YachtSouth sees smooth sailing after 7 years with Capt. Martin at its helm
It looks like pretty smooth sailing for Capt. Billy Martin and his company, YachtSouth. The yacht broker sells boats from about 25-footers and up, with price tags as high as $900,000. Martin has sold everything from an older model houseboat for under $100,000 to a brand-new motor yacht for $1,500,000.

A yacht is often defined as a boat 60 feet long or more, "but around here, 30 feet and most people would consider it in the yacht category," he said.
The fourth-generation Huntsvillian started out in the family business - storage - but left about 10 years ago to pursue his love of boats.
He became a yacht dealer, working for other companies. Then, in 2000, "I went out on my own." Now he runs YachtSouth out of his home. He's the sole employee.

During a visit to Ditto Landing, Martin pointed out some of the boats he's sold. The most recent was "Summer Place," an aft-cabin motor yacht purchased in Wisconsin and selling in the range of $300,000 to $400,000.
Inside, "Summer Place" looks like a condo or an upscale apartment. It has a head (forward bathroom), a stateroom (master bedroom), a guest bedroom, a galley (kitchen), and an enclosed aft deck that looks a lot like a sun room. The helm station includes radar, a chart plotter, the auto pilot, "all your instrumentation." There is beige wall-to-wall carpeting and white furniture. It looks luxurious yet simple.

To bring "Summer Place" to Huntsville, Martin, the buyer and a friend started their 10-day journey at Lake Michigan, then took the Illinois River to the Mississippi. From there they traveled the Ohio River to the Cumberland before finally reaching the Tennessee River and Ditto Landing.
"Summer Place" was acquired by Martin for a local customer, sight unseen, but Martin said the customer "had very specific parameters." In other words, he knew exactly what he wanted, and Martin was able to find it for him.
For example, the yacht had to have diesel engines and be a freshwater boat. Saltwater boats tend to show more wear and tear. "They live in a harsher environment," Martin said.

Being a yacht broker is similar in many ways to being a real estate agent, said Martin, who is a licensed Coast Guard captain and can operate any vessel up to 50 tons. Martin said he works on the standard broker's commission of 10 percent.
There is "a lot of up and down" to the business, the captain said. "It's somewhat seasonal," with many boat buyers looking for vessels in the late fall and early spring.
Martin sells boats from Chattanooga to Iuka, Miss., "all along the Tennessee River ... So I spend a lot of time on the road," as well as on the water.

Buying a boat is a lot like buying a home, Martin said. He advises finding a broker who is a member of the Yacht Brokers Association of America, as he is.
Martin asks buyers how they will use the boat, whether they plan to take a lot of trips and what their budget is. He tells first-time buyers to be sure to talk with some boat owners.
Like houses, yachts come in different styles. There is the one-level, like a ranch home, and the houseboat, which looks more like a house floating on water.

An inspection, similar to a home inspection, is a good idea. For the necessary insurance, boat owners inland generally pay about $10 per $1,000 of value. The cost would be higher on the Gulf of Mexico, Martin said.
Martin said he thinks more people in the area will be in the market for boats as Huntsville expands, and he sees North Alabama as an ideal place to own a boat, because it can be used 12 months a year.

Martin calls truthfulness a key to success in the yacht business.
"Honesty is the only thing you have at the end of the day. The boating community is small. If you tell somebody something on this dock, it's already made it to the other side."

"There's an old saying that you've got to love what you're doing ... I love this business. I love the people. Everybody's so friendly on the water." Life's just too short to do something for a living that you don't enjoy, Martin said.
"If you don't like what you're doing, you're always going to be overworked and underpaid."


© 2006 The Huntsville Times
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YachtSouth, Cruise with us at www.yachtsouth.com

Capt. Billy Martin, CPYB, Larry Long, Dennis Holliman & Christy Martin P.O. Box 12171 Huntsville, AL 35815, USA

Toll-free 877-274-0767 Tel (256) 882-1972 Fax (256) 882-7809 Email Us Billy 256-426-6529, Larry 256-509-8682, Dennis 256-431-5228, Christy 256-656-2200

http://www.yachtworld.com/yachtsouth

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