2025 was another varied year for Yacht Delivery Solutions, with deliveries covering New Zealand, Australia and a large part of the South Pacific. The work ranged from short coastal relocations to long offshore passages between cruising destinations, Australia and New Zealand.
The boats were equally varied. During the year we worked on everything from a Northshore 38 and Beneteau First 40 through to larger multihulls, performance yachts and a 76-foot Nordhavn. Several boats also returned to YDS for a second or subsequent delivery, reflecting the relationships we have built with owners over the years.
The year included Tasman crossings, deliveries between New Zealand and the Pacific Islands, movements within New Zealand, and longer passages from French Polynesia and further west across the Pacific. Some deliveries were routine coastal moves, while others involved substantial offshore passages requiring careful weather planning and route management.
Below is a summary of the year’s delivery work, with links to the individual delivery histories for those who want more detail on each boat and passage.
Not all yacht deliveries involve thousands of miles of ocean. A significant part of our work is moving boats between New Zealand cruising grounds, marinas and ports, often allowing owners to position their boats where they actually want to use them without having to undertake the passage themselves.
This Northshore 38 was delivered within New Zealand by the Yacht Delivery Solutions team. A good example of the coastal and domestic delivery work we undertake alongside longer offshore passages.
Read the full Northshore 38 delivery history →
The Princess 42 was delivered from Auckland to Wellington and subsequently returned north. The job demonstrates the practical side of motor yacht delivery within New Zealand, where positioning a vessel can be just as useful to an owner as a long offshore passage.
Read the full Princess 42 Flybridge delivery history →
This Hunter 40.5 was delivered from Wellington to Opua, working north along the New Zealand coast. A relatively straightforward delivery, but typical of the practical relocation work undertaken by YDS.
Read the full Hunter 40.5 delivery history →
This Hunter 466 was delivered within New Zealand, relocating the yacht between cruising grounds. It was another example of the domestic delivery work that forms part of our broader New Zealand operation.
Read the full Hunter 466 delivery history →
A relatively quick delivery from Opua to Picton, moving the boat from the Bay of Islands to the South Island.
Read the full Pelin Columbia delivery history →
A classic cruising boat delivered up the New Zealand coast. These shorter deliveries are very different from a multi-thousand-mile ocean passage, but require the same basic objective: getting the vessel safely from one port to another.
Read the full Adams Motorsailor delivery history →
The Tasman Sea remains one of the routes where experience matters. Conditions can change considerably over the passage, and timing the departure and managing the weather are central to a successful delivery.
This Grainger 52 catamaran was delivered from Queensland, Australia to Auckland, New Zealand, crossing the Tasman as part of YDS’s wider Trans-Tasman and South Pacific delivery operation.
Read the full Grainger 52 delivery history →
The First 40 was delivered from Queensland to Opua, crossing from Australia’s east coast to New Zealand. The passage was another example of the regular Trans-Tasman work undertaken by YDS.
Read the full First 40 delivery history →
This was the second time YDS had delivered this J130. On this occasion the delivery followed the Sydney to Hobart, adding another chapter to an existing relationship with the boat.
Read the full J130 delivery history →
A substantial part of YDS’s work involves moving yachts through the South Pacific, where routes often connect New Zealand, Fiji, Tonga and French Polynesia. These passages can involve very different conditions depending on the season, the vessel and the direction of travel.
This Oceanis 45 was collected in Tonga before being delivered south through Fiji and onwards to New Zealand, following one of the established cruising routes through the South Pacific.
Read the full Oceanis 45 delivery history →
The Dufour 56 was delivered from Auckland to Vuda Point in Fiji. The passage forms part of the regular offshore yacht delivery work between New Zealand and the Pacific Islands.
Read the full Dufour 56 delivery history →
This Leopard 45 was delivered from Raiatea to Opua, making the passage south from French Polynesia to New Zealand.
Read the full Leopard 45 delivery history →
The Lagoon 420 featured in two substantial YDS deliveries. We delivered the yacht from Tahiti to Auckland and also undertook a delivery from Tahiti to the Gold Coast, covering two different routes from French Polynesia into the wider South Pacific and Australia.
Read the full Lagoon 420 delivery history →
The Swan 60 was delivered to Tahiti as part of YDS’s offshore delivery work in the South Pacific. The delivery added another substantial sailing yacht to the year’s cruising and offshore portfolio.
Read the full Swan 60 delivery history →
A brand new Fountaine Pajot 59 was delivered as part of the year’s multihull work. New yachts require particular attention to systems, equipment and the vessel’s first offshore passages.
Read the full Fountaine Pajot 59 delivery history →
This Tanna 47 was delivered by YDS for the second time. Having previously moved the yacht for the owner, we were subsequently asked to undertake another delivery, continuing a relationship that had already been established through the first passage.
Read the full Fountaine Pajot Tanna 47 delivery history →
The Excess 14 was another multihull delivery during the year, adding to the range of modern cruising catamarans handled by YDS.
Read the full Excess 14 delivery history →
The year’s deliveries also included larger vessels and some less conventional jobs, demonstrating the range of boats and circumstances that YDS deals with.
The Nordhavn 76 was delivered by YDS on two separate occasions. We first delivered the trawler from Bora Bora to Fiji before subsequently undertaking a second delivery from Fiji to the Gold Coast.
The two deliveries covered a substantial area of the South Pacific and into Australia, and demonstrate the type of repeat work that comes from an established relationship with a vessel and its owner.
Read the full Nordhavn 76 delivery history →
YDS was invited back to this Horizon PC52 for the fourth time. Repeat work is an important part of the business and reflects the confidence owners place in a skipper who already knows their vessel.
Read the full Horizon PC52 delivery history →
This brand-new Granocean W60 was delivered from Hong Kong towards Oceania. The delivery extended beyond the usual New Zealand and South Pacific routes and demonstrated the broader geographical reach of YDS.
Read the full Granocean W60 delivery history →
This was a shorter job, with a YDS skipper and crew already in the area who were able to assist with the delivery. Not every delivery requires a major offshore passage; sometimes the value is simply having experienced delivery crew available when and where they are needed.
Read the full Dock Express delivery history →
Taken together, the 2025 deliveries show the breadth of work undertaken by Yacht Delivery Solutions delivery history. The year included domestic New Zealand movements, multiple Trans-Tasman crossings, passages between New Zealand and the Pacific Islands, deliveries from French Polynesia and work extending west towards Asia.
The fleet was equally diverse, covering sailing yachts, cruising catamarans, performance yachts, trawlers and larger offshore motor yachts. Several vessels also returned to YDS for additional deliveries, including the Horizon PC52, Nordhavn 76, J130 and Fountaine Pajot Tanna 47.
That mixture is representative of the business we have built: not simply moving yachts from one marina to another, but providing professional delivery skippers for owners who need a vessel moved safely between locations across New Zealand, Australia and the wider Pacific.
The individual delivery histories linked throughout this review provide more detail on the boats, routes and passages. Together, they form a record of where YDS actually operated during 2025 and the range of vessels we were trusted to deliver.
