A Farewell and Heartfelt Thank You from JD Yachts

After 25 extraordinary years, JD Yachts will be closing its doors.

This has not been an easy decision—but it’s one we’ve made with deep reflection and immense pride in all that we’ve achieved. We set out to build a company grounded in trust, transparency, and a passion for getting people on the water. We believe we’ve done just that.

To our clients—some of whom have been with us from the very beginning—we owe everything. Your unwavering support and trust shaped our journey. Many of you returned to us time and again for your boating needs, and that loyalty became the foundation of our business. We’re honoured to have helped so many families and individuals realise their dreams of yachting across the UK and the Mediterranean.

To our industry colleagues, tradespeople, and the marinas who welcomed and supported our work—you made this possible. The collaborative spirit and shared commitment to excellence within the marine sector gave JD Yachts its wings. We always sought to drive business back into local trades and infrastructures, and we’re proud to have played a part in sustaining that ecosystem.

To our dedicated team—Toby Hawkins and Isabella O’Leary—thank you for your incredible contribution, professionalism, and commitment to our shared mission. You’ve been integral to our journey and success.

A special thank you to our families for your constant support, patience, and belief in us—especially through the demanding times. JD Yachts has always been about more than just boats; it’s been about people, partnerships, and heart.

The current business climate, especially for SMEs in the marine sector, has become increasingly complex and challenging—particularly in relation to post-Brexit trade regulations and the double taxation of vessels between the UK and EU. These conditions have made it nearly impossible to scale sustainably or operate competitively abroad. We believe it’s important to acknowledge how much the industry has changed—and how vital it is to protect what was once a thriving cornerstone of Britain’s maritime heritage.

As we close this chapter, we do so with enormous gratitude for every client, colleague, and friend we’ve met along the way. The memories, the adventures, and the trust you placed in us will stay with us forever.

Thank you for letting JD Yachts be part of your story. We are proud of the legacy we leave behind.

With heartfelt thanks,

Darren & Justin

Off Canvas

 
Each new season brings with it the task of maintaining and checking the safety equipment on board is in service and working correctly, whether that’s carried out by yourself or by a professional, you can’t get enough peace of mind while heading out in the bearing sea. We are trying to think of the not so obvious but important components to have checked to see its working correctly and the trusty compass is often one that is missed or left to deviate.
 
We all take for granted when buying a new or used vessel that the manufacturer or seller would have completed the compass swing and corrected the errors but this can change by the addition of extras fitted later on board, any electronics, stereo equipment, anything that could change the magnetic deviation. These errors will require the compass to be adjusted.
 
 You can carry out a simply test to see if your helm compass is reading correctly:
 
  • Use a hand held bearing compass.
  • Remove all metal objects from your pockets and walk to the bow of the boat, not too far forward where you might be near the anchor.
  • Have someone on the helm move and position the boat to the north using the helm compass.
  • The helm will then shout the reading 000 degrees, then you take the same reading from your hand held compass and see if the two equate to the same reading or not.
  • You then repeat the process for an East, South and West reading.
  • If you are seeing differences, errors between the hand held and helm compass, then your helm compass will need to be swung by a compass adjuster, who will go through the same process but making adjustments to the screws and magnets inside the compass to correct the errors.
  • The compass adjuster will also produce a deviation card, which is to be used for your course to steer calculations.
 
We rely heavily on our GPS chart plotters and autopilots which can also be out of deviation showing differences between our helm compass and autopilot reading.
 
An easy mistake and one we have seen before is an iron accidental being placed in a cupboard near to the electronic fluxgate compass, this could lead to a deviation of up to 30 degrees. The position of the electronic fluxgate compass is important but equally it is vital to carry out an autopilot calibration once a year so that we are reassured that the boat is indeed heading in the right direction.
 
If you are operating commercially it is a legal requirement to have the compass swung, checked for errors and a deviation card completed and present on board.
 
We can arrange on your behalf an autopilot calibration and compass check for errors, we would recommend if you have no knowledge of your compass or autopilot ever being calibrated that you contact a professional compass adjuster, stop by the office or call to discuss the best way forward if you have any doubts.

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