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Windsong charters provided me with a first class personal service at
very short notice. The Captain they supplied was professional,
safe, friendly and knowledgeable. The office staff at Windsong went
over and above in terms of finding me a suitable Captain. I have
wasted a lot of money on over priced delivery Captains in the past
and am pleased to say that Windsong were excellent value for
money. I would not hesitate to use them again.
Liz
Holder - Ondeck -
www.ondeck.co.uk |
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How Boat Deliveries Work |
Payments and
reservations
Once we
receive your yacht delivery request, we will determine how long the boat
delivery will take based upon the vessel type and the distance to be
traveled. We'll then get back to you with a final estimate, calculated using the
delivery rates above. For sailboats we normally base delivery time on 100-120 NM
per day when sailing 24/7.
We require a 50%
deposit of the total estimated cost of the delivery which can be paid via
check or credit card. Your yacht delivery is NOT CONFIRMED until we get
paid!
We select the delivery
captain based on experience and knowledge of the area your boat delivery
will be going to and put him in direct contact with you to make the final
arrangements. Most of our captains are Tampa, FL based, so flights/rental
car expenses will be based upon leaving and returning to Tampa, Florida. We
do have several delivery captains located throughout USA and will do our
best to reserve your delivery captain depending on the yacht's locale and
delivery captain's availability.
The balance of the
boat delivery cost is payable when the vessel is safely tied up at the
destination port. And it WILL be safely tied up, because we have done a LOT
of deliveries and not once have we lost a boat.
Boat Owners
Many delivery captains
DO NOT allow owners to crew on the delivery with them. We, however, are
the exception! Boat owners are most welcome to travel with as crew,
provided they understand that they are just that: crew! The captain IS
the captain, and he will make ALL final decisions relating to the
boat, the conditions, the route and the entire delivery from point of
departure to drop off. Naturally he will consult with you as he would any
crew member, but he is the BOSS! If you do not wish to travel with and do
not have another crew member, he will bring his own crew at an expense to
you of $125/day.
All of our captains
have a great sense of humor, are used to dealing with people and have many
long seafaring stories to tell you while sailing. Our delivery captains are
are not only crusty sea salts, they are FUN!
24/7 Sailing vs.
Day only Sailing
This is up to you. If
you want the boat in a hurry, our captains will travel 24/7 non-stop sailing
port to port. If this is the case the captain will need at least one crew
member to run the boat while he is sleeping. If you do you not provide
QUALIFIED crew,
our delivery captain will provide their own crew at an additional charge of
$100/day.
Some owners don't want
to sail 24/7, but instead would like to enjoy stopping off each night,
either by anchoring or going to a marina. Or, they are not in a rush for
their boat. In this case, sailing will be done in daylight hours, estimated
travel on a sailboat will be between 50-70 NM per day depending on time of
the year. Here you pay a lower daily charge and the captain may not require
a crew member depending upon the vessel.
Finally, on our longer
deliveries we can offer you a combination of 24/7 sailing with a few stops
to rest. Typically every 3rd or 4th day, but you can decide this. Here you
pay a combination of the 24/7 rate and the day sailing rate.
Bad Weather and
Problems
While the captain will
try to pick out the best weather window, if the weather does turn bad and
the boat is laid up in a safe harbor, you will still be required to pay the
captain, but only at the much lower rate of $150/day. So while the captain
would no doubt prefer his full rate, we hardly think he should be paid
$350/day for sitting on the dock of the bay! The same applies if the vessel
breaks down and has to wait for parts or repairs.
If the captain effects
the repairs himself (several of our captains are mechanics), then you will
need to pay his labor at $65/hour - because now he will actually be working
hard on your boat and not sitting on the dock of the bay sipping pina
colades!
Boat Condition
You might think your
new baby is in the most perfect seaworthy condition ready to circumnavigate
the world. Our captains might or might not agree with you, in which case you
will receive a full report the day the captain arrives that might contain a
list of items needing attention before he is prepared to depart. You
will be required to pay layover rates of $150/day if only a couple days of
repairs. If more extensive repairs are needed, the choice may be made
to postpone to delivery until the vessel is seaworthy.
Insurance
Your boat must be
insured and have a free and clear title which you will be required to submit
prior to delivery. WE DO NOT INSURE YOUR BOAT NOR DO WE HAVE SECONDARY
INSURANCE TO COVER YOUR BOAT. Most boat insurance is owner
operator only, but will cover you if the owner is not on board if a
licensed captain is operating the vessel. This is why all our captains are USCG licensed.
Safety at Sea
If your vessel is not
equipped with an EPIRB (Emergency Position Indicating
Radio Beacon - yip, that IS a mouth full) and the delivery requires the
captain travel more than 100 miles offshore, you will be billed for the
rental of this device, normally about $75/week. If you would like to stay in
touch, we can arrange for the rental of a satellite phone, but this is not a
requirement.
Why should you
deliver your yacht with Windsong?
Yip, we've seen those
ads from independent captains who have cheaper rates than us. What do you
really know about them? We know and vouch for all our captains - we're NOT a
boat delivery broker, just putting you in touch with a captain for a
commission. We KNOW these professional captains and have worked with them
for years on
a daily basis. We trust them with OUR charter boats, so we know they'll look after
yours.
Our captains take
passengers out on our boats every day in Tampa, they have demonstrated their
responsibility.
You have the security
of knowing that your yacht (and your lives, if you travel with us on the
boat delivery) are not only in safe experienced hands but backed by one of the
largest independent sailing charter companies in Florida.
Need more reasons? We
take credit cards, many independent captains don't. We allow owners to crew.
We offer super discounted rates when the boat is laid up, many independent
captain's don't - they charge you full day rates as "it wasn't their fault the
gizmo broke or the weather sucked".
Most importantly, our
captains are charter boat captains and are used to entertaining guests, so
YOU KNOW they are going to be a bunch of fun!
We sail fun! We sail
SAFE!
OK, so how do I
know all this is true and not just hype?
Here are just a few
examples of deliveries we have successfully completed, with happy smiling
clients:
Bristol 39 - Tampa to Cartegena, Columbia, South America -
1500 miles - 13 days
Farr 40 (2 boats) - Miami to US Virgin Islands - 1130 miles
- 10 days
Morgan 33 - Tampa, FL to Mobile, Alabama - 400 miles - 4
days
Hunter 42 - Clearwater, Florida to Corpus Christi, Texas -
750 miles - 6 days (owner crewed)
Columbia 40 - Miami, Florida to Stuart, FL - 200 miles - 2
days
Jeanneau 34 - Venice, FL to Tampa, FL - 100 miles - 1 day
(owner crewed)
Hunter 30 - Ft. Walton Beach, Florida to New Port Richey, FL
- 280 miles - 4 days (owner crewed)
Person 30 - Dunedin, FL to Newport Rhode Island - 1750 miles
- 3 weeks
Wildcat 37 - Punta Gorda to Key West - 150 miles - 3 days
(owner crewed)
Morgan 41 - Miami to Tampa - 10 days owner crewed with ASA
certification to Advanced Coastal Cruising
and many more...
Give us a call, you
won't regret it!
REQUEST A BOAT
DELIVERY QUOTE ONLINE |
