Trust & safety
Trust is earned before anyone leaves the dock.
Handing your boat to a skipper you have never met — or stepping aboard a stranger's vessel — is a big decision. Here is exactly what we check, how money moves, and who is responsible for what. No small print.
Verified by people
Our team checks every crew ID and certificate by hand.
Reviewed listings
No assignment goes live before we have reviewed it.
Paid before departure
The client pays through Stripe before the assignment starts.
Disputes reviewed
Disagree on completion? Payment pauses while we review.
Verification
What “verified” actually means
Verification is done by a person on our team, not an algorithm. Here is what is checked — and, just as important, what is not.
⚓ Crew members
- ✓Photo ID checked — we compare the name and photo with the profile and check the document is valid and not expired.
- ✓Certificates checked — every uploaded certificate (STCW, Yachtmaster, OOW, ENG1 …) is reviewed for authenticity and validity on its face, and its expiry date is tracked.
- ✓Only qualified crew can apply — if an assignment requires a certificate, crew can only apply when that certificate is verified on their profile.
- ✓Expiry reminders — verified crew are reminded 90, 30 and 7 days before a certificate expires, so documents stay current.
🚢 Clients (owners & agencies)
- ✓Account approval — every boat owner, recruitment agency and commercial fleet is reviewed and approved before they can post.
- ✓Every listing reviewed — route, dates, vessel details, photos and pay are checked before an assignment goes live.
- ✓No off-platform contact — phone numbers and emails are blocked in listings and chats open only after payment, which stops most scams before they start.
- ✓Reports & suspensions — anyone can report a user; accounts that break the rules are suspended.
Example
What a client sees
In crew search, clients see qualifications, verified documents and reviews — but not the crew member's name, contact details or a clear photo until the crew member agrees to be introduced. Privacy first, for crew too.
- ✓Green ticks only appear after our team has checked the document.
- ✓Reviews come only from completed, paid assignments.
- ✓Contact details are shared through us, with the crew member's consent.
Delivery Skipper
12 years at sea · Mediterranean & Atlantic
★★★★★
“Calm, thorough and great communication. Boat arrived in perfect condition.”
Review from a completed delivery · Palma → Nice
Reviews
Reviews you can rely on
A review on Maritime Delivery can only come from someone who actually sailed or hired on the platform.
Only after a real assignment
Rating opens once an assignment has been paid through the platform — no anonymous or paid-for reviews.
Both directions
Clients rate crew and crew rate clients (1–5 stars and a comment), so both sides know who they are dealing with.
Shown where it matters
Ratings appear on crew profiles and next to every assignment, so you see a client’s track record before you apply.
Fake, manipulated or AI-generated reviews are a breach of our terms and lead to suspension.
Payments & disputes
How the money moves
Payments are processed by Stripe. The client pays before the assignment starts, and the crew member’s pay is released when the job is confirmed as done.
- 1
Client confirms crew
The client chooses a crew member and receives an invoice.
- 2
Client pays up front
Agreed crew pay + 8% platform fee (+ VAT on the fee) is paid by card through Stripe.
- 3
Assignment happens
Chat unlocks, details are agreed, the voyage or job is carried out.
- 4
Both confirm completion
If one side doesn’t respond within 14 days, completion is deemed confirmed.
- 5
Crew is paid 100%
The full agreed pay goes to the crew member’s bank account via Stripe.
What happens if…
The exact rules from our Terms (sections 12–13), in plain words.
The client cancels 15 days or more before departure
The crew compensation is refunded to the client in full. The 8% platform fee is not refunded once a crew member has been confirmed.
The client cancels less than 15 days before departure
Our team reviews the case. The crew compensation may be refunded in whole or in part, depending on the circumstances (for example, whether the crew member already travelled).
The crew member cancels or doesn’t show up
The client gets the crew compensation back in full, and the platform fee is credited to their next assignment.
The trip is delayed (weather, repairs …)
The payment stays where it is. Agree new dates in the assignment chat so both sides have them in writing. If the assignment can’t go ahead, the cancellation rules above apply; force majeure and incapacity are settled pro rata.
The client and crew disagree that the job was completed
Either side raises a dispute and the payout is paused straight away. Maritime Delivery reviews the chat, the documents and the evidence from both sides and decides whether the crew compensation is released, partly released or refunded. Both sides keep their statutory rights.
Nobody responds after one side confirms
If the other side neither confirms nor disputes within 14 days, completion is deemed confirmed and the crew compensation is released.
The client doesn’t pay the invoice
If a client hasn’t paid within 4 days of the due date, the invoice is cancelled and the crew member is free to take other work.
A refund is due
Refunds go back to the original payment method via Stripe, normally within 5–10 business days. Consumers also have a 14-day right of withdrawal (explained before you pay).
Good to know
- ✓Crew never pay to apply or to get paid — the client pays the platform fee.
- ✓Business clients also pay the actual card-processing cost, shown separately before payment.
- ✓A dispute always beats the timer — nothing is released automatically while a dispute is open.
What we don’t promise
- ✓Maritime Delivery is not a bank or a regulated escrow service. Payments use Stripe’s separate charges and transfers.
- ✓We review disputes carefully, but we can’t guarantee a particular outcome, and we are not a party to the agreement between client and crew.
- ✓Payments, refunds and disputes are covered only when the assignment is booked and paid through Maritime Delivery.
Safety, responsibility & insurance
Who is responsible for what
Clear roles keep everyone safe. Maritime Delivery is a marketplace — we connect, verify and handle payment; the voyage itself is agreed between the client and the crew.
The client
- ✓Keeps the vessel seaworthy, registered and insured.
- ✓Checks the crew's ID and certificates against the flag state and route.
- ✓Chooses the crew — after a video interview if they like.
The crew member
- ✓Holds valid certificates and only takes on what they are qualified for.
- ✓Uses professional judgement and may refuse to sail in unsafe conditions.
- ✓Is recommended to carry skipper / professional liability insurance.
Maritime Delivery
- ✓Checks IDs, certificates, clients and listings as a safety screen before anyone gets access — this does not replace the client’s own final checks before hiring.
- ✓Secures payment through Stripe and reviews disputes.
- ✓Gives both sides one shared assignment workspace: the same agreed terms, a voyage log and signed digital handover reports at pickup and delivery — so everything is documented if questions come up.
Insurance options for skippers & owners →
Yacht insurance, skipper liability and charter-deposit cover — what to look for and where to get it.
Something doesn't feel right? →
Contact support or use “Report” on any profile or assignment. Never pay anyone to get a job, and never move contact or payment off the platform.
Ready when you are.
Free to join. Verified crew, reviewed listings and payment made before you sail.