About Bill Herrmann
Bill has over 50 years of boating experience. He began sailing a 16’ Herreshoff Buzzard Bay Boys boat at the age of 12 off the waters of City Island in The Bronx. His first 'big' trip was when he and two friends sailed the boat the length of Long Island Sound to Shelter Island. Since then Bill has operated various power yachts and sailing yachts as small as a Pacific Seacraft Dana 24 to over 60 feet.
He is among a select group of licensed masters who has done a TransAtlantic sailboat deliveries as master. Based in Saint Petersburg on beautiful Tampa Bay, Bill has done yacht deliveries from Boston to Curacao, from Panama to Gibraltar and down the Pacific Coast from Washington State. He holds a USCG 100 Ton Master Near Coastal License, Sailing Endorsement, TWIC Card, and is CPR/AED trained.
Like many sailboat delivery captains, an inReach is part of the gear that came on every delivery. But with the proliferation of satellites and satellite technology, an Iridium GO together with Predict Wind PRO are used on all offshore deliveries. The added expense of $150 for airtime, and sim is more than offset by the increased safety and faster routing of your yacht delivery.
Bill is honored to have now contributed five articles to Practical Sailor magazine, click here to read a summary of the articles
He retired early from his position as a utility superintendent for a major Florida east coast city in the Fort Lauderdale area. One of the recurring comments from those who sail with Bill is his professionalism. His many years in the utility industry uniquely qualifies him to handle emergencies and lesser problems in a calm analytical manner. As a former open water kayak racer (five 300-mile events and one 1,200-mile event) Bill is accustomed to handling problems without help.
There are many yacht delivery captains to choose from in the Tampa Saint Petersburg area, here is what sets us apart from other boat delivery captains-
Because of my background, I always board a delivery vessel with a chart plotter, VHF radio, compass, and (if appropriate) an EPIRB, Q flag and courtesy flag. All deliveries include access to my satellite tracking and communication during the delivery. This allows owners who are not onboard to be consulted, if needed, and to track their delivery. Or if the owner is on board, they can receive texts from love ones when we are out of cell range.
Bill recognizes that sometimes people buy a boat not for what she is now, but what she could be. So if that new-to-you vessel does not have a working depth finder, or compass, or chart plotter, or VHF or even an autopilot. We will work out a safe yacht delivery plan to get your seaworthy vessel to her new home. Naturally, we also do mundane jobs, where all the systems work!
The recurring comment in customer feedback is my professionalism, teaching skills and calmness. Owner assisted deliveries invariably turn into on the water training classes. Be it rules of the road, horn signals, or how to manage the new boats systems, there is always some learning. If it is a sailboat delivery, we would be happy to work with you on improving your sail trimming skills. We consider this an obligation and provide this training without additional cost. Please check our “What our customers say” page.
Your delivery can be owner assist, solely my crew, CF crew, or a hybrid. As an ASA Instructor onboard training follows ASA standards.
A boat is a significant asset. Often it represents a gift to oneself for a successful career. My goal is not to be the cheapest captain on a job. But then again, when you need a haircut or other detailed service- do you go to the cheapest person, or the one who will give good results?
As a boat delivery captain, my goal is to deliver your boat in the same, or better condition than when I boarded her. My investment in satellite communications to get the best weather is confirmation of this statement.
I would welcome the opportunity to present a bid and my formal CV