PROFESSIONAL YACHT DELIVERY BASICS
Who will be running my boat?
Capt. Thomas Ertle, a USCG Licensed 100 Ton Master with a Commercial Towing Assistance endorsement and more than 50 years on the water, holding a USCG Merchant Mariner Master credential for over 25 years.
Who else is aboard besides the captain?
Depending on the vessel and the length of the passage, a first mate or additional crew comes along. Most of the mates used by Atlantic Yacht Delivery hold USCG captain credentials themselves — on a long offshore leg, that means the person standing the other watch is licensed to run the boat, not just help with lines.
What if my vessel is larger than your license allows?
Atlantic Yacht Delivery operates under a USCG 100 Ton Master license. For vessels beyond that, AYD can refer you to trusted captains holding higher tonnage licenses along the East Coast. The goal is getting your boat moved by the right captain, whether or not that captain is us.
Do you deliver sailboats?
Atlantic Yacht Delivery concentrates primarily on power vessels. For sail deliveries, AYD maintains a preferred list of qualified sail captains along the East Coast and can refer you to the right captain for your boat and route.
COVERAGE AREA
Where are you based?
Barnegat, New Jersey, on Barnegat Bay. Deliveries run to and from ports throughout the East Coast, Gulf Coast, Bahamas and Caribbean.
What regions do you serve?
The entire U.S. eastern seaboard and the Gulf of Mexico, including New England, the Mid-Atlantic, Chesapeake Bay, the Carolinas, Georgia, Florida and the Intracoastal Waterway. Locally, service covers Monmouth, Ocean, Atlantic and Cape May counties in New Jersey.
Will you come to my marina?
Yes, within reason. For locations beyond the immediate region, travel arrangements are made in advance and travel expenses are reimbursed as part of the delivery costs.
Can you deliver internationally?
Yes. Deliveries to Canada, the Bahamas, the Caribbean and select international destinations are available. These require additional planning — customs and immigration clearance at both ends, vessel documentation, cruising permits where required, crew passports, and coordination with the destination country's regulations. All of it is handled as part of the voyage planning.
How long does a delivery from New Jersey to Florida take?
It varies with the starting and ending ports, the vessel's cruising speed and fuel range, whether the route runs offshore or via the Intracoastal Waterway, the season, and the weather windows available. You get a realistic estimate with your quote, built around your specific boat and route rather than a generic figure.
PREPARATION
What should I do to prepare my boat for delivery?
Secure all loose items, have the vessel clean and mechanically sound, and pass along any special instructions or concerns about the boat. Up-to-date charts, full fuel, and all necessary documentation aboard make for a smoother departure. A detailed preparation checklist is available on request.
Can you help get the boat ready before departure?
Yes. Pre-departure preparation includes inspecting the engines, coolants, filters, running gear, navigation and electronics, and safety equipment, and coordinating any service or repairs needed before the vessel departs. The inspection exists to find problems at the dock, where they're inexpensive, rather than offshore, where they aren't.
What paperwork needs to be on the boat?
Current registration or USCG documentation, proof of insurance with the captain named as additional insured, and any applicable state decals or permits. For international deliveries, add the vessel's documentation and crew passports.
Will you deliver a boat that isn't running properly?
No. A vessel has to be seaworthy and mechanically sound to make a passage under its own power. If the pre-departure inspection turns up something that shouldn't go to sea, the honest answer is to fix it first or truck the boat. Nobody is well served by a delivery that breaks down offshore.
Can I leave my gear on the boat?
Yes. Anything loose should be secured before departure, and anything valuable or irreplaceable is better off ashore. A list of what's aboard is worth providing so there's no question about what was and wasn't on the vessel.
COST & BOOKING
How much does yacht delivery cost, and what influences the price?
Pricing depends on the vessel, the route and the season. The main factors are the boat's size and cruising speed, its fuel burn at cruise, the distance and whether the route runs offshore or via the Intracoastal Waterway, the time of year, and whether the passage requires additional crew. You receive a written quote tailored to your vessel, with the captain's service fee separated from the estimated running costs of the passage — fuel, dockage, provisions, crew travel and transit fees.
Why can't you just give me a price per mile or per day?
Two boats covering the same distance can take one week or three, burn very different amounts of fuel, and require different crew. A per-mile figure would be misleading for budgeting. What you get instead is a written quote built around your specific boat and route.
Do I pay up front?
On longer hauls, half of the anticipated total fee plus travel expenses is due before departure, with the balance due upon delivery. Running costs are tracked with receipts throughout and reconciled in the expense ledger you receive at the end.
When should I book?
The earlier the better, and that's more true at some times of year than others. Spring northbound and fall southbound are the busiest periods on the East Coast and schedules fill quickly. Short-notice deliveries are accommodated when the calendar allows — call and ask.
What is the process for scheduling a delivery?
Contact by phone, through the website or email Capt.Tom.US@Gmail.com with your vessel details, ports and preferred timing. That conversation covers your needs, your schedule and the destination, and produces a detailed written quote. Once agreed, all aspects of the delivery are coordinated from there — route planning, crew, fuel stops and arrival.
Is it cheaper to have my boat trucked or shipped instead?
Sometimes on paper, but the comparison is rarely as simple as the quoted haul price.
Overland transport has to account for the vessel's total height on the trailer against every bridge and overpass on the route.
For many boats that means disassembly of the superstructure — tower, hardtop, outriggers, antennas, radar — and reassembly at the far end.
The question worth asking is whether it will genuinely be the same once it's back together. Alignment, fasteners, wiring runs, sealant and bedding, canvas fit: it was assembled by the people who built the boat, and it's being taken apart and put back together by someone else in a parking lot.
Beam matters too. Anything over standard width requires special permitting, sometimes escorts, and route restrictions that add cost and time.
Putting a captain aboard avoids all of it. The boat leaves your marina intact and arrives intact — nothing comes off, nothing goes back on.
You also receive a documented log of how the vessel actually ran, which you don't get from a boat strapped to a trailer.
Trucking has a real place for smaller boats, overland routes with no sensible water connection, and vessels that shouldn't be making the passage under their own power. But for most boats that can make the trip, delivery on its own bottom carries less risk than taking the boat apart twice.
INSURANCE & LIABILITY
What insurance do I need for my yacht during delivery?
Your vessel should carry comprehensive coverage that includes transit or delivery protection, and the captain must be named as an additional insured on the policy. Contact your insurer before departure — it's routine, and they'll ask for the captain's license details.
It's also worth carrying unlimited towing coverage, such as BoatUS or TowBoatUS, for unforeseen mechanical failures. Atlantic Yacht Delivery carries professional liability insurance, and documentation of licensing and coverage is provided on request.
Are you insured?
Yes — Atlantic Yacht Delivery carries professional liability insurance. Your vessel remains covered under your own hull policy during the delivery, with the captain listed as an additional insured on that policy.
Do you offer guarantees?
What's committed to is careful preparation, honest communication and professional judgment.
Every delivery begins with a pre-departure inspection, runs on a plan built around real conditions, and includes regular progress reports and full documentation at the end.
What can't be guaranteed is weather or mechanical failure — no honest captain will tell you otherwise. A schedule can slip because a front stalls or an engine develops a problem 200 miles from anywhere. What is committed to is that problems get handled promptly and professionally, and that you hear about them from the captain as they happen rather than after the fact.
THE BOAT & THE ROUTE
What size and type of boats do you handle?
Powerboats and motor yachts operated under a USCG 100 Ton Master license — sportfish, express cruisers, trawlers and motor yachts across a wide range of sizes. Send the specifics of your vessel and it can be confirmed directly.
My boat has a tall tower. Does that affect the route?
Yes. Air draft determines whether the Intracoastal Waterway is an option at all, since fixed bridges along the ICW are generally charted at 65 feet and some are less at high water. A vessel with significant air draft may need to run outside, which changes the weather windows the passage depends on and can change the schedule. Air draft is confirmed during planning, not discovered at a bridge.
Do you run offshore or the Intracoastal Waterway?
Both, and often a combination. Offshore legs are more direct and cover more ground per day but require a suitable weather window and a vessel prepared for open water. The ICW is protected and flexible but slower, with bridge schedules, no-wake zones, tide-dependent shallows and daylight-only running. The route is chosen for the vessel, its draft and air draft, and the forecast.
Do you run at night?
It depends on the vessel, the route and the conditions. Offshore legs often run through the night are always at slower speeds and with proper watches stood. The Intracoastal Waterway is generally daylight-only because of depth, markers, bridge schedules and possible debris. Night running is a planning decision based on what's safe and sensible — not a way to make up lost time.
My boat is brand new. Will the engine break-in procedure be followed?
Yes. New vessels, and repowered boats with new engines, are run according to the manufacturer's break-in schedule, with engine hours, RPM ranges and required checks documented in the voyage log. Delivering a new boat for an owner, dealer or broker means the warranty requirements get respected rather than rushed.
How do you plan fuel stops and routes?
Each route is planned around the vessel's fuel range and actual burn rate, draft and required water depth, air draft, tides and currents, daylight hours, weather and sea state, and the marinas and fuel stops available along the way. Fuel stops are identified in advance and kept flexible where practical, and all fuel receipts are documented for transparency.
DURING THE VOYAGE
How will I know where my boat is?
You receive progress reports at pre-agreed intervals covering position, conditions, schedule changes and arrival planning. If your vessel is equipped with AIS, you can also follow the passage yourself from home or the office. A log of the voyage is kept throughout.
How do you keep my boat safe during the passage?
Thorough pre-departure checks, conservative route planning, current navigation equipment, and constant communication. A typical day has a Plan A, a Plan B and a Plan C depending on how conditions develop. Shallow areas, restricted channels and tide-dependent passages are timed around favorable water levels rather than pushed through.
How do you handle weather delays or mechanical problems?
Safety comes first. In deteriorating weather the schedule adjusts and the boat waits — weather windows, sea state, tides and inlet conditions determine when a vessel moves. For mechanical issues, small things get handled underway when the tools and parts are aboard: a belt, a fuel filter, a hose clamp. Anything beyond that means coordinating with a yard or mechanic at the nearest suitable port, arranged and overseen on your behalf. You're kept informed throughout.
What if the delivery runs late for reasons outside your control?
Timelines are met wherever possible, but weather, mechanical issues and other circumstances can intervene. When they do, you hear about it immediately and the priority stays with the safety of the vessel and everyone aboard.
What do I receive at the end?
The journey notes including mechanical observations (if not discussed or transmitted during the journey), all receipts and a full expense ledger, any cash left over, and a final walkthrough with the vessel left in the same or better condition than it started.
Can I ride along?
Yes as always. Owners aboard get hands-on time with their own vessel's systems and handling across a range of conditions, under the direction of a USCG licensed Master. Many owners learn more in three days underway than in a season at the dock.
SERVICES
What services do you offer besides delivery?
Vessel relocation and repositioning, seasonal and vacation delivery, charter captain service, sea trial captain, and on-water instruction. Deliveries and captain services are provided for private owners, yacht brokers, dealerships and marinas.
Can you captain my sea trial before I buy?
Yes. A licensed captain aboard during a sea trial evaluates how the vessel actually runs — engine load and temperature, tracking and handling, steering and hydraulic response, performance at cruise and wide open, vibration and exhaust, electronics under load, and behavior in close quarters. A surveyor examines the vessel; a captain evaluates how she runs. The two complement each other.
Can you help with buying or selling a boat?
Not as a broker. What's available is sea trial captain service, inspection support, delivery of the vessel, and owner training afterward — so you're confident in a new boat, or your buyer receives a boat delivered properly.
Do you offer seasonal relocations?
Yes. Seasonal moves are a core part of the business — south in the fall, north in the spring, coordinated around your schedule and your preferred ports.
Can you provide instruction on my own boat?
Yes. Instruction is tailored to your specific vessel and experience level, covering docking, close-quarters maneuvering, anchoring, navigation, Rules of the Road, night operation and vessel safety — taught on your boat, in your slip, in the waters you actually run.
ENVIRONMENT
How do you handle environmental compliance?
Through proper fuel handling, avoiding sensitive marine areas, and compliance with local, state and federal regulations throughout the passage.