Down East Yachting

What Down East Yachting does

Down East Yachting is a privately-held, family-owned yacht sales and brokerage firm founded in West Michigan around 2006 by Craig and Emilie Wierda, now operating across Florida's East Coast and Michigan's Great Lakes regions. The company serves as the premier authorized dealer for two Maine-built premium Downeast motor yacht brands — Sabre Yachts (38-58 feet with Volvo IPS pod drives) and Back Cove Yachts (30-41 feet with single diesel or outboard propulsion) — covering both territories under exclusive manufacturer agreements. In addition to new yacht sales, the firm operates a brokerage house for used Downeast motor yachts and runs a co-brokerage network featuring 304+ partner listings.

The business generates revenue through three transaction-based commission streams: dealer margins on new Sabre and Back Cove yacht sales, brokerage commissions on used boat transactions, and co-brokerage commission shares on partner-listed vessels. Pricing is quote-based with individual yacht prices ranging from approximately $80,000 to $3,495,000+. Go-to-market relies on enterprise field sales through three physical office locations (Jupiter FL, Holland MI, Harbor Springs MI), participation in major Florida boat shows (Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Palm Beach, Stuart), and a Boats Group-powered digital inventory platform with social media presence across Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn.

The technology stack is minimal and undifferentiated at the firm level: the website and digital inventory system are provided by Boats Group, a third-party platform that also powers co-brokerage listing management. Vessel-level digital features such as the Sabre Connect telematics system are manufacturer-developed rather than proprietary to Down East Yachting. The company employs approximately 5 people including CPYB-certified brokers with multi-decade industry tenure, and is currently in its second generation of family ownership with Christian "Chip" Wierda representing succession continuity.

Name

Down East Yachting

Legal name

Down East Yachting

Website

https://downeastyachting.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Down East Yachting is a family-owned yacht dealership and brokerage serving as the premier authorized dealer for Sabre Yachts and Back Cove Yachts across Florida's East Coast and Michigan's Great Lakes, offering new yacht sales, used brokerage, and co-brokerage services to high-net-worth boat buyers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Yacht Sales and Brokerage

NAICS

Boat Dealers (441222), Motorcycle, Boat, and Other Motor Vehicle Dealers (44122)

akta.pro primary industry

Semi-Custom & Series Production Yacht Manufacturing (IMAJAEAM)

Keywords

• Yacht sales brokerage
• Premium motor yachts
• New boat dealer
• Used yacht brokerage
• Downeast style yachts

Headquarters

HQ city

Jupiter, FL

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. New Yacht Sales: Commission-based sales of new Sabre Yachts and Back Cove Yachts as an authorized dealer for Florida and the Great Lakes regions. Revenue generated through dealer margins on new boat sales.
2. Brokerage Services: Brokerage house focusing on high-end, down east motor yacht marketplace. They represent buyers and sellers, earning commissions on completed transactions. Also offers co-brokerage services for boats listed through their network.
3. Co-Brokerage: Listing and selling boats from other brokerages through their network, earning commission shares on successful transactions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Down East Yachting is an authorized dealer and brokerage house for premium Down East motor yachts, representing Sabre Yachts (38-58 ft Salon Express models) and Back Cove Yachts (30-41 ft cruisers) across Florida's East Coast and Michigan's Great Lakes. The firm sells new yachts, brokers used vessels, and lists co-brokerage boats through its network, generating revenue from commissions and dealer margins on completed transactions.

Product overview

Down East Yachting operates as a yacht sales and brokerage firm representing two Maine-based motor yacht brands: Sabre Yachts (ranging 38-58 feet with Volvo IPS pod drives) and Back Cove Yachts (30-41 feet with single diesel straight-shaft propulsion). The company functions as an authorized dealer for Florida's East Coast and Michigan's Great Lakes, offering new boat sales, brokerage services, and co-brokerage listings of used vessels. Sabre models feature advanced digital systems including Sabre Connect for remote vessel monitoring, while Back Cove models emphasize traditional Downeast styling with fuel-efficient diesel engines.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sabre Yachts (Full Lineup) Authorized dealer sales of premium Sabre Salon Express motor yachts ranging from 38 to 58 feet, featuring classic Downeast styling, Volvo IPS dual pod drives, and Maine craftsmanship. Models available include the Sabre 43, 45, 48, 51, and 58 Salon Express.
• Back Cove Yachts (Full Lineup) Authorized dealer sales of traditional Downeast-style Back Cove cruising yachts from 30 to 41 feet, powered by single diesel engines with straight shaft or outboard propulsion, built in Maine using vacuum infusion technology. Models include the Back Cove 34O, 372, 39O, and 412.
• Used Yacht Brokerage Services Brokerage house focused on the high-end Down East motor yacht marketplace, representing buyers and sellers of used vessels and earning commissions on completed transactions. Individual boat prices range from approximately $80,000 to $3,495,000+.
• Co-Brokerage Listings Listing and selling boats from other brokerages through Down East Yachting's network, with 304+ boats available across the co-brokerage database. The firm earns commission shares on successful transactions.
• Sabre 51 Salon Express New 51-foot Salon Express model featuring advanced digital systems including Sabre Connect for remote vessel monitoring, Volvo IPS 800 propulsion, joystick controls, and enhanced exterior lounging areas with expanded cockpit space. First available delivery Spring 2026.
• Back Cove 412 Flagship Back Cove model at 41 feet (42-foot length overall), now designated as the Back Cove 412, featuring a single diesel engine with straight shaft, Volvo D8 600hp standard or D11 725hp option with Slow Speed Mode, with 2025 updates including frameless windows and Glendinning cord reel.

Named customers5 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Sabre YachtscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPremier authorized dealer for Sabre Yachts covering Florida's East Coast and Michigan's Great Lakes. Sabre Yachts are renowned for classic designs, industry-leading quality, and nautically sensible style, crafted in the Maine Tradition. Down East Yachting represents the full Sabre lineup including Salon Express models from 38 to 58 feet.
• Back Cove YachtscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPremier authorized dealer for Back Cove Yachts on Florida's East Coast and Michigan's Great Lakes. Back Cove Yachts specializes in 30' to 41' cruisers featuring single diesel engine, straight shaft or outboard options. The brand focuses on practical elegance and Maine craftsmanship.
• Boats GroupcoreTechnology or IntegrationWebsite platform provider powering the digital inventory system and co-brokerage network. Boats Group provides the technology infrastructure for listing management, search functionality, and online customer engagement.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Allied Marine: Established national yacht brokerage and dealer representing multiple premium brands. Comparable as a broader incumbent operating at greater scale in the same yacht brokerage/sales category.
• YachtWorld: Boats Group-owned online yacht marketplace that powers Down East Yachting's own listings. Comparable as the broader platform incumbent aggregating brokerage inventory nationally and competing for buyer attention.

Direct peers

• Jeff Brown Yachts: Yacht dealership/brokerage with Florida presence focused on premium motor yacht brands. Comparable regional competitor targeting the same HNW buyer pool.
• Luke Brown Yachts: Fort Lauderdale-based yacht brokerage specializing in premium motor yachts. Comparable as a Florida luxury yacht broker competing for the same HNW clientele and brokerage listings.
• Rick Obey & Associates: Florida-based yacht brokerage focused on premium motor yachts and sport yachts. Comparable as a relationship-driven regional broker targeting similar clientele.
• Denison Yachting: Multi-office yacht brokerage with strong Florida presence and broad new/pre-owned inventory. Directly comparable business model, target customer, and reliance on co-brokerage networks to drive volume.
• Galati Yacht Sales: Multi-brand yacht brokerage and dealership operating across the Florida Gulf Coast. Directly comparable as a regional premium yacht dealer serving affluent buyers with new and brokerage inventory, overlapping target customer and manufacturer relationships.
• HMY Yacht Sales: Large yacht brokerage with multiple Florida locations and a co-brokerage platform. Comparable as a regional yacht dealership/brokerage targeting HNW buyers with new and brokerage inventory across multiple premium brands.
• United Yacht Sales: Yacht brokerage with multiple Florida and Southeast locations focused on motor yacht sales and brokerage. Directly comparable regional yacht dealer/broker with overlapping customer base and product mix.

Others

• Boats Group: Technology platform powering Down East Yachting's website, inventory management, and co-brokerage network. Adjacent ecosystem participant rather than a direct competitor, but its broader platform reach shapes the competitive landscape.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/downeastyachting
• Facebookfacebook.com/DownEastYachting
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/down-east-yachting
• Instagraminstagram.com/downeyachting

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 Down East Yachting