Quote Question re sailboat delivery

[Archangel]

Approx how much would it cost to have a sail boat delivered from near Los Angles, California to Vancouver Island, BC, Canada?

Asking for a rough quote for a 43-45 foot sailboat with full keel.

Looking to get rough numbers while the boarders are closed, so hopefully something can happen when the re-open.

thank you

[mvweebles]

I was a full time delivery skipper out of San Francisco 15+ years ago, though I avoided sailboat deliveries. At the time, fees were $400/day for me, $100/day for crew (two for a trip like this) plus all expenses. Depending on your range under power, this could be a 2-week trip, but wouldn't be surprised to see it go 3-weeks. I charged for all days I was with the boat, though if a delay looked prolonged, I would leave the boat and do a different gig as I stayed pretty busy.

My sense is professional captains still charge about what I did despite the passage of time. You might squeeze by with $10k plus expenses. But would budget $15k and it might go higher.

A word about hiring a professional captain versus some guy on the dock who might (or might not) have a lot of miles under their keel for half the cost. Like any profession, there are tricks to the trade. I was pretty good at keeping a boat moving, and 80% of deliveries are northbound against prevailing conditions. A professional will often deliver your boat in better shape than he picked it up, and he'll often have a defined list of stuff that needs attention but he wasn't able to get to. You will benefit from his experience operating 100s of different vessels. Results with a guy-on-the-dock willing to do it for half the price of a professional will vary widely.

Good luck

Peter

[Auspicious]

What Peter said. I'm a little more expensive at $500/day. On delivery now - anchor up in ten minutes!

[mvweebles]

Originally Posted by Auspicious

What Peter said. I'm a little more expensive at $500/day. On delivery now - anchor up in ten minutes!

Not surprised at $500/day rate. My last delivery was 2004.

About 2 years ago, i spent a couple days aboard a friend's boat. He had a captain aboard to train he and his wife. Nice guy - had been delivering for 10+ years primarily for owners of one particular brand (which was my niche as well). He was based out of Ft Lauderdale with a rate in the range of $350/day which I thought was low but chalked it up to the east coast having a ton of captains. When I was delivering, there were few on the pacific coast who made a living doing long runs. Most who did deliveries were sail oriented captains who were generally not well suited to powerboats due to unfamiliarity with mechanicals and sophisticated electronic systems. Fine by me - I stopped delivering sailboats altogether after a year or so.

Auspicious - Fair winds.

Peter

[meirriba]

Do not forget in the expenses to include flight tickets back home for the captain & crew...

[Auspicious]

Originally Posted by meirriba

Do not forget in the expenses to include flight tickets back home for the captain & crew...

A good delivery skipper will give you a solid estimate for expenses that includes flights, rental cars, provisions, and odds and ends. Fuel honestly is a crap shoot unless you know you'll be motoring the whole way.

I've been underbid a few times and gotten a call from the owner to take over as the low bidder was running inside (ICW), making short days, and stopping in marinas. The numbers build fast. I can often end up cheaper than a guy charging half my day rate.

I'm sitting at the nav station on delivery now. ICW run from New Bern NC to Solomons MD. We got a slow start yesterday waiting for the fuel dock to open and still made 83 miles with green crew. Owner and son are doing great and learning a lot. Anchored last night (first time for owner), up at first light, and have six miles behind us at 0700. Planning for 80 to 90 miles today, and getting through Norfolk tomorrow evening so we don't have to stop and can just keep going up the Chesapeake. I push into the dark on radar on the ICW but I can't go all night on my own and owner and son are not up for radar nav.

Long story short, for price sensitive owners, day rate may not be what determines total cost.

[mvweebles]

Originally Posted by Auspicious

A good delivery skipper will give you a solid estimate for expenses that includes flights, rental cars, provisions, and odds and ends. Fuel honestly is a crap shoot unless you know you'll be motoring the whole way.

I've been underbid a few times and gotten a call from the owner to take over as the low bidder was running inside (ICW), making short days, and stopping in marinas. The numbers build fast. I can often end up cheaper than a guy charging half my day rate.

I'm sitting at the nav station on delivery now. ICW run from New Bern NC to Solomons MD. We got a slow start yesterday waiting for the fuel dock to open and still made 83 miles with green crew. Owner and son are doing great and learning a lot. Anchored last night (first time for owner), up at first light, and have six miles behind us at 0700. Planning for 80 to 90 miles today, and getting through Norfolk tomorrow evening so we don't have to stop and can just keep going up the Chesapeake. I push into the dark on radar on the ICW but I can't go all night on my own and owner and son are not up for radar nav.

Long story short, for price sensitive owners, day rate may not be what determines total cost.

Sounds like a good chunk of your fees are better categorized as tuition for the owner. The degree of confidence and knowledge they will build is money well spent. I liked working with owners. Yea, a bit more work I suppose, but they were sponges and wanted to learn all they could. For the most part, people who buy cruising capable boats are interesting people who live interesting lives. I still hear from a few from time to time.

Expenses are indeed mostly predictable but vary widely based on transit location. I brought a Nordhavn 57 from California to Ft Lauderdale. 4500 nms which was covered in 25 days start to finish so fees were relatively low. Expenses included fuel (3000 gals) airfare for 3, provisions for a month, two oil changes at sea, Canal transit plus agent fees, etc. So expenses were relatively high and delivery fees relatively low due to fast trip. Expenses and fees were about equal.

[sail sfbay]

mvweebles post is spot on based n my experience bring a 56 ft powerboat from Los Angeles to San Francisco Bay six years ago......and be sure to budget for air fare, taxi, life raft rental, communication satellite link, food, tools, extra fuel filters, updated safety flares and replace fuel filters BEFORE the boat leaves.

[Auspicious]

Originally Posted by mvweebles

Sounds like a good chunk of your fees are better categorized as tuition for the owner.

One of my prouder moments which I have mentioned before was when a customer said "sailing with Dave is graduate school for cruising."

I have a fair amount of repeat business but what makes me happiest is a customer telling me they learned a lot and don't need me anymore. Interestingly those are the ones who pop when someone dies or gets sick and they need the boat moved while they attend to other priorities.

Originally Posted by mvweebles

Expenses included fuel (3000 gals) airfare for 3, provisions for a month, two oil changes at sea

Those details are a big deal. I have dropped two pallets (450 gallons) of fuel on the aft deck of power boats to avoid fuel stops. Even with rentals and fees it's cheaper than my day rate for stopping.

Spend customer money like it is your own.

[Douglas L Hale]

I am in the process of doing this as we speak, LA to Blaine, Wa. $500 day for Capt. and flat fee for his first mate at $1,500. My Brother in-law and I will makeup the 4 man crew. Of course all the provisions and flight home. Should take about a week give or take a day or two. Scheduled date for departure is around 2 weeks, weather permitting. If it wasn't for the virus we would already be there.

[mitiempo]

Originally Posted by Archangel

Looking to get rough numbers while the borders are closed, so hopefully something can happen when the re-open.

thank you

The border is not closed to commercial skippers at this time.

Is the boat ready to go to sea?

[mvweebles]

Originally Posted by Douglas L Hale

I am in the process of doing this as we speak, LA to Blaine, Wa. $500 day for Capt. and flat fee for his first mate at $1,500. My Brother in-law and I will makeup the 4 man crew. Of course all the provisions and flight home. Should take about a week give or take a day or two. Scheduled date for departure is around 2 weeks, weather permitting. If it wasn't for the virus we would already be there.

What kind of boat? Currents in Blaine always made me cringe a bit. If you're up for sharing, would enjoy hearing about the trip. Meals included. I miss the long runs, and I miss the pacific coast. Nothing like a cup of coffee at daybreak on those cold waters.

Best success.

Peter

[Archangel]

thank you mvweebles, auspicious, merriba, sail sfbay, Douglas L Hal, and mitiempo for your replies.

I did not realize the boarder was still open for commercial skippers - as I thought it was closed for almost everyone and this trip would not be commerical.

It makes sense the price but I was not expecting it to be that high. Live and learn.

I am again doing research and looking into potential buying a boat from Cali to bring home to BC - if I could find one closer to home it would be a different story.

[mitiempo]

What kind of boat? Model?

[Cpt Mark]

I did that run on sail. power and megayachts for 15 years. My Rate is $500 per day plus 150 per day crew plus all expenses, food, transportation etc. I only bring trusted, known crew members. I arrive the day before my crew usually to go through the boat and check everything out.

That is going to be a motor trip unless we get very lucky, against the prevailing winds and current. How long? Depends on your boat. What is it, engine size? prop, folding of fixed? Maintenance? Vessel assist or Sea Tow is required. Boats coming out of LA have a ton of growth inside the tank(s) which isn't a big deal until you bashing up the coast and knock it all loose which plugs up your filters fast. Do you have Racor(s) installed? Need a case of filters. Having your fuel polished beforehand is another thing I require.

Finding someone on the dock. Had a client in Hawaii who wanted me to bring his boat over. Then against the advice of his broker he got some cheaper guy at a bar. No problem for me, I'm busy. When the boat was 2 weeks late I asked the broker what was up? He said they hadn't heard anything. A week later what was left of the boat limped into the harbor. Every sail torn and shredded, they blew the engine up a few days out of Hawaii and the boat was trashed. What was to sell for 200K ended up being a Sea Scout donation.

and who also is highly mechanical. There are tons of Captains out there that have no idea what to do when something breaks. You want someone who can fix things enough to get the boat where it needs to be.