Bob Marston sold us our boat and, when we were ready to part with her after 18 years of wonderful sailing, he sold her (again) for us. The boat was a delight, and both transactions went smoothly and fully met our expectations. We would turn to him again without reservation.
-Owner, Oyster 56
New to cruising, we spent countless hours researching online, trying to determine what the best yacht would be for us. After months of arduous searching, we were growing frustrated until we reached out to Wellington Yacht Partners. Their response was immediate and they connected us with Bill Haynie which turned out to be better than we could have possibly imagined. In a very methodical way, Bill was able to get us organized with what was important to us and then narrowed down our search. Bill was great at listening and being patient as we stepped through the process without ever a hint of pressure. Bill made us aware of every listing that met our criteria, and he found us the perfect match.
After some research we found the best Surveyor in the Buffalo region. Shortly into the survey he conceded that Bill knew far more about the overall workings of the yacht than he did. Bill was very diligent at reaching out to multiple sources to resolve every open item from the survey. The selling broker admitted that the deal would have fallen apart if it were not for Bill’s astute negotiating skills with an emotionally attached seller. Bill guided us through every step of the process and connected us with his network to pull it all together with Wellington Yacht Partners.
With deal done, Bill switched from being our broker to being our instructor/Captain. Looking back, this was the single best decision of the entire process, as we feel it cut many months off of our learning curve. We would never consider selling or buying without going through Bill and Wellington.
-Mike & Michele, 38' Sabre
Ted, Our sincere thanks to you and the entire team at Wellington for helping us navigate the successful sale of ITHAKA. You did a great job, and it’s very much appreciated! Sincerely, Gil and Charlene
-Gil and Charlene, Bristol 45.5
My experience with Wellington Yacht Partners is that they are not just trying to sell yachts, but are working to match their clients with the right boat for them. They want customers not just for a deal, but for a lifetime.
Chris Fairfax spent an incredible amount of time with my wife and me trying to understand our goals, capabilities and budget before exhaustively searching for our perfect boat. He met us countless times all over the country looking for the right fit and actually talked us down in size, for which we are now very grateful.
Chris arranged three surveys for us with extremely thorough surveyors, who in two cases found enough problems with the yacht that Chris advised us against closing. Conventional wisdom decries allowing a yacht broker to hire the surveyor, but this tenet does not apply to the folks at Wellington.
Once we finally found the perfect boat that surveyed acceptably, and the deal was closed, Chris’ involvement did not end. He helped arrange numerous contractors and found a reliable manager to undertake a significant refit in a location far from our home base. He even took us out sailing and showed us the ropes. The people at Wellington are sailors first and brokers second.
A year later, Chris is not just my yacht broker, but my friend. We trade sailing articles and cool boat listings just for fun. He remains interested in the tremendous enjoyment we are getting from our boat. When it comes time for a different vessel, I will not even consider another approach than calling Chris to help me sell and buy. That’s the Wellington Way
-Jim, 2009 Passport Vista 515
I have known Chris Fairfax for 15 years, and during that period of time he has guided me through the process of building two boats (a Hunt Surfhunter 25 and then a Surfhunter 29), buying the Surfhunter 29 back again from an interim owner, and subsequently selling both of these boats. The SH 25 was sold before the SH 29 was even finished being built, and the SH 29 was sold before the listing was formal and out there on the Internet. I also turned to Chris to help me find and buy my next boat, a Little Harbor Whisper Jet 38, and we met in Maine in March for a very chilly sea trial. While I subsequently rejected that boat due to a bad engine analysis, he was able to find another one for me in Rhode Island. He has traveled from Maine to Florida to attend surveys and sea trials and has been a calming, reassuring and extremely knowledgeable presence in each of these transactions. He is quick to return phone calls and e-mails, and I have always felt that he had my back. I commend him highly, and would not buy or sell a boat through anyone else. If anyone wishes to talk to me about Chris, he will always have my contact info, as I will his.
-Lew Beers
Bill Haynie helped us to buy our first cruising boat, an Antares 44 catamaran. He travelled with us to Florida to view several boats. His ‘Captain’s Eye’ was invaluable in assessing the condition and explaining all of the many systems on the boats. He is an adept negotiator and worked hard to deliver a great result for us. The Wellington back-office completed all the paperwork accurately and in a timely manner. Bill is a pleasure to work with, knowledgeable, diligent and responsive. I would be happy to work with him again
-Noel Leeson
My experience selling my boat with Wellington and especially with Bill Haynie has been exceptional. The boat came on the market late summer/early fall, which always makes it harder. Bill, who has great experience in boats like mine, went above and beyond reaching out to his contacts in the markets for boats like this. He personally came to pick it up and transported it to their Marina. He also assisted me in storage and all other aspects of keeping the boat safe and well maintained. I would recommend Bill anytime to a buyer or a seller; he is honest/straightforward and always a pleasure to work with.
-Ralf, 2015 Protector 30 Center Console
Dear Amy, Many, many thanks for all your terrific service with the sale of “Little Cloud” and the purchase of “Sequel.” I know Dolf did a great job too, but I realize much of the detailed paperwork has to be done, and you made it all happen! Thanks so much!
-Rick, Little Harbor 42; Buyer 2014 Bruckmann Abaco 40
