Boat Deliveries | Bay Vessel Services

Deliveries

With decades of operating experience on San Francisco Bay and across the globe, Bay Vessel Services is uniquely qualified to provide careful and expedient transport of your recreational or commercial vessel on her own bottom. I have delivered many hundreds of vessels over many thousands of inland and ocean miles with a 100% perfect safety record.

Local Deliveries

Many owners and boatyards request local deliveries for maintenance work, or for temporary or permanent relocation.

I’ll be happy to help you with your local delivery needs anywhere within the San Francisco Bay and Delta Area. Be assured of expert care and operation of your boat, and on-time arrival.

See Rates for more information.

Offshore Deliveries

For more distant relocations, I deliver yachts throughout the U.S. West Coast and to Canada and Mexico. These relocations require a more thorough complement of installed operational and safety equipment, which can be provided to the owner if not available.

I precede all deliveries with a rigorous planning process to ensure you understand every detail of how the preparation and execution of the voyage will be done. These items include:

A thorough checklist of items needed on board (tools, spare parts, fluids, etc). Any items you do not have can be provided.
A fully detailed voyage plan identifying all turn waypoints, estimated date/time of departure, date/time of all waypoint transits, and date/time of arrival to the destination.
Fuel calculations including planned RPM, fuel consumption, speed made good, expected range and % fuel used with given reserve, and all fuel stops. All calculations are based on familiarity with prior similar vessels and research of manufacturer specifications.
The watch schedule, identifying all crew and their on-watch/off-watch times.
A deck log, used to document hourly position, course, speed, depth, and other navigational information.
An engine log, used to document all engine start/stop times, hourly logging of RPM, oil pressures, temperatures, battery voltages, fuel GPH (if equipped), and hourly fuel used.
A thru-hull plan, used to document all hull penetrations in case of water ingress.
Inspection of the vessel to confirm condition and suitability for the voyage, and to address any required items.

All deliveries are performed by me – there is no subcontracting or captain network used for voyages.

Voyage Planning

All deliveries are planned beforehand, accounting for all elements of the passage. Environmental factors include forecasted weather and seas, traffic, and even if it’s crab season (crab pot hazards). Manufacturer’s information and prior data from similar vessels are utilized to calculate expected fuel consumption and necessary fuel stops.

I use OpenCPN for planning of all deliveries, and utilize it with a laptop on board in conjunction with the boat’s navigation equipment while underway.

Owner Ridealongs

I welcome you as the owner to participate in the delivery of your boat!

In the case of new vessels (or new to you), being part of the delivery crew will give you a fantastic opportunity to learn more about her boathandling particulars and seakeeping abilities. I will talk with you to better understand your background and skillset, and your ability to withstand the rigors of the particular voyage.

Deliveries can be very rewarding experiences but at the same time are not pleasure cruises – they are arduous work, with the specific goal of getting your boat delivered as quickly and as safely as possible while minimizing stress on the boat and its systems.

I utilize highly trained crew personnel of my choosing who have the experience to operate the vessel safely and who can perform in the case of a disabling event or emergency. I am happy to discuss the qualifications of others who might complement the delivery crew and save on delivery costs while not compromising my standard of service.