Your boat is in safe hands.
Capt. Tim Gaub and a small roster of licensed captains deliver sail and power yachts up to 100 tons between Alaska, the West Coast, Mexico and Panama. More than 700 days of racing, thirty years on the water, and a sail loft behind every passage.
Estimate your delivery
Deliveries by Safe Hands Yacht Delivery, Capt. Tim Gaub. Request a firm quote
Routes we run
Typical figures for common deliveries. Distances follow the usual delivery track, and days are time underway. Fees cover captain and crew; the boat’s expenses are extra, at cost.
| Route | Boat | Distance | Days underway | Delivery fee |
|---|
Race boats
A race boat on delivery is still a race boat: light, stiff, powered up and expensive to break. Tim has logged more than 700 days racing, from one-design fleets to Transpac, and wins at both. He delivers race programs the way a winning race crew would want them handled.
- Race days logged
- 700+
- Transpac 2023
- 2nd in class
- Islands Race 2024, Rio 100
- Course record
- Cabrillo offshore series
- 3 straight titles
- Sailed gently
- A delivery is not a race. We reef early, carry less sail than the boat can take, and choose a slow tack over a fast gybe when it’s blowing. Runners and high-load gear get race-crew attention.
- Race sails stay bagged
- We deliver on delivery or older sails and keep the race inventory dry, then log every sail used.
- Checked before the trip home
- After a hard race, keel, rudder and rig are inspected before we leave. Keel failures on deliveries home have sunk race boats.
- Small tanks, small engines
- Minimal fuel and water mean planned stops and carried jerry cans, not a straight-line motor home.
- Deadlines
- The boat has to make the start, and the return trip, from Hawaii or Cabo, follows right after the finish. We plan both ends when you book.
- Nothing changed
- No added hardware or changed settings that touch your rating. The boat arrives set up the way it left.
Coaching aboard your boat
The best time to learn your boat is on a real passage. Come along on your own delivery, or book a coaching passage, and Tim coaches you through the things that matter offshore.
Owner-aboard deliveries start with a short interview about your experience. Coaching adds $200 per day to the delivery fee. Coaching passages and day sessions are quoted at the captain’s day rate.
- Boat handling
- Docking, anchoring, reefing early and handling the boat short-handed.
- Sail trim
- From a sailmaker: getting the most from the sails you have, and when to change down.
- Watchkeeping and nights
- Running a watch system, night sailing, traffic and fatigue.
- Weather and routing
- Reading forecasts, choosing windows, and when to wait.
- Heavy weather
- Preparing the boat and crew before it blows, not during.
- Systems
- Engine checks, fuel filters, bilge pumps and what to fix at sea.
How a delivery runs
Every job follows the same sequence, so you always know where your boat and your money are.
Quote and call
Send the route, boat and dates. You get a written estimate, then a short call with the captain about the boat’s history and condition.
Paperwork
We sign a delivery agreement, you add the captain to your insurance, and for Mexico or Canada we line up the clearance agent.
Boat check
The captain inspects rigging, engine, steering, safety gear and electronics, and fixes or flags anything before the boat leaves the dock.
The passage
You get a position report every day by text or email, plus a call before any weather hold or change of plan.
Handover
The boat is cleaned, tied up and walked through with you or your broker, with a written log and a list of anything that needs attention.
How we price
We quote a delivery fee for the captain and crew. The boat’s running costs are listed separately and paid at cost, with no markup on fuel or flights.
Expenses, separate and at cost
Fuel, provisions, crew flights and ground travel, marina nights, and clearance or agent fees are not in the delivery fee. We estimate them up front; you advance them before departure and we reconcile with receipts at handover.
Deposit
50% of the delivery fee confirms your dates. The balance is due at handover.
Before you go
Add a sail and rig inspection by Doyle Sails San Diego before departure, quoted separately. It catches chafe, worn stitching and rig problems while they are still cheap to fix.
Weather
The captain decides when it is safe to go. Weather holds are billed at half the day rate, and your estimate already includes an allowance for the route and season.
Cancellation
Cancel 14 or more days before departure for a full refund of the deposit, less any non-refundable travel already booked. Inside 14 days the deposit is kept against costs incurred.
Capt. Tim Gaub
Tim started on commercial fishing boats out of Ilwaco, Washington, and has sailed more than 100 days a year for three decades. He has lived aboard and cruised his Columbia 43 from the Inside Passage and outer Vancouver Island to San Diego.
On the race course he has logged more than 700 days, with regional and one-design wins from Puget Sound to San Diego: Lipton Cup and International Masters titles in 6 Metres, winning boats at NOOD regattas and Long Beach Race Week, and offshore wins to Ensenada. He sailed Transpac to a class podium and was aboard Rio 100 for its Islands Race record.
He owns Doyle Sails San Diego and the SailM8 chandlery, so he knows what a rig and sail plan should look like before a passage, and what to watch on the way.
- License
- USCG Master, 50 GT, sail and towing endorsements
- Training
- US Sailing Safety at Sea (2022)
- Home port
- San Diego, California
- Waters
- Alaska to Panama, Hawaii returns
Capt. Grant Guthrie
Grant runs our larger and power deliveries. He has captained a Nordhavn 62 power yacht from Puget Sound to Los Angeles, and owns and skippers a Hylas 44 cutter between San Diego, Baja and the Sea of Cortez.
He has sailed Mazatlán to Mag Bay without an engine after fuel contamination, and secured his boat through Hurricanes Hilary and Norma in Mexican marinas. He is Rear Commodore of Point Loma Yacht Club and co-founded San Diego’s Friday Duck Derby race series with Tim.
- License
- USCG Master, 100 GT, near coastal
- Home port
- San Diego, California
- Waters
- Puget Sound to Mazatlán, Sea of Cortez
- Runs
- Vessels 50–100 GT, power yachts, Mexico
Miles under the keel
Deliveries, offshore races and one-design wins. Every offshore passage here is a route we can run for you.
| Deliveries | Times |
|---|---|
| Seattle → Vancouver Island | 10 |
| San Diego → Newport Beach | 8 |
| Seattle → Anacortes | 6 |
| Seattle → Olympia | 6 |
| Seattle → San Diego (2018) | 1 |
| San Diego → Puerto Vallarta (2020) | 1 |
| Inside Passage and outer Vancouver Island, six months (2012) | 1 |
| Offshore racing | Result |
|---|---|
| Transpac, Los Angeles → Honolulu (2023) | 2nd in class |
| Islands Race, Rio 100 (2024) | Course record |
| Cabrillo offshore series | Won 2022–24 |
| Newport → Ensenada, 7 races | 3 wins |
| San Diego → Ensenada, 6 races | 2 wins |
| Islands Race, 4 races | 3 wins |
| Newport → Cabo San Lucas (2023) | Raced |
| Newport → Puerto Vallarta (2022) | Raced |
| SoCal 300, Rio 100 (2024) | Raced |
| Swiftsure, 2 races | Raced |
| Inshore and one-design | Result |
|---|---|
| SDYC Lipton Cup, 6 Metre | Winner |
| International Masters 6 Metre regatta | Winner |
| NOOD regattas, 8 events | 4 wins |
| Long Beach Race Week, 7 events | 4 wins |
| Whidbey Island Race Week, 3 events | 1 win |
| Center Sound Series, 3 seasons | 1 win |
| Beer can series, 20+ seasons | 6 wins |
| San Diego → Ensenada 2023, own Viper 830 | 2nd |
Questions owners ask
Does my insurance cover a delivery captain?
Usually, once your insurer approves the captain by name and the route sits inside your navigation limits. We send our résumé and license to your agent. For Mexico you will also need Mexican liability insurance, which we can point you to.
What about hurricane season in Mexico?
Most US yacht policies only cover Mexican waters south of Ensenada from November 1 to May 31. We plan around your policy’s dates, and any travel inside a restricted period needs your insurer’s written approval.
Can I come along?
Yes. After a short interview about your experience, you join as crew and Tim coaches you on the way. Coaching adds $200 a day, and you may replace one paid crew member.
Is fuel included?
No. The delivery fee covers the captain and crew. Fuel, food, flights, marinas and clearances are listed separately in your quote and paid at cost, with receipts.
Do you deliver race boats?
Yes, including returns after Transpac, Cabo and Vallarta races. Race sails stay bagged, and we plan around your next start.
How do you handle Mexico and Canada clearances?
We work with local agents for port clearances, your Temporary Import Permit in Mexico, and arrival reporting in Canada and the US. You provide the vessel documentation; we handle the rest.
What if something breaks underway?
The captain calls you before any repair over an agreed limit, unless safety requires immediate action. Repairs and parts are billed at cost with receipts.
Is the boat ready to go?
The boat check before departure tells us. If something must be fixed first, you get a list and a price, and you decide.
Request a firm quote
The captain reviews every quote before it is sent. Most come back within one business day.
Your estimate above is included automatically.
Crew with us
We hire licensed captains and experienced delivery crew for passages from Alaska to Panama. Tell us what you’ve done and where you’re based.