Tell us the brief
The yacht, locations, stakeholders, timing and outcome you need.
How we work
The work behind
a well-run passage.
A carefully selected captain, an informed shore team and a documented standard of care. This is how we turn extensive maritime experience into a managed operation you can follow from first brief to handover.
Experience into practice
Good seamanship.
A clear operating standard.
Ocean delivery, fleet operations and competitive sailing shape the judgement behind our work. What matters on your project is how that experience is applied: the right captain, a realistic brief and documented follow-through.
Meet the operation behind the passageThe North Star process
Clear from first conversation to final handover.
The details differ between delivery, owner support, shipping and new-build handover. The underlying standard stays the same: establish the brief, prepare properly, communicate and close the operation.
Agree the operation
We review the information, clarify readiness and set out the scope, fees, expenses and responsibilities.
Prepare and coordinate
The right people, documents, practical arrangements and communication plan come together before departure.
Move and hand over
We coordinate the agreed operation and close with the relevant delivery, support, shipping or new-build handover record.
Captain selection
The right appointment
starts well before departure.
We draw on a trusted professional network, including captains known through previous work. Personal familiarity is supported by checks and an assignment-specific brief.
Command and oversight work together.
The captain retains authority for safe navigation and onboard decisions. North Star oversees the agreed operation, reviews reports and coordinates support ashore.
Verify the professional background
Qualifications, supporting documents, references and previous passage experience are checked for the intended appointment.
Match the yacht and passage
Vessel type, machinery and systems, route familiarity, season, command experience and crew compatibility inform the selection.
Confirm readiness and responsibilities
We review yacht records, safety equipment, open defects, insurance requirements and the intended passage. Departure depends on the captain’s readiness assessment.
Brief the team and maintain accountability
Captains work to agreed reporting, vessel-care and maintenance requirements. North Star receives their operational records and follows up on defects, changes and outstanding actions.
The North Star operating standard
From first brief
to final record.
These are the working requirements around a managed delivery. Each stage connects the captain’s onboard responsibilities with North Star’s shoreside coordination.
Explore each stage for the practical detail.
Discuss your yacht’s next passage01Agree the briefThe yacht, people and commercial scope.
We establish the services required, locations, timing, authorised contacts and receiving arrangements. The proposal identifies professional fees, expected expenses, assumptions and who can approve additional work. Combined services are scoped as connected phases, with responsibilities clear at each handover.
02Establish readinessDocuments, systems and a realistic departure.
Registration, insurance, recent maintenance, surveys and open defects inform the readiness review. The captain checks the yacht, including propulsion, steering, rig and sails where fitted, navigation, communications, fuel and water provision, and safety equipment. Liferaft capacity and service dates, distress equipment and fire systems receive attention. Safety-critical deficiencies must be resolved before departure.
03Protect and prepareA condition record and maintenance plan.
Departure photographs, machinery hours and existing defects establish the starting position. Vulnerable surfaces and furnishings are protected appropriately, equipment is secured, and access to essential systems is maintained. The team reviews manufacturer service requirements, early-life service intervals, spares and any maintenance likely to fall due en route.
04Assess the routeWeather, range, security and practical support.
Our in-house shoreside operation reviews weather, routing options and the yacht’s progress with the captain. Seasonal conditions, fuel and water range, suitable ports and local support inform the passage. Security information and piracy exposure are considered when selecting and revising routes; identified high-risk areas are avoided where practicable. The captain retains responsibility for navigation and the final onboard decisions.
05Monitor, report and careA connected yacht and a clear operating record.
Managed deliveries travel with tracking and satellite communications, with owner access to tracking. Captains keep passage, engine and generator, maintenance, defect and expenditure records, supported by photographs. Our shore team reviews reports, provides weather and practical support, and relays relevant information to the client. Tracking and messages depend on the equipment, reporting interval and connection.
06Respond when circumstances changeA situation report, suitable options and coordinated action.
The captain acts first to safeguard the yacht and people. North Star notifies the authorised client contact promptly as information and communications permit, explains the situation and assists the captain with a suitable diversion or other response. We liaise with manufacturers, service agents or appropriate contractors, seek timely competitive quotations where practical and coordinate approvals and revised plans. Major work follows the agreed authority; urgent safety decisions remain with the captain.
07Complete the handoverArrival condition and the next steps, recorded.
We coordinate the receiving contact and arrival arrangements. The handover brings together condition photographs, machinery hours, servicing and maintenance records, defect status, expense information and outstanding actions. The owner or partner can see what happened during the passage and what needs attention next.
Different services, defined roles
What changes with the service?
The written scope makes clear what North Star manages, what remains with the owner or captain, and what belongs to third-party providers.
Our captain and crew.
We coordinate the delivery team and operation. The onboard captain retains professional authority over the safe conduct of the passage.
Your command, supported.
You choose your crew and make onboard decisions. We provide agreed weather, tracking and practical coordination ashore.
A coordinated carrier move.
We manage the agreed coordination and captain attendance. Carrier acceptance, lifting arrangements and carriage terms remain separate responsibilities.
A structured first handover.
We represent the owner through commissioning review, documented outstanding items and builder follow-up, without replacing a surveyor or specialist technicians.
Global reach
Global reach.
Route-specific judgement.
Our teams mobilise internationally for suitable yacht movements. We do not confine the business to one ocean or a single departure region.
A region on this list is not a promise that every route, yacht or season is suitable. We consider weather, range, security, port access and practical support before proposing the operation.
Caribbean ↔ MediterraneanOcean crossings and seasonal repositioning
North America ↔ EuropeAtlantic movements and shipping connections
Southern Africa → AtlanticCaribbean and European destinations
Indian Ocean passagesSouthern Africa, island destinations and beyond
Southeast Asia ↔ AustralasiaRegional and international yacht movements
Other global routesConsidered individually against vessel and brief
Illustrative operating corridors, not a schedule or a record of completed projects. Managed Yacht Delivery, Weather Routing & Passage Support, Yacht Shipping Coordination and New Build Yacht Handover each have their own scope.
Visibility throughout the passage
Follow the yacht.
Understand the decisions.
Tracking shows the yacht’s progress. The private project portal brings together the reviewed updates, documents, expenditure and decisions that explain the journey.
Read the communication FAQsManaged delivery / client records
The delivery record
- Before departureCondition photographs, machinery hours, known defects and preparation records.
- During the passageTracking access, relevant weather and routing updates, technical matters and decisions requiring approval.
- At handoverArrival photographs, engine and generator hours, maintenance and service work, defects, expenditure and outstanding actions.
We agree project access, reporting, email notification arrangements and escalation before departure. Open the assigned satellite tracking link from the portal to view the yacht’s latest reported position on the provider’s page.
Captain submits
Passage reports, machinery logs, condition photographs and receipts.
Shore team reviews
Checks the record, coordinates action and publishes the relevant information.
You stay informed
Follow shared updates, provide documents and respond to additional-cost requests.
A well-run passage starts with a clear brief.
Tell us what you need to move—or the passage you want supported—and we’ll establish the next steps.
Prefer to start with a conversation?