Yacht Deliveries NW

What Yacht Deliveries NW does

Yacht Deliveries NW is a family-owned maritime services company headquartered in Kirkland, Washington, that provides professional yacht delivery, on-water training, and private captain services for owners of power and sail vessels. The business was established in 2018 by the De Friel family — Captains Jack and Mary De Friel, later joined by their son Captain John De Friel — and serves clients with vessels ranging from 25 to 96 feet. Its core service territory covers the Pacific coast from Alaska to Mexico, with additional capability for Atlantic crossings, Caribbean passages, and selected international routes; the team averages roughly 10,000 offshore miles per year and documents three Atlantic crossings as well as experience in the Caribbean and at the Great Barrier Reef.

The company's service portfolio comprises professional power and sailboat delivery (long-distance and local repositioning), an Insurance Competency Course and on-water boat orientation (typically delivered over two to three full days), a couples-oriented Team Training program, private yacht captain placement, and charter captain services for destinations such as Southeast Alaska, the San Juan Islands, and Desolation Sound. Service delivery is built on the personal expertise of its licensed captains (USCG licenses ranging from 50 Ton Inland to 200 Ton Near Coastal with sail endorsements), standard marine electronics and chart-plotting technology, and Garmin satellite tracking (share.garmin.com/johndefriel) that enables owners to monitor vessel progress in real time. There is no proprietary technology platform or software product.

Revenue is generated entirely through quote-based professional service fees, with each engagement priced according to vessel type, destination, season, crew requirements, and operating expenses (food, dockage, fuel, transportation). The company requires 50% of estimated professional fees plus 100% of estimated expenses in advance, with the balance due on arrival. Customer acquisition is direct-to-consumer, relying on word-of-mouth referrals, website testimonials, and inbound phone and email inquiries — with no active digital marketing or structured sales channel identified. The customer base is composed almost entirely of individual private yacht owners, with no enterprise contracts, institutional customers, or recurring account programs in evidence.

Name

Yacht Deliveries NW

Legal name

Yacht Deliveries NW

Website

https://yachtdeliveriesnw.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Yacht Deliveries NW is a Kirkland, Washington-based family-owned maritime services company providing professional yacht delivery, on-water training, and private captain services for power and sailboat owners across the Pacific Northwest and select international routes.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Maritime Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Water Transportation (4883), Navigational Services to Shipping (488330)

SIC

Water Transportation (4400)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYTLAKAKAD

Yacht & Recreational Boat Service & Refit

Transportation & Logistics/Vehicle & Equipment Maintenance, Repair & Services (MRO)/Marine Vessel Maintenance & Repair (Shipyards)

SECONDARYTLAHAJAM

Offshore/Remote Port Call & Anchorage Services (Launch Boats, Crew Boats, Supply Runs)

Transportation & Logistics/Ports, Terminals & Maritime Services/Ship Agency, Husbandry & Port Call Services

SECONDARYTLAHAGAG

Pilotage Authority & Dispatch Services (Pilot Stations, Rostering, VTS Interface)

Transportation & Logistics/Ports, Terminals & Maritime Services/Marine Pilots & Pilotage Services

Keywords

• Yacht delivery services
• Boat handling instruction
• Insurance competency training
• Private yacht captain
• Maritime crew services

Headquarters

HQ city

Kirkland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Yacht Delivery Services: Professional yacht delivery services for power and sail boats, ranging from local repositioning to international long-distance deliveries including Atlantic crossings. Pricing is quote-based, determined by vessel type, destination, and season. Requires 50% advance payment of professional fees plus 100% of estimated expenses, with final payment due upon arrival.
2. Boat Training and Instruction: On-water training and instruction services including insurance competency courses, boat handling, seamanship skills, and couples-oriented trawler lifestyle training. Delivered over 2-3 full days of hands-on instruction.
3. Charter Captain Services: Providing professional captain services for charter operations and private yacht captain needs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Yacht Deliveries NW provides professional power and sailboat delivery services for vessels 25–96 feet across routes from Alaska to Mexico, including Atlantic crossings and international destinations. The company also delivers on-water boat instruction, insurance competency courses, couples team training, and private yacht and charter captain services, all led by three USCG-licensed captains from the De Friel family. Customers engage the company directly via phone or email and receive a custom written proposal based on vessel type, destination, season, and required crew.

Product overview

Yacht Deliveries NW is a maritime services company offering a unified suite of captain and training services. The core offerings include professional yacht delivery services (handling vessels from 25 to 96 feet across local and international routes including Atlantic crossings), Insurance Competency Courses for insurance-approved operator certification, On-Water Boat Orientation & Instruction for new owners, and Team Training programs for couples. The company also provides Private Yacht Captain and Charter Captain services for those seeking experienced maritime professionals. These services are delivered by Captains Jack and Mary De Friel, who bring combined experience from three Atlantic crossings and extensive Pacific Northwest waters.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Yacht Delivery Services Professional power and sailboat delivery services for vessels ranging from 25 to 96 feet, covering routes from Alaska to Mexico along the Pacific coast as well as Atlantic crossings and worldwide ocean deliveries. Delivered by licensed captains who assume full responsibility from pickup to destination, including weather delays.
• Insurance Competency Course Insurance-approved operator proficiency training covering navigation, boat systems, seamanship, and safety, typically conducted over 2–3 full days of on-water instruction on the owner's vessel. Designed to satisfy insurance company documentation requirements for new or upgraded operators.
• On-Water Boat Orientation and Instruction Hands-on boat handling and seamanship instruction covering terminology, dock lines, effects of wind and water, tides and currents, charts, trip planning, and helm operation with an experienced captain. Targeted at new owners who need orientation before taking command of their vessel.
• Team Training (Couples Program) Couples-oriented training program teaching boat handling with emphasis on teamwork, covering communication, vessel systems, docking, anchoring, navigation, and trip planning. Designed for partners who plan to operate a vessel together as a coordinated crew.
• Private Yacht Captain Professional captain services for yachts, providing competent vessel handling with understanding of vessel systems, electronics, and sea-keeping abilities. Designed for owners who need a licensed captain aboard for a specific passage or period.
• Charter Captain Services Professional charter captain services for cruising and exploration trips, including multi-day charters through destinations such as Southeast Alaska, the San Juan Islands, and Desolation Sound. Targeted at owners or charter operators needing a licensed captain for a charter voyage.

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Sunsail: Sunsail is a yacht charter company operating sailing and power yacht fleets worldwide with skippered and crewed charter options. It overlaps with Yacht Deliveries NW in providing professional maritime captain services to recreational boaters, especially for vessel delivery and charter operations.
• Dream Yacht Charter: Dream Yacht Charter operates a global yacht charter fleet and provides bareboat, skippered, and crewed charter services across multiple geographies. Its skippered charter service directly parallels Yacht Deliveries NW's charter captain offering, and the company serves similar HNW recreational boating customers.
• The Moorings: The Moorings is a global yacht charter company that provides professional captain and crew services for sailing and power yacht charters, matching trained captains with vessel owners. It is comparable in its provision of professional captain services to yacht owners, particularly through its charter operations.
• Sea Tow Services Corporation: Sea Tow is a membership-based marine assistance provider offering on-water towing, captain referrals, and vessel support to recreational boaters across coastal U.S. It is directly comparable as a service business providing captain and vessel support to yacht owners, overlapping with Yacht Deliveries NW's charter captain and vessel handling services.
• Chapman School of Seamanship: Chapman School of Seamanship is a Florida-based maritime training school offering professional captain licensing courses, boat handling instruction, and seamanship training. It directly competes with Yacht Deliveries NW's on-water instruction and insurance competency course offerings for the same recreational boating customer base.

Others

• PredictWind: PredictWind provides weather routing and voyage planning software widely used by professional yacht delivery captains and offshore cruisers. It is an enabling technology provider whose tools are used in the same yacht delivery workflow that Yacht Deliveries NW operates in, though it does not directly compete.
• Garmin Marine: Garmin Marine produces the satellite tracking hardware and marine electronics used during Yacht Deliveries NW's deliveries (share.garmin.com/johndefriel). It is an enabling technology provider and supply ecosystem participant rather than a direct competitor.

Broad incumbents

• Brunswick Corporation: Brunswick Corporation owns major recreational boat brands (Sea Ray, Boston Whaler, Mercury Marine) and boating services including Freedom Boat Club and several marine technology businesses. It is a broad incumbent serving the same recreational boating market from the OEM and services side, encompassing customers who might also hire yacht delivery captains.
• Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatU.S.): BoatU.S. is the largest recreational boating services organization in the U.S., offering towing, insurance, training, and member services to yacht and boat owners. It is a broad incumbent serving the same customer base (recreational boat owners) with overlapping capabilities including on-water assistance and instruction, though it does not focus specifically on yacht delivery.

Emerging players

• Freedom Boat Club: Freedom Boat Club is a membership-based boat club providing access to a fleet of boats across the U.S., with training and captain services for members. It serves a similar recreational boating customer base and overlaps with Yacht Deliveries NW's training and captain services in select markets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/solar-systems

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Yacht Deliveries NW