The second and final day of the International Conference of Professional Yacht Brokers included presentations ranging from discussions of signs of structural fatigue in fiberglass and joystick-driven POD drives, to a history of YachtWorld’s rise by Jessica Muffett and a look ahead at how fast the Internet continues to change business considerations. Connecticut yacht broker David Pugsley, general manager of Brewer Yacht Sales, succeeded Texas broker Vince Morvillo as YBAA’s president and got his inauguration off to a fast start with a couple of yacht broker jokes.
A highlight of the day was the presentation of a new award honoring past YBAA president Paul Bennett, a successful and exemplary yacht broker and 13-year member of YBAA’s board who died two years ago after many years of living with cancer. The award winner was chosen by representatives of several broker associations in North America plus former broker Sally Helme, who is publisher of Cruising World and Sailing World magazines.
The recipient was John Weller, of Allied Marine in Florida, who has worked for more than three decades not only setting a standard of excellence as a broker. According to Bill Full, of East Coast Yacht Sales, who made the presentation, John stood out from other worthy candidates as one who has provided exceptional service in his community, where for 30 years he’s run an annual June fishing tournament for adults and children in a Big Brothers and Sisters program. He’s also been involved in getting disabled people out in specially adapted sailboats and in the last five years arranging to take kids with cancer and their families out on the water on clients’ boats to help normalize their lives and reduce the stress of living with the disease.
In receiving the award, John described how he and his wife were outbound on a cruise toward the Panama Canal, 35 years ago, when they were hit by a 50-knot blow and found themselves running at 8 knots under bare poles. They put into port on the Florida coast, where they met Dick Bertram. “He convinced me to try this job,” John told the assembled brokers, “and he said the keys to success were three things—listings, listings, listings, having good sellable central listings, and that’s still true today.”
John didn’t talk otherwise about his career as a broker, but said he intended to put the honor of this award to use in a way he thought Paul Bennett would appreciate. With that he extended an offer to lend a hand to any broker wishing to duplicate his “Freedom Waters” programs elsewhere. (Call his cell phone: 561-379-5431.) He pointed out the difference it could make not only in the lives of those who might not otherwise be able to appreciate time on the water, but also for each broker’s clients, who may often give charitably, but rarely connect in such a special way as when taking people on their boats.
—John Burnham