So 2016 is finally coming to a close, We at Yacht delivery Uk have had our busiest year to date with over 30 yachts successfully delivered. I’m proud to say that virtually all of them went to plan which when your dealing with sailing boats and weather is pretty good going. We had one catamaran stuck in Portugal for just over a week due to a mechanical issue, and had another catamaran which we had to abort due to on going leaks. The first Cat was docked on the west coast of Portugal to receive what we thought would be a small repair but unfortunately the boat had to be craned out and have major work done on the engine and drive shaft. After liaising with the owner he asked if our skipper could stay with the yacht and over sea the repair job as he didn’t want to have to fly out and then deal with foreign mechanics that may mess him about. instead our experienced skipper stayed with te yacht and helped the local mechanic fix the boat in minimal time with hopefully no unexpected added costs. This service is not something that we advertise but shows how adaptable our skippers are and keen to help out. We also reduc ed the day rate to basically cover the eating costs for the skipper to help keep the delivery cost down. This again isn’t something we would say is normal, but was a great gesture of generosity from our skipper and shows the type of people we have surrounded ourselves with.
The other problem delivery was coming up the Portuguese cost, head on into a force 6 with leaking port holes all over… All the bedding got soaked, all equipment soaked and all in all a very miserable trip. The skipper called into several ports along the coast and sealed where ever he thought may be a weakness, but it seemed the boat an dmore serious issues and after agreeing with the owner the skipper and crew left the boat safely moored in a port the owner was familiar with so he could go and spend some time before it continued it trip.
If you are reading this then you are obviously interested in sailing and therefore know that it is rare that things go exactly to plan. It is how you deal with the problems that differentiates sailors from others. We have to stay calm and think quick, forward plan and always try to smile….. and if its really bad make a cup of tea and hope for the best… only kidding… kind of.
2016 has seen us delivery some luxury yachts and have teamed up with some major yacht manufactures helping deliver their boats all over the UK and Europe. It is an area we have always wanted to get into but is almost impossible unless you know an insider. Fortunately for Yacht Delivery Uk we impressed the right clients and our good name got to the likes of Contest and Oyster. We were also lucky enough to help delivery a beautiful brand new Amel 55 ready for the Arc race. 2 of our crew actually continued on and completed the Arc race with the owner again showing our pure enthusiasm for sailing and the opportunities it brings.
We are already taking bookings for spring and summer 2017 with our first cold delivery next week. Bringing a motor boat back from Rotterdam to Hull. We will be offering discounted priced to early bookings and look forward to hearing from existing and new clients to make this year another great year of sailing.