19 Oct 2016

How Did That Boat Get There?

Along with yacht ownership comes certain responsibilities and requisite services such as insurance, finance and moorings. These are obvious and will come as no surprise, and many will already have at least a minimum understanding of them. The one service that is often overlooked, mis-understood and often forgotten about, almost until the sale is made, is the yacht delivery.

Nick Irving, Director and Founder of Reliance Yacht Management spreads some light on the subject in his recently published article in the September/October 2016 issue of MULTIHULLS Magazine

Downlowd the full article here

Download
11 Oct 2016

Safety Procedures

In response to the CPS’s decision to bring charges against the manager of Cheeki Rafiki, it is understandable that the sailing industry takes a long look again at its policies and procedures and see that all that can be done is being done to minimise risk.

We take the view that sailing is not without risk but lessons can be learnt and anything that can reduce the risk is welcomed. Reliance Yacht Management wishes to reassure clients, captains and crews that we adopt a range of policies and procedures. Each year we undergo an external assessment of our business procedures to maintain our ISO9001 accreditation. In addition we support every captain by providing guidelines and tools to assess and minimise risk. These are reviewed regularly. Each and every Captain we contract with has access to templates to record the yachts condition, inventory and stowage plan and create a risk assessment. We encourage Captains to brief crews on emergency procedures including fire and man over board. We believe the Captain is the best placed to make best decisions. Our captains know that safety of the boat and crew is paramount above all other considerations.

12 Sep 2016

Brian Edmonds 1945-2016

It is with a sad heart that I announce the passing of Captain Brian Edmonds.
 
Born in 1945 he had been around boats for most of his life and owned his first craft at the age of 22. He completed his first Atlantic crossing at 27. He had been a delivery skipper for almost 40 years delivering craft to the Mediterranean, N/S Atlantic, America, Caribbean, Canary Islands, and Baltic and in the Indian Ocean.
 
In recent years he also worked for sailing schools and on charter yachts in the UK and Spain. Also at this time he was a bosun maintaining yachts, motor vessels and dive boats which entailed anything from diesel engines to sails, rigging, grp repairs, electrics, and communications systems. Over the last 30 years he was also known on the racing circuit and participated in channel handicap series, local racing as well as international racing in the capacity of crew, mate and captain.
 
His sailing experience was wide ranging from 6 metres up to 34 metres, Catamarans, sloops, ketches and motor vessels. His passages as a delivery Captain have been from a few miles to thousands of miles from Canaries to the West Indies many times. Also returning from North America /Caribbean back to Europe. His longest passage was from Dover to Durban South Africa passing through the Mediterranean, Suez, Red Sea, and Indian Ocean.
 
He was a true professional and will be sadly missed
01 Sep 2016

Lagoon 42 France to Germany

A few words from one of our German clients following the delivery of their new catamaran from Les Sables through the Kiel Canal to Laboe

Thanks a lot for the good job.

Best regards

Nils

09 Aug 2016

Lagoon 380 France to Tortola

It is always risky asking clients for feedback

You may learn some difficult truths but it is essential to understand the customer experience. How else will you improve your service? Negative feedback should be considered as constructive and acted upon. Positive feedback should be celebrated and shared.

And this is the latest positive feedback.

Dear Nick:

Thanks a lot for requesting feedback (another positive trait around how you choose to do business).  Even when I don’t have any previous experience I can certainly provide the following comments:

  • Superb customer service
  • Extremely professional and diligent
  • Great combination of personal contact (at least by email) and live technology tracking (GPS)
  • Great to receive pictures and updates posted directly by the Captain

I’m extremely pleased, so a big Thank You to you and the rest of the Team.

 

05 Aug 2016

Yacht Tracking

We are the logistics manager for many of the world fleet operators and private yacht owners. Our clients need to know where their yachts are. We need to be able message the boat with updates, charter bookings, changes of destination, receive technical data. For a variety reasons it can be important that clients know the location of their yachts and through us have contact with them. The nature the business means that yachts are out of cell phone range, AIS may not be fitted and satellite phones can accrue high airtime charges. What do we do?

Over the years Reliance Yacht Management has addressed this challenge in several ways, making the use of the latest technology as it develops. It has now become accepted as imperative that there is connectivity wherever they may travel. We need to understand the exact location of our clients’ yachts at all times regardless of location.

Satellite technology is key to yacht tracking. There are a variety of hardware units that work with asset management software so yacht owners and fleet operators can chose the one that suits their budget and their business needs. Some software can track positions every 30 seconds. It is easy to install and accessible from all kinds of devices

Features available through asset tracking software vary by manufacturer, but could include some helpful options. Geo-fences are an example. You can set up a geo-fence and know when an asset has entered or exited the perimeter you set up. A useful feature for bareboat charter companies not wishes yachts to leave their designated cruising area.  You can also improve safety and security by establishing exceptions and receiving alerts that signal suspicious behaviour.

We are able to integrate the online tracking within the clients website or create a secure page within our site for clients to monitor the progress of their yacht on delivery.

We’ve got the solutions that will help keep your yacht safe.

04 Aug 2016

Yacht Delivery with all-Female Crew

We want to say a big thank you to Anna Abramek and her all female crew for the safe delivery of our client’s Bavaria 34 from Gillingham, Kent to Sonderborg, Denmark.

Nick Irving of Reliance Yacht Management said “This is the first time we have completed a contract with an all-female crew. We have over half a dozen highly experienced and qualified ladies with whom we contract as yacht delivery Captains but this is the first will all girl crew. It wasn’t planned, it just happened.”

Thanks again to Anna and her crew Carolyn and Sarah. The photo shows a clearly very happy customer.

09 Jun 2016

Switch 55 Antigua to Texas

Reliance yacht Management was recently tasked to supply a captain to assist the new Owner in the delivery of a Switch 55 catamaran from Antigua to Corpus Christi.

Yes, it would be a pleasure to talk to any prospective client as a reference for your firm’s services.

Lucas did an outstanding job.  Thank you.

John

 

 

24 May 2016

Sunsail First 40 to Portsmouth NH

Sunsail F40 yacht delivery.
Gocek to Istanbul then Delaware to Portsmouth NH

Hi Nick,
Thank you for selecting a very capable Captain for us!  The Captain and his mate left our boat very clean!  And since it had just been commissioned, I am willing to bet he had to do some cleaning before leaving Delaware!

Additionally, he did not complain when he discovered that the Shipping Line Captain did not disconnect the LP Gas connection last November.  This connection rusted over the winter, leaving the stove inoperable for the trip to NH from Delaware.  The weather is still very cold here to travel without hot food; so the lack of complaints is amazing!

Mike and I really appreciate all that you have done for us! Our boat would still be in Gocek without all your work!!

All our best,

Anita & Mike

06 May 2016

Jeanneau 64 France to Palma

After completion of the delivery with the Owner on board from Les Sables D’Olonne to Palma, Mallorca the broker sent these kind words;

Hey Nick,

the boat arrived in good condition and the owner is pretty happy. Your skipper did a perfect job and was very friendly and nice to the owner and his crew. In all conditions he had the boat and the crew under control. The weather conditions were bad  but all of the people are fine.

Thanks a lot to you and the skipper.

Best regards

Nils