Captain a northern marine 57 from PNWTo FL via Panama starting September ?

Captain a northern marine 57 from PNW to FL via Panama starting September ?

The two owners of a Northern Marine 57 want to get in touch with experienced, qualified captain for this trip. It's a trip the owners may join for sections; but this is for non-career delivery caps that would like to do the trip for expenses, plus nominal fee.

I suggest you check with your insurance carrier about entrusting your boat with a "non career delivery captain." I have been a licensed captain for 40 years and insurance companies often require me to submit a resume before I do a delivery even for a short distance. How much is your insurance deductible on the boat? Is it more than the pay of a good experienced paid captain?

If they change their minds and decide to use a pro, Shravan Neill just delivered our Defever 44 from Savannah to the upper Chesapeake. He's very experienced (as in a preferred delivery skipper for KK Yachts), takes good care of the boat, his rates are reasonable and he works hard to keep expenses down. Also, he lives in Stuart, so getting him home would be one less expense. PM me if you want contact information.

Well the trip as described is going to involve more than just a captain for much of the trip it sounds like. So you'll need at least one if not two more people plus a captain. That is a lot of experienced folks to find who want to go basically for free.

I believe I have read somewhere that there are two required to run lines going through the Panama Canal and a captain to run the boat.So three minimum.

That trip would make for one damn fine trip report.

yachtbrokerguy said:

I suggest you check with your insurance carrier about entrusting your boat with a "non career delivery captain." I have been a licensed captain for 40 years and insurance companies often require me to submit a resume before I do a delivery even for a short distance. How much is your insurance deductible on the boat? Is it more than the pay of a good experienced paid captain?

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Absolutely correct. Any hired skipper/crew must be endorsed onto the policy to be covered, as well as have their credentials approved.

Capt.Bill11 said:

Well the trip as described is going to involve more than just a captain for much of the trip it sounds like. So you'll need at least one if not two more people plus a captain. That is a lot of experienced folks to find who want to go basically for free.

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Again- absolutely correct. Most insuring markets will want (at a minimum) a named skipper + relief skipper (with requisite experience) for a transit of this type. Crew may either be hired or volunteer.

Panama Canal itself will require two hands and a "pilot" all may be obtained at the canal transit or just the "pilot". The pilot supplied would be a local for canal only plus whatever crew to get her there and back up the other side.

ben2go said:

I believe I have read somewhere that there are two required to run lines going through the Panama Canal and a captain to run the boat.So three minimum.

That trip would make for one damn fine trip report.

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No it's 4 qualified line handlers. They can be able bodied members of the crew or you have to "rent" some. You can also rent the required 4 - 125' lines as well.

I ran the canal 4 times. Twice in a 24' foot inflatable. In that case they made an exception and we only had 2 line handlers. But we still had to take along a canal adviser, you need a canal pilot if the vessel is over 60' as I recall, and a port-a-potty.

Capt.Bill11 said:

No it's 4 qualified line handlers. They can be able bodied members of the crew or you have to "rent" some. You can also rent the required 4 - 125' lines as well.

I ran the canal 4 times. Twice in a 24' foot inflatable. In that case they made an exception and we only had 2 line handlers. But we still had to take along a canal adviser, you need a canal pilot if the vessel is over 60' as I recall, and a port-a-potty.

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It's been a while since I looked into doing the canal.

I can just imagine a "Johnny on the Spot" sitting in a 24' inflatable. There's bound to be pictures on the internet someplace.

The Port-a-Potty never left the box it came in.
We had to have it to meet the rule that there had to be a head on board the vessel for the canal adviser to use if need be. You also have to provide food and drinks for the adviser as well.

Flip said:

The two owners of a Northern Marine 57 want to get in touch with experienced, qualified captain for this trip. It's a trip the owners may join for sections; but this is for non-career delivery caps that would like to do the trip for expenses, plus nominal fee.

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As we're getting ready to make this trip over the next 9 months, it's around a 7000 mile trip. Perhaps a little less if they do cross from Cancun directly to Key West as I would imagine they would in that boat, but still over 6000 miles. At 12 knots, which is what I'm guessing they'd do in that boat, you're talking 500 hours. At 8 hours per day, you're talking 63 days of time with no break. And that's not counting equipment issues, time off for maintenance, and time for the canal.

And they want it done for free. Why don't they just ask someone to give them $40,000 so they can ship it by SevenStar? This is a captain and mate plus other help along the way type job. Who is going to do all the maintenance on the boat? Marinas or is the Captain expected? This is a $25,000 to $30,000 job.

Too bad it's almost time for school to start back. He could have gotten some college kids, maybe a fraternity even.

Sorry, but I just am struggling to grasp why he thinks this is a feasible idea.

This is one of the only businesses I know where you have to compete against retired folks. They go out and get their captains license then offer to do deliveries either really cheap or for expenses alone.

I've often wondered how they would have liked that kind of competition in their field when they were trying to make a living full time.

B (of B&B)-that NM 57 will not go anywhere near 12 knots. Need to add a substantial amount of time to your estimate. He is going to be lucky to average 7.5, maybe 8 at the outside, on that trip. Since he is up here is the PNW, he can get somebody like Peters & May, yacht shipping specialists, to get it shipped from Vancouver to Miami as deck cargo. Rough cost should be around $55-60K and it should get there in 45-60 days.

Then again, maybe this is not the best time to be looking for help in taking a NM boat 7,000 miles on its own bottom!

THD said:

B (of B&B)-that NM 57 will not go anywhere near 12 knots. Need to add a substantial amount of time to your estimate. He is going to be lucky to average 7.5, maybe 8 at the outside, on that trip. Since he is up here is the PNW, he can get somebody like Peters & May, yacht shipping specialists, to get it shipped from Vancouver to Miami as deck cargo. Rough cost should be around $55-60K and it should get there in 45-60 days.

Then again, maybe this is not the best time to be looking for help in taking a NM boat 7,000 miles on its own bottom!

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Well, there have been some recently not to make it quite that far, but I assume the 57 is better. SevenStar runs the route from Vancouver regularly.

7.5 knots....oh my goodness. Yes, I looked up some and saw you're right. The 330 hp John Deere is 10 top speed, 8 cruise and many have a 300 hp. So double the price I thought. Really the reason to go by water is if you want to make the trip and enjoy it. Financially, it is cheaper and less trouble to ship it.

You're talking $30,000 just for fuel unless it gets much better than I think.

We're bringing a boat around by water but because there are places we want to see. Still we're doing it over an extended period and with breaks. And with a boat that cruises a good bit faster. I think it can be a wonderful trip but to just have someone take it for you can't make sense I don't believe.

Sevenstar sails from Vancouver to West Palm normally every two months but they have trips from Victoria to West Palm in August, October, November, and January.

We plan on making that trip in 4 years, but expect it to take anywhere from 18 months to who the hell knows how long!

Flip said:

The two owners of a Northern Marine 57 want to get in touch with experienced, qualified captain for this trip. It's a trip the owners may join for sections; but this is for non-career delivery caps that would like to do the trip for expenses, plus nominal fee.

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Just curious, Savara or Raven?

I'd expect a delivery run like that to be underway 24x7, not stopping after 8hrs. Maybe a stop here and there once a week or so, but other than that I'd expect them to run pretty much straight through.

twistedtree said:

I'd expect a delivery run like that to be underway 24x7, not stopping after 8hrs. Maybe a stop here and there once a week or so, but other than that I'd expect them to run pretty much straight through.

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It would be more broken up than that I would think. The OP said the owners would be on board from time to time, so I'd imagine they will want to stop a see the sights. Plus you've got weather to deal with and the wait at the canal for the boat to be admeasured and scheduled to transit. Then fuel stops. Many boats don't like to be run light on fuel. Etc., etc.

Sure 24/7 a fair amount perhaps but still broken up more than you might think.

twistedtree said:

I'd expect a delivery run like that to be underway 24x7, not stopping after 8hrs. Maybe a stop here and there once a week or so, but other than that I'd expect them to run pretty much straight through.

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Not likely 24 x 7 with only one Captain. So clearly not what he was planning. Now a team of three and 24 x 7 is fine. Plus stops for fueling and maintenance. Then whatever the owners join for. Who knows. Even at an average of 16 hours a day, it's a very long trip at that speed.

Yes, if it was a true delivery run, but it's not planned out that way.

My GB42 was delivered from Ft. Lauderdale to Marine Del Rey and it had a five man crew. I can't imagine using less and my route was 5500 miles.

Capthead said:

My GB42 was delivered from Ft. Lauderdale to Marine Del Rey and it had a five man crew. I can't imagine using less and my route was 5500 miles.

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I think the OP just totally missed the magnitude of the task. When we make that trip, we will actually have 5 licensed Captains, three 500 Ton, and two 200 Ton near coastal (my wife and me). One of those is also a licensed Chief Engineer. The distance of this is like crossing the Atlantic and returning. And while most of the way is pretty benign there are some exposed areas and long trips between ports. The Cancun to Key West shortcut certainly requires the right weather and can be challenging. Otherwise you add more time following the coast.

Plus your GB is capable of greater speeds. And he has a thousand miles beyond Marina Del Rey.

I agree totally. I'm here on the left coast and even though that is a down hill run you will get big seas and winds. Especially around Point Conception where 16' seas and 65 kt winds are more common that flat seas. I've heard of multi hulls pitch polling there.

Waiting on weather windows on certain parts of this is essential. It won't be a 24/7 run. Not by any means.

It will be a somewhat shorter trip once they build the new canal in Nicaragua. Given the present conditions along the coast of Nicaragua I would think about the Windward Passage rather than Cancun to Key West.

ulysses said:

It will be a somewhat shorter trip once they build the new canal in Nicaragua. Given the present conditions along the coast of Nicaragua I would think about the Windward Passage rather than Cancun to Key West.

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A good alternative. We're thinking about picking up more of the Caribbean on the way. But a lot of miles and a long trip anyway you look at it. No way we would take the boat along that route if there wasn't lots we wanted to see on the way. Otherwise just load it on a ship in BC.

Don't think I'm going to wait for the Nicaragua short cut.

The way the ice is thinning....maybe I'll offer to bring it the northern route, skip the Panama canal and expenses....

It's only a couple thousand miles more I think but we could fill the freezer with red salmon along the way...

I've got lot's of Arctic experience....

ulysses said:

It will be a somewhat shorter trip once they build the new canal in Nicaragua. Given the present conditions along the coast of Nicaragua I would think about the Windward Passage rather than Cancun to Key West.

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Last time I came up from Panama we went straight from Colon to Port Antonino in Jamaica then up though the Bahamas to Ft. Lauderdale.

That might be my first choice for a trip like this as well.

Unless the owners wanted to go up the coast of Central America to sight see.

Which brings up the issue of security. And I don't mean guns on board but the fact that a short handed vessel looks and is more venerable than one that is fully crewed.

It is not just security issues. It is a fairly inhospitable coast line. The people are alright and usually speak english but the government officials and changing seaboundaries present some challenges. I just came back from Karawala wanted to see it before anything changed with a new canal construction. Silted in harbors, few services, impossible provisioning, etc... Corn Islands are O.K. and once you get to Roatan and Belize you are in great shape, at any rate, I personally would take the Jamaica /Windward route.

Yeah that reminds me. If I was going up that route I'd want to have someone on board who speaks fluent Spanish with me.

This thread has actually turned into a very informative one