I have never hired a delivary captain, but have been approached a number of times by people who have recently aquired their "captains" lisence, who wanted to do a delivary when they found I was going from X to Y. Be very cautious about hiring this type of person. Many times they have no experience--and can be dangerous. On the other hand a good professional will not only teach you a lot, but make sure the boat arrives in top shape. One day in Mexico I was talking with the crew who was varnishing the rails on a boat while waiting out gale force winds. They were not the owners, but delivary crew and wanted the boat to be in top condition when it arrived in San Diego. As for the wife. My wife knew little about long distance voyaging when we got together. We went slow at first and now she is probably as enthusiastic as I am about a voyage. Bob Austin