Amidst the azure sprawl of South Florida’s shimmering waters, where the salty breeze dances with the sun-kissed waves, lies a haven for those seeking nautical dreams. Here, at the helm of this maritime saga, stands Amanda Haley, a daughter of the Sunshine State, bearing the compass of native wisdom and seven years adrift in the realm of yacht brokerage. Her mastery over these aqueous realms guides the seekers, unravels the mysteries, and ensures that the buyer finds not just a vessel, but a seafaring soul.

For the past seven years, the rhythmic ebb and flow of life found her nestled within the quarters of her 2010 Hunter 49—a liveaboard odyssey that ingrained within her the essence of the sea. Daylight found its canvas upon her other vessel, a 2006 Hunter 44, where she orchestrates day charters, painting the horizon with tales of exploration and nautical adventures.

Her maritime repertoire extends beyond the realm of mere ownership. Amanda’s credentials boast the prestigious USCG Master License—a testament to her mastery of the waves. But her passion doesn’t merely reside in commanding vessels; it blossoms in the art of instruction. Armed with an instructor’s license for the American Sailing Association’s 101-114 courses, she becomes a beacon, guiding eager souls through the nuances of the sailor’s craft.

In her wake, she leaves a trail of wisdom woven by the seas, sharing not just the joy of sailing but the essence of a life shaped by the gentle caress of salt-laden breezes and the ceaseless rhythm of the ocean’s embrace. Her presence within the maritime tapestry of South Florida stands as a testament to a life lived in tandem with the eternal dance of wind and water.

In the rippling embrace of South Dakota’s lakes, Captain Keith Cressman carved his aquatic narrative, a saga spun with threads of boating, fishing, and the wild dance upon waterskiing sprays. Amidst the serene reflections of the Sunfish14 and the spirited adventures atop the Hobie Cat 16, dreams swelled within him like billowing sails, whispering tales of grandeur upon the boundless seas.

An accomplished angler, his youthful gaze fixated upon Jacques Cousteau’s odysseys, kindling an aspiration to plumb the depths as a PADI Divemaster—a dream realized amidst the watery realms.

1998 heralded the commencement of a new chapter—a bareboat charter in the BVI sparking a fervent yearning for yacht ownership. A mere eighteen months hence, he stood at the helm of a Jeanneau 43DS, a sister ship mirroring the very image etched upon his fridge—an emblem of realized dreams.

His credentials unfurl like unfathomable horizons—a USCG Captain’s license in ’05 burgeoned into a Master Mariner Credential with Sailing Endorsement in ’06. The year ’21 brought the crescendo—an upgrade to a USCG < 200 Ton credential, coupled with the celestial navigation prowess to navigate oceans. Over 50,000 blue water miles adorned his seafaring résumé, woven with deliveries along the Atlantic’s embrace and between the US and the Caribbean.

In the sanctum of luxury, he steered yacht charters in Chesapeake Bay and the Caribbean, orchestrating a symphony of maritime opulence. A stint with Paradise Yacht Management in the Virgin Islands and captaincy aboard vessels like the 34M Broward and the 32M Intermarine 2000 amplified his maritime odyssey.

Beyond the waves, hospitality beats within him—grilling and bartending are his hymns. An amateur sous chef, mixologist, and oenophile, he crafts experiences akin to fine art, bestowing guests with an unparalleled voyage.

Austen Anderson took to the water early, where the winds of Long Island Sound shaped his hands and heart. He raced dinghies and small keelboats, learning the language of the sea in the sharp crack of sails and the lean of the hull. He fought for every gust, every shift, and the ocean rewarded him—a 20th-place finish at the Optimist Worlds, a National Championship in 2003. He knew the thrill of speed, the battle of tactics, and the quiet satisfaction of a well-sailed race.

He chased that hunger across 420s, FJs, 29ers, 49ers, Etchells, Lightnings, J24s—each vessel a new lesson, each regatta a fresh proving ground. But the sea is not just for racing. There is another rhythm, a different call. After college, Austen traded the sharp edges of competition for the steady pull of the horizon. He ran yacht deliveries between Newport and the Caribbean, guiding Jenneau 54s and Swan 62s southward, feeling the weight of night watches and the satisfaction of a landfall well-made.

For eight years, he stepped away, into manufacturing. A different world, one of structure and precision, but the sea never let him go. It pulled him back, as it always does. With his wife, he took the helm of a Leopard 48 and made a life of it. Four years in the Virgin Islands, 100 charters, 35,000 miles under keel. Salt in the air, wind in the rigging, the kind of freedom only understood by those who have lived it.

Now, in New Smyrna Beach, Austen lends his knowledge to those setting out on their own journeys. Buying a boat is more than a transaction—it is the start of something. A dream, a challenge, a calling. He knows the weight of such decisions, the promise in them. He guides, he listens, he understands. And for those who come looking, ready to follow the pull of the tide, he is there, steady as the sea itself.

Where the sea meets the sky in an eternal embrace, a new helmsman emerges on the horizon. Meet Tyler Haley, a scion of the maritime realm, as he steps aboard the South Florida Sailing Yacht Brokerage team, breathing in the salt-laden air and carrying the legacy of the Haley maritime saga.

From the tender age of 11, Tyler’s childhood unfolded upon the decks of sailboats, the rhythmic lullabies of the waves shaping his maritime soul. Now, a liveaboard sailor, he calls a 44-foot monohull in Fort Lauderdale home—a vessel that not only sails the seas but cradles his dreams amidst the gentle rock of the ocean’s lullaby.

His credentials unfurl like a well-trimmed sail—a licensed 50 Ton USCG Captain, he’s not just a sailor; he’s a maestro of the maritime symphony. Local snorkel and jetski tours bear witness to his command of the seas, while his spare hours are devoted to captaining with Staying Afloat Party Boat, a testament to his love for the waters that cradle his world.

Even as the sun sets over Fort Lauderdale, Tyler’s day is far from done. In pursuit of knowledge, he charts a course through community college, steering towards a business degree—a compass pointing towards a future shaped by both the winds of experience and academic prowess.

Tyler’s story is not just one of sailing the azure expanse; it’s a tale of passion woven into the very fabric of his existence. His journey into the world of yacht brokerage is not just a career choice; it’s an extension of his fervor for the sea, a desire to help others unfurl their sails and navigate the waters of fun and freedom. As the newest broker on deck, Tyler stands ready to guide others towards the maritime dreams that dance on the horizon.

Rob Saunders, also adds to the formidable team of Licensed Florida Yacht Brokers, each a distinct mast in this maritime symphony. With sails filled by experience and driven by passion, they stand poised, ready to hoist the banner of unparalleled service for every sailor seeking their maritime destiny.

Oguz Ertekin, known as Oz to those who reckon time by the sway of the sea, first felt the pull of the ocean’s embrace amidst the storied waters of the Boston Community Boating foundation. There, where the Charles River carves its winding path through history’s veins, he first tasted the salt spray of racing and the languid dance of cruising ’round Boston Harbor.

What began as a mere dalliance, a dalliance with the wind and wave, soon burgeoned into a steadfast ardor, a love affair with the open expanse of distant horizons. Schooled in the rigors of electrical engineering and the dance of commerce through an MBA’s lens, he found his truest education amidst the tempest’s embrace.

Now, a master of currents both electrical and maritime, he bears the mark of a USCG Captain and a Florida Yacht Broker, badges of honor earned through trials upon the rolling sea. With his partner in adventure, his wife, and their ever-faithful goldendoodle, Leeloo, he has charted a course along the sinuous curve of the East Coast, along the languid shores of the Gulf Coast of Florida, and amidst the scattered jewels of the Keys and the Bahamas.

Their vessel of choice, a Beneteau Oceanis 41.1, has borne witness to their journeys, its hull etched with the memories of countless voyages. Yet, as the wanderlust’s call grows ever louder, as the siren song of new horizons beckons, he finds himself on the cusp of a new chapter.

For he now sets his sights on the azure depths of the Mediterranean, where a Jeanneau Yacht 53 awaits, poised like a noble steed eager for the touch of a master’s hand. And so, with the salt breeze at his back and the sun as his compass, he ventures forth, a modern-day Odysseus in search of his own Ithaca amidst the timeless waves of the sea.

Jerrod David was born in the heart of Southwest Louisiana, where the land meets water and the wild calls to every soul. They call it the “Sportsman’s Paradise,” and Jerrod knew it better than most. He’d spent countless hours navigating both inland waters and the open blue, at the helm of powerboats, fishing rigs, and sleek sailing vessels alike. His hands knew the feel of the wheel, the tension of a line, and the steady pulse of the sea.

With Holly by his side, aboard their Beneteau First 42s7, they’d crossed over 10,000 nautical miles. They sailed the Gulf, coastlines of the East, and ventured into the shimmering waters of the Bahamas and Caribbean, always chasing the horizon. The sea was their home.

Jerrod, a man of quiet focus, held a degree in Electronics and Computer Engineering. For 17 years, he’d worked as a Controls and Automation engineer, bringing machines to life. But the sea called to him louder. For Paradise Yacht Management, he became the steady hand behind the fleet—over 30 yachts kept sailing smooth under his watch, his knowledge making sure no voyage was lost to faulty systems or broken lines.

With over a decade in industrial sales and five years as a Yacht and Ship Salesman, Jerrod knew boats from bow to stern. He could talk yachtsmanship and engineering with equal ease, always with that calm, steady way that comes from a man who’s seen both the storms and the sun. And though they were still out there, Holly and him, cruising the Caribbean with the wind in their sails, they were always ready to share their stories, their hard-won knowledge, with anyone who sought it.

In this vibrant tapestry of South Florida’s yacht brokerage, these navigators stand as beacons, guiding enthusiasts to find not just a vessel but an odyssey upon the waves.