Our Clients Say it Best….

 

Good Morning Kent,

We recently completed the purchase of a 1988 Morgan 41 through LYS. I just wanted to say that it was a pleasant experience working with Josh Johnson. He bought a lot of common sense and practical expertise to the resolution of the various issues.
We would obviously recommend your team , and Josh in particular , to anyone who asked.

Best Regards,
Derek M.

 

Good morning Kent,

I wanted to give a big shout out to Josh concerning my boat sale. It was long and tough but he was on top of everything when I checked in with him.

He kept me informed. He explained things that I didn’t understand.

And he got the appropriate people to get things fixed or shined up when needed.

I felt like I got top level service. Only thing that would have been better is if he could have made buyers appear much earlier! Haha. A little outside his skill set! But he did do a good job of matching a buyer with the boat I think.

Again,
Thank you,
Sandie M.

 

Dear Kent,

I wanted to take a moment to express my gratitude for the exceptional service you have provided Lisa and I us as the owner of our Catalina 445. Over the past two decades, Lisa and I have placed our trust in you as our yacht broker for several different sailboats. Each time, you have exceeded our expectations, and our experience with the Catalina 445 has been no exception.

We cannot begin to express the sheer joy and fulfillment we have experienced while sailing our boat in the beautiful British Virgin Islands. The Catalina 445 has become our ultimate gateway to adventure, exploration, and relaxation.

Thank you, Kent, for being an invaluable part of our sailing story. We wholeheartedly recommend Little Yacht Sales to anyone seeking a trusted and exceptional yacht brokerage experience.

With sincere appreciation,
Kirk and Lisa B.

 

Kent,

I’m writing this email to pass along how impressed I was with Josh Johnson who I recently worked with as my broker. I traveled from Fort Myers to your area to replace a boat I lost in hurricane Ian. At that time, I put a deposit on a Catalina 355 that Josh had listed. From the get go, I found Josh to be very easy to deal with. Not only was he knowledgeable about the boat but more importantly, he was organized, always took my calls and answered my emails promptly. While being very professional in acting as a broker, Josh had a nice, disarming way of interacting with me. I imagine he’s the same with others. As you probably know, buying a boat can at times be stressful and complicated. Josh helped minimize all that. In addition, after returning to the dock after the survey, he arrived with lunch for everyone on the boat. Wow, talk about going the extra mile!

It turned out that I didn’t accept the vessel which had very little to do with the vessel itself. I just found it too small for my charter business. During my time with Josh, I also had some interaction with your staff (Liz and Jordan) who I found to be very cordial and helpful.

I was CEO of a family manufacturing business for many years. If there was one thing I would often say to my staff it was “make it easy and fun for our customers to do business with us.” Seems like you have been saying the same thing.

Please feel free to share this with Josh and post it on your website.

Wishing you and the company well in the future.

Capt Rick Hartmann

 

Hello Kent,

I just wanted to pass on a word of thanks to Josh Johnson for his work in selling our Shannon 43 Ketch. Josh is solid, unflappable, and a steady hand, as well as an excellent communicator; all things we wanted in an agent.

Best wishes for 2023,
Bruce H.

 

Mr Little,

Jane and I want you to know how much we have enjoyed working with Josh Johnson over the years. He has helped us find wonderful boats that match both our budget and lifestyle. Josh has sold two of our boats for us, in less than 30 days! He is currently looking for our next boat.

Josh works hard and is such a professional. We have counted on him after the sale to recommend contractors and workmen, and we value the expertise that he has when he recommends someone to us.

We consider him to be a good friend.

Sincerely,
Gregory and Jane Westerfield

 

Kent,

I wanted to let you know what a good job Josh did representing me in my recent trawler purchase and brokering the sale of my sailboat.
The trawler was out of state and my first large motor vessel. Josh communicated well between myself and the selling broker to make sure everything was addressed, informed me of all steps during the process and was even present for the survey.

He also went above and beyond in helping with the sale of my Pacific Seacraft Orion. There were some items that I took care of prior to the survey which prolonged the sea trial and Josh helped arrange that in my absence while I was bringing my new boat back.

He is always helpful in sharing his knowledge and makes what could be a stressful time, much easier.
I will definitely recommend him to others.

Thanks.
Ladye Jane Stone

 

Kent,

I met Josh eight years ago when my wife and I were searching for a boat. During that process he was more than helpful, and we purchased what was likely to be our last boat. Over the years he has kept in touch about the boat, how it weathered the hurricane and such.

Over the past three years my health has headed the wrong way – not what I had planned for retirement. The past year has been a particular challenge, and the decision was made to sell the boat. Unfortunately, I’m not able to travel now, and when I contacted Josh he was more than willing to take care of any repairs and make ready for sale. It turned out there were several things that needed to be repaired, and he coordinated the work using several contractors. It was all done with first rate services and at reasonable prices.

Through all, Josh was personally very supportive. Selling the boat was not an easy decision to make. I am very appreciative of Josh’s extra efforts in this.

Richard F.

 

Kent,

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you and your sales team, especially Josh Johnson, for assisting me and my family in purchasing our sailboat. This process, at times, was frustrating, disappointing and exhausting , but after rejecting a few boats , Josh persevered in finding a boat that checked all the boxes, the Mystic. It was a real pleasure working with Josh knowing he had our backs and our best interests at heart.

Thanks again,
Greg D.

 

Dear Kent,

I just wanted to drop you a line and tell you what a fantastic job Josh Johnson did selling my boat. My boat was/is a 1983 Hunter 31 that I spent a lot of time, money and energy updating and maintaining. Josh was quick to realize that I could sell this boat for far more than I had anticipated. He did a great job of guiding me through the process, helping me set an appropriate price that would get her sold quickly. Everything happened as Josh anticipated and we sold the boat quickly. He kept me well informed regarding what was happening and what to expect. It was well worth the commission. If I’m ever in the boat market again, on either side of the transaction, Josh will be my first call.

Thanks for the great service!

Mike T.

 

Hi Ken and Liz,

We just wanted to thank you for all that your brokerage ‘family” did for us during our tragic loss while selling the boat.

They say the happiest times are when you buy your boat and sell your boat. Ours is bittersweet as our 21 years of family times spent on Mirage has come to an end. Josh was very diligent to see that she was going to another caring owner, and he succeeded. It would have been difficult to see her at the same dock and slip, so it’s best that she’s going north to Michigan. In addition to Josh, please convey to the following:

Big kudos to Betty who answered our many questions, your brokers, Rusty, Steve, John, Paul and Rick. Your daughter Jordan worked very hard to get the closing done quickly and efficiently. Your son-in-law Edward did a beautiful video. You both are very lucky to have them in your lives.

Thank you,
Gene & Maggie H.

 

Kent,

I am writing to say thank you for the great experience I had with your company while buying my boat. Josh Johnson was extremely helpful and went beyond all expectations to make the process as painless as possible. Very good and professional work, thank you LYS!

Thank you,
Dmitriy Y

 

Kent,

I just wanted to drop you a note about how pleased I am about the recent sale of our C320. I gave Josh Johnson a a call last month about selling our C320. I’m going to be be racing my MC Scow this season and didn’t want our Catalina to just sit. Not only did Josh find us a buyer within 3 days, he handled everything. I’m a United pilot and it’s our high season. If it were legal I could fly everyday as we’re short staffed. I had no time to fix anything. Josh scheduled the survey and the 3 maintenance items that resulted from it. We were closed money in my account in about 1 month. Josh, must be slipping a little though, he sold our C30 five years ago in 2 days. There is probably a boat sale record there, both boats in less than 1 week.

Thanks again,
Josh R.

 

Kent,

I just wanted to advise you how pleased I was in using your brokerage in the sale of my boat. It was a Morris 28 named “Brilliant “. I knew it would not move quickly because it was not popular in our area plus it was very expensive for it’s size. We hope the new owner will have it well taken care of for another 30 years. We were lucky to have Josh as our broker he was very knowledgeable and competent. His advice was all ways good. The sale went through without a hitch on our part.

Best to you and your crew in the coming year.

Sincerely,
Michael C Thoman ~ Happy Customer

 

Hi,

Just a quick note and thank you. I recently experienced the “fools rush in where angels fear to tread” old saying as I bought one of your listings site unseen from afar up here in Connecticut. The boat in question was a Morris Linda, originally designed to sail in Long Island sound and local environs and now needing some love and attention to bring her back to her former glory.

Through the process, the broker, Josh Johnson was a steady calming voice and
helped facilitate all the players, as I envisioned from afar everything
that could go wrong on my foolish quest.

Well with the boat now safely at my local yard before the snows settle in and the boat starts a winter long refit, It seems there must have been some angels at work after all. While I’m sure Josh got sick of my constant calls and messages, without him I wouldn’t have the best Christmas present ever!

So just a quick note of thanks to your team and to Josh for all their work.

– TK

 

Mr. Little,
I just wanted to share with you what a great experience we had working with Josh Johnson on our purchase of our new-to-us sailboat; a 1988 Catalina 30 MkII. Even though this is a small starter-range craft, Mr. Johnson treated us as if it were a huge, major sale. His willingness to patiently share his expertise and knowledge, attention to detail, and prompt responses when we had questions made the entire experience comfortable and pleasant. In addition, his knowledge of local service resources has proven invaluable.Our sincere thanks to Mr. Johnson and your company for making what could have been an intimidating experience stress-free and painless.Respectfully,
Capt. Carl G. Robert

 

Mr. Kent Little,

Just wanted to let you know we picked your companies service, because of our faith in Josh Johnson. We have trusted Josh with our boating needs since 1988. He communicated well and answered our questions. Thanks for having Josh on your team to help us.

Regards,
Edward & Debra Hughes

 

We just closed on the sale of our boat today and I wanted to make sure and let you know how happy we are with our experience with Burke Devereaux. I had 2 bad experiences with boat brokers prior to listing with him and was beginning to wonder if all boat dealers out there were just lazy liars that made promises and that was the extent of their ‘abilities’…but Burke did everything he said he would do, he went above and beyond, he was quick to respond to all emails and text messages and was just a pleasure to work with.We appreciate him for making the sell of our boat quick and efficient! I will be leaving good reviews on social media and will recommend him to others.

Kelly Willis
R T Willis

 

Kent,

Just wanted to thank your team, and especially Josh, for working hard to
sell my 38 Wauquiez.Great job seeing it to the end … overall win/win for the buyer and me.
Glad she went to a good owner.Regards,
Robert Baird

 

I wanted to write you anyway to let you know how much we have appreciated working with Josh. We appreciate his guidance and jumping on things quickly. My schedule has me traveling a lot so it makes it hard to be available to look at boats at times. Josh worked around my schedule and locked in on what we were looking for. I guess its probably normal but that changed at least two or three times. He worked us through features that we thought we didn’t want and features that we knew we wanted. Even those changed significantly. We sincerely appreciated the educational aspect as we moved toward finding the right boat. It’s a step up in size for us so having that guidance we felt was critical.Josh helped us put the right deal together so it worked for both us and the owner. The very first offer was what we closed on. That part too was no stress and pleasant. He articulated what each party wanted/needed and we got it done without any haggling.

It has been good working with you all. Thank you again for the note. I passed it on to my wife. She texted me and said she also really appreciated it.

Thanks,
Donnie and Krystine Curington

 

Our sincerest appreciation goes out to Rusty Hightower regarding the recent sale of our 1993 Catalina 42 sailboat. Rusty brokered our purchase of the boat 6 years ago. At that time, he identified the perfect boat for us and the purchase could not have gone more smoothly. Now our marine interests have evolved, and once again, Rusty brokered the sale of our boat in the most efficient manner. He quickly located the new owners even before the boat was listed on their website. Amazing!Sincerely,
Michael & Patrice Sharp

 

Hey Kent,

Just wanted to drop you a line and let you know that Josh was a big help when looking for a boat this month. We were able to drill down exactly to the boat I wanted, and he didn’t waste my time trying to upsell me to a giant boat that I didn’t want. He was professional and helpful the entire time. Will definitely contact you guys again when it comes time to either sell or upgrade.

I eventually got the 2019 Catalina 355 ‘Petite Bateau’. So far I’m loving it. She performed beautifully on the sail down to Corpus Christi. Its looking like Laura will miss Houston, and I hope all is well on and off the water for you all.

 

Josh sold our boat in less than a week. Very professional.Jim Hall

 

Many thanks to Josh for the quick and easy sale of my boat. I had a lot of questions and concern\s and he addressed each quickly and professionally. Thanks again Josh.Joe

 

Kent and John,
Thanks again for making the Sole Mate sale happen. The buyers and two other lookers who came to see the boat, said they had spent a long time looking at the pics on the website, and that the pics gave a very accurate view of our boat, once they saw it in person. Having various angles of view of our boat helped them get a good feel for it. Good job!Thanks. Give us a shout if you’re in the Dallas area.
Greg

 

I have just completed the sale of my Heritage East 36 with the excellent professional aid of Josh Johnson. Your organization is enhanced by Josh whose advice as to enhancement to the state of the boat was excellent. He is also very tenacious.

 

I recently purchased a cruising Catamaran from Little Yacht Sales in Kemah Tx. brokeraged by Capt. Rick Weiler, and I am here to tell you how happy I am with Little Yacht Sales in general and with Capt. Weiler in particular.Capt. Weiler has been sailing for 50 years and has been a broker for 10 yrs, so he has personally encountered just about any situation and challenge dealing with yachts. He is a Certified Yacht Broker, is past president of the Gulf Coast Yacht Brokers Association and has a vast number of connections in the trade, including mechanics, documentation services,electricians, general maintenance, etc, etc.
He was with me at every step of the way. Whatever issue we found he solved through his extensive network. He had satisfactory answers to all my inquiries.Capt Weiler negotiated the deal for me and it was straight forward; no BS. It was a win-win outcome and I got the price I wanted.
Capt. Weiler was accessible all the time, returned my calls in a timely fashion and anticipated whatever was to come down the road, so we were always prepared; no surprises.I was impressed with Capt. Rick Weiler, not only with his effectiveness and expertise, but even more pleased with his integrity and his reputation.
The sailboat I chose had many issues (which I knew before I bought), Capt Weiler helped me coordinate and resolve all of them. He had many opportunities to profit from me, yet he was most interested in my satisfaction and placed my welfare and interests above his. He is strictly honest and truthful. Although he mostly deals in very expensive yachts he treated me as if I were a VIP , even though my catamaran is only 35 ft
He has also continued to help me with wise advice and referrals after the sale.So in summary, I rate Capt Rick Wiler and Little Yacht Sales as exceptional, for making a pleasant experience of the purchase of my boat.GILBERT MANSO MD

 

Kent:I wanted to let you know how I appreciate the way Josh helped keep the issues that came up with our Catalina in proper perspective to the new owners. Any one of them might have been enough for them to have had concerns and lose interest. Josh also kept them going on a schedule for a prompt closing. I know that you played a major role in all of this too, but I wanted to recognize Josh’s many helpful contributions in this. As they say, success has many fathers.

Thanks again!
Logan

 

I would like to recommend Rusty Hightower for selling your vessel.I was a non-boat owner, since I inherited it upon my brothers passing. Rusty and the team at Little Yacht Sales took very good care of us. Everything was explained to us from A-Z. We had to transfer all the vessel documentation from my brothers name into our name in order to sell it. We were walked thru this process as well. Rusty gave us good advice in the care and maintenance of the boat. He guided us when we got an offer and helped us through the whole process.

Rusty was totally amazing and was readily available when questions arose. We could not have done this without his guidance and understanding because he was dealing with a novice in this process.

Sincerely,
Booth and Tanya Greenfield

 

Kent,

Just a quick note of thanks. The sale of my Catalina 350 represents the 5th transaction that Little Yachts has handled for me. Josh Johnson,miracle Man, did a fantastic job during these trying times in selling my boat in a matter of weeks. As usual, Josh handled the transaction in a very professional manner and closed a deal that all parties were happy with.

Again, thank you LYS and especially Josh.

Kind regards,
Tom Sims

 

Kent,

I believe Little Yacht Sales (and maybe its precursor?) has just sold the same Catalina 387 for the third time: new as “Dionysus” in 2004, to us as second owners in 2011 (we re-named her “Knot Working”), and now to her third owners this past week. Congratulations and thank you for your efforts.

More importantly thanks to Josh Johnson for making it happen (and by the way Josh was involved in both of our sales). His creative deal making made this one. Plus, I’m told we ran into three (3) unrelated and unforeseen problems on the day of the survey and test sail. Josh solved all of them with some help from three (3) contractors who responded immediately, and we were able to close. Our best to you, Josh!

Regards,
Clif and Nann Pearce

 

We worked with Ken Joyce at Little Yachts. We have met him a boat show. Our anxiety was high. We were buying our first boat. Our time was limited because of work commitments. Ken was informative and he inspired trust. We decided to buy a boat sight-unseen (like buying online!) and ship the boat to our home — halfway across the country. Friends said we were crazy to buy without first seeing a boat. But we are so pleased with our boat. It brings us peace and joy. Ken and Little Yachts provided value and a predictable experience.Lesley Markovitz

 

Kent,

I just wanted to take a moment and send you a thank you e-mail and personally recognize Burke Devereux. My wife and I just closed on a 1999 Carver 356 ACMY from Little Yacht Sales. I had first contacted Burke when I began looking for another vessel. Being a USCG 100T Captain for many years and having owned vessels for many years and having dealt with many brokers growing up in Florida I never look forward to dealing with brokers or sales people as you never know what you are going to get.

I was pleasantly surprised when I began working with Burke and can honestly say he has been our trusted advisor and yacht broker during the entire process, and we have benefited from his deep knowledge, skill, honesty and pleasant bedside manner and consider him a trusted friend now. My wife knowing nothing of boats had many questions, and certain things she was looking for, his communication throughout this process and helping my wife was invaluable, he answered texts, calls and went out of his way to make her feel confident in the vessel.

As with anything once you find your boat, all you can wish for is friction free transaction which is exactly what we received. Burke and the closing agent made every step hassle free, recommended insurance folks in the area and continued to go above and beyond. Once we had closed Burke still continues to impress us. Most brokers would move on from there to other customers as the sale had closed. Burke though has continued to assist both me and my wife, from helping identify mechanics and suppliers in the area all the way to recommending the best restaurant. We had a known issue with the generator on the boat & Burke has continued to help me with this to get it fixed, I travel a lot for work and he has made my life very uncomplicated helping me navigate this. I have learned through experience now that a having skilled broker performing this role in your corner is an essential requirement to boating happiness. While many of us have owned multiple boats over our lives, our perspectives are incredibly narrow compared to a true professional who has dedicated several decades to the industry and has direct experience with thousands of boats.

Burke handled the entire process with integrity and with an over-the-top level of service we were delighted by, Burke sets a gold standard example of what a yacht broker should be and would I venture to say he is clearly one of the top yacht brokers in the country, you are very lucky to have him on your team. Little Yacht Sales and Burke have now become my go to when I am need of selling a vessel or buying another one which we plan to do in the future when the kids move out. Thank you for providing your clients with knowledgeable brokers and a hassle free experience. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact.

Thanks,
Jake Reidenbach

 

I purchased a yacht and sold a yacht through LYS. Burke during the buying process was honest and knowledgeable, explaining every step of the process for us. When it was time to sell I came back to Burke. Burke and his partner Ken worked hard at showing and selling our yacht. When it’s time for our next yacht or sailboat, I’ll Come back to LYS.

 

Paul,

We took possession of Makani today (formally Dreamer). I just wanted to say thank you for all of your assistance, patience, advice and guidance for our family as we have navigated this process the last year and a half. You have been an amazing resource and a true pleasure to work with. Our experience with Little Yachts has been one that is reflective of the values of your business, dedicated to service and finding the right boat for the right buyer. We can not tell how appreciative we are that we found LYS, and especially you!

Chris, Jen, Taylor & Hayley (our pup) Hogue
S/V Makani

 

Kent,

I just wanted to drop you a quick note to say how pleased Jill and I are with LYS and especially with Josh’s help in selling our Catalina 387.  From our perspective, everything went very smoothly, and we got a very fair price for our boat.  If we meet anyone who’s in the market to buy or sell in the future, we’ll be sure to send them y’alls way.

Thanks again, and hope you guys have a successful open house this weekend!
Jeff and Jill Eschman

 

Dear Kent,

Josh asked me rate my purchase experience of No Worries from LYS.

My wife and I decided to buy a boat before we were too old to enjoy it. I’d been scanning the internet for boats for over a year and had narrowed the list to a Catalina 380 series for various reasons.

When I saw No Worries on your website, I figured it was as close as I was going to get to what I wanted. Josh was extremely helpful with my questions and concerns, as we hadn’t planned on buying until next year.

I’m a fairly cynical person, having spent over 30 years dealing with the federal government and large corporations as an airline pilot. I’ve not been as comfortable dealing with someone for a number of years as I’ve been with Josh. He’s an excellent representative of your brokerage and someone I’d recommend to friends and family if they’re in the market for a boat.

I respect the way he represented the seller as well as myself in my quest for the perfect boat. I’ve met the seller and due largely to Josh’s interaction, I think we’ll be friends far into the future.

I’ll be recommending your company to others. Thank you for the professionalism exhibited by your staff. A total newby like myself couldn’t ask for better hand holding.

Regards,
Rex Boyd

 

Rick,

Thank you so much for all of your help with Hattini, both the purchase and the sale. Your knowledge, experience and professionalism have added to the pleasure Rosemary and I experienced while owning Hattini. We both feel in the foreseeable future there will be another boat in our lives and we will reach out to you for guidance when that time comes.

Thanks again,
Dave and Rosemary

 

Rick,

Just wanted to drop you a note for all the help your boating knowledge was for us rookie buyers. When you didn’t have the exact boat we wanted you worked to find and get us the perfect fit. Your whole team made finding and purchasing our boat simple and fun. I especially appreciated the helpful list of marine service and supply people in the area. Hope to see you around on the lake.

Thanks again to your whole team.
Bruce & Lana Work
C’est la Vie
2007 Sea Ray 36SB

 

Kent,

Just wanted to let you know that my experience with Little Yacht Sales was a good one. I found Josh to be excellent an salesman. He advised me as to what was needed to sell my boat, and what should be expected in the sales process. He worked very hard. My expectations have been exceeded.

Thank you,
Don Griffin

 

Kent,

Thank you for all you do. We have worked with Paul for months now in our search for our new boat. I wanted to reach out to you today to let you how valuable Paul is to us in our search. Without him, I would be “lost at sea!” I have traveled to Florida on three occasions, two were to view boats prior to surveys. After two encounters with various brokers, I can smile with confidence knowing Paul will always shoot straight. I’m confident each member of your team brings something to each of your buyers, however, Paul is unique. I need that no pressure, confident, mindful, presence which he brings everyday, regardless if by email or in person. I look forward to the day we sign with Paul! 🙂

Gig’em!
Karen and Kelli

 

Hi Kent,

We recently bought a 37 foot Nordic Tug from Little Yacht Sales and I wanted to tell you what a great experience we had working with your staff, in particular, Josh Johnson. He was wonderful: was always available to answer questions, knew what he was talking about, put us in touch with a great surveyor, delivery captain, Mockingbird Marine, etc. He has taken care of having some of the delayed maintenance done, had the boat prepared for trucking, has overseen the loading and much more. Jo and I have been in boating for over 50 years and have never met a more competent individual.

Thanks,
John and Jo Aklonis

 

Kent,

I wanted to take a moment to share my Little Yacht Sales buying experience with you. Josh Johnson was always there to answer all of the questions that my wife and I had throughout the entire process. Because this was our first sailboat purchase we had a lot of questions. Josh was professional and answered all that we had even after hours. He knows sailboats inside and out especially Catalina’s. He found us a Catalina C30 Mark III at the right price in great shape and we closed in 11 days. Wow that was fast. Josh even helped us get some repairs done on a few minor issues found during the survey and worked with the owner to pay for the repairs. Josh Johnson and Little Yacht Sales will always be my first recommendation.

Thank you for everything,
Jody & Mary La Point

 

Kent,

I just wanted to drop you a line and tell you what a great job Josh did for us. We purchased a C30 from you about 5 years ago thru Josh. I finally got it nearly perfect when my wife spotted a C320 that Josh had listed. The boat needed a little work so I thought about it and made what I thought was a fair offer and it was accepted. I then listed our C30 with Josh which he had sold nearly immediately. He got us our asking price less about $1600 for a few items found during survey. In a total of 11 days from when we looked at the C320 we owned it and had the cash in our account for the boat we sold. Josh even lined up a contractor for the repairs to our old boat as I’m busy flying during Xmas season. I’m pretty sure that has to be a record, I’ve never heard of anything happening that fast. We could not be happier.

Thanks again,
Josh Rubin

 

Kent,

I wanted to take a moment and provide some feedback on David Jackson.

In October 2018 we purchased our first sailboat, a 2001 Hunter 340.

From the first time we walked in the door at 4:30 on a Friday, David acted as a trusted advisor in helping us select the right boat for our needs. He is a wealth of knowledge and his expertise made us feel comfortable during the sales process.

Through the entire deal David was there for us with any questions, concerns and provided assistance with negotiations. We even spoke a few times while he was on vacation, sailing in the Northeast.

David also helped coordinate repairs to the vessel prior to purchase, as well as after the sale.

Most recently, we had quite a scary experience. As we were motoring out of Watergate for a nice sunset sail, we noticed a plume of black smoke come out of the exhaust. I immediately went down below and upon opening the stair cover to the engine compartment, the entire cabin was filled with black smoke. Once I realized there was no evidence of fire, I went to work troubleshooting the problem. With my wife at the helm, she quickly steered us across the channel and into Clear Lake to avoid any boat traffic. Ultimately we had a failure of the exhaust mixing elbow and had to be towed back to dock. Unfortunately our sunset sail that evening was cut short.

Why I tell you this story is because of the response we got from David and his action to get the boat back in order. I reached out to David after the incident to see if he had any recommendations for a mechanic. He contacted me back quickly and didn’t just provide a referral, he apologized for the problem. That’s right, he showed genuine concern for what had happened to us. With us being new to sailing, it was nice to have someone to count on when such a stressful event took place. He then went into problem solving mode and coordinated the repair work and had our boat running again in a matter of days.

Please share this with David and let him know he has made a customer for life. We won’t need another boat anytime in the near future, however I can tell you that when we upgrade, my first call will be to David.

I hope you all have a Merry Christmas and a safe and Happy New Year.

Sincerely,
The Hopkins Family

 

Over the past several months it has been our pleasure to work with our boat broker, Bobby Brown from
Little Yacht Sales. Our boat, a Catalina 470, was a very large and relatively expensive boat to move in
this market. Bobby, working with Little Yacht Sales, was able to have our boat proximately featured a
number of times in South Winds Magazine. He insured that the boat was featured on key websites and
arranged to have a video imbedded in the ads and on YouTube. He kept us informed about the market,
the number of views that our boat received and advised us on pricing, and recent sales of 470’s.I found Bobby knowledgeable and helpful when showing the boat to prospective buyers. As a former
boat surveyor he was able to work with the buyer’s surveyor and educate him on items they did not
understand about our boat and politely challenge him on wrong assumptions.We found Mr. Brown friendly, courteous, and always calm when dealing with us or a prospective buyer.
He was always available to us when we had questions was always present when the boat was being
shown. We feel he as always gone above and beyond. In the end we received a bid that exceeded our
expectations. We would highly recommend Mr. Brown to anyone wanting sell their boat.John and Diane Welsh

 

Hi Kent,
Just wanted to tell you about the positive experience I had dealing with David Jackson , we felt like he was a neutral party helping both sides to reach a agreement, plus he stepped up to help with getting shipping quotes that helped seal the deal for me. Great job !

Sincerely Daryl P.

 

I recently purchased my marlow hunter 31 from little yacht sales in Texas. Being from California I was apprehensive about the whole process. I flew to Texas to survey the boat and it was smooth sailing all the way through. David Jackson handled all of the details even our stay in Kemah. Every detailed was attended to by David and the boat just arrived in Santa Barbara by truck and its going in the water Friday. David made my year and when I buy another boat I’m calling him first.Cheers!
J.Tuley

 

I recently purchased a boat out of Texas and being from New York I was very apprehensive because I would not be traveling to see it first hand. Enter Rusty Hightower, the salesman that represented my interest during the process. I can’t say enough, he was honest, patient and thorough. Rusty went above and beyond, he suggested a number of surveyors and shippers to research which I to use. He also helped the negotiation process along. Even after the purchase was complete he assisted me in finding a local marina to complete some work that needed to be done and made sure they didn’t take advantage by padding the invoice.When I’m ready to trade up, Rusty will be the first person I call to sell my current boat and find me a bigger one. You don’t meet many honorable people in life but Rusty Hightower is definitely one of those people.

Kind Regards,
Thomas Folise

 

I wanted to reach out to you and recognize Josh Johnson for making my last boat purchase such a pleasure. He helped explain the process to my wife and answer her many questions. He has made himself available and has been prompt in getting back to us with information.I know that we will enjoy the Catalina 350, and just wanted to say thanks to Josh and Little Yacht Sales.

Tom Sims

 

I cannot even begin to tell you how much of a help Capt Rick has been through the process. He kept us centered and on point, and truly made the decision making process much easier. I appreciate how Capt Rick has gone out of his way to assist us, especially yesterday with helping us move the boat to our new slip. Thanks again sir, you’re the best.Mark and Jean Pearson 422 S/Y

 

My wife and I worked with Rusty Hightower when purchasing our sailboat. Unlike previous brokers who attempted to show us only the good characteristics of the boat (and sometimes attempted to hide problems!) he boarded vessels with us and and picked apart absolutely everything. Rusty made certain that we were aware of both the positive and negative aspects of whatever boat we looked at, and knew exactly what we were getting into. Rusty and the rest of the staff at Little Yacht Sales displayed an extreme amount of patience with a couple of newbies and made the purchase process fun and painless.Greg Kufchak

 

It is my absolute pleasure to recommend Rusty Hightower as a business partner in the high end marine industry. Rusty has proven himself to be highly knowledgeable, professional, and a pleasure to work with. Not only did he walk my wife and I through our first yacht purchase with extreme patience, He also made sure we were comfortable with all aspects of the transaction.In working with Rusty, I found him very personal with great communications skills. He made the overall process smooth and enjoyable. Rusty took the time to show us every inch of the boat and explain the systems and functions (sometimes twice) until we felt comfortable. After the sale Rusty made sure we were doing OK with regular follow up calls. Through the process of purchasing our boat from Little Yacht Sales, I feel a gained a friend in Rusty.

Rusty never tried to pressure us or push into a sale. This is where I think he really went above the typical role of a sales professional. As with a used boat purchase, some things have needed to be addressed. Rusty has come out to our boat on more than one occasion to help with issues and often to correct my self-inflicted user errors. Thank you Rusty.

Please feel free to contact me should you like to discuss Rusty professionalism and courtesy. I’m happy to expand on my recommendation.

Sincerely,
Jeff Peterson

 

I wish to express my sincere thanks to Josh Johnson for the effort he put into our search for the perfect sail boat. We were referred to Josh from Craig Allison. We first met with Josh over a year ago. He was most patient in his determination to understand what our desires and needs were in a sailboat. We had just moved onto a canal in Bal Harbor and through his questions and showing us a variety of boats came to understand our desires.Months later we re contacted him saying we had narrowed it down some and raised our price range. After some discussion we made an appointment to see a few boats. While looking at a couple of boats, which he felt were in our window, he suggested we look at another boat which had just come on the market.

When he suggested the type of boat, we said that we had not been looking at that brand because we felt it would always be out of our price range he said it was an older boat but in perfect condition and in his opinion the perfect boat for our usage desires and budget.

After looking at Stardust, an Island Packet 31, we fell in love and it turned out to be the PERFECT boat for us.

Without Josh’s acumen we would never have found this boat. It is beautifully maintained and loaded with everything we could want.
Josh is extremely knowledgeable of all brands of boats and was able to help us compare the advantages and disadvantages of various boats.

I would recommend him to ANBODY looking for a personal fit for a boat.

He is patient, meticulous, knowledgeable, genteel and did I mention patient?

Even after the sale when I had questions he directed us to the right professionals and even contacted the sellers for information I needed.

I cannot say enough about his professionalism.

Plus which I made a new sailing friend.

I will be happy to recommend him to anyone if you have them call me.

Best Regards

Jim Deforest

 

Hi Kent,I wanted to let you know that Josh did a great job selling me the 37 c&l. This is the first boat of this size and most expensive boat I’ve bought. The deal took several days longer than it should have because the boat had issues which prevented the sea trial until Thursday afternoon. Josh did his best considering the circumstances and I am happy with the deal.

-Philip Tompkins

 

Dear Rick,
You folks have been really great to work with and if you need a recommendation ever let me know I have never worked with anyone any better. And that is from start (nearly three years ago) to completion. Thanks to you and Kent and every one at Little yacht sales.Thanks again,
Bill and Glenda Stallings

 

I have admired the Catalina 310 for years so when it was time for my wife and I to buy a sail boat we went looking for a 310. I called Josh to ask about the only one in this part of the country. My wife and I own a real-estate office and were surprised at how much similarity there is between buying a boat and buying a house. Anyway I just wanted to let you know that Josh has been a huge help for us through the buying and to my pleasant surprise after the sale too. We have had a thousand questions and Josh has been providing us with much needed information and also services in the area. We have decided to stay in Kemah for a while so we can continue to use Josh’s expertise. It has taken a lot of the worry out of buying this boat having Josh available to help us. I would happily recommend him to friends and family.Tom MacNeil

 

Kent,This testimonial has been long in coming, but my delay in no way diminishes the appreciation that we feel for our broker, Rusty Hightower. We are soon approaching the ownership of our Catalina 42. We believe that Rusty accurately paired us with a sailboat that we continue to be completely satisfied. Equally important, our satisfaction with Rusty, and his ongoing advice and actual sailing experience, leaves us as pleased today as we were almost 3 years ago. My eternal thanks to you and your staff, and especially, Rusty.

M. Sharp

 

Kent,
Our experience working with Josh Johnson was great. He sold a sailboat of ours a few years back while we moved on to fishing. We have always been drawn back to sailing and would often walk the docks to look. Josh would always greet us and spent time with us answering questions. His knowledge and willingness to share is amazing. This year we were ready to buy. Josh helped us find the perfect boat for us. He always followed up quickly with our many questions during the buying process. After the sale, he has helped out with recommendations for contractors and products. We are totally pleased.Mike and Denise Harrell

 

Kent Little,
Really enjoyed working with Josh on our purchase of the Catalina 400. I think he went far above the call of duty on making things satisfactory for us. I noticed the time stamp on one e mail from him was at 1:00 AM. This is the 2nd boat i have purchased from Josh over the years. I remember the great service from the past and that is why i looked him up this time. Thanks again.

 

Kent,
I can’t imagine having better help selling a boat than Josh. An A to Z guy all the way.
Stunning!!!
Gene Hause

 

Thanks for your help today in closing the sale for Reflection, and bringing the boat to South Shore Marina. I am impressed with your vast knowledge, and professionalism. I will recommend you to my friends if they ever want to buy a boat.
Thanks again,
Hauk and Carol S/V Reflection

 

Kent,
I just wanted to let you know about that great experience I had at Little Yacht. I bought my boat from Josh Johnson in 2012 and sold it last week I used Josh as my broker. His knowledge and experience made both buying and selling our boat an easy and stress free process. Our boat. Was posted on your web page listing on a Thursday evening and we had a contract on it the next day. It was had to believe the boat sold so fast. Just an example of you great staff. If I am ever in the market to buy another boat I will contact Josh at Little Yacht.Thanks,
Ken

 

I have recently completed the purchase of a brokerage Defever 52 trawler from Kent Little. At the very beginning of our months long interaction he told me that he would be there to help with his services before, during and after the sale. Boy has he! This is my 5th boat, (8th including dinghy’s), and I have never dealt with a better, more diligent, more honest or more helpful broker while either buying or selling a boat. I live in San Diego and the boat was in Texas so it was even more stressful on me trying to get surveys, sea trials, repairs, improvements, etc., scheduled and done. Kent was invaluable in this regard and freely and generously gave his time and expertise in getting everything accomplished and within the time frame needed. I asked for a lot and I don’t recall him ever saying no. I cannot recommend him more highly if you are looking to buy or sell a power or sail boat.

Sincerely,
Jeff Pollak

 

Hi Kent,
I am the purchaser of the Cheoy Lee “Le Gale” a Golden Wave 42. Josh Johnson was the broker that introduced me to the boat and guided me through the process. He is a true professional and a tremendous asset to your office and the boat brokerage business. He helped me and the seller throughout the transaction while always doing his best to do the right things for his client and me. Even after the sale, he continued to assist me by providing me with contacts to help get estimates and work done on the boat.I have been in the real estate business for 45 years and have always been a broker/owner and manager of a brokerage office. I have trained agents all my life and am still mentoring and training them today. The character and values that Josh displays is something I always try to instill in my agents. I always tell them that our job is not to sell a house, it is to help people get what they want and need. We sometimes have to show them how to get it, and that’s where the “sales” come in. Josh did all that and more. I would whole heartedly recommend Josh and your company to anyone looking to buy or sell their boat.Thank You for having someone as professional, informed and a pleasure to work with as Josh on your staff.
Buford Eddy

 

Kent –
I wanted to drop you a note to mention how helpful Josh was in the recent sale of our boat. When my wife and I finally decided it was time to sell it, we were hoping that we could get the transaction completed quickly and with a minimum of hassle. Josh handled everything, gave us some really good advice about how to get her ready, and found a buyer much faster than we had thought. The whole process was very easy and it is obvious that Josh is very experienced and knew exactly what he was doing. We got a fair price and we were both amazed at how smooth the entire process went.I’m sure you know that Little Yacht Sales is lucky to have him and if / when we get ready for our next boat we’ll be starting with your company and with Josh.Thanks and Best Regards,
John and Annette Coon

 

Dear Little Yacht Sales,
At the conclusion of our “boat buying experience” we would like to recognize the efforts and professionalism of our sales representative Rusty Hightower. Rusty was always enthusiastic and supportive as we looked, and eventually found our perfect boat. He supplied us with great amounts of financing information and boat knowledge that enabled us to weigh and measure our boat buying options and reflect on what would be our best decision. We could count on Rusty always returning our calls promptly and finding the time for us to take another look at the boat for one reason or another.Rusty became more than a sales representative to us. He became our friend and ally. Our experience with finding our boat had some real challenges but with Mr. Hightower’s expert guidance and positive attitude we persevered! Little Yacht Sales is very fortunate to have Rusty Hightower in their employ and we feel extremely lucky to have had Rusty on our side every step of the way.Warmest regards,
Priscilla McCool and Benton Ray

 

Rusty Hightower was the broker that we chose to help us find the perfect boat for us. We looked at several boats online for months, so Rusty made the process a lot faster and smoother. We told him all the things that we were looking for on the boat and he did the research for us.Not only did he show us a few boats, but he saved my purse from the water when I fell off a boat and landed on the pier. He took the time to explain every step to us in a way that we would understand. He walked us through the whole process.

Rusty was always reachable by phone or text whenever we had a question. If I know of anyone looking to buy a boat, I would highly recommend Rusty Hightower as a first class broker.

Robin Hollis

 

I would like to thank Captain Rick Weiler for all his help through the process of buying our first yacht. He dealt with my constant questions my constant phone calls and texts with a smile on his face. You can tell when you speak to him that he truly loves his job.Chad & Jeanne ’95 Catalina 36 “Back Pay”

 

Kent:
Thank you, Josh Johnson, and Little Yacht Sales so much for making my purchase of Catalina 30 sailboat “Irie” so pleasant. I am very happy and proud of my boat.
I took a stab in the dark several months ago after viewing LYS videos on Youtube and contacted Josh Joshnson. Josh responded and graciously agreed to assist me in finding a suitable sailboat. He answered all my questions and showed me different boats to assist me in refining my search. I decided the Catalina 30 was just right and selected one of two boats Josh showed me. His expertise and experience proved invaluable to me before, during, and after the sale.
Josh is very amicable and straight forward and a good listener – qualities I admire. His “open-door” policy and willingness to provide assistance has continued after the sale. I really appreciate that.
Josh is an asset to LYS. I will contact him again in the future when I decide to upgrade to a larger sailboat.Jim Sheffield

 

Kent,
just wanted to drop you a line and make you aware of the great help and service Josh has been to us over the years.
About 4years ago we bought one of Josh’s listings. We didn’t buy through Josh, But through Don at HSH. we had been dealing with Don for years. After the sale we had a chance to talk with Josh be fore we moved the boat. He shared a great deal of helpful information with us.
Since that time we have visited a couple times a year and part of our visits include coming by to see Josh. He is still helpful and forthcoming with information every time we stop by. You may know that Don retired last year so when ever we here of anyone looking for a new or different boat we will be sending them Josh’s way.Thanks for your time,
Terry Williams

 

Hello Kent,
I just wanted to complement the great job that Josh has done in helping me sell my boat. I have been trying to sell it through different brokers for the past three years, namely Mayer Yachts, but it wasn’t until I contacted Josh this past May that anything was really done. I had moved to Florida and selling a boat in Texas was an experience to say the least but Josh was a tremendous help. Not only was he very professional, at times he seemed to go beyond in helping me repair necessary items to get the boat sold. I feel that this was also done with him trying to keep expenses to a minimum.
He did an excellent job and represented your company very well. If I were ever asked to recommend someone, Little Yachts and Josh would be at the top of my list.Sincerely,
Johnny Mitchell

 

I had my boat listed, and now sold with you, specifically dealing with Josh Johnson. We had many issues, but Josh stayed the course, was very patient, and provided much help in finally selling my boat.
I thought you should know.Sincerely,
Steve Krupp

 

To whom it may concern:
I recently completed a boat purchase transaction with Kent Little of Little Yacht Sales and Texas Power Yachts. Kent actually represented the seller as the listing broker and I contacted him as an out of state (California) buyer who was interested in the boat. From the very inception, the whole process was handled very professionally by Kent and all my anxiety and concerns about being an out of state buyer were thoroughly put to rest. Kent and his team really went out of their way to make sure everything went absolutely smoothly and all questions were answered promptly. This included the initial dialogue, purchase price negotiations, purchase/sale and Coast Guard documentation paperwork, setting up a mechanical inspection, setting up a professional vessel survey, scheduling and completing agreed repairs before shipping and even the boat transport arrangements to ship the boat to California. All in all, I can say the entire experience probably could not have gone any smoother and successfully. Everything as was as advertised and the boat was delivered as planned. I confidently recommend Kent to anyone in need of a boat or wanting to sell one, whether in Texas or anywhere else.
Ray Meyer

 

I feel for a first boat purchase, we were really lucky to find someone like Rusty. He was very helpful and informative, as well as being organized and on time with all of our appointments. Throughout the process there were many different people involved and Rusty always managed to bring in the best. Our inspector Lou, was incredibly thorough and extremely knowledgeable about boats. The mechanic Will was able to install the parts we needed to get the boat up to speed and even came back to make another repair after the purchase. He was so professional and reasonable that I will use him for all of our mechanical needs. Captain Scott was also great at handling the boat and explain what to watch for. Even Rusty’s recommendation for financing and who to go to was a success. After our purchase, Rusty has written to check in on us and reminds us that he is there to answer any questions…. and he has been! I realize too that with Rusty comes the best of the best and we now know a team of people we can trust which is huge in the sailing world. Especially for those of us that are new to this lifestyle. I feel like there are many who would look to take advantage but Rusty has surrounded himself with people you can count on. Just a few months in the boaters world and I have heard horror stories about lackluster brokers…. that’s not an issue with Rusty!
~Rachel G.

 

Hello Kent- I want to thank you for having Josh Johnson on your broker team. Josh helped us buy our first sailboat in February and turned -what we thought would be cumbersome- into an enjoyable experience.
Josh has the experience, knowledge, and the patience we heard so much about. But, what made the experience different is that Josh made us into lifetime customers for him and for LYS.
Josh never came across as a “Transactional” broker to us even though we were rookie buyers and buyers of an entry level vessel. He invested time and effort in making sure we were completely comfortable with the boat evaluation and purchase process.
Please don’t let him retire anytime soon! He can keep buying and selling for as long as we keep coming back to him for help.
Thank you again from your very satisfied clients, Orlando & Silvia Saenz.
Boat purchased- 1995 Hunter 336 “The Bounty”

 

I’m from Louisiana and had been looking at boats online for about 24 months when I decided to travel to the Galveston Bay Area and purchase my first sailboat.
After meeting with several sales people I came across Little Yacht Sales and more specifically Rusty Hightower.
Even though I am new to sailing and had a lot of questions Rusty was always, available, friendly, and most of all informative. He took extra time showing me a variety of boats and helped me understand the differences between them.
I found Rusty to be as professional as he was friendly and he made my purchasing experience as enjoyable as it was successful.
I’ve named my boat “Gratitude” and that sums up my feeling toward Rusty and Little Yacht Sales.
Thanks Rusty for helping make my sailing dreams come true…
Kind Regards,
Chris D Lormand
S/V Gratitude

 

Hi Kent,
I would like to express my appreciation for the great job that Josh Johnson has done for us in helping us with the purchase of our dream boat.
Not only did Josh display a high level of integrity and honesty during the purchase process but he was always very helpful and accommodating with our requests for information.
Josh has gone out of his way to make this a very hassle free and pleasurable experience for us, and I would recommend him to anyone considering buying a boat in Texas.
Cheers!
Tony & Cheryl Bale

 

Kent,
I’m sorry I never met you, but I wanted you to know that your people, and in specific, Josh Johnson, were “above & beyond” what would normally be accepted as expected normal business practices. I cannot brag on Josh enough! He was so very helpful to me in a lot of extraordinary situations. They may or may not have been normal to him, l don’t know, but he made me feel that they were normal to him and they were not a “complication” to the purchase of my boat. Thanks to you and your staff, and in particular Josh, for making a difficult process, EASY.
THANX AGAIN!
Gary Surber

 

Rick,
Thanks for your good advice and guidance throughout the vessel acquisition process. We were lucky to have found you and could not have successfully completed this deal on our own. It has been quite an experience but I have to admit, I am happy it has concluded.
Rick, have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year and thanks again for everything.
Ron & Dianne ’95 Catalina/Morgan 45

 

Once again, Little Yacht Sales has been a great partner in our sailing adventures. We’ve now purchased and sold three boats with the outstanding help of Josh Johnson. He knows boats, has the eye to help buyers sort through the truly important from the trivial, and has the gift to bring transactions to a conclusion in a fair way for both sides. Two of our purchases were Island Packets, including our most recent transaction of selling an IP27. Josh found a buyer within three weeks!
As we’ve hung around the docks and yards of Galveston and Aransas Bays I’ve been amazed to hear how many others know Josh or know of Josh. His fine reputation is well deserved.
We’re taking a break from ownership to do a little chartering. When that time comes to pick up another saltwater boat, we’ll be calling Little Yacht Sales and Josh.
Rev. Dr. Dave Wasserman, Honorably Retired

 

Hello David,
Just a short note to thank you for hanging in there with us as we worked through the Sea Ray 240 purchase. I am sure the little boats are a pain compared to the larger ones you guys broker, but you never made us feel that way.
Boat purchases don’t happen very often for us, so we appreciate your experience and knowledge.
As we take our next step, you will be the first one we look up for help – hopefully it won’t be too long.
Also thanks to John for the test drive and personally delivering the boat to my drive way.
I will not hesitate to recommend LYS to anyone.
Thanks again,
Jeff and Beth

 

Hi Josh,
Our neat boat arrived in Corpus Christi last night. We are extremely pleased with the boat and especially with the expert professional service you provided us during our search.
While searching around for a boat we saw a potential listing you had, and we recalled that we had bought a new S2 from you back in the 80’s. Time flies by, but we got re-acquainted and provided you some idea of what we were looking for. Shortly then after you recommended an Island Packet 27 that you had just taken in. After some discussions, and pictures, etc. we decided to make an offer and you assisted in working out a fair and equitable deal to both parties with a minimum of hassles. We made the trip to view the boat and arrived on a Sunday night. We didn’t dream that we would ever be able to concluded the deal in one three day trip. But you made it happen.
We decided to take the boat and by some magic we had a survey and haul out on Tuesday, signed the papers and made the necessary financial arrangements on Wednesday, and yesterday the really excellent Captain you recommended delivered the boat after a 36 hour journey.
So we found the perfect boat thanks to your expert advice, and we concluded the deal in record time due to you organizational skills and contacts.
We are extremely pleased with the advice, service, and excellent communication you provided during this transaction. We highly recommend you to anyone looking for the “right” boat.
Thanks again, and you may offer our recommendation to others as desired.
Best Regards,
Lillian and Chuck

 

We listed our boat with Little Yacht Sales and Capt Rick Weiler because we were familiar with their professionalism and position in the market. Rick helped us get the boat ready to sell and even found a minor issue with the boat when he moved it over to the brokerage docks. With his help we got it fixed and the boat sold in just a few weeks and for a good price. I will be coming back to Capt Rick when we are ready to buy our next yacht.
Bud and Christel 2005 Catalina 387

 

I’d just want to share my experience purchasing my boat with Capt Rick, Rick was very attentive in responding to me and representing the boat and process of purchasing a boat to me. He worked hard to get everything set up for the survey in advance as I was coming in from out of State. The surveyor did an outstanding job and even pulled me aside to tell me I was working with one of the best brokers in the area. I would highly recommend using Capt Rick Weiler as your broker.

 

Brad & I want to thank you for being the best boat broker ever! Our Catalina 38.7 sailboat had been on the market for almost a year in the Pensacola/Mobile area with only 1 offer which eventually fell threw. You provided a Captain to take our boat to Houston to your brokerage company. That was such a worthwhile investment. It was so much less stress on our part in the delivery process of our boat. Your attention to detail was fantastic. You de-cluttered our boat. You cleaned and detailed the boat inside and outside. Your pre-survey found flaws which we addressed ahead of time. The one survey performed previously in our area did not detect any problems which was not accurate. You detailed mechanical parts to eliminate any corrosion which had occurred from use. You were able to provide us with a top dollar price for our boat plus we felt so secure that the new owners had a truly sound vessel. Thank you again for your professionalism. You followed through with everything you promised.
We would highly recommended you & your brokerage company to everyone.Sincerely,
Brad and Janet Newhall

 

Kent,
Just purchased a used Hunter 33 from Josh, he also sold a boat for us last November, a boat that had been listed at another brokerage for around a year. Josh sold it in a month or so. I am really impressed with his service & knowledge, good guy to do business with…

 

I just want to take the time to say how much we appreciate Josh Johnson. We first met Josh when we purchased “Big Fun” in 2003. We had never owned a Sailboat and he took the time to help us through the entire process including bringing her to her new home since we had never sailed before. We had problems getting into the slip and although the on-lookers wanted to continue to pull her in, Josh had the good sense to advise us to hire a diver to further access the situation. We did and lo and behold, we would have drug our new boat onto an oyster bed!
Fast forward to 2014 and it is time for new adventures and putting “Big Fun” on the Market. We knew immediately who we wanted to list with. We called Josh, he gave us advice on what we should do to make her ready. We followed that advice and it wasn’t a week later we were writing a contract for the sale! Josh is extremely knowledgeable, professional, courteous and has a knack for matching up people with the right boat for them. We are proud to have known Josh as a friend through the years.
Thanks Josh Johnson!

 

Josh Johnson has been a wonderful help in selling our boat. He not only acted as our broker, he guided me in preparing the boat and acted more like a friend in preparing me for losing what has been part of our life for many years years.
D.Pickering

 

We were very pleased with the level of service and the professionalism of everyone associated with Little Yacht Sales. I contacted Kent about selling our boat when we were considering buying a new one. Once we decided to list the boat Kent turned me over to Rusty Hightower to handle everything. What a great move!!! Rusty did a great job on the photos and listing and went right to work finding a buyer. Much to our delight, he found one quicker that we ever thought possible. I can’t say enough about how helpful Rusty was. He kept us informed about any inquires and showings of the boat and was there to help if needed. I highly recommend Rusty Hightower and Little Yacht Sales to anyone looking for a brokerage company.
Ted & Claire E.

 

Thank you, Kent, Liz and Dave. It was a pleasure working with you. Dave was very cordial, helpful and professional, every step of the way.
Best regards,
Rhonda

 

Rick,
I just wanted to thank you again for taking time out of your Sunday to help me move the boat. I truly appreciate it. Your effort, patience, guidance and professionalism throughout this process both on the selling of Many Miles and the purchase of Intrinsic Value made it simple and very pleasant. My experience in business has taught me that people that make a difference in regards to the success of a company. I will surely recommend you and Little Yacht Sales to anyone wishing to sell or purchase a boat.
Thanks,
David

 

Rick,
Everyone I worked with at Little Yacht Sales (you, Josh, Betty and Liz) was very professional and very helpful in helping me sell my boat. I am very happy with my decision to list with your company – I don’t think I could have made a better one.
I was quite pleased and impressed by the work you did to photograph and video the boat then market it on the internet. I am also grateful for the help you gave me in setting a realistic selling price and working my way through the rest of the process. All in all, I don’t see how things could have gone much better, and I am most satisfied with the result. I think Bob Wingard is too. That’s a pretty good net result – a satisfied seller and a happy buyer – don’t you think?
Please feel free to use me as a reference if the need should arise in the future.
Thanks again, and all the best to you and the staff of Little Yacht Sales. -Pat

 

David Jackson helped me purchase my sailboat, and then when my plans changed eight years later, he helped me sell my boat. Throughout the entire process, he and the LYS team have always been honest, professional and hard working. They broadly marketed my boat, appropriately negotiated and successfully closed the transactions without any glitches or surprises. David was also a great source for advice as well as referrals to maintenance and other service providers. I happily recommend David and LYS without any reservations or hesitation. – Robert Shelton

 

We had a wonderful experience with buying our Catalina Sailboat from LYS and Josh Johnson. This was our first time to buy with a broker and it helped with understanding how to do it correctly and not have any unexpected surprises later. I would definitely call on Josh again.-Brian & Sherry Boles

 

We have nothing but high praise for our recent boat buying experience with LYS and Josh Johnson. We are first-time boat buyers, and we are very appreciative of Josh’s experience, knowledge, and patience. He took the time to thoroughly explain the buying process, to show us a variety of boats (which really helped us figure out exactly what we wanted), and to define terms we were unfamiliar with and explain repairs that were needed. We anticipate a long happy relationship with LYS in the future, and would definitely call on Josh again when it comes time to sell or buy. We are incredibly thankful to have worked with such a knowledgable professional. (And we are “Love Struck” with our new sailboat!)

Sincerely,
Steve and Amy Holdaway

 

I also want to express my sincere appreciation for what you have done for us in selling these two boats (one power and one sail). In my opinion you and your team have gone above and beyond any expectations I had for these transactions and what I thought would be a long drawn out process has happened so much faster than I ever thought possible. And all of this while my wife and I have been half a world away. Every time we speak to anyone about the sale of both of these boats please know that everyone will know that we could not have done it without you. I will recommend you to everyone I meet that wants to buy or sell a vessel and when we return and start looking for our retirement cat please know you will be in the middle of that deal whichever way we decide to go. Once again thank you for all you have done for us. I’ll see you when I return at the end of the month.-Gary Vaughan

 

I use a Kent Little Yachts sales to guide me through the purchase and followed his advice. Best thing I ever did. He recommended several Surveyors. I used Rick Shelley out of Cape Coral Florida. He was familiar with the Gemini’s but not what I would call an expert on one. However he knew exactly what to do. Over a 4 hour period the he looked at and tested everything more than once. When He didn’t know exactly how something work(head valves settings) he looked over the manual and then tested it several times. Every inch of the boat was looked. He found chafe points and point out everything that was even OK but felt maybe there was a better way. I’ll use both men in the future. Sorry for the sales pitch on these guys but they deserve it, I got a great boat at a good price. I had my little issues along the way and this list has solved them. ~Joe Gemini 34 “Sunrise”

 

Kent has been our (husband Gary & I) yacht broker/consultant >20yrs. He knows all there is to know about boats (sail & power), readily shares his knowledge & has endless patience. We wouldn’t think about buying/selling a boat without consulting Kent. He has earned our friendship & respect. Kent has impeccable integrity, is always reliable, trustworthy, & consistently solid/stable.~Debbie Leonhardt

 

Thank you for making this adventure possible! We have enjoyed working with you and appreciate your prompt attention .– KARI & DOUG, NEW CATALINA 385 CUSTOMERS

 

Thank you Captain Rick for a wonderful experience aboard the O’day. We are very pleased with the boat and the service you have provided. It is rare to find people today that take such pride in their job, but you have gone over and beyond our expectations with answering all of our questions. It has been a great buying experience. Regards,–BRENT COLEMAN

 

My wife and I would like to express our satisfaction with our recent experience in listing and selling our IP 350 within a month. Josh Johnson provided the experience, knowledge and professionalism to facilitate this excellent result. We were very impressed with the entire Little staff and would definitely recommend Little Yacht Sales to anyone looking for a broker who is dedicated to achieving results. ~Ed and Lucille Rainwater

 

Dear Josh,
Thank You for making our recent boat purchase such a positive experience. I had been out of boating for a number of years and this was Lisa’s first boat purchasing experience. Your knowledge of boats, the boating community and your patience were greatly appreciated. Although our purchase was small your time, availability and attention to detail was large. We look forward to doing business with you in the future and would recommend you to anyone looking to buy or sale a boat.Sincerely,
Tom & Lisa Slagle

 

My wife and I just returned from the maiden voyage of our Catalina 320 sold to us by Josh Johnson, Little Yacht Services. The boat is everything promised and more!
Hats off to Josh for sticking with us for 4-5 years and dozens of boats. He never flinched while we meandered our way through the buying/discovery sequence one takes when shopping for just the right boat.
When it is time to trade up, Josh, your our guy!
Thanks for hanging in there,
Gene and Katherine Hause

 

Dear Kent and Liz,
Wishing you and the girls a very Merry Christmas and a fabulous and very prosperous New Year! Sharon and I thank you very much for our “Gypsy Moon” polo shirts… which we will get around to ordering shortly…. It has been a hectic Christmas this year. And Kent I want to personally thank you for reigniting my passion in sailing… giving me something positive to focus on during a very difficult time in my life. Now I can finally spend more time sailing and less time as a nautical mechanic! Sincerely, Sharon and Ellis ~ New Catalina 355

 

We have purchased two boats with Kent’s assistance over the past five years. The ultimate testimony to our complete trust in his professionalism and honesty was the purchase of a used Beneteau 42cc sight unseen in October 2007 and when it landed in Brisbane, Australia we were delighted. She was in even better condition than what Kent had represented. Throughout the sale process nothing was too much trouble for Kent who provided informed answers to all our questions and also arranged the preparation and delivery to port of shipment. We are now the proud owners of a Vagabond 42 (now cruising the States and Caribbean) courtesy of Kent’s expert market knowledge and tireless efforts. ~Gary & Rae Nicholas

 

Dear Kent,
I seldom take the time to write letters, particularly testimonial type letters but your standard of service and performance throughout the search for and purchase of our boat has been so good that I would be remiss if I did not thank you in writing.
Throughout the process you were always willing to educate and humor me without ever making me feel badly about my relative lack of knowledge. You were always willing to go the extra mile whether it was showing of boats here in the area or going out of the way while in another area to check out a possible lead. You helped us narrow down choices and prioritize needs until we were able to make an informed decision.
You were always willing to share your thoughts and your resources and never once did you show impatience with either me or my wife with our myriad of questions and concerns.
Also your service and commitment did not end when the sale was completed and you had your commission- it has continued through the delivery. This commitment to excellence is not seen often in business and speaks well for you personally and professionally. So this is a long way to go about saying it but Thanks for everything you have one for us and please feel free to use me as a reference at any time.Sincerely Yours,
Matthew Dehn

 

Hi Cap’n Rick, … That’s fantastic (Regarding closing sale of their boat)! A really great job by you and your team. By the way, we really liked the video that you shot. We will be waiting for the contract, will sign, scan, and send back ASAP. Thanks again.–BOB AND JO CASTO, MAY 26, 2012

 

Credible, honest, trusted, helpful, personable!–TIM CLIPSON, SAILOR, PRESIDENT LIFE! INC., PROFESSOR SFASU

 

Kent,
What can we say that has not already been said? You have been so incredibly patient with us over many years in our ongoing search for the perfect live-aboard sailing vessel. You are a true professional, extremely knowledgeable, and willing to share your experiences to help guide us in our pursuits. You allowed us time to grow as we picked your brain for ideas and went from a pocket-sailor to a weekend sailor. Finally after many years of bearing with us, you listed & sold our Beneteau 331 when the economy was going down. You were fair on all levels of the deal (Jan2011). Having always purchased a new vessel you were there to guide us through the used vessel market as we searched for the live-aboard that will take us into retirement and the islands. Thanks for allowing us the time to find our “old gal” (Beneteau 44 CC) and sharing you network of trustworthy providers in the marine industry to help refit the old gal. You have become a trusted friend, appreciated for your honesty and steadfastness. We wish you nothing but success!
Fair winds,
Gary & Debbie Leonhardt, s/v Aldebaran

 

Kent,
I want to thank you for all of the help you have given us in purchasing our dream. From the start you provided the information we needed to choose the right boat and then went above and beyond to gather details, get pictures, travel with me to inspect, etc. We have really been impressed with your “after sale” involvement, too, even to the point of helping us dock for the first time at the pump-out station! We appreciate all of the local professional references you have provided and your 28+ years of experience made our experience a lot of fun. You eased the stress of learning all the many things and people we needed to know. We’ll be referring any prospective boat buyers to you.
Bill Carmichael
“Kairos”
Tayana 48

 

We listed our boat with Kent in December and in less than 30 days we had a buyer! Thanks for a job well done.
Kirk and Tricia Knorr
Ex Owners-Catalina 400

 

I want to thank Kent and his crew for such a Great job and listing and selling our sailboat. He was available whenever we needed him and even took the time to be available for the survey when we were out of town. Thanks for your service and such a pleasant experience.
Wade & Debra Bradford

 

Hi Kent,
Back in Nov. 2007 you brokered the sale of a Stamas 44 named “Gemini Dream” – I was the buyer. I’ve been out of the “loop” for a while cruising on that boat. The boat is now docked at Isla Xalaja (www.xalaja.com) on the Rio Dulce in Guatemala and is ready for more fun in Honduras and Belize this spring. I saw that you now have your own brokerage… that’s great. I hope all is working out for you there. I just wanted to drop you a note to wish you well and let you know that three years after purchase, we’re enjoying our boat to the MAXIMUM extent humanly possible… Thanks!
Russ Williams

 

I’ve bought 2 boats thru Kent and sold 2 boats thru Kent and each transaction exceeded my expectations. Kent does a great job! Also he has an extensive support network that he uses to “help with the details” and get the deals done smoothly and right. Looking forward to the next Boat!
Also happens to be a great guy and good friend!
Coby Knox

 

I Met Kent about 10 years ago when a buddy bought a new sailboat from him. Kent got my email address and has kept in constant contact ever sense. When it came time to buy our 65′ Marquis Motor Yacht I knew who to call.
We purchased literally the largest boat on Lake of the Ozarks with the intention of moving it overland to the Mississippi and ultimately to the Gulf. I’m going to really test Kent on this one. Oversize and overweight – this will be one to watch.
As a first time boat buyer, I needed a lot of hand holding and Kent was a real trooper. It was very important in this deal to have the experience and contacts that Kent provided.
Hopefully, I’ll be trading up in a couple of years and you can bet Kent will be involved.
Mark Huffstutler
65′ Marquis “Alpenglow”

 

Hi Kent-
I wanted to thank you for your assistance in our recent purchase of our Beneteau 311. As the broker for the seller, you exceeded my expectations as far as being professional, patient and fair.
I also appreciate your continued assistance in sharing your experience/knowledge in response to the many questions I seem to keep coming across in getting going on my “new” boat.
Kindest regards,
Mike Strachan

 

Kent,
I’m very pleased with the deal and I am very excited to have this boat (Albin 28). It is more my style than the sail boat, although I am happy to have had the experience with the Beneteau 393. It was a pleasure to work with you too Kent. I have confidence in your integrity and respect for your work ethic – although it took you almost four days from the sale of the Beneteau before you offered to sell me another boat (are you slipping)?
Bill and Barbara Brock
Albin 28TE

 

Dear Kent:
I want to thank you for an outstanding job in helping me sell my sailboat, First Choice. After sitting with another broker for over a year, you had an offer on First Choice in 30 days and we closed shortly thereafter. You did a very skillful job in this currently slow market.
I also have great respect for the way you handled the final negotiations. Not only was the buyer from another state, he was often hesitant to move forward and concerned about minute details. Every time it appeared he might back off, your experience and creativity saved the day. And you are now going the extra mile to supervise shipping the boat to California for the buyer as a part of the closing negotiations.
I would be pleased to recommend you to anyone wanting to sell a boat. I can surely assure them that you and your team will work smart and hard on their behalf, which is what any seller would be seeking first and foremost.
Thanks again for all of your hard work.Sincerely,
William H. Choice

 

Dear Kent,
I just wanted to take the opportunity to thank you for all of your help in helping us find the perfect sailboat for us. You made the shopping and purchasing of our boat very enjoyable. We appreciate your being available whenever we had questions or issues concerning the process.
We are enjoying our boat and have been out on it every weekend since we signed the papers. It also nice to have you check in with us and make sure that everything is going well.
If we ever know of anyone interested in purchasing a boat we will definitely give them your name. For sure we will be calling you if we ever want to upgrade to a larger boat.
Thanks again,
Chuck and Barb Dusold

 

Dear Kent,
Shirley and I wish to express our appreciation for your efforts in the sale of our sailboat, Moon Shadow. Early last summer we decided that we were more suited to living on land rather than living aboard. We had taken our boat from Kemah, TX to the Florida Keys. Our experience purchasing the boat from you was so pleasant that we felt that selling the boat would be just as good of an experience. At that time we contacted Kent about the sale of our boat.
Before we left our boat in Marathon in July, Kent started preparing a sales brochure. We contacted a delivery captain who was unable to move the boat until later that month. Due to the unusual weather conditions this summer he had to make the trip in two legs. When the boat arrived in Kemah, Kent contacted us as the boat was being tied to the dock. Since we still had personal items on the boat I went to Texas to retrieve those items and make sure the boat was ready to be put on the market. While I was at the marina, Kent informed me that he had prospective buyers scheduled to see the boat within seventy-two hours of its arrival.
When I returned home, I told Shirley that the boat was already schedule to be shown. We were both surprised to find out that we had two offers the day after I returned. Later that afternoon all the details had been worked-out. Everything went smoothly with one exception, Hurricane Ike, struck the marina. The boat survived and during those stressful times Kent kept us fully informed of the conditions on Galveston Bay and Clear Lake.
Kent kept us continually informed of the process as it progressed from the beginning to the end of the sale. In our case, Kent took care of the many details on the “two best days in a boat owner’s life.” Thanks again for all of your help and the professional manner you handled all of our boating needs.Sincerely,
Mark & Shirley Fickie

 

Dear Kent,
I just want to thank you for helping Lynn & I find our perfect sailing yacht to fulfill our retirement dreams. This process began when we sold our Catalina 250 and bought a Catalina 30 from you almost 5 years ago. The C30 was a good boat but most of all it was what Lynn called our “Hop boat”. I worked on the C30 to make it like brand new and in the process learned about the all the systems on a beginning level cruising boat. It took two years of working on the C30 2-3 times a week to get her in Bristol condition. During the last two years however, I started researching the internet for our next boat which I determined would be a 38-44’ cruising boat that would be safe, comfortable, and fun to sail. I compiled a list of over 60 sailboats that might be the one and created a spreadsheet so I could compare their specifications, design ratios, and market prices. Every time one of the boats on the list showed up in the Kemah area for sale I called you up and asked to see the boat/s. You always accommodated our time schedule and patiently showed us every boat that was of any interest to us and even some that I am sure you knew was not the right boat for us. I am not sure how many weekends we came to the Kemah area to look at boats but I know you must have showed us no less than 25 different yachts in the 38-44’ range.
I remember coming down to look at a couple of boats and as we were about to leave the docks and head home you suggested that we look at this Endeavour 42 you had just sold. I was not that interested in the boat since it was not on my list but Lynn wanted to board the boat and look around. Sure enough the boat was impressive enough to make it to the top ten on the list, and to make this long story short the boat came up for sale two years later and with your help we are now the proud owners of that very same E42.
Your ability to personalize the experience and be on call all the time to answer questions/concerns made, what could have been an overwhelming experience, a great experience. Your support after the sale is priceless as we learn how to navigate the Kemah area to find a boat yard, marina, and who to turn to for any service that we need for the boat. We found our boat with and made a great friend,
Thank you,
Lynn & Steve Steakley

 

Kent did a great job assisting us buying a boat. We pestered him with questions and calls and he never lost patience. He was extremely helpful in guiding us on our boat buying experience and we are grateful for all he has done. We now have a Catalina 42!
Rodney Tow

 

Kent was an awesome when assisting me with purchasing my new boat. Like everyone I guess I bugged him with with silly questions sometimes. But always he was a gentleman and professional. I’m the proud owner of a new Beneteau 34 (ME II), thanks to Kent.
Carlos Townsend

 

Have now bought two boats with Kent’s assistance. Being a good Brit I need to shop hard and view every possible vessel at least ten times. Kent’s patience during this process is truly impressive – not a single “hurry up” from him.
Both boats have been unusual and Kent’s knowledge and advice has been invaluable when making decisions on suitability and price.
He’s someone that can be trusted.
Regards,
Greg Donnelly

 

I was pleased with the professionalism and ease of dealing with Kent Little on the recent sale of our C&C 115. You guys made it easy !
Sincerly
Dave Christensen

 

Dear Kent,
I just wanted to take the opportunity to thank you for all of your help in helping us find the perfect sailboat for us. You made the shopping and purchasing of our boat very enjoyable. We appreciate your being available whenever we had questions or issues concerning the process.
We are enjoying our boat and have been out on it every weekend since we signed the papers. It also nice to have you check in with us and make sure that everything is going well.
If we ever know of anyone interested in purchasing a boat we will definitely give them your name. For sure we will be calling you if we ever want to upgrade to a larger boat.
Thanks again,
Chuck and Barb Dusold

 

Rick was great. He closed a deal that required international correspondence while I was in South America and the seller was in Asia. He put everything together, helped sail her for a short sea trial and still took the time to check in after the sale to make sure everything was okay. Rick’s help and patience is appreciated. He is an experienced professional … I’ve recommended him to friends who also dream of owning a sailboat.–ARTIE MAXWELL, CUSTOMER

 

Rick,
Just wanted to touch base. First of all, thank you very much for the bottle of champagne. That was a very nice touch, thank you for helping us secure this boat. We are very happy to have her.–WAYNE AND CONNIE, TARTAN 37 BUYERS

 

Kent,
As you know, Kathy and I are very happy with our Catalina and with your service. Below is an entry you can add to your blog.
I just completed the purchase of a used Catalina 387 from Kent Little. Kent worked his tail off for us. He not only did his job as the selling broker but also filled in when the seller and listing agent seemed lethargic. My friends know me as the “picky old bastard”. I can complain about almost anything. Kent was perfect! He answered all of our questions and took care of every detail. I have absolutely no complaints, only praise for the service that Kent provided. I most highly recommend Kent Little to anyone in need of the services of a professional yacht broker.Sincerely,
Dave Cochrun

 

To Whom it may concern,
I’ve known Kent Little for about 10 years. He has assisted me in 4 boat transactions. All have been very professionally handled from start to finish. 2 have been out of the area and were a little complicated. Not “Cookie Cutter Deals” and all still went smoothly. I would not consider buying or selling a boat without the expertise of Kent. Not only is he a great broker but a good person that I call friend.
Good Sailing,
Rick Erwin

 

Kent,
Thanks for all the effort and time you put into finding us the perfect boat at a price we could afford. Sorry it took us 3 years of looking. Jackie and I will always be greatful for the time you spent searching for us. Like you said, our old Lord Nelson was a great boat, but when it comes to sailing, it doesn’t compare to the Pacific Seacraft. Also, want to thank you for loaning us all your charts of the lower Caribbean. We’re on our way back to Texas and should be there mid June. Would love to have you and Liz over for dinner and drinks again. I’ll call as we get closer. Thanks again for everything.
Bill and Jackie Chalmers S/V Freya

 

The ad for the boat came out on Thursday, I saw the ad Friday, looked at the boat Saturday, and signed the papers that afternoon. After a quick haul and survey began one of my fondest dreams of having my own Yacht with the transaction completed in 3 days. WOW! That was FAST! With his knowledge and support this was a very quick and pleasurable experience.
Thanks Again and C-U-Later
Terry Minter

 

Kent helped my wife and me with a deal that I wouldn’t have thought could be done. We traded our boat for another used boat, which was in turn traded for another. Getting everyone involved in the transaction to understand what was going on and shepherd it through to completion required patience and knowledge, both traits that Kent has in ample supply. The deal went through with nary a bump, and I couldn’t be happier.
John Lehman

 

A friend recommended that I talk to Kent about buying a sail boat several years ago after the Harvest Moon Regatta. After looking at countless boats over the last several years he helped me get into the perfect boat and my wife and I are very proud owners.
Kent has taken great care of me from financing to after sale service and I have already recommended them to several people.
Thanks Kent for helping make my sailing dreams come true, your patience and professionalism was very much appreciated during the whole buying and commisioning process.
Fair Winds
Mark Romanchock

 

My wife and I had been discussing the sale of our 1999 Catalina 320 due to possible job relocations later this year. Since we purchased the boat from Kent Little, and were happy with that transaction, we felt he would be the right person to sell the boat for us. Based on a discussion with Kent during the 2009 Reliant Center boat show about the market for vessels such as ours, we listed the boat a couple of weeks later. When we signed the listing agreement, we had an expectation that we would continue sailing her for another few months until a buyer was found. Ultimately, that was not the case as Kent located a buyer and provided a written offer a week later.
During the process of offer and acceptance, Kent was realistic about what we could expect regarding the negotiation and closing process, and his assessment of the situation proved to be spot on. In addition, the staff at Kent was very helpful in explaining the process of closing and funds transfer. In the end, we were extremely satisfied with Kent’s efforts, and our only disappointment was that the transaction occurred so quickly, we did not even have time for a farewell sail before turning her over to the new owners. When the time comes for us to purchase our next sailing vessel, we will definitely call on Kent Little.”
Regards, Chris Manges

 

Kent helped us buy Heatwave our Beneteau 42s7 new in 1997. He was very patient with us to be sure that we got the boat that was right for us. Great boat.
As we moved on, he sold that boat and helped us buy 3 more (one lost in Ike, still have the other 2). On each deal Kent has found a way to make or save money for us in the negotiation process but, even more importantly, he has been my friend and consultant every step of the way. I trust his judgement and advice completely. He’s my guy!
Thank you Kent for all you have done and will do going foward!!!!
Chuck Buckner
Grand Banks 42–Valerie Ann
One Design 35–Revolution

 

Kent,
I just thought I would drop you a line and tell you how much Carmen and I enjoy sailing “C Charmer”. Owning and sailing the C&C 121 has been a great experience for us.
Tom and Carmen Washburn

 

I met with Kent one week before hurricane Ike struck, I had come down to see a Beneteu 37. Kent had just sold it so we looked at a 34 and just talked for a while about what we were looking for in a new boat. Between September 08 and May 09, I must have called, emailed, stopped by for a visit or otherwise contacted him more than a dozen times. It did not matter if I was asking about his listing, his competitor’s listing, an out of state listing, or his general opinion of a make of boat, he was always freindly and helpful. He never pressured me in any particular direction or to make a decision. In May of 09, we finally decided on a Beneteau 37, the same place we started 8 months before. We took delivery and have been very happy since. I can recommend Kent without the slightest hesitation and I will buy my next boat from him also.
James and Debbie Copeland

 

Kent,
A note to thank you and all the Kent folks for working with us on the purchase and commissioning of the first Catalina 445 in Texas. I am especially grateful for your traveling with us to the Catalina factory to assist in the outfitting process.
I’m amazed at the level of service we received after the commissioning from your staff as well as Catalina. This is how customer service should be defined. Thanks again and smooth sailing.
Dave Jupp

 

Just want to say thanks again for the help in buying and
selling the boat. It became part of the family and was tough to let it go.
I hope I can give you some more business in the future.
Thanks again,
Danny Quick

 

My father purchased a 47′ Catalina from Kent in 2007. In 2008, about a year after I graduated from college, my dad passed away and the economy took a turn for the worst. My family and I were not in the position to realistically keep the 470 so we turned to Kent. Kent treated us like family. Over a period of a few months and 3 boat deals later Kent was able to help us get a fair deal out of the 47′ and left me with a 34′ Catalina. Kent was a pleasure to work with.
Chad Colwell
Catalina 34

 

Kent Little is the most knowledgeable and professional yacht broker I have ever worked with. I have purchased two boats with Kent, one of which we have put more than 20000 miles under the keel wandering around in the Caribbean. Anytime I have had a question, a problem, or an issue, Kent has been there with his contacts and his expertise. When you buy a boat with Kent Little you get a lifetime of service after the sail and a good friend in the deal.
Bryan Sawyer
S. V. Callisto
Vagabond 42

 

Kent has sold two sailboats for us and in each case I have been most happy with his professionalism and manner in which he treated both the buyer and the seller. His ability to locate suitable buyers (even in these difficult times) is remarkable. To me, Sealake and particularly, Kent is the only place to buy/sell a sailboat in the Galveston bay area.
Tom and Jan Taggart

 

We initially met Kent through an online search for sailboats in the Texas area. It was a stroke of good luck, as it turned out Kent was knowledgeable about most boats anywhere especially in Texas. We are new at sailing and with that lack of nautical background, we could have opened ourselves up to any sort of slick salesman’s tactics. Everything I asked Kent about, he responded with an honest, forthright answer. He never tried pressure sales, but we were enlightened as to what type of boat we would enjoy for our type of sailing. Although we slightly broke our budget our commitment to the quality of boat we were wanting, steered our decision more than Kent had to. Kent is a true sales pro and I would whole-heartedly refer him to a friend and I do hope he can be our broker when we upgrade. And if it is any further proof as to how positively both parties feel after the sale, using Kent… we bought the boat from the Taggarts. Thanks again Kent for your help and friendship!
Tim and Sharon Daugherty

 

Rick was a great asset to have on this trip. Thanks again Rick!!! If anybody out there is looking for crew give him a shout, I can’t recommend him enough, he even cooks!!! Also, if you are looking to buy or sell a boat he can help you out.–STEVE SCHLOSSER, OWNER OF CHARTER CAT “ALTERNATE LATITUDE”

 

Sailing has been a true joy to both my wife and I, so it was a tough decision to sell our Catalina 310. Having ruined my knee badly, I finally admitted that a wet, rolling, pitching deck was no longer the place for me. Josh worked hard and sold the boat in 7 weeks and apologized profusely because “it took so long”. We couldn’t have been more pleased with the outcome and we appreciate all the effort Josh put into finding a new home for our sweet boat.-Lee Mixon

 

To whom it may concern,
I recently purchased a boat with the expert help of Capt. Rick Weiler. I wanted to let you know what a great experience it was to work with Rick. His wealth of knowledge and contacts within the local boating community were a tremendous help as he was able to provide me with information on the costs and lead times for work that may need to be performed or possible upgrades. Thank You Capt. Rick for all of your hard work and dedication! I would highly recommend Capt. Rick Weiler to anyone who is in the market to purchase a boat!!!!~Most Sincerely,
Robert Arnold