27 QUESTIONS

Yacht Delivery

1. 01

   How is a yacht delivery priced?

   From 3 € per nautical mile, with the firm figure set by route length, season, crew size and how fuel is arranged. Long passages also carry insurance cover and accommodation.

   A fixed tariff is hard to set because most of the cost comes from waiting for a weather window rather than from the distance: the same route can take twice as long in the wrong season, and time is crew cost.

2. 02

   How are daily range and route planned for a delivery?

   Range is set by the spacing of safe harbours rather than by the boat’s speed: the distance between two shelters defines the point you can still turn back from if the weather changes.

   That is why a plan is built as "from which port to which port" rather than "how many miles a day". If night passage is involved, crew numbers and watch rotation limit the range further.

3. 03

   How is a transit log obtained for a delivery?

   The transit log defines the boat’s legal status in Turkish waters. Problems with it appear not on departure but on arrival, so the paperwork is set up alongside the route plan.

   On a foreign-flagged boat this step cannot be skipped, and an expired log turns a straightforward passage into a port formality that stops the boat.

4. 04

   What happens if the engine fails during a delivery?

   The first rule of fault management at sea is not to learn about the fault at sea. A short technical check before departure — pending ECU fault entries, cooling and fuel circuits, bilge and fire equipment — catches most of it alongside.

   Having someone aboard who can work on the engine side reduces what remains. That is one reason the delivery check is done by a surveyor rather than only by a delivery skipper.

5. 05

   What sea conditions are considered safe for a delivery?

   The safe limit varies with the boat’s length, type and crew numbers; the same wave is a comfort issue on one boat and a structural load on another. The decision rests on wave height, period and wind direction together rather than on a single figure.

   Waiting is always the cheapest option available, and it is the one most often skipped under schedule pressure.

6. 06

   What checks should be done before a long delivery?

   A short list, but a non-negotiable one: engine and cooling circuit, fuel line and filters, bilge pumps and alarm, fire equipment, navigation electronics and communications, ground tackle. The engine’s ECU record is read at the same time.

   Testing these alongside costs almost nothing next to a repair carried out at sea — which is the comparison worth making before departure.

7. 07

   How is crew fatigue managed on a long delivery?

   The most overlooked risk on a long passage is human rather than technical: a tired watch is a greater hazard than a well-maintained boat. Watch rotation is built around crew numbers, with shorter watches at night.

   This is why crew size is a direct component of the delivery price rather than an afterthought — it is a safety variable before it is a cost one.

8. 08

   What communications equipment is required, and what does GMDSS require?

   Having the equipment is not enough; it has to work and be registered. A DSC radio without a correctly programmed MMSI will not transmit your identity in an emergency.

   VHF, DSC and AIS are therefore tested individually before departure — the same check that forms part of a helm and electronics survey.

9. 09

   What documents are needed to use a foreign-flagged boat in Turkish waters?

   Under a foreign flag the paperwork matters as much as the route: a missing or expired record stays invisible until it stops the boat at a port inspection.

   Transit log, registry entry and insurance documents are therefore verified before departure. For boats staying long term, a change of flag can be planned instead.

10. 10

    How are safe harbours chosen along a delivery route?

    What decides a harbour is shelter from the prevailing wind and entrance depth rather than comfort; for a night arrival, lighting and entrance width come to the front.

    The route is then built so that the distance between two safe harbours never exceeds what the boat can cover comfortably in a day, with an alternative always in the plan.

11. 11

    What should an owner check after a delivery?

    The handover check is an opportunity to read the passage from the boat herself: bilge condition, engine hours and ECU records, fuel consumption, any new marks on the gear.

    A photographic condition report is given at handover for exactly this reason — it closes off a dispute before it can start.

12. 12

    How should insurance cover be checked before a delivery?

    The most common gap is a cruising range that does not include the route; the second is a crew qualification condition; the third is a seasonal restriction.

    All three should be confirmed in writing before departure. Verbal confirmation is worth nothing at claim time, and this is the point at which most delivery disputes begin.

13. 13

    What special rules apply to a delivery through the Dardanelles?

    What governs the passage is the traffic scheme rather than the boat: reporting points, traffic separation lanes and current. For small boats the current can be more limiting than engine power.

    The transit hour is therefore chosen according to current and traffic density rather than convenience — a two-hour wait can save a very long passage.

14. 14

    When is road transport preferable to a sea delivery?

    Road comes to the front when the distance is short and the route difficult, or when the season is against you: no waiting for weather, no engine hours added, no wear on the boat. Against that, lifting, unstepping the rig and permits add cost.

    The decision is made on the total of cost and risk for both options rather than on distance alone.

15. 15

    How should you choose a delivery skipper?

    Qualifications are a floor rather than a selection criterion: of two equally certificated skippers, one may have run that route many times and the other never. The second criterion is technical competence.

    A skipper who can deal with a fault that appears on passage is the cheapest insurance on a delivery. References and route experience should always be asked for.

16. 16

    How is fuel consumption and cost calculated for a delivery?

    The calculation is made at economical revs rather than cruising speed: raising speed by ten per cent raises consumption by considerably more, and over a long route that becomes real money. Current and wind then move the real figure outside the calculation.

    A realistic average and a weather allowance are therefore built into the budget from the start rather than added afterwards.

17. 17

    How does a delivery from Turkey to Greece work?

    The distance is short, so the real issue is the clearance rather than the passage: closing the transit log, port departure formalities, crew visas and entry registration on the other side.

    Unplanned, these steps leave the boat waiting in port. Running the survey, the delivery and the flag process in one file is what saves the time here.

18. 18

    How do customs and taxes work when importing a boat into Turkey?

    The liability depends on the boat’s flag, her age and how she is acquired, so the same boat brought in by different routes produces a different result.

    The import structure should therefore be planned before purchase rather than after, and current legislation verified for each file rather than assumed.

19. 19

    How is safety managed on night passages?

    At night the risk lies in fatigue and in being seen rather than in seeing: correctly working navigation lights, an active AIS and short watches are what matter. Harnesses and jacklines are rigged specifically for darkness.

    All of this equipment is tested individually during the pre-departure check rather than assumed to be aboard and working.

20. 20

    What documents must the boat and skipper carry on a domestic delivery?

    Registration, insurance, skipper qualification and radio licence are checked before departure — not only for inspection but for insurance.

    In a claim the policy looks at the qualifications of both the boat and the skipper. A gap in either can void cover, which is why this check runs alongside the technical one.

21. 21

    What do you do in bad weather during a delivery?

    The best decision in bad weather is the one already made in port: not going is always cheaper than manoeuvring at sea. Caught out, the priorities are to head for shelter, reduce speed and choose the heading the boat is most comfortable with.

    This is why an alternative harbour is a required part of the route plan rather than an optional extra.

22. 22

    What is the best season for a Mediterranean delivery?

    Late spring and early autumn, when the prevailing winds have settled and temperatures are moderate; midsummer brings stronger meltemi and winter brings systematic weather changes.

    Season choice sets the duration and therefore the cost directly — the same route in the wrong season can take twice as long.

23. 23

    Is a delivery from the Aegean to the Sea of Marmara difficult?

    The difficulty comes from the transit points rather than the distance: current and traffic in the Dardanelles are more limiting for small boats than engine power is.

    The route is planned around the hour at which the current is favourable. Elsewhere the Aegean coast is rich in shelter and the route can be built flexibly.

24. 24

    What matters when planning a delivery route?

    The route is built around the spacing of safe harbours rather than the boat’s speed. Fuel and water stops, whether night passage is required and alternative harbours all go into the plan from the beginning.

    A good plan is the one that makes the unexpected cheap — which is a different objective from making the passage short.

25. 25

    How does bringing a boat from abroad work?

    The process is three separate workstreams overlapping: purchase and survey, flag and customs, delivery. Run separately, their timetables collide and the boat waits.

    Running all three in one file saves both time and money, and it is the main reason we handle survey, delivery and registration together rather than referring them out.

26. 26

    Is insurance required for a delivery?

    Yes — and assuming the existing policy covers it is the most common mistake. Most policies specify a cruising range, a season and a crew qualification.

    Those three clauses should be confirmed in writing before departure. It takes one email and prevents the most expensive kind of surprise.

27. 27

    What is a yacht delivery and when is one needed?

    A delivery moves a boat from one port to another, by sea or by road. It is most often needed after a purchase, between winter lay-up and the season, or when taking the boat to a yard for refit.

    What reduces the risk is having the boat checked with a surveyor’s eye before she leaves. A fault learned about at sea is always the expensive kind.