Bluewater Yacht Sales

What Bluewater Yacht Sales does

Bluewater Yacht Sales is a privately held yacht brokerage and dealership founded in 1968 by Chris Hall in Hampton, Virginia. The company sells new and pre-owned yachts across multiple categories—sportfish, center consoles, motor yachts, express cruisers, and downeast vessels—and holds exclusive dealer rights to seven premium marine manufacturers: Viking Yachts, Regulator Marine, Valhalla Boatworks, Jarrett Bay Boatworks, Back Cove Yachts, Sabre Yachts, and Princess Yachts. Dealership territories are anchored on a 10-office East Coast footprint spanning Maryland (Annapolis, Baltimore, Ocean City), Virginia (Hampton, Virginia Beach), North Carolina (Beaufort, Morehead City, Wanchese, Wilmington), and South Florida (Riviera Beach), with the most recent expansion being the April 2026 opening at Safe Harbor Port Annapolis.

The business operates a transaction-fee model, earning commissions on both new and pre-owned yacht sales, with featured listings observed in a $299,000–$4,750,000 range. Bluewater complements brokerage with in-house financing, closing services, and exclusive marketing exposure for sellers. Underlying technology consists of a proprietary listing-management platform with website search/filter functionality and standard digital marketing channels (email newsletter, social media, on-site content), but no AI/ML capabilities are evident. Differentiated capabilities include dedicated yacht yard services (Hampton, Beaufort), a 300+ person team of captains, craftsmen, and sales professionals, and cross-selling access to the Safe Harbor Marinas network following the company's affiliation with the largest marina operator in the US. Customer segments are dominated by high-net-worth sportfishing enthusiasts (primary), luxury cruisers (primary), and secondary segments of center-console buyers and pre-owned yacht purchasers. Key strategic moves in the recent record include the Annapolis opening (2026), the Safe Harbor Marinas affiliation, and the 2015 merger with Jarrett Bay Yacht Sales.

Name

Bluewater Yacht Sales

Legal name

Bluewater Yacht Sales

Website

https://bluewateryachtsales.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1968

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Bluewater Yacht Sales is a privately held yacht brokerage and exclusive dealer founded in 1968, selling premium new and pre-owned sportfish, center consoles, motor yachts, express cruisers, and downeast vessels to high-net-worth recreational boaters across ten East Coast locations spanning Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, and South Florida.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Yacht Brokerage

NAICS

Boat Dealers (441222), Marinas (713930)

SIC

Ship & Boat Building & Repairing (3730)

akta.pro primary industry

Sailing & Rigging Retail (Sailboats, Sails, Hardware) (CRAMAIAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Luxury Yacht Systems Integration & Commissioning (Shipyard) (IMAJAMAI), Semi-Custom & Series Production Yacht Manufacturing (IMAJAEAM), Luxury Sailing Yacht Manufacturing (IMAJAMAC)

Keywords

• Yacht brokerage services
• New yacht sales
• Pre-owned yacht sales
• Sportfishing yacht dealership
• Marine financing services

Headquarters

HQ city

Beaufort

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Yacht Brokerage Sales Commissions: Bluewater earns commissions on yacht sales transactions, both new and pre-owned vessels. The company represents multiple marine manufacturers and maintains an inventory of exclusive brokerage listings. Featured listings range from $299,000 to $4,750,000, indicating high-value transactions with significant commission potential.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Bluewater Yacht Sales is a yacht brokerage and dealership founded in 1968 that sells new and pre-owned yachts across multiple boat types including sportfish, center consoles, motor yachts, express cruisers, and downeast vessels. The company is an authorized dealer for Viking Yachts, Regulator Marine, Valhalla Boatworks, Sabre Yachts, Back Cove Yachts, Jarrett Bay Boatworks, and Princess Yachts, and offers in-house financing, closing services, and marketing exposure across 10 East Coast locations in Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, and South Florida.

Product overview

Bluewater Yacht Sales is a yacht brokerage firm operating since 1968 that sells new and pre-owned yachts across multiple boat types including sportfish, center consoles, motor yachts, express cruisers, and downeast vessels. The company represents multiple marine manufacturers including Viking Yachts, Regulator Marine, Valhalla Boatworks, Sabre Yachts, Back Cove Yachts, and Jarrett Bay Boatworks. Bluewater provides additional services such as in-house financing, closing services, and boat marketing through their network of over 300 employees across 10 locations spanning Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, and South Florida.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• New & Pre-Owned Yacht Sales Sales of new and used yachts across sportfish, center console, motor yacht, express cruiser, and downeast vessel categories, representing manufacturers Viking Yachts, Regulator Marine, Valhalla Boatworks, Sabre Yachts, Back Cove Yachts, Jarrett Bay Boatworks, and Princess Yachts for individual recreational boaters and tournament anglers.
• Yacht Financing Services In-house financing options connecting yacht buyers with lending solutions to facilitate the acquisition of new or pre-owned vessels.
• Yacht Closing Services Comprehensive closing services supporting yacht transactions including documentation, title transfer, and administrative support for buyers and sellers.
• Yacht Seller Marketing Services Marketing resources and exposure for yacht sellers, including exclusive listings, in-house promotional capabilities, and access to Bluewater's global yacht search platform.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 55 years of continuous operation in yacht sales
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, primary and minor.

• Safe Harbor MarinascoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSafe Harbor Marinas acquired Bluewater Yacht Sales, integrating them into the largest marina operator in the US. This provides Bluewater customers with access to Safe Harbor's network of marinas across the country, enhancing the value proposition with membership benefits and expanded service capabilities.
• Regulator MarinecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorExclusive dealer for Regulator Marine center console boats. Bluewater specializes in selling Regulator models across all their office locations and actively promotes Regulator boats through events, boat shows, and marketing campaigns.
• Viking YachtscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorExclusive dealer for Viking Yachts sportfishing and motoryachts. Bluewater has over 30 years of partnership with Viking and actively sells new and pre-owned Viking vessels.
• Valhalla BoatworkscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorExclusive dealer for Valhalla Boatworks center consoles, a subsidiary of Viking Yachts launched in 2019. Bluewater represents the full Valhalla lineup including V-28, V-29, V-33, V-37, V-41, and V-55 models.
• Jarrett Bay BoatworkscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorExclusive dealer for Jarrett Bay custom sportfishing yachts. Jarrett Bay merged with Bluewater in 2012, creating a combined 50+ year history in yacht sales.
• Back Cove YachtsprimaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorExclusive dealer for Back Cove Yachts, a brand of downeast cruisers. Bluewater sells Back Cove models alongside Sabre Yachts as part of their cruising yacht offerings.
• Sabre YachtsprimaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorExclusive dealer for Sabre Yachts, representing the brand alongside Back Cove Yachts in Bluewater's portfolio of downeast and express cruiser offerings.
• Princess YachtsprimaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized dealer for Princess Yachts motoryachts. Bluewater participates in Princess Yachts America dealer conferences and sells new Princess models.
• Christi InsuranceprimaryOthersMarine insurance partner for over 20 years. Christi Insurance provides competitive insurance programs exclusively endorsed for Bluewater customers, with dedicated claims support working closely with Bluewater's service team.
• D-Dey Response GroupminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMaritime emergency medical training provider partnering with Bluewater to offer cutting-edge emergency response training for boat owners, families, captains, and crew.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Galati Yacht Sales: Galati Yacht Sales is a major yacht brokerage and dealer on the US Gulf Coast and Southeast, representing many of the same premium brands (Viking, Sabre, Regulator) as Bluewater. It is a direct competitor in the premium sportfishing and motor yacht segment with similar exclusive dealer relationships.
• Worth Avenue Yachts: Worth Avenue Yachts is a luxury yacht brokerage and dealer with East Coast presence focusing on premium motor yachts. It directly competes with Bluewater for HNW customers seeking new and pre-owned motor yachts in the Mid-Atlantic and Florida markets.
• Denison Yachting: Denison Yachting is a yacht brokerage and dealer with multiple East Coast locations representing premium yacht brands. It directly competes with Bluewater in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast markets for premium motor yacht and sportfishing customers.
• HMY Yacht Sales: HMY Yacht Sales is one of the largest sportfishing and motor yacht dealers in the US, operating across the Southeast and Gulf Coast with exclusive dealer relationships for Viking, Princess, and other premium brands. It directly competes with Bluewater in the sportfishing yacht market.
• Tournament Yacht Sales: Tournament Yacht Sales specializes in sportfishing yacht sales with multiple East Coast and Gulf locations. It directly competes with Bluewater in the premium sportfishing segment, particularly for Viking, Hatteras, and similar tournament-grade vessels.

Emerging players

• Fraser Yachts: Fraser Yachts is a global luxury yacht brokerage specializing in superyacht sales, charters, and management. While operating at the higher end of the market than Bluewater, it overlaps in premium motor yacht brokerage and represents an adjacent service offering.

Others

• Safe Harbor Marinas: Safe Harbor Marinas is Bluewater's parent company and the largest marina operator in the US. While it does not directly compete in yacht sales, it provides marina network access and customer synergies that distinguish Bluewater from standalone competitors.
• Jarrett Bay Yacht Sales: Jarrett Bay merged with Bluewater Yacht Sales around 2015, combining custom sportfishing yacht sales with Bluewater's broader brand portfolio. Now operating under the Bluewater umbrella, Jarrett Bay represents the custom boatbuilding heritage within Bluewater's service offering.

Broad incumbents

• OneWater Yacht Group: OneWater Yacht Group is a publicly traded marine retailer and yacht brokerage with multiple premium brand franchises along the East Coast and Gulf Coast. It competes directly with Bluewater in representing premium manufacturers and serving HNW yacht buyers.
• MarineMax: MarineMax is the largest publicly traded recreational boat and yacht retailer in the US with national footprint across multiple brands. It is comparable to Bluewater as a multi-brand yacht dealer serving similar HNW customer segments, though significantly larger in scale and geographically broader.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@bluewateryachtsales
• Facebookfacebook.com/BluewaterYachtSales
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bluewater-yacht-sales
• Instagraminstagram.com/bluewaterys
• Xx.com/BluewaterYS

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Bluewater Yacht Sales