Martingale vs. a full-time captain
A captain’s oversight,
for a fraction of the cost.
The best-run boats have always had a captain. A full-time one runs $80,000 to $120,000 a year all-in, and even a part-time captain is real money. You get the same oversight from me on a flat retainer for a fraction of that, with nobody on your payroll.
The real number
A captain isn’t a salary. It’s a payroll.
The wage is only the start. Add payroll taxes, workers’ comp and benefits and the all-in cost of a full-time captain lands here.
A full-time captain
- Base salary
- $62,000 – $92,000
- Payroll taxes & workers' comp
- $12,000 – $20,000
- Health & benefits
- $8,000 – $18,000
Typical range for an experienced captain on a coastal cruising or racing boat. Senior licensed captains on larger yachts run well above it. A part-time captain is paid by the day, and over a season the days add up.
Martingale
A flat annual retainer.
A fraction of a captain’s cost.
- The same captain-level oversight: one person who knows the boat and answers.
- No salary, no payroll taxes, no workers' comp, no benefits. No one on your books.
- Every trade the boat needs, lined up and held to the standard, and a captain hired for the days that call for one.
- A written record of the whole boat that stays with her.
Tell me about the boat and how you use her, and I’ll show you the number for her.
Head to head
Same oversight. A fraction of the cost. None of the payroll.
A full-time captain
Martingale
What you pay
Captain:$80,000 – $120,000 a year, all-in. Part-time, a day rate, and the days add up.
Martingale:A flat retainer, a fraction of that.
Who's the employer
Captain:You are: payroll, taxes, workers' comp, benefits, HR.
Martingale:Nobody. A service, not a hire. No one on your books.
Where the record lives
Captain:With the captain. It's theirs to carry.
Martingale:With the boat. Every system, part and job written down, in a portal you can open any time, and it stays with her when you sell.
None of this is a knock on captains. I hire them, and when a day calls for one aboard, you get one. It’s the payroll you don’t need to carry.
What you don’t give up
A fraction of the cost. None of the compromise.
You still get what a good captain gives you: one person who knows the boat, catches the small things early and answers straight. You also get something you rarely get otherwise, which is all of it written down where you can see it.
One person who knows your boat. The same person who knows the vessel is the one who answers the phone. No rotating cast, no re-explaining.
Captain-level judgment. Years running boats as a captain, plus time in boatbuilding and rigging shops, all pointed at one question: was the job done right.
Working for you, not the yard. I show you what I pay, and the better the deal I get you, the better it works for both of us.
In their words
The owners who’d know.
Daniel met us at the marina on day one and took a thorough inventory of the boat and her systems — then got to know us as sailors. He handled routine upgrades and troubleshot complicated repairs faster than we expected. Having one responsive point of contact is a luxury like no other.
Joe & Kerrianne Ciccone
Charlestown, MA
Working with Martingale has made boat ownership easy. They're responsive, detail-oriented, and genuinely care about keeping things running smoothly. I spend less time worrying about maintenance and more time on the water.
Barbara Vietor
S/V Fidelia
After 25 years away, Martingale made my dream of cruising again come true. Daniel is an invaluable partner — his expertise brings a real level of safety and security to my itinerary. Prompt, efficient, and with a smile.
Phil Strother
S/V Rebel Fox
Common questions
Captain vs. Martingale, in plain numbers.
How much does a full-time yacht captain cost per year?
All-in, an experienced captain on a coastal cruising or racing boat typically runs $80,000 to $120,000 a year once you add employer payroll taxes, workers’ comp, and benefits on top of a $62,000–$92,000 base salary. Senior licensed captains on larger yachts run well above that, and even a part-time captain paid by the day adds up quickly over a season.
Is Martingale cheaper than hiring a full-time captain?
Yes, by a wide margin. Martingale is a flat annual retainer that is a fraction of a captain’s $80,000–$120,000 all-in cost, and you carry no one on payroll. You get the same captain-level oversight, meaning one person who knows the boat, the right trades lined up and held to standard, and a complete written record, without the salary. And when a job calls for a captain aboard, a delivery or a passage, Martingale hires one.
Do I become an employer if I use Martingale?
No. There’s no payroll to run, no employee to manage, and no workers’ comp or benefits liability to carry. Martingale is a service, not a hire.
What happens to my boat’s history when a captain moves on?
With a captain, the boat’s history naturally travels with the person. Martingale keeps a written vessel record of every system, part and job, updated from each vendor’s itemized invoice, so the history stays with the boat. It can be handed over at any time as a full spreadsheet and a maintenance calendar, which matters at resale.
Run the numbers with me.
Tell me about your boat and how you use her. I’ll show you what looking after her properly costs, and why it’s a fraction of a captain’s salary. No commitment.