Yacht Delivery

[jpcraw]

How much money can you expect to make if you did yacht/sailboat delivery full time?

I am looking to make the transition into full time cruiser but would like to get some more experience before taking off on my own. With a full time job it is hard to find time for ocean passages, but at the same time hard to walk away from the money...that is needed to finance the dream.

Any advice would be helpful.

[Therapy]

Originally Posted by jpcraw

. With a full time job it is hard to find time for ocean passages, but at the same time hard to walk away from the money...that is needed to finance the dream.

Any advice would be helpful.

None here really except to note the catch 22 I have been noting for 20 something years.

It would have been a lot easier if I had just said "I am sorry, but I am doing what I want to do" and just left, but I stayed, and am still here.

Hopefully you have a little more courage.

[TaoJones]

Originally Posted by jpcraw

How much money can you expect to make if you did yacht/sailboat delivery full time?

I am looking to make the transition into full time cruiser but would like to get some more experience before taking off on my own. With a full time job it is hard to find time for ocean passages, but at the same time hard to walk away from the money...that is needed to finance the dream.

Any advice would be helpful.

The inference I draw from your post is that you'd prefer to learn seamanship by practicing on other people's vessels. If that's the case, uh . . . don't call me, I'll call you. And, oh yeah, don't hold your breath waiting for my call.

TaoJones

[marty9876]

Originally Posted by TaoJones

The inference I draw from your post is that you'd prefer to learn seamanship by practicing on other people's vessels. If that's the case, uh . . . don't call me, I'll call you. And, oh yeah, don't hold your breath waiting for my call.

TaoJones

Another inference is the OP could be looking for feedback from board members whom have done deliveries as a form of income.

From what I’ve gathered to support oneself in the cruising lifestyle trades tend to be more employable than careers. A good saying I read went something like “her profession got us the boat, my trades supported ourselves” or something like that. Teaching (English in foreign counties), diesel repair, refrigeration repair, sail repair, electronics install/repair and such maybe provide more income than deliveries- at least when starting out with lack of experience.

[Pelagic]

Hi JP…… very hard to make a decent living doing Yacht deliveries, unless you are able to find a repetitive niche, delivering for a production builder. Even then, the business is very competitive and is often done by experienced individuals whose love of a sailing lifestyle far outweighs the financial return for them.

Did deliveries for many years but always had to resort to commercial mariners work to make money.

However, the Super yacht industry is booming and talented individuals who reach the pinnacle in that profession can clear upwards of $250k/yr. Quite a few that I know, also arrange to work half the year and cruise on their own sailboats the other half. It makes for a very balanced lifestyle if you love the water and work on a super yacht that explores the world.

You are at the beginning of your journey, so don’t discount that pathway. Good luck!

[Pblais]

How much money can you expect to make if you did yacht/sailboat delivery full time?

As an inexperienced skipper full time might not buy much to eat. Who will pay? If you could sil every day you might just get sick enough of it to not go ever again. Doing something for money is not the same as doing it for fun.

[CaptMark]

I have been doing deliveries for 5 years, working on my Second Million cause I gave up on the first one. you will need to be able to repair boats or other income between gigs. it's a great lifestyle if you don't have any bills to pay and can eat beans and popcorn a lot of days. I have my website that helps, captainsyachtservices.com good luck with it..

[AdamY]

Originally Posted by jpcraw

How much money can you expect to make if you did yacht/sailboat delivery full time?

I am looking to make the transition into full time cruiser but would like to get some more experience before taking off on my own. With a full time job it is hard to find time for ocean passages, but at the same time hard to walk away from the money...that is needed to finance the dream.

Any advice would be helpful.

Uh oh,

here I go making anti-dogmatic statements again. Dont worry about the experience. If you can get a two week vacation you can fly to San Diego and get a crew spot an a Baja Ha Ha boat. With any luck you'll get to go on some "first timer" boat where you'll realize you know more than the skipper does. If you are that lucky just bite your tongue and do what you are told and accept that you likely know more than you think you do.

If you want to go cruising worry about the date then the finances then the boat. The only thing you really need is a date. If you spreadsheet out the budget and focus on nothing else you will be in good shape when you reach that date. If you like to restore old cars and rather enjoy any other expensive time consuming hobby then dont worry about cruising. Of course if you are very wealthy I suppose you could do many things and buy your way into cruising (nothing at all wrong with that).

If you dont know if you will like it take some skippered charter vacations.

Anyway there are lots of folks worrying about their inexperience stuck on the dock and plenty of folks who know absolutely less than them out cruising and having the time of their lives.

Cheers,