On a delivery, who helms the boat, under which licence and with what authority are three separate questions. All three should be answered in writing before departure.
The skipper's licence
- Amateur licence (Turkish ADB)
- For leisure use of one's own boat or someone else's; not sufficient for skippering for pay.
- Yacht captain licence
- The professional licence needed to skipper a yacht for pay, issued with a tonnage limit. Our deliveries run under a 149 GT Yacht Captain licence.
- STCW
- International certification for sea survival, first aid and firefighting training.
The owner's authorisation
For the skipper to take over the boat, operate it and handle port formalities, the owner's written authority is needed. It names the boat, skipper, route and dates; where required, a notarised power of attorney is drawn up.
Foreign-flagged boats
On a foreign-flagged boat in Turkey, the skipper is recorded on the transit log. If the skipper changes for the delivery, the change is entered on the transit log through the harbour master and an agent. Details are in the transit log guide.
Checks before departure
- See the skipper's licence. Name, type and tonnage limit.
- Sign the authorisation. Boat, skipper, route and dates in writing.
- Tell the insurer. Confirm the policy covers this skipper.
- Transit log up to date? The skipper entry on a foreign-flagged boat.
Continue with this topic
- Clearing in and out: On a cross-border delivery.
The skipper's responsibility on a delivery
Throughout a delivery, the skipper makes the safety decisions: departure, waiting for weather, changing route, diverting to a refuge. The written agreement with the owner states plainly that this decision is the skipper's. Setting out in bad weather under schedule pressure is one of the commonest risks in deliveries; writing down up front who decides removes that pressure.
What the written agreement contains
- The boat, route and estimated dates.
- The skipper's name, licence and crew size.
- Service fee and owner's costs set apart.
- How weather waiting is charged.
- Payment and cancellation: 50% on booking, 50% before departure; cancellation up to 48 hours before.
- Photographic handover and arrival records.
Crew documents
Deck crew working with the skipper also have their sea safety training and identity details ready before the delivery. If leaving the country, a crew list is needed for exit formalities; passport validity and the destination's visa conditions are checked in advance.
Verifying the licence
The owner should see the original or a certified copy of the skipper's licence and check that the name, licence type and validity date match the agreement. The information sent to the insurer rests on this document too.
When the skipper takes over the boat
On taking over, the skipper runs a technical check: engines, fuel, cooling, bilge pumps, navigation lights, radio and safety gear. Anything missing is discussed with the owner and fixed in port. The owner joining this check, or receiving its results with photos, is part of the handover record. The skipper's licence and authority are what allow a "go" or "no go" decision to be made on the strength of that check.
On arrival the same check is repeated, and anything noticed under way goes into the arrival record and logbook, so the owner can read from the records how the boat's passage went.
Licence, authority and records together keep a delivery safe and transparent; if one is missing, the others weaken.