By Tanya Rabe
Tom Carlisle has found a way to combine his love and profound knowledge of boats to create a successful business that many of us boaties dream of. Ocean X specialise in bluewater, big boat delivery solutions, primarily concentrating on motor cruisers – vessels that are too large to be trailered or trucked over land.
Growing up on Port Philip Bay, Tom and childhood friend Hamish MacArdie competed against each other racing Sabots, but their friendship really formed at the finish of the 2000 Melbourne to Hobart Race. The youngest competitors that year, and still many years away from being old enough to go to the pub and celebrate with the rest of the competitors, the two young adventurers found their own way of celebrating – which may or may not have involved trying to join their older sailing mates.
Over the years, Hamish continued sailing, becoming a successful shorthanded sailor, winning the Melbourne to Osaka two-handed race. Tom took a different path into the world of commercial boating, gaining qualifications as a commercial trainer, teaching both powerboat and sailing courses. In 2017, Tom and Hamish joined forces to launch Ocean X.
Deliveries started at a young age for Tom. ‘It was a way of making extra money after a bluewater race, or before a big event like Hamilton Island or Geelong Race Weeks’. Even while working as Qld Sales Manager for Brig, Sirocco Marine in Coomera, Tom still found time to take on bluewater deliveries in between boat shows and busy periods.
Ocean X deliver vessels, both interstate and internationally, offering a time and cost-effective alternative to loading vessels onto ships for transportation. Typically, the boats they work with range from 50 to 120 feet. Tom and Hamish offer much more than your standard delivery service. ‘We offer a gobetween package helping new customers purchase vessels from distant locations, making sure the purchaser is getting the best professional representation on the ground, ensuring the vessels meet stringent safety requirements and meet the customers’ expectations and requirements prior to purchase.’
As it did with many businesses, Covid caused havoc dropping chaos in the form of red tape, and plenty of it. Determined to find solutions for his clients, Tom persevered with overcoming newly instated bureaucratic protocol, positioning Ocean X as the only vessel delivery company that could legally move between every state in Australia. ‘It was an insane amount of paperwork,’ according to Tom, ‘bureaucracy, risk assessments, insurance liabilities, certificates and hard work, but with patience it could be done and once it was done, it was my IP’. Busier than expected, and with Hamish based in the US delivering boats in the Caribbean, Tom left his office job at Sirrocco and headed back to sea.
In a short period of time, Ocean X became the delivery service of choice for brands such as Maritimo, Rivieria, Princess, Sunseeker, Nordhavn, Fairline, San Lorenzo, Ferreti, Viking, Salthouse, Caribbean, Steber, Lagoon, Clipper, Integrity and Precision. Specialising in true bluewater deliveries, Ocean X rarely do anything shorter than 1,500 nautical miles at a time. With this in mind, Tom and his crew go above and beyond when it comes to preparing a motor vessel for the open ocean.
Prepping the boat for a delivery starts at the bow. The anchor chain is removed, the anchor well and chain cleaned of debris and rust. A large foam matting is placed in the bottom of the anchor well, strategically prepared to prevent the anchor from inverting in the well in rough seas – an important safety protocol for emergencies.
Every hatch, window and door, both internally and externally, is resealed with plastic wrapping and hatches (except for emergency exit hatches) are taped down from the outside. Hull windows are covered in 5mm thick plastic corflute and taped externally to reduce the likelihood of damage from both large seas and contact with old, wooden wharfs that may be used in ports throughout the voyage.
The entire aft section of the vessel is wrapped in biodegradable plastic to stop exhaust carbon from penetrating the pores of the fibreglass. ‘Given we may be doing as much as 350 hours motoring in two weeks, the average boat doing this trip would have been washed 20 times and polished 6 times’, explains Tom. Wrapping protects the gelcoat and prevents the need to cut and polish, extending the life of the shine.
Next job is protecting the cockpit floor with two layers of rubber matting and a sheet of 10 mm heavy duty corflute. This area will house and secure the extended fuel tanks that are intended to last the distance of the delivery without stopping. Once the protective cushioning is removed, you wouldn’t even notice anything had been there – an example of the precise attention to detail which is second nature to the Ocean X crew.
Internally, everything that comes with the vessel is carefully packed and stowed away. Respecting the owners, Tom and his crew don’t use any of the cutlery, crockery, or vessel appliances, opting instead to take their own equipment, including their famous rice cooker that has cooked everything from banana cakes to pot roasts. Even the crew’s toasted sandwich maker doubles as a BBQ. ‘We provide our own bedding and towels, making sure that everything that comes with the boat is delivered in the exact condition we picked it up,’ says Tom.
Anything inside the boat that could be damaged or might age while at sea is protected, including all the floors and carpet, all walls, doors, cupboards, benchtops, tables, fridges, ovens and appliances. Everything is cleaned, wrapped and covered like a Christmas present to ensure the highest standard of presentation for the day of hand over.
The whole process takes two crew members three days to complete. Explaining Ocean X fees for the process, Tom says, ‘If the job was rushed, it would probably only take two days, which is why we only charge for two days labour, but we are happy to foot the extra day because it is our choice to treat every boat like it is our own pride and joy. We are very particular in making sure everything is spot on perfect and we don’t feel it’s right passing on the extra charge to our customers.’ Independent workstations are set up by the team, including Satellite Link with 24/7 tracking, HF radios, VHF handheld with AIS receiver, Wi-Fi monitoring cameras, multiple tablet chart plotters, Epirbs, life rafts, tool kits, emergency equipment, first aid equipment, charging ports, extension cords, inverters, fuel transfer pumps, sea drogues/anchors – the list goes on and on. ‘Needless to say, we have to book extra baggage on our flights.’
Ocean X pride themselves on providing a door-to-door service and solution in vessel deliveries. They organise everything, from import/export requirements and insurance, to arranging specific equipment needed to service and maintain the vessels’ engineering while at sea. As Tom says, ‘We offer solutions to vessel delivery logistics, not problems.’
Unless the weather dictates otherwise, Ocean X crew don’t stop overnight at marinas to get a good night’s sleep. The crew agree, ‘We are mariners. We get fantastic sleep cruising at 9 knots through the night’. Underway, Tom and his team of specialists make a point of not burning extra fuel just to get to a destination five hours early, instead they maintain the best fuel burn to speed ratio, which is often well below 10 knots.
Not for the faint hearted or for those looking for a pleasure cruise, the Ocean X team pride themselves on being professional mariners who know and understand the capabilities of the vessels they have been contracted to deliver. Not only do they know the boats they are delivering inside out, but they also have a comprehensive knowledge of the weather to maximise their opportunity to push efficiently towards their destination without being exposed to undue risk.
Ocean X customers have mostly been recommended by word of mouth and generally by someone highly respected within the marine community. Common feedback received by the team compliments their ability to relieve the stress and confusion of purchasing a vessel and/or relocating it. ‘Most clients are just looking for a ‘one call – one signature solution’ and once they find us, they have already discovered our reputation within the industry.’
Tom, a genuine straight talker, doesn’t apologise for not having the cheapest delivery teams in the market, ‘because that’s not what we are.’ ‘We are a solution. A solution that comes in at less than half the price of our shipping competitor with none of the headaches associated with shipping.’ Ocean X understand that all boats, both new and second hand, have teething issues. By the time they have finished the delivery and hand over the vessels, those issues have been ironed out and fixed. All as part of the service.
The service doesn’t end at handover either. Ocean X also offer training and ongoing support for the vessel owners, even helping some customers years later in planning their own offshore voyages and assisting them with weather and navigational knowledge.
On average, one Ocean X crew will do between 50,000 and 70,000 nautical miles per year. That’s three times around the world in one year! Customers know they are in highly experienced hands. ‘Our record speaks for itself. Our reputation speaks for itself.’ Tom isn’t shy about connecting new customers with old customers. Transparency is the name of the game. If anyone needs reassurance, Tom has a long list of customers who have agreed to share their experience. ‘I can tell them what we do, and our customers can tell them how well we do it’.
Follow Tom’s Facebook page for the latest www.facebook.com/oceanxxx
Published in print January-March 2023
