Crew Available: Delivery Skipper: Qualified and Experienced

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, [belated] Davebusse, and Vorsichtglas.

[Rumrace]

Yes I was thinking the same thing. Surveyors miss tons of stuff especially in products they are not familiar with. In all fairness they don’t have X-ray or use tea leaves to predict the future. Talk one in to captaining your boat and they have time to find everything. The ultimate survey, plan and school.

[goldbuckledream]

Hello, My husband and I are moving our boat from the BVI to the Bahamas the last 2 weeks of October, 2023. Although we both sail and are both certified, most of our sailing experience has been within coastal waters. We are looking for a qualified, experienced captain/skipper to assist us with the move from say Puerto Rico thru the Mona Passage and the Dominican Republic and across the Atlantic up to approximately Provicenciales in the Caicos or even on to Nassau, if we could afford it. We would pay to fly you to San Juan and then back, depending on where you would be coming from at that time. We feel confident that we can handle her from somewhere in the Caicos or southern Bahamas up through the Exumas and into Nassau and we plan on spending some slower cruising time going on north. However, because our time to make the move is limited to 2 weeks, we need make up time during the early portion of the trip for sure and having a more experienced 3rd sailor would allow us to do that. I know it is not a long trip compared to many of the ones you have done, but it by chance fits into your October schedule, please let us know. Thank you. Karen

Originally Posted by rupertfb

Former Officer Royal Navy (20yrs) Boat Surveyor & Professional Experienced & Qualified Yacht Skipper E Coast, Bahamas, Caribbean
_______________________________________
Available by arrangement for Boat Surveys, Yacht delivery and skipper for east coast USA, the Bahamas and the Caribbean.

References available
Full detailed and open quotations given

Over 45,000 documented offshore sailing miles as skipper:

Delivery completed in the last 36 months
2017
Beneteau 44' Charleston to Abacos
Catalina 34' St Pete FL to Mexico
New Lagoon 40' Annapolis to USVI
Voyage 44' St Augustine to BVI
2018
New Beneteau 45' Charleston to Miami
PDQ Capella 36' Antigua to BVI
Fontaine Pajot 40’ St Petersburg to St Thomas USVI
New Beneteau 38' Charleston to USVI
New Jeanneau 41' Charleston to BVI
PDQ Capella 36’ Bahamas to St Augustine
Hans Christian 38’ South Carolina to Massachusetts
Silverton 50’ Connecticut to Florida
Sea Ray 330 Charleston to Jacksonville FL
Island Packet 52’ – a weeks instruction in The Chesapeake
Jeanneau 44’DS Rhode Island to Bahamas
2019
Island Packet 52’ Annapolis to St Maarten
Island Packet 52’ USVI to Annapolis
Hunter 31’ Charleston to Annapolis
Beneteau 41’ Miami to Charleston
Lagoon 40’ Martinique to Florida
Moorings 58’ Marsh Hbr-Gt Exuma-Nassau (Hurricane Dorian)
Lagoon 45’ Annapolis to St Thomas USVI
Fontain Pajot 40’ charter captain USVI/BVI
Beneteau First 53’ Beaufort to Charleston
2020
Island Packet 52’ Annapolis to Little Creek and back (aborted Caribbean trip)
Fontain Pajot 40’ Puerto Rico to St Lucia
Beneteau 41.1 Charleston to Annapolis
Catalina 47’ Charleston to Galveston TX
Jeanneau 45’ Ft Pierce FL to Annapolis
Beneteau 45’ St Thomas to Tampa, via Nassau
Beneteau 55’ Charleston to Ft Lauderdale
2021
Ocean 48’ Charleston to Boston
Lagoon 42 FLL to Fernandino beach 3 days
Island Packet 38 St Augustine to Beaufort NC 4 days
Beneteau Oceanis 48’ St Thomas USVI to Charleston, SC
Beneteau Oceanis 55’ Charleston to Connecticut
CY Cantius 60’ Charleston to Ft Lauderdale



Time spent as Yacht Skipper for Charter:
2019
FP 40’ 8 days USVI
2020
FP 40’ 7 days, Puerto Rico to St Lucia
FP 44’ 16 days USVI/BVI
FP 44’ 9 days USVI
FP 40’ 5 days USVI
FP 47’ 2 days USVI
Beneteau Oceanis 45’ 7 days
FP 50’ 7 days
FP 50’ 8 days
FP 44’ 2 days
Lagoon 45’ 8 days
2021
FP 47’ 15 days
FP 47’ 15 days




Qualifications

● USCG 100 ton
● RYA Yachtmaster Offshore & RYA ICC, RYA Dinghy level 3
● STCW 95 II/1
● MSc 'Hydrographic Surveying' (deep specialization in: GPS, navigation, oceanography)
● ABYC Standards qualified
● Qualified Boat Surveyor (Chapman)
● Royal Navy ship’s Commanding Officer
● Ships Communication Officer
● Ocean Navigation Certificate
● First Aid & CPR
● VHF Radio Operators Ticket
● ‘UEL’ - Unit Expedition Leader
● Leadership Instructor
● FireFighting at Sea
● Sea Survival Course
● Ships (armed) Protection
● Ships Damage Control


Experience

● U.K. Royal Navy: 20yrs Surface Warfare Officer (Warship driver) Sub specialist Hydrographic Surveyor (deep specialist in the use of the Nautical Chart)
Commanding Officer/Executive Officer/Navigation Officer with decades of global seamanship and small boat operations around the world
●RYA Yachtmaster: Experienced in planning, equipping, leading and instructing sail training expeditions in the UK, France, Spain, Portugal, and Gibraltar.
●Instructor in: Leadership/Navigation/Meteorology/Oceanography/Sailing and Power Boat to the Royal Navy.
●St Barts Yacht Sales, Charleston. Hired as Sailboat expert to broker new and used Beneteau's as well as all other makes of sail and power boats. Instructing new owners in sailing, navigation, maritime regulations and sailing etiquette.
● Delivering on east coast and to Caribbean for: Privately owned vessels, Moorings, Sunsail, Dream Yacht Charters, St Barts Yachts.
●Over 45,000nm of documented offshore miles delivering yachts to Caribbean, Bermuda, Bahamas, up and down the east coast and Mexico.

Safety Equipment & Communications:

EPIRB
I also carry my own satellite communications when offshore, which allows:
1) Text conversation to/from land to a group of email addresses or phone numbers
2) Offshore Weather forecasts download
3) It also sends a position update at set intervals. This keeps you, your family & friends in touch with where we are, and through text conversation.


Conclusion:

Every delivery is different, and I am always available to discuss your delivery or training needs. Some people need their boat sailed across the harbor, some require delivery over thousands of miles, some people are looking to get used to a boat they have just bought, and to get to grips with the Rule of The Road, etiquette and logistical world that boaters live in!

Owners/friends are welcome to attend as crew
Rates and terms dependent on the requirement

I’m a non-smoker, no drinking (at sea) policy

Drop me a line and I can send you my full resume and we can set up a video conversation and start discussing what we can do

[rupertfb]

Good evening Karen - thank you for the message. I would like very much to help you move your boat - as described- but unfortunately I am already booked up for that period moving another boat.
The stretch of water you are looking at is not too difficult to cross (I’m in the BHS right now bringing a catamaran back from USVI to the USA) and the key is ‘departing at the start of a good patch of weather.
I’d be happy to talk a plan through with you, if you’d like - and offer you my best wishes for the trip.
Rupert

[goldbuckledream]

Hello Rupert, Thank you so much for your reply. So sorry you are not available to assist, but your offer to help us with a route and plan is very generous and I certainly will accept. I realized after I sent you the message that I did not include a vessel description. Our boat is a 2019 FP Lucia 40 CAT, 3 cabin. My husband and I are both in our early 70's and he can fix almost anything mechanical. Our main concern is that we have only been sailing about 8 years and no night sailing yet and so real passages. I use navionics and have gone through the many possible routes in detail, but with no knowledge of the areas we will go through it is hard to know which side of certain island chains is the best to be on, which anchorages have the best protection for overnight, etc. We only have 2 weeks to make the trip and don't want to beat ourselves up - we want to enjoy it also.
I see there are a few choices across the northern side of the DR used for jumping off across to the Turks, but not sure where to land there either. Looked at Grand Turk, but then looked at Three Marys because its closer to the DR and from there you can cut across to the Cacios, I think. Anyway, if you are familiar with a good route and a few recommendations for overnight and the best place to cross over into the Exuma Sound once we get that far - all that would be extremely helpful.
We might try to do it ourselves, but if not, do you have any recommendations for someone who might assist, possibly someone from San Juan, PR that we could pick up there and then fly back home after we make those first couple of passages? Also, what would be a reasonable day rate for someone like that? They don't necessarily have to have all of your credentials, which are very impressive by the way!!
So anyway, if you are willing to stay in touch and help me plan the route, that would be so greatly appreciated. Karen & Doug

[rupertfb]

Karen and Doug - thanks for the message (just dropped off the Catamaran I brought back from the USVI and flying out again Sunday for the next one.....!)
Drop me an email or phone number and I'll send you my route and 'Why' I use this route
R

[goldbuckledream]

Hi Rupert, here's my email. Thank you so much. Karen
goldbuckledreamer@bendcable.com

[rupertfb]

Got it - I'm emailing you now
R

[n5ama]

Hi Rupert,

Thanks for your service!

I am talking with an individual that has a Contessa 32 in Maine. The only problem is, I'm in the Galveston, TX area and don't have either the experience or crew to make the trip. If I can locate a skipper to make the trip and the boat has a good survey, I'll buy the boat and I'll crew with the skipper to move it to the gulf. I currently have some experience on my Cape Dory 25D and some on my formally owned Catalina 25. No water sailing">blue water sailing, so I would like to do two things: move the boat to my home waters and almost as important, get schooled on sailing this boat.

I assume familiarity with the east coast would be very important. My guess is that some of the trip will be motoring across the fresh water pass in south Florida. There isn't much ICW to work with in the Florida big bend so I'm assuming a significant portion of the trip will be across the GOM to Galveston without a lot of resupply opportunities.

If you think you can help me with this please reply and I'll provide email, phone number and boat details.

Thanks for your consideration.
Tom

[rupertfb]

Good morning Tom - thank you for your message!

Wow - that is a long trip in a 32'!

The Contessa 32' is a totally classic boat....great pedigree

Its a long long way: Some 2,200nm - assuming you can cut across the Okeechobee Waterway 2,400nm if you can't. The limiting vertical clearance of the Okeechobee Waterway is 49’± at the Port Mayaca RR Lift Bridge. I could not find any mast height data for the Contessa. Additionally, controlling depth is 6' and Lake Okeechobee water levels vary dramatically; from season to season, month to month, and sometimes even day to day. Your draft is 5'6" (uncomfortably close).

Small boat...long way....lots of changing weather.....won't make much progress against the wind, only when winds are favorable.

I can put together a full quote - if it comes to it - but you're looking at multiple weeks to undertake this. 1 x additional crew. Food. Stops. Lots of variables here.

Could you please contact me through email/telephone, and we can discuss this some more

Thank you

Rupert Forester-Bennett
Charleston
rupertfb@btinternet.com

[n5ama]

Rupert, it looks like I have vehicle transportation for my Contessa 32. I appreciate your willingness to take on this work. I’m sure you can fill in this spot next spring with a much more comfortable ride. LOL

I do regret not having the opportunity to be schooled with this boat.

Best to you and yours,
Tom

[rupertfb]

OK Tom - that's a good solution!
best of luck to you
Rupert

[JFJohn]

Rupert, I sent you a PM about a survey.

Thanks

[rupertfb]

Go it - thanks, and i have replied
Rupert