Needed to leave feedback for a great skipper

[Sail365]

Hi y'all,
I just wanted to take a minute to sing the praises of a tremendous delivery skipper, Dave Skolnick (s/v Auspicious, AuspiciousWorks - Communications / Yacht Management / Deliveries Worldwide). He is a regular on this forum so I am sure many of you know him. I can not express how satisfied I am for his delivery of my vessel. I got in a tough spot, halfway through my cruise from Boston to Annapolis, where the weather was foreboding and the crew timed out, leaving me stuck at a marina. I reached out to the community here, and heard many great responses. In the end, I went with Dave because during our conversation on the phone, his expertise in the local waters became apparent, and his apptitude not only at sailing, but at trouble shooting, seemed excellent. So there I was, burning Benjamin Franklin's by the day at the marina, when Dave stepped in and made short work of 1) finding a crew, 2) provisioning the boat, 3) thoroughly inspecting it, 4) setting sail. Their weather was not perfect, but Dave persisted, though he was thoughtful not to take my baby into harms way. He provided a SPOT tracking, which probably caused equal and anxiety and excitement, as I watched him traverse the passage. This, in reality, was an excellent service. While within cell range, he was extraordinarily thoughtful in checking in with me. While most challenges that popped up along the way he handled on his own, during daylight hours, he was thoughtful to check in with me, just to keep me posted and field any ideas I might have (which is nice, because, afterall, I'd known the boat for over twenty years). The delivery was a smooth success. I can not express how grateful I was to Dave to for docking her safely, and saving me thousands on slip fees, and hassles, and taking a tremendous burden off of my shoulders. All at a very reasonable rate. That done, I think most would have walked away, but here is really where the character of Dave shined through. When he docked my boat, I did not have the right power adapter. He picked up the part for me, at better than cost, and hooked the boat up, before stopping his watch of her. He returned several times to make sure she was secured well, and would be safe in her bearth. He offered a complete breakdown of high points and areas that would benefit from some attention. We stayed in email communication for over a week, until I could get to her, in his watchful stead. Just above and beyond.

In the end, in some ways I'm glad I couldn't make the last part of the passage, because now I know Dave, and have a trusted ally in Annapolis.

Thank you Dave, and my highest recommendations to anyone looking to him to move or care for a boat.

[JPA Cate]

Good on ya, sail 365. Great attaboy letter. Well done.

And for Dave.

Ann

[belizesailor]

Thanks for posting a success story. Too often all that seems to get posted are the disasters.

[emoji106]

[Auspicious]

It was a pleasure to move Mariah for Rick.

I'm pleased to have been helpful to him and his family when time and other demands were pressing. I understand how hard it is when your boat ends up stranded somewhere.

I'd also like to thank Rick for settling up promptly. Not all customers are so considerate. *grin*

[S/V Reveille]

Very nice letter, Rick. Thanks for taking the time to write it and share a positive experience. This is one I'll keep in my 'back pocket' as a nice-to-know resource.

[boatpoker]

Great to see a positive note like this. Too often we hear only the horror stories.