Thanks to Captain Lionel Lebrenn for this video taken on his arrival in Greece. Lionel delivered a new Lagoon 42 from France under difficult circumstances. Thanks also the local authorities for granting permission for commercial deliveries to enter Greece. The process was relatively straightforward and clearly contrary to incorrect reports in the press.
The restrictions on travel imposed as a result of COVID 19 have created many challenges for our clients. Many have been separated from their yachts and have contacted us for help to reunite them.
Reliance Yacht Management has a well-established network of colleagues, suppliers, crew and clients around the world. Until movement restrictions are eased and ports are opened, we can, where possible call on our network to keep an eye on you yacht.
As professionals, we often have greater access to marinas and ports with the opportunity to visit boats on land or already in the water to inspect them – at least from the outside – for damage or defects or simply to check that everything is in order.
Areas where we can be of help include;
South coast UK | West coast France | Portugal | Greece | Turkey | Florida |
Chesapeake | Texas | Tortola | St Martin | California | South Africa | Croatia | Malta
If you interested? Then simply send us your request by email to info@reliance-yachts.com. We will contact you for more details and discuss how we can best help.
On behalf of everyone at Reliance Yacht Management, I hope you and your loved ones are healthy and safe at this time.
I wanted to write to you to let you know what’s been happening at Reliance.
Over the past few weeks, we’ve been working hard to repatriate crew from across Europe, USA and beyond and we will continue to work with governments to support the ongoing effort to get people home where needed.
However, with our number one priority being the safety and wellbeing of crew, and with the travel restrictions across the world, we took the decision to carefully monitor the evolving situation worldwide and carefully comply with local restrictions in each country where are operating.
If your yacht delivery is halted because of this, I am sorry. We will be in touch to let you know how things may progress. I understand that this has been a difficult and frustrating time for many of you who have had plans disrupted.
Rest assured, I am working hard trying to ease the disruption as much as we can. I am extremely proud of the way that our staff, captains and crew have stepped up to the challenge we all face.
Looking to the future
We’re missing sailing as much as anyone and will continue to evaluate when we can start moving again. As soon as we can do so safely, we’ll be back on the water again – proudly delivering your yachts.
Until then, I wanted to say thank you for your support and understanding. Please look after yourselves.
Nick Irving
Travel restrictions and port closures have meant that many yachts on delivery are now stuck in port delayed and costing money.
Reliance Yacht Management is coordinating efforts to see if there is sufficient interest to divert a ship to assist and offer a freight service into the Med.
We know of several yachts delayed in Les Sables, La Rochelle, Cascais and Gibraltar. Are any of them yours?
Please contact us ASAP and let us know if you would consider a service in the next week with detail of the yacht, location and preferred destination.If there is sufficient demand, then a ship may be the cost effective solution.
Call me if have any questions.
Nick
Tel: +44 7802 716722
Email: nick@reliance-yachts.com
Karl and Dylan, two of our yacht delivery captains, are currently on board the stunning Sunreef 70 Sea Bass in Antigua, making their final preparations before setting off later today to deliver this stunning Catamaran to Fort Lauderdale, a journey that will take them over 1500 nautical miles.
This incredible catamaran is powered by twin Caterpillar 873 HP motors along with two 8000 litre fuel tanks and a top speed of 26 knots, it’s perfect for long distance ocean voyages. It’s interior provides a beautiful and luxurious experience and is packed with the latest technology, to make the captains journey a rewarding experience.
On arrival in Ft Lauderdale, the Sunreef 70 Sea Bass will be listed for sale with Michael Harris, a broker from the Catamarans Company, which is the largest Catamaran dealer in the world.
We are proud to be working alongside Catamarans Company and Michael Harris, the broker who will be selling this beautiful yacht.
You can find more out about the Catamaran company and Michael Harris by clicking here: https://www.catamarans.com/Brokers/Michael-Harris.html
Due to an unexpected turn of events, our Captain, Mike Stewart, was recently featured in The Sun Newspaper for discovering £250,000 worth of hashish off the coast of Gibraltar. Mike and his crew were en route from Les sables D’olonne in France to a charter company in Mallorca to deliver a brand new 42ft catamaran.
Our crew, who are always encouraged to remove ocean plastic, picked up a little more than they bargained for. After a swift call to the Spanish police and coordinating a rendezvous at sea, the authorities arrived promptly and thanked our team for their vigilance.
According to experts, the drugs were discarded into the ocean by traffickers, from fear of being followed by police. It is suspected that the stash was anchored to the ocean floor for collection, but that it somehow floated free, leaving the stash open for discovery.
Mike stated that while it’s normal to see various floating debris at sea, typically plastic and other objects, it was a surprise to himself and fellow crew members when they saw the box of ‘solid green hashish’ in the water.
The police were informed immediately who rendezvoused with the catamaran at sea to recover the bale
For more information on the article, please see The Sun link below:
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/10877004/british-sailor-finds-more-than-250000-of-hashish-off-the-coast-of-gibraltar/
Dear All
As we approach the Christmas period and the end of 2019 we want to send a big THANK YOU to our all clients, suppliers, captains and crew for their continued and valued support. We sent out a record number of Christmas cards this year – it took a long time to get them all signed. The cards support our chosen charity, the National Autistic Society.
2019 started well and then got better as brokers and dealers worldwide increased their sales and more boats needed to be delivered. We were also pleased to see more than one corporate client return to us for their delivery and equipment needs. Safety and charter equipment sales increased continue to increase.
We expect to see continued growth through 2020, building on our already confirmed delivery contracts starting in January through to September.
Reliance Yacht Management is gearing up for 2020 and will hit the ground running in the New Year with the Dusseldorf Boat Show and we look forward to hopefully catching up with as many friends, colleagues and clients as possible.
We wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Prosperous 2020.
All the best from Nick and all at Reliance Yacht Management
An Interview by Jennifer Irving
In the second of our series of interviews we talk to Nautika Centar Nava, one of Reliance Yacht Management’s most loyal clients, with a partnership spanning longer than most can remember. We asked the company about what that relationship has meant to them over the years, as well as gain a deeper insight into the workings of the Mediterranean’s largest catamaran dealer and charter company.
Jelena Banovic from the Marketing Department at Nautika Centar Nava was very kind to reply to our questions
What is the story behind Nautika Center Nava – how did it develop into the company that it is today?
Nautika centar Nava was one of the first companies in Croatia that started charter back in 1990. It was established by Dario Marijan, who is still the leading force of the company and the most important strategist. After the slow but steady early development, the company’s development boomed in the late nineties and the early 2000’s . This is when boat sales became one of our core business activities and brands such as Beneteau, Lagoon, Sea Ray and Boston Whaler authorized us as their distributors in Croatia. Since Mr. Marijan was the connoisseur and the visionary, he needed someone to take care of daily tasks and management. This is where Ms. Ingrid Cosic stepped in and the two are almost a “magic duo” that has been leading the company so successfully. Today, Nava also has Monte Carlo, Monte Carlo Yachts and X-Yachts as part of their boat selection.
On your website you outline how Nava’s three areas of business – charter, sales, and Volvo Penta – ‘complement each other’. Would you say that collaboration and diversification is central to Nava’s success?
Yes, this is one of our biggest advantages on the market. We have a solution for everything related to boating up our sleeve, if we don’t Ms. Cosic will make sure we think of one. As Croatia grows more and more popular among guests, boaters and investors, the acquired knowledge within the company becomes even more important as does the possibility to do as much as possible within the “house”.
You claim your ‘greatest asset’ is your team and the reason for the company’s continued success as the Croatian and European leader of the boat industry. How important is it to invest in the people you employ?
It’s one of the most significant ways we can directly influence the quality of our services. Investing in the knowledge, education and training of our staff and giving employees additional benefits makes them the first ambassadors of our brand which then reflects on customer satisfaction and client relations in general. It’s the reason they keep coming back and we’ve had more than our share of charter guests that fell in love with Croatia and sailing and decided to invest in boating and entrust us to be their charter managers and take care of their boats full-time.
Reliance too has always prioritized the expertise of its captains in order to ensure efficient and safe delivery. How important has Reliance’s captain-based yacht delivery service been to Nava’s operations?
It is very important to have reliable, professional and expert captains on the boat because delivery process of new boats, catamarans and motor boats, brings a lot of challenges during handovers and also during navigation. Only experienced and professional captains are able to handle that challenges completely independently. With Reliance, we are completely confident that each job will be completed as agreed. Timely, safe and reliable vessel delivery is of the highest significance in maintaining our image as the trustworthy partner before our clients and on the market in general.
How did you first come to hear about Reliance and decide to work with us?
Honestly, we don’t remember exactly, given that it was more than 10 years ago. We suppose first contact was established with Nick, during some boat show.
You offer a wide range of services for your clients, from consulting and brokerage, to engine service and event organization, going above and beyond charter and sales. What effect has the long-standing relationship between Nautika and Reliance had on what Nava is able to offer its clients?
Cooperation with Reliance is actually added value to our day-to-day business. It is extremely important to have such a valuable partner in one specific market segment which is always able to fulfill all our requests and requests from our clients. This great relationship and the trust that we put in you, has partly enabled us to concentrate on other aspects of our business and further develop them since we did not need to worry about boat deliveries and related issues.
You received some EU funds back in 2015, what changes have you made in the last five years and what can we expect from Nava in the next five years?
The company has modernized and introduced CRM and ERP systems in order to better keep track of our sales and overall business results. In the next five years we plan to explore other ways to innovate all aspects of our activities with the opening of new offices, further digitalization of our business processes and investing in boat safety and our employees. We’ll keep taking care of the less popular side of boat-purchase and ownership and leaving the fun parts to our clients. When it comes to charter guests we’ll keep our boats well-equipped and maintained and ensure all their demands are met and that they can just sail away into new adventures and explore their favorite islands, taverns, beaches, coves, towns, restaurants, sites or find new ones.
To learn more about Nava visit their site; https://www.navaboats.com/
We are very proud to have so many valued clients that have been loyal to us for many years. Their continued business is not taken for granted and always appreciated. These kind words give us a great deal of satisfaction.
It is very important to have reliable, professional and expert captains on the boat because delivery process of new boats, catamarans and motor boats, brings a lot of challenges during handovers and also during navigation. Only experienced and professional captains are able to handle that challenges completely independently. With Reliance, we are completely confident that each job will be completed as agreed. Timely, safe and reliable vessel delivery is of the highest significance in maintaining our image as the trustworthy partner before our clients and on the market in general.
NAUTIKA CENTAR NAVA
This extract is part of an interview. The full transcript will be coming soon.
Nautica Centar Nava is based in Split, Croatia and is one of the world’s leading Lagoon Dealerships.
An Interview by Jennifer Irving
The Catamaran Company is one of Reliance Yacht Management’s oldest clients, with a partnership spanning over 20 years. We interviewed the company’s president, Hugh Murray, to discuss what that relationship has meant to them over the years, as well as gain a deeper insight into the workings of the world’s largest catamaran dealer and charter company.
The Catamaran Company was founded in 1989 and grew into the largest retailer of new and used catamarans in the world. I invested in the company and became President in 1996 – a role I continue to this day.
We only do one thing and we do that better than anyone else. Most companies try to sell anything that makes them money, but we are solely about catamarans and catamaran experts. We focus entirely on catamarans and offer sales, charter, service, financing and insurance exclusively for catamarans.
Originally, we imported and sailed all of our boats from France using our own inhouse delivery teams. In the late 90’s we were approached by Nick Irving, the owner of Reliance, who offered to provide a complete delivery service to us. He highlighted that while we concentrated on catamarans, he concentrated on delivery and he was the expert at getting our boats from A to B. We agreed to give him a try and that has continued for over 20 years and Reliance are our exclusive delivery company.
We discovered many moons ago that we need to focus on what we do best and to use experts to do the rest. Reliancealways provided us with the best captains and crews for sailing deliveries so when he had to start freighting cats to California it was a whole new ball game. We had the actual shipping companies handle the first few deliveries ourselves to get a feel for it and quickly found out what it entailed and decided we needed someone we could trust to do it for us, so we immediately turned the task over to Reliance. They now provide all shipping services for us, whether on the vessel’s bottom or on a freighter.
Business is all about trust so when you know you have a “partner” you can rely on; it makes the job a lot easier. It allows us to concentrate on our strengths and know that Relianceare taking care of their end. Their communication with us is exemplary. When problems arise, as they have a habit of doing, we are informed quickly, efficiently and with proposed solutions. That’s people working together, not simply trying to blame others or to cover their asses.
I wish I knew…. but I can promise it will be exciting!
Find out more about The Catamaran Company at: https://www.catamarans.com
Read more about Reliance’s new California deliveries for The Catamaran Company here and here.