Calibre Yachts Sales

What Calibre Yachts Sales does

Calibre Yachts Sales is a private yacht brokerage firm headquartered in Nanaimo, British Columbia, founded in 2008 by Richard Evans and operating across Coastal BC and the Pacific Northwest. The firm runs five physical offices (Vancouver, Victoria, Nanaimo, Campbell River, Maple Bay) supplemented by virtual Comox Valley coverage, with a 21-person staff that includes a Director of Operations, Founder, and approximately a dozen yacht brokers. It serves individual boat buyers and sellers, listing pre-owned powerboats, sailboats, trawlers, motor yachts, and boathouses/floathomes, with listing prices ranging from roughly CAD $22,000 to over CAD $1.6 million. The company has also become an authorized Helmsman Trawlers dealer, adding a new-boat line to its pre-owned brokerage inventory.

The firm's underlying platform combines a traditional regional brokerage network with a digital marketing engine anchored by its YouTube channel, which has accumulated over 12 million views and functions as the principal top-of-funnel demand-generation asset for both buyers and sellers across North America. Brokerage workflows are supported by a WordPress-based website with searchable inventory, an email newsletter, and recurring participation in regional boat shows. Ancillary services include vessel importing from the United States, licensing and regulatory support, transportation coordination, and moorage placement. The broker roster is differentiated by deep local nautical credentials, including Transport Canada captaincy, RCMSAR membership, and decades of commercial marine experience.

Calibre earns revenue primarily through transaction-based brokerage commissions on pre-owned boat sales, supplemented by Helmsman Trawlers new-boat sales and a referral reward program that incentivizes client referrals. The business is founder-owned with no institutional investors or parent entity identified in available records, and has grown organically from a single office in 2008 to a five-location, 21-person operation by 2025. The firm holds active membership in the British Columbia Yacht Brokers Association (BCYBA) and positions itself on trust, integrity, and local market expertise rather than technology differentiation.

Name

Calibre Yachts Sales

Legal name

Calibre Yacht Sales

Website

https://calibreyachts.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Calibre Yachts Sales is a private yacht brokerage firm in Coastal British Columbia operating five offices and serving individual boat buyers and sellers across the Pacific Northwest with pre-owned listings, Helmsman Trawlers new-boat sales, and video-driven marketing.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Yacht Brokerage

NAICS

Boat Dealers (441222)

akta.pro primary industry

Boat & Personal Watercraft (PWC) Retail (CRAMAIAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

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

Keywords

• Yacht brokerage services
• Pre-owned boat sales
• New trawler dealership
• Boat seller representation
• Boat buyer representation

Headquarters

HQ city

Nanaimo

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Yacht Brokerage Commissions: Traditional yacht brokerage earning commissions on boat sales. The company lists boats for sale and facilitates transactions between buyers and sellers. Services include assisting with importing, licensing, transporting, and finding moorage.
2. Referral Reward Program: Referral program incentivizing existing customers and contacts to refer potential buyers and sellers to the brokerage.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Calibre Yacht Sales is a yacht brokerage firm that facilitates the buying and selling of pre-owned power boats, sailboats, trawlers, motor yachts, and boathouses across British Columbia and the Pacific Northwest. The company also operates an exclusive new-boat dealership for Helmsman Trawlers and provides end-to-end support services including importing from the United States, licensing, transportation, moorage assistance, and dedicated buyer and seller representation.

Product overview

Calibre Yacht Sales is a traditional yacht brokerage firm operating across coastal British Columbia and Vancouver Island, with five physical offices and virtual presence in six cities. The company operates as a unified brokerage platform offering two interconnected product lines: a pre-owned boat brokerage inventory (power boats, sailboats, motor yachts, trawlers, boathouses, and floathomes) and an exclusive new boat line through Helmsman Trawlers. Complementary services include buyer and seller representation, a referral reward program, and boat-wanted services. The online platform functions as the digital storefront for browsing inventory, while the brokerage team provides in-person transaction support throughout the sales process.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Brokered Power Boats Pre-owned power boats, motor yachts, cruisers, and express boats listed for sale through the Calibre brokerage network across British Columbia, targeting individual boat buyers in the Pacific Northwest.
• Brokered Sailboats Pre-owned sailboats for sale through Calibre's brokerage network, representing various manufacturers and sizes for cruising and sailing enthusiasts in British Columbia.
• Helmsman Trawlers (New Boats) New Helmsman Trawler models offered as an exclusive new boat line through Calibre, targeting individual buyers seeking new trawler vessels in the Pacific Northwest.
• Brokered Boathouses & Floathomes Unique floating homes and boathouses listed for sale through Calibre's brokerage, including custom builds and marina-based floathome units in British Columbia.
• Yacht Sales Services to Sellers Full-service brokerage representation for boat sellers, including boat preparation advice, pricing strategy, professional video marketing, and transaction support from listing through closing.
• Yacht Sales Services to Buyers Buyer representation services including boat search, inspection coordination, sea trials, and purchase negotiation support for individual boat buyers in British Columbia.
• Referral Reward Program Referral incentive program rewarding existing clients who refer new boat buyers or sellers to Calibre Yacht Sales, supporting customer acquisition.
• Boats Wanted Service for individuals looking to sell their boat directly to Calibre's network or through its brokerage, providing an alternative off-market sales channel for boat owners.

Quantifiable outcome

• 12M+ YouTube video views demonstrating marketing reach

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Helmsman TrawlersminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized dealer for Helmsman Trawlers, offering new trawler boats alongside the company's brokerage services for pre-owned vessels.
• British Columbia Yacht Brokers Association (BCYBA)coreOthersMember of the British Columbia Yacht Brokers Association, the regional trade organization for yacht brokers in BC.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Denison Yacht Sales: Multi-office North American yacht brokerage with new and pre-owned boat sales, brokerage representation, and similar concierge-style buyer/seller services. Directly comparable business model and target customer to Calibre, though operating at larger geographic scale across the U.S.
• Galati Yacht Sales: Multi-office yacht brokerage and new-boat dealer with strong regional presence on the U.S. Gulf Coast. Comparable in offering both new-boat dealership lines and pre-owned brokerage, with similar relationship-driven sales model.
• United Yacht Sales: Large yacht brokerage network with a multi-broker franchise-style model across the U.S. Compares to Calibre's brokerage commission structure, multi-region coverage, and mix of power boats and sailboats, though at much larger scale.
• Pacific Boat Brokers: BC-based used boat brokerage with similar pre-owned powerboat and trawler inventory focus. Most direct Canadian regional peer competing for the same Vancouver Island and Lower Mainland buyer pool.

Emerging players

• Pop Yachts: Online-enabled yacht brokerage with a national broker network model. Comparable to Calibre as a pre-owned boat brokerage, but competes through technology-enabled remote brokerage rather than physical offices.

Broad incumbents

• YachtWorld: The dominant online yacht listing marketplace where most Calibre listings appear. Functions as a major marketing channel but also a partial substitute for traditional brokerage, making it a key ecosystem participant.
• MarineMax: Largest U.S. recreational boat dealer with both new and brokerage operations across many locations. Comparable in selling new boats (including trawler-style vessels) and brokerage services, though at much larger scale and broader geographic footprint.
• Boats Group (Boat Trader / boats.com): Large online boat listing marketplace with North American coverage. Comparable as a listing/marketing channel that competes for buyer attention against traditional broker-led content like Calibre's YouTube channel.
• Fraser Yachts: Global luxury yacht brokerage with presence in yachting hubs. Comparable brokerage model and commission-based revenue, though focused on the much higher end of the market than Calibre's typical sub-CAD $1M transactions.

Others

• Helmsman Trawlers: New trawler boat manufacturer for whom Calibre is an authorized BC dealer. Partner/supplier relationship but ecosystem participant that drives Calibre's new-boat revenue stream and differentiates its inventory.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/calibreyachtsales/videos
• Xx.com/calibreboats

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 Calibre Yachts Sales