts do we deliver?
We deliver Sailing Yachts, Motor Yachts and Catamarans in the 42' to 75' range (13 to 25 meter)
We have experience with the following brands: - Fountaine Pajot catamarans, Dufour, Bavaria, Hanse, Lagoon, Contest, X-yachts, Amel, Oyster, Janneau, Beneteau, Grand Soleil, Swan, Hallberg-Rassy, Grand Banks, Princess, Azimuth - We deal also with high-end yachts, classic yachts and custom built yachts.
- We do not deal with pure racing yachts
The Boat Check and Yacht preparation
When the skipper and crew arrives on the boat, a full boat check will be performed testing all systems. A completed check-list will be send to the owner for approval. In case some extra safety or other equipment is needed, this will be purchased and installed before departure. Depending on the assessment of the skipper, a sea trial may be done before departure.
A full set of pictures of the boat will be made to proof the status of the yacht before departure. The same will happen at the end of the delivery.
Certainly when it handles about a new boat, the crew will protect all interior against stains and damage. We always discuss in advance with the owner what protection of the interior he is expecting. As we have a fixed price for the delivery, we expect the fuel tanks to be full before the departure of the yacht.
The Passage
Weather Routing
Our skipper and crew will be in contact with the base through Iridium Go satellite connection. This allows also to have recent and updated weather information to calculate optimum routing towards the destination. Weather routing plays an important factor in the safe passage of a delivery
Example: We performed a delivery from A Coruna to the Netherlands. One of our colleagues working for another delivery company had to go the same way. We were just 5 Nm from each other when we took off and we had contact through VHF. Based on the weather predictions and suggested routing, our skipper decided to take a passage directly to the South of the UK. Our colleague, choose the normal passage towards Brest and afterwards hopping along the coast towards The Netherlands Our skipper had no weather problems and our colleague skipper had to wait in Brest for almost a week before he could proceed with his passage. Our skipper was 8 days sooner in the Netherlands compared to the other skipper.
Navigation
Our skippers use portable professional navigation software which is much more performant compared to the standard navigation instruments on board.
This system allows for correct decision making and optimum safety
Those systems are able to include weather routing, Iridium communication etc.
Logging of the position is done automatically.
Of course a normal logbook and chart position is completed during the passage
The owner can constantly monitor the position of his yacht through a dedicated web page.
Safe ad prudent Sailing
Our skippers and crew members know each other and as a team. Taking into account weaknesses and strengths of each crew member. The skipper will always decide if a safe passage is possible. This means also that he will not push the boat and crew when not safe. Engines will be used on optimum revs and fuel consumption. Sails who are fragile will not be used (example spinnakers)
An important part of a delivery is the good atmosphere on board. A happy crew is a happy ship. This said, our delivery crew takes the time to eat and cook properly.
In case weather conditions were difficult, the skipper will plan a stop for the crew to rest and recover. All to guarantee a safe passage.
Example: We did a delivery of a brand new catamaran from France (La Rochelle) to Fethiye in Turkey, during November and December. A more than 3000 Nm delivery. Weather conditions were very difficult with often winds over 50 knts. The weak point is never the ship, the weak point is always the crew. Modern yachts can take a lot but you need to sail them properly. It was the first time we had a full female crew. The crew was amazing. Because of the experience of the skipper, nobody on board ever felt unsafe. The boat was handed over to our Australian Customers who where extremely satisfied. They even made 2 YouTube videos our passage. see below For them, it was amazing to see their new yacht arriving in a brand new stage, even after a difficult passage.
That is our reputation: to provide excellence
Our Skippers and Crew members
We work with teams who know each other and who have made deliveries together before. This is our unique approach as most delivery companies hire a skipper and crew based on the contacts they have in their database and availability. On a regular basis, our teams meet each other and specific training and workshops are given to enhance their knowledge and performance. Working with teams is the best way to offer a steady quality for our customers. Of Course, all our Skippers have at least a Yachtmaster or Master 200 tons as a qualification.
The handover at the destination
Once arrived on our destination, we make a full set of pictures of the inside and outside of the boat. The boat will be thoroughly cleaned.
An end report, including all findings which were detected during the passage, will be included in the report.
