Doug Mashke, CPYB, President, has been in Sarasota since 1955. He has been an owner/operator of the 200-slip Harbor Marina, selling new and used boats, with one of the largest service yards in the area. The marina serviced all brands and was the largest Californian dealer in the country for 4 years. Doug credits his Brokerage success to the lessons learned while at the Marina. "At our downtown and marina locations in Sarasota, we start with knowledge and dedication; we proceed from the first phone call to the closing with the aim of making boat-buying a pleasurable experience. Our referrals make us the most recommended Brokerage firm in the area." To contact Doug click on Doug@SarasotaYacht.com

A native of Sarasota, Jason Mashke, CPYB, Vice-President, {certified professional yacht broker} was very excited to return home to the sunny West Coast of Florida. Jason completed his graduate studies in the summer of 2000 after earning a Master's degree in biology. Jason's studies have helped him gain an intimate knowledge of the sea which has furthered his appreciation for boating. Growing up around boats and the water, a career allowing Jason to remain involved in boating was a logical progression. Jason is also an avid SCUBA diver and holds several certifications including Nitrox diver, Divemaster, Rescue diver, and Underwater naturalist. Always enthusiastic and energetic, Jason is eager to please clients by responding to their requests promptly and courteously while maintaining the highest ethical standards. Jason is committed to building strong relationships and has established client satisfaction as his number one priority. "It has always been a dream of mine to carry on in the footsteps of my father by making boating a career. I moved back to Sarasota from Atlanta, where I was a consultant for the Department of Transportation in states throughout the Southeast. As a consultant, I had the opportunity to meet and work with many interesting people. The experience has developed my appreciation for client satisfaction, which is vital to our success. At SYSS, I am surrounded by knowledgeable, courteous team members with many years of brokerage experience between them. Their advice and expertise will enhance and augment my own experience as our firm continues to grow. As with the rest of the SYSS team, I am committed to doing whatever it takes to satisfy the needs of our clients. Please call on me day or night for any of your boating needs." Jason recently obtained his Certified Professional Yacht Broker designation. To contact Jason click on Jason@SarasotaYacht.com or call him at 941.345.3200.

Gary Smith, CPYB, Vice-President, {certified professional yacht broker} moved to Sarasota in 1999, and came on board with Sarasota Yacht and Ship shortly afterwards. A lifetime boater, scuba diver and one of two aircraft pilots within the company, he grew up on the Louisiana waterways. Gary is an active alumnus of LSU in Baton Rouge. Along with his family, he cruised the Bahamas, the Eastern Caribbean and headed as far south as South America, spending a year cruising aboard his 62' Motor Yacht, Lady Alistina. This cruising experience combined with ownership of all of his other boats allowed Gary to obtain extensive knowledge of all aspects of yacht ownership, excelling in full-time cruising and living aboard larger yachts. He has traveled as far as the country of Turkey for a survey and sea trial, proving that he will go to the ends of the earth to find the best yacht for his clients. “I'm looking for lifelong clients, so satisfaction is my only concern. Whether it is your first yacht or tenth, I will work as hard as humanly possible to assure that your yacht purchase goes as smoothly as possible before, during, and after the sale.” Gary was one of first in the state to obtain his Certified Professional Yacht Broker designation. To contact Gary click on Gary@SarasotaYacht.com or call him at 941.321.1705.

Captain Voorhees A. “Doc” Craig, CPYB, {certified professional yacht broker}, holds his USCG Masters License and has been boating for the last 30 years. His primary cruising grounds were in New England, where he began Powerboat and Motoryacht Services, specializing in boat handling and yacht management services, and traveling the Eastern Seaboard from Vermont to Florida as a delivery captain. He was an instructor for the USPS Boating Safety and Seamanship Courses. He was also involved in new boat sales in Vermont for many years. Prior to becoming involved in yacht sales and brokerage, Doc spent 25 years in the hospitality industry holding a number of VP positions with multi-unit restaurant companies. Once he escaped the cold Vermont winters moving to Florida, he became a yacht broker first in Daytona Beach, then, moved to Sarasota, to join Sarasota Yacht and Ship. He has been able to combine his management expertise and commitment to excellence with his experience and passion for the boating to provide a “win-win” experience for his clients. Whether selling your current boat, or helping you find your next yacht, you can count on Doc to “stay the course” until the job is done. To contact Doc click on Doc@SarasotaYacht.com or call him at 386.846.6522.

Lee Messina, CPYB, {certified professional yacht broker}, is a sailing yacht specialist who has over 30 years of experience racing and cruising in New England, the Caribbean, South Florida, and the Bahamas. He grew up in New London, CT on Long Island Sound where he raced and cruised his sailboats and fished offshore for swordfish and giant tuna in the North Atlantic on his family's sportfishing yachts. In addition to his knowledge of recreational yachts, Lee has established formal International Brokerage Alliance Agreements with several yacht and commercial ship brokerage and shipbuilding firms with offices in Europe, the Med and Asia. Lee is our cruise ship specialist and provides his commercial investment clients with opportunities and guidance evaluating and purchasing large commercial passenger vessels, including cruise ships and yachts suitable for charter operations. Also, Lee is a vacation yacht charter broker for our sister-company, GetAway Charter; arranging charters for clients on crewed yachts worldwide and helping charter yacht owners establish their businesses. In his hometown, Lee was the Commodore of the Thames Yacht Club, one of the oldest yacht clubs in New England, and a contributor to the national Safety-at-Sea seminars. With a BA in English from Assumption College in Worcester, MA, Lee has enjoyed a successful career as an educator, and as a marketing executive for several advertising agencies and Arthur Andersen’s corporate tax software division. “Whether you need my help to sell or buy a yacht or commercial ship, you can be assured you’ll get outstanding service and straight talk through every step of the process. I’ll help you meet your objectives, always ensuring you make a sound financial investment. I’m particularly proud that I earned the trust and confidence of two different clients who I’ve never met face-to-face and who each purchased a yacht from me without a personal inspection. In each case, I coordinated the shipping of these yachts to the satisfied Buyers at out-of-state destinations.” Lee recently obtained his Certified Professional Yacht Broker designation. To contact Lee click on Lee@SarasotaYacht.com or call him at 941.350.9020.

Capt Chuck Royhl, CPYB, {certified professional yacht broker} has been with Sarasota Yacht & Ship Services for over 13 years. Born in Chicago, he moved to Florida at the age of 18, and moved aboard the first of many boats at 19. Professional Yacht brokerage was a natural progression, but also a planned one, as Chuck had always known the water was his passion. A licensed captain since 1980, Chuck now holds a 100-ton Master's License. He has first-hand knowledge and experience with a wide variety of vessels - having been involved in virtually every aspect of boats, from building and commercial fishing to private yachts - enabling him to find the right boat for his clients. Chuck recently obtained his Certified Professional Yacht Broker designation. To contact Chuck click on Chuck@SarasotaYacht.com or call him at 941.350.3437.

Alan Green Jr., licensed yacht salesman, started his love of boating at a very young age.   He grew up boating on the Chesapeake Bay, the Great Lakes and the waters surrounding Long Island.   While attending college at the University of Buffalo, he worked in the service industry honing his skills in customer relations, problem solving, and overall customer satisfaction.   After college he moved to Florida to pursue his career in the boating industry; spending a couple of years apprenticing with one of the nation’s top marine dealerships, learning his trade, and earning his stripes.   He joined Sarasota Yacht and Ship in 2007 as he says, "because of the resources they have available, the size of the company that allows everything to be done on a personal level and their philosophy of customer service and satisfaction parallel my own."   His attention to detail and follow-up allows him to work tirelessly in finding his clients just the right boat.   If you are looking to sell your current boat, these attributes and professional manner will work to your benefit. To contact Alan click on Alan@SarasotaYacht.com or call him at 716.553.8691.

Roy Kaplan, licensed yacht salesman, is a transplanted Californian. He moved to the East Coast of Florida 8 years ago to pursue his love of boating. He had experienced the Florida waters and those of the Bahamas, Exumas, Abacos on someone else’s boat and wanted to do it on his own boat. Having accomplished that goal, he moved to Sarasota to experience boating on the Gulf Coast, “The Nice Coast”. At the time he moved to the East Coast, he was running a national sales force for a consumer products company involved in selling fans, heaters and small appliances, a position similar to which he held with a variety of companies in the consumer products field…i.e. health and beauty aides, housewares, cosmetics. He was responsible for national sales in each of these companies. Since he has moved to Sarasota he is anxious to share his experiences in boating with other boaters…present and future. Hence, his new association with Sarasota Yacht and Ship, where he hopes to acquaint old and new boaters with a positive boating experience…finding the right boat for them…or helping them to sell their existing boat for a different experience. He is living a dream; which is to work in an industry which has enabled him to meet people with whom he has common interests. To contact Roy click on Roy@SarasotaYacht.com or call him at 941.320.3946.

Capt. Paul McFadden, licensed yacht salesman, CPYB moved from Chicago to Siesta Key in 1970 after earning his BS Degree from Northwestern University. After a few years in Real Estate, he purchased a sailboat and began exploring Florida's waters and in the process discovered the industry in which he wanted to be a part. Paul joined a Grand Banks dealer in 1980 and became a Licensed Yacht Salesman. He gained a wealth of trawler knowledge, has sold many boats over the years and owned six of his own. He has also worked with new boat dealers selling Hatteras, Bertram, Viking, and Mainship Yachts. In addition to sales and brokerage, Capt. Paul began delivering company and customer yachts. He currently holds a USCG Masters License for vessels up to 100 tons. Delivering boats from Puerto Rico, New England, Eastern seaboard, West to Texas, Great Lakes and major River systems, logging thousands of safe delivery miles for many happy customers. Before joining Sarasota Yacht & Ship, Capt. Paul spent the last decade as a Yacht Broker and Captain in the Bareboat Charter business. In 2004, Paul and his wife successfully completed the 6,500 mile Americas Great Loop cruise aboard their 42' Grand Banks. Capt. Paul is known for his honesty and integrity and is happy to share the years of boating knowledge and experience he brings to Sarasota Yacht & Ship. To contact Capt. Paul click on Paul@SarasotaYacht.com or call him at 941.812.6948.

• An individual owner is not in the business of selling boats. It is difficult for him/her to ascertain fair market value. He/she normally has other time commitments, limiting his/her availability to effectively market the boat.

• Generally, the individual owner is not able or willing to commit the necessary financial resources to provide for the proper exposure of the vessel. In fact, he/she may not even be aware of the most appropriate channels for providing such exposure.

• Most owners are emotionally attached to their vessel. Their boat represents substantial investments in time, funds and often is the source of many fond memories of cruises, outings, fishing trips, etc. It is very difficult for the owner to objectively evaluate and present his/her boat to a prospective buyer.

• Because of the owner's emotional attachment, many owners misrepresent the boat and/or its condition. This is very often done unintentionally. Most experienced boat buyers are aware of this and prefer to deal with a broker for this reason alone.

• The individual owner is interested in selling his/her boat, not in finding the right boat for his/her customer.

• The owner has only one boat to offer. If the customer is not familiar with that particular boat, he will not call, even though that might be the right boat for him/her.

• The majority of boats are sold to customers who have general outlines and goals for their purchase, (i.e., A flybridge sportfish boat with a 20 knot cruise, 33' to 36', good quality, priced right), as compared to those customers who are looking for a specific boat, )i.e. A 35' Bertram convertible).

  
  

  

• The individual owner does not have the ability to offer a "one-stop" shopping source to the buyer.

• Many boats that are sold are not what the customer called on. The Customer almost always asks, "What else do you have that is suitable?". That 35' Bertram may be sold to someone who contacted the broker on a 36' Chris Craft.

• The individual owner cannot offer the additional services that may be required to close the sale, (i.e. Documentation, collection of taxes, registration, repairs, survey, outfitting and haul-out.)

• The individual owner is not perceived as an unbiased party. The broker is not "married" to any one boat or any one manufacturer and is in a position to truly represent the best interests of both the buyer and the seller.