GypsyYachtDeliveries

26/08/2026

On sale now. Less 30%. A book that demystifies and navigates an easy entry in the yachting industry explaining everything from governing, regulatory and examining bodies, detailed explanations of courses and qualifications, where to do them and step by step guidance on how to map out, begin and advance in your yachting career as affordably and time effectively as possible. This is a no-nonsense, unsponsored insider’s reveal written by an experienced yachtsman. Learn about the reality of being at sea, how to go about getting work and how to be the kind of deckhand your captain will want to keep around. Learn about preparing a boat for a voyage, becoming familiar with procedures and equipment on board, what it means to keep a good watch, maintenance and damage prevention, how to read and understand the weather, how to catch and gut a fish and tie knots with descriptive photo sequences and even how to make your own grog. Also detailed in this book are some wild activities, pranks and creative ideas to keep yourself sane and entertained at sea. Available on Amazon.com for Kindle devices or Kindle apps https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H9V8XFYY or a PDF version at https://www.etsy.com/listing/4553390996

A book that demystifies and navigates an easy entry in the yachting industry explaining everything from governing, regulatory and examining bodies, detailed explanations of courses and qualifications, where to do them and step by step guidance on how to map out, begin and advance in your yachting...

12/08/2026

Fledgling crew, aspiring yachties be befuddled no longer by the sometimes daunting, sometimes overwhelming search for clarity within a manifold maelstrom of diffuse information. I've spent 11 years (hey, I've been doing other stuff too) writing this book and simplifying and mapping out the path forward.
Learn the whole shebang from what it’s like being on a boat, to examining bodies and sailing schools, available courses their content and prerequisites and the hierarchy of certifications as well the best places to study. Follow my recommendations on choosing and forging the most suitable path ahead without spending unnecessary bucks. Learn where and how to look for work, how to get your visas the easy way, preparing a boat for a voyage, becoming familiar with procedures and equipment on board, what it means to keep a good watch, maintenance and damage prevention, how to read and understand the weather, how to catch and gut a fish and tie knots with descriptive photo sequences. Also detailed in this book are some wild activities, pranks and creative ideas to keep yourself sane and entertained at sea.
Written by yours truly - a scallywag, scoundrel, owner of Gypsy Yacht Deliveries and an experienced yacht delivery captain with over 270 000nm and 25yrs in the industry.
Available at Amazon for kindle devices or the kindle desktop app here https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H9V8XFYY
or in PDF version here https://www.etsy.com/listing/4553390996/the-deckhands-playbook-a-career-in?ls=s&ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=the+deckhands+playbook&ref=sr_gallery-1-1&sr_prefetch=1&pf_from=search&dd=1&content_source=0a37c857-fd1c-42f0-b8a4-3800abbd10e4%253ALT4ec8c06c29626b78996a80192870aaa990c26fb6&organic_search_click=1&logging_key=0a37c857-fd1c-42f0-b8a4-3800abbd10e4%3ALT4ec8c06c29626b78996a80192870aaa990c26fb6

15/12/2025

I remember a few years back delivering a boat from Reunion to Cape Town. The bottom needed cleaning and there was no way around it - if the job needs doing, the job needs doing!

15/12/2024

Been yonks since we've posted anything but we are still going strong. We have been delivering a host of different boats including a new Balance cat from CT to Grenada, a newly launched 42ft Leopard from CT-Spain, a 50ft Daz cat from the UK to Cape Town, a new 40ft Admiral from Cape Town to Grenada, a 35ft Wildcat from Durban to Cape Town and a 45ft Cavalier from Cape Town to the UK, among others.

27/09/2022

She's here! Taking this beauty to the BVI
Amazing build once again by
This boat speaks for herself.

18/05/2022

The next CM46 is coming soon... some extra bells and whistles on this one. Taking her to NYC FAST!

11/05/2022

Here's a little video I put together featuring the CM46 I took to Auckland from Knysna. This might give you a feel of what its like sailing a high performance cat. I'm so in love with this boat! Oh, and she goes a lot quicker than this!

12/04/2022

The beautiful "Levity" has arrived at her home mooring in Auckland. 13 700nm I think wins first place for the longest delivery of all time. Knysna to Auckland, the western route via the Panama Canal. We gave a whale a hell of a headache several hundred miles west of the Galapagos with surprisingly little damage. We sailed non-stop from Cape Town to St. Lucia, taking us only 31 days (and that was us being very conservative). Then 5 days to Panama. And from Panama direct to Tahiti in 28 days, which during a time of year when the trades are inconsistent isn’t bad. Tahiti to New Zealand I can’t remember how long that took, but our route was very circuitous as we were routed above one low and below another. Thank god for our routing guy because there was some big nasties coming of NZ. We dodged a low with 60+ kts of wind and larger seas than that windspeed would usually warrant. We hit 24.7kts on Levity, but she’ll do 30 without too much effort – with a trip this long we’d rather play it on the safe side. Current Marine South Africa this boat is going to take the world by storm! Thank you for building her so strong!

14/06/2021

It seems Moby Dick may have been based on fact...

“I was completely inside (the whale); it was completely black,” said lobster driver Michael Packard as people compare him to Jonah and the whale.

19/04/2021

In the flesh and almost ready for me!