The short answer
A professional delivery skipper and crew typically charge £450 to £700 to move a yacht a short hop along the coast, £1,800 to £2,750 for a 250 to 450 mile trip, and £5,400 to £6,600 for a 1,000 to 1,700 mile passage such as the Solent to Gibraltar or Spain. Expenses such as fuel, marina fees, food and crew travel are normally charged on top, at cost.
These ranges come from more than 80 real skippered deliveries carried out by UK delivery skippers between 2025 and 2026, from short Solent moves to Atlantic crossings.
Typical yacht delivery fees by distance
The table shows the skipper and crew fee most deliveries fell within. Distances are in nautical miles (nm), following the likely route rather than a straight line.
| Distance | Example routes | Typical fee |
|---|---|---|
| Under 70nm | Solent moves, Brighton to Southampton, Poole to Weymouth | £450 – £700 |
| 70 – 150nm | Dartmouth to Hamble, Cherbourg to Hamble, Guernsey to the Solent | £700 – £1,250 |
| 150 – 250nm | Hamble to Falmouth, Brighton to Falmouth, Hull to London | £1,000 – £2,000 |
| 250 – 450nm | Southampton to Conwy, Gosport to Cork, La Rochelle to Hamble | £1,800 – £2,750 |
| 450 – 700nm | Brighton to Largs, Crinan to Brighton, Cherbourg to Troon | £1,800 – £3,000 |
| 700 – 1,000nm | Solent to Lisbon, Gibraltar to Antibes | £3,600 – £4,600 |
| 1,000 – 1,700nm | Solent to Gibraltar, Hamble to Cartagena, Brighton to Barcelona | £5,400 – £6,600 |
| 1,700 – 3,000nm | Hamble to Malta, Canaries to the Caribbean | £6,650 – £9,400 |
| Ocean crossings, 3,000nm+ | Mediterranean to the Caribbean, Caribbean to Gibraltar | £9,600 – £15,800 |
Motor yachts sit at the upper end of each band, and sometimes above it, because day rates are higher. Very short trips can cost more per mile than you expect because the skipper still has a full day of travel, handover and checks.
How delivery skippers price a job
Most quotes are built from three parts.
1. The skipper and crew fee
This is normally a day rate multiplied by the expected days at sea, plus a buffer for weather. On the deliveries behind this guide, £450 a day was the most common rate for sailing yachts, with £400 to £500 typical. Motor yachts were usually £500 to £650 a day. Longer jobs often get a lower daily rate. Some skippers quote a fixed price for short trips instead.
2. Days at sea
A sailing yacht averages about 5 knots and a motor yacht about 10 knots. A 600 mile trip is therefore about 5 days of sailing or 2 to 3 days under power, plus a day or more of buffer for weather, fuel stops and rest.
3. Expenses at cost
Fuel, marina and harbour fees, crew travel to and from the boat, food and small consumables are usually charged at cost with receipts. Many skippers ask for an expenses float up front. As a guide from real jobs:
- Sailing yacht, under 150nm: floats of around £150 to £250.
- Sailing yacht, 150 to 500nm: around £500.
- Sailing yacht, longer passages: £700 to £2,000.
- Motor yacht, under 150nm: around £450.
- Motor yacht, 150 to 500nm: around £2,000, mostly fuel.
- Large motor yacht, 900nm or more: floats of £6,000 have been needed for fuel alone.
Fuel is the big unknown on a motor yacht. On one 410nm delivery of a 15m motor yacht, the fee was £2,600 but the final bill with fuel and expenses was about three times that.
What drives the cost up or down
- Distance and route. The biggest factor. Routes with tidal gates, exposed headlands or no safe stops need more buffer days.
- Boat type and size. Motor yachts cost more per day and burn far more fuel. Larger yachts may need an extra crew member.
- Season and weather. Autumn and winter passages, especially across Biscay, need more weather days, and popular dates book up early.
- Crew size. Crew numbers depend on the boat and the passage. Offshore passages and ocean crossings need more people, and every extra crew member adds fee, food and travel.
- The boat's condition. A boat that has been laid up may need checks, repairs or new safety kit before it can leave, which adds days and cost.
- One-way travel. Crew travel home is part of every delivery. Remote destinations cost more to get back from.
- VAT. Some skippers and companies charge VAT and some don't. Check whether a quote includes it.
Worked examples from real deliveries
These are real skippered deliveries from 2025 and 2026, rounded and anonymised.
| Boat | Route | Distance and time | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10m sailing yacht | Dartmouth to Hamble | 100nm, 2 days | £700 (about £880 with expenses) |
| 14m motor yacht | Brighton to Southampton | 60nm, 1 day | £650 |
| 11.6m sailing yacht | Brighton to Largs | 600nm, 7 days | £2,800 |
| 15m motor yacht | Southampton to Conwy | 410nm, 4 days at £650 | £2,600 plus fuel |
| 16m sailing yacht | Solent to Gibraltar | 1,200nm, 12 days | £5,400 |
| 12m sailing yacht | Brighton to Barcelona | 1,590nm, 14 days | £6,545 |
How to keep the cost down
- Be flexible on dates. A wider window lets the skipper wait for the right weather instead of sitting in a marina.
- Have the boat ready. Fuel, water, working engine, charged batteries and in-date safety kit mean no lost days on arrival.
- Give full details up front. Make, model, length, engine hours and any known issues help partners quote accurately, so there are fewer surprises later.
- Compare like with like. One quote may include expenses and VAT while another doesn't. Line them up before deciding.
Not sure delivery by sea is right for your boat? Compare it with yacht shipping costs and road transport costs, or see all three side by side on our boat transport services page.