Yacht Delivery & Relocation
Captain Tom will deliver or relocate your motor vessel on the water to the port of your choice anywhere along the eastern seaboard from Main to Florida, the gulf and Caribbean safely and professionally. Captain Tom has worked with owners, yacht brokers and dealerships in the delivery of their new or used yacht or vessel in the capacity of a delivery captain and instructional captain.
There are many reasons why a vessel owner needs to move or relocate their vessel. They range from purchasing of a new vessel to moving the vessel to a warmer climate for the winter to the owner relocating to a new state or delivering your sold vessel to its new owners or maybe even just wanting to have your vessel with you during a vacation. Whatever the reason, Captain Tom will get your vessel there promptly and efficiently. We take pride in our ability to handle all the logistics behind making it the safest journey possible. To ensure the safe delivery of your vessel on long deliveries, Captain Tom has a pre-departure planning stage. It is at this time which Captain Tom will inspect your vessel to make sure the vessel is ready for the journey. Safety checks observing safety equipment, engines, coolants, filters, running gear and electronics, just to name a few, will be observed. There is an old English adage “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”. Captain Tom thoroughly believes this there-by ensuring the safest journey possible. If the owner is aboard, it is the perfect opportunity to familiarize themselves with their boat and the many operating systems on board and to operate the vessel efficiently and safely under the direction of a USCG Merchant Marine Captain. The trip will provide the owner with the experience of handling the vessel under a variety of conditions. If the owner is not aboard, Captain Tom will keep a log of the journey which will provide the owner with invaluable information about the yacht, its handling and capabilities. Throughout the journey, Captain Tom and his first mate will keep in touch with owner advising the owner of their progress at a convenient pre-discussed interval. At the conclusion of our longer delivery and relocation journeys, Captain Tom will provide a copy of the journey notes, mechanical and other, receipts or cash left over with a ledger of expenses for the owner’s records. Captain Tom and his First Mate give a final walkthrough of the yacht to assure that it is left in the same or better condition than it was on the journey’s outset.
Charter Captain Service
Charter Captain for all activities, Captain Thomas Ertle is a USCG Merchant Mariner 100 Ton Master for over 20 years who has been running vessels for nearly 50 years in a variety of sizes and locations.
Whether you need a charter captain for a serious event, tour or vacation activities, formal or informal, Captain Tom can take command of your yacht and provide a safe and memorable voyage. If you are planning voyage to unfamiliar ports, it would be beneficial to have a knowledgeable captain by your side providing essential navigation aid and expertise. It only takes a few seconds to find yourself off course and run aground or worse yet, in the rocks. Captain Tom provides a level service which is nothing short of professional and outstanding. He is an experienced boat captain who offers expert captain services that include relief, delivery, relocation, chartering, and instruction.
On-Water Vessel Instruction
Many boaters have taken the boaters safety course as is required in most states. Whereas the 8 hour in classroom course can offer a wealth of knowledge it cannot replace the practical application on the water. Whether you are a novice or even a seasoned boater, everyone could gain valuable experience, understanding and proficiency from a USCG Merchant Mariner Master Captain.
Having taught Boaters Safety for ten years, Captain Tom has listened to and learned from his students which nautical skills cause great anxiety among boaters of all ages and walks of life. Captain Tom will assess your skills and weaknesses and will custom adapt a training program for you to enhance and master your nautical abilities. Although not thought of nearly enough, preplanning and planning are essential. To most, planning a nautical journey can be extremely taxing. Whether it is for a day on the water or a month long journey, only a years of experience and the guidance of a professional captain can help you prepare for which you are about to embark. Captain Tom will assist you with your nautical planning needs. Weather, wind, and waves, or the three w’s, as Captain Tom calls it, are paramount when planning a trip. Captain Tom will teach you how to read what certain weather conditions will bring. Planning your trip around the 3W’s will ultimately keep you and your vessel safe and secure. Tides are also a natural phenomenon which could be a significant factor depending on where you yacht. Captain Tom will review the tide charts for your area and discuss what is best for you and your vessel. While at the dock or marina many vessel owners have apprehension departing from their dock or slip and maneuvering their vessel safely and effectively. Many have even more anxiety docking their vessel. The fear of damaging their vessel, or worse, damaging other vessels in the marina can be extremely stressful. Captain Tom can help you to overcome that fear by practicing, with the vessel owner, the best technique for their slip. Captain Tom will review the slip and placement of all lines and fenders. Captain Tom will evaluate the overall safety equipment on board and review with the vessel owner its usage. While at sea, Captain Tom will explain critical safety protocols, explore and conduct safety drills and demonstrate safety procedures should an event happen at sea. While underway, Captain Tom will explain the aids to navigation such as the red and green buoys, illumination of such, bells, whistles and horns, navigation charts, chart plotters and sounders, radar, and other handy electronics. Along with this knowledge there are the “Rules of the Road”. The “Rules of the Road” are what you, as a responsible captain of your vessel, are supposed to adhere to. This will be only a basic synopsis as all the USCG regulations can be quite cumbersome. Once the owner understands navigation and the “Rules of the Road”, Captain Tom will coach the owner on running the vessel in a variety of sea conditions, reading the conditions, night navigation, anchoring and mooring. Knowing your vessels capacities are critical during any trip. Fuel consumption is always of concern. Captain Tom will appraise your vessel’s capacities, evaluate the overall performance of the vessel, and determine a safe and efficient level for you, as the owner, to operate. Captain Tom will discuss the benefits and disadvantages of operating the vessel at different performance levels. Knowing these levels can assure the owners' safe travel to and from their destinations.
Vacation/Holiday Delivery
Many yacht owners desire to have their yacht available to them during their vacation/holiday. Much like our delivery and relocation service, Captain Tom will determine the logistics to deliver your yacht from its home port to a transient slip at your vacation destination.
The logistics of some of these trips can be cumbersome. Captain Tom will explore every avenue to make your trip feasible and enjoyable. Captain Tom can stay with your yacht throughout your vacation or simply return to deliver the yacht to its home port at the conclusion of the vacation. He will select the best route to ensure a safe and efficient journey both to and from.
