1. Insurance — check it in writing
Call your insurer before you book the crew. Tell them the dates, the route, who will skipper and that it is a delivery by a paid crew. Many policies have limits on cruising area, season or who may be in command, and some ask for a recent survey or a minimum level of experience for longer passages.
- •Confirm the hull policy covers this passage, these dates and a professional delivery skipper
- •Ask whether the skipper must be named or approved in advance
- •Check the skipper’s own professional liability cover — reputable delivery skippers carry it
2. Documents on board
- •Registration papers (and proof of ownership or a letter authorising the delivery)
- •Insurance certificate
- •Radio licence (ship station licence) and EPIRB registration
- •VAT / tax status papers where relevant, and any cruising or temporary-import permits for the countries on the route
- •Manuals for engine, electrics and electronics, and the latest service records
Crossing borders? Check customs and immigration rules for every country on the route — including for the crew — well before departure.
3. The boat itself
- •Engine serviced recently; known faults written down and shared with the skipper
- •Fuel tanks full of clean fuel, spare filters and impellers on board
- •Safety equipment in date: life raft service, flares, fire extinguishers, lifejackets, EPIRB battery
- •Rig and sails checked; running rigging and steering in good order
- •Loose items stowed, personal belongings taken off or locked away
- •Tender and outboard secured — or shipped separately
4. The crew
Agree on paper who the skipper is, how many crew sail and what they hold: a certificate of competence that fits the boat and the distance offshore, a valid seafarer medical and STCW basic safety training are the usual minimum for professional crew. On Maritime Delivery every crew member’s photo ID and certificates are checked before they can apply.
5. The agreement
- •Pay model (day rate or fixed fee) and which days count — travel, weather waiting
- •Who pays flights, transport, food, fuel, marina fees and repairs underway
- •Reporting: how often you get position and ETA updates
- •What happens if weather or a breakdown delays the trip
Maritime Delivery puts these terms in an assignment workspace that both sides accept, and holds your payment until both confirm the job is done.
6. Handover
Walk through the boat with the skipper at pickup and record the condition — photos of the hull, engine hours, fuel level, equipment and any damage — and do the same at delivery. A signed handover report on both ends prevents most disputes. Maritime Delivery’s digital handover report does this on a phone, with photos and signatures.
Sources
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