Purchasing a yacht is a dream realised for many. But don't let the whole process turn into a nightmare by following our ten simple steps to getting the best from your delivery company

1 Ask to see details of the captain and crew who will be delivering your yacht. You will be trusting your precious yacht in their hands - you need to be reassured that they are suitably qualified and experienced. Make it clear from the start that you want the right to approve all personnel selected to take care of your yacht.

2 Handover at destination. Ideally you or your representative should be available at the destination to talk directly with the captain and go through the yacht and discuss her condition after the voyage. This gives you an excellent opportunity to pick the brain of a professional on what is best for your yacht.

3 A tracking system on board will allow you to access the latest position of your yacht through the internet. Also, have the company assign a member of staff dedicated to giving you regular updates whether it is by email, SMS or telephone.

4 Full yacht management is best suited to large crewed yachts. Are they big enough to have the experience and expertise needed, and yet small enough to give you the personal attention you demand to get the best from your yacht? Management service could include crew selection, payroll services, charter management, budget controls, security, shared ownership and so forth.

5 Give the delivery company all the information possible about your yacht. Inventories, survey, reports, insurance documents etc are all important and can possibly save delays and money. If as much information as possible is made available to the captain they are better prepared to avoid problems or deal with any that may occur."

6 What are the company policies? Have they written Standards of Operations? Do they have a clear written Health and Safety Policy? Are their policies and procedures ISO9001 Certified? Are they members of a trade association? When choosing a delivery company do not just look at the price, you must consider quality and peace of mind.

7 Get the best price by booking early. By confirming your delivery plans well in advance the delivery company will be able to take advantage of any low cost travel bargains for the crew and pass the saving onto you. Leaving the decision to move your yacht to the last minute drastically reduces options.

8 Book early. The delivery company will have a number of highly skilled captains and crew on their books. And, as you would expect, the best are always in demand. So give the delivery company plenty of notice of your plans and they will be able to secure the most suitable captain and crew for your boat and the intended voyage.

9 Inspection reports. On completion of the contract you should receive the relevant documents completed by the captain, i) the pre delivery survey, ii) a copy of the logbook and iii) the post delivery survey report. This will not only provide you with a clear and unbiased view of your yacht and the voyage, it is a valuable guide to pinpoint any problem areas and deal with them.

10 Get references. Ask the office to provide you with names and contact details of clients. Written testimonials are good but actually talking directly with previous or present clients is better. Ask about the standards of skippers, the presentation of boats, the support role of the management, how they dealt with unforeseen circumstance and any change of plans.