Market data & sentiment
You may have seen the headlines, but what may have been going on behind the scenes — and how does it affect your yacht?
Sandeman Yacht Company
Brokerage of classic & vintage yachts
You don’t have to know everything about the classic yacht market. That’s what we specialise in.
About us
Knowledge and love of beautiful boats.
Whether you have arrived here for the first time, seeking to discover the joys of owning such a glorious vessel, or are returning for a regular fix of beauty and style, we hope you will find something to savour. You may already distinguish a William Fife cutter from a John Alden schooner, or perhaps you have been enchanted by the colour of warm sunlight glinting across acres of achingly beautiful varnished teak. Whatever the reason, we invite you to share our knowledge and love of beautiful boats.
Our aim with this site is to inform, enthuse and perhaps even entertain you with an interest in the joys of owning and sailing heritage, vintage and classic yachts or motor yachts — and we imagine that as you are here, you are looking for something beyond the norm. Perhaps you have fallen out of love with the ubiquitous modern yacht, are looking to write a chapter in the history of a famous craft, or are seeking to regain a childhood memory. The yachts on our pages are capable of satisfying all these needs and more.
During the time you spend here, we hope you become aware also of the depth of feeling and passion that we have for classic yachts of every type — along with their histories. The yachts you will find depicted within these pages come in a variety of styles, sizes and ages, but what ties them together is their innate beauty and ultimately that they contain some ‘magic’ quality. Such yachts are at the heart of everything that Sandeman Yacht Company does and has done, through many years of specialising in the brokerage of classic and heritage yachts.
Whether a museum piece, a well-used friend of the family, a runabout or an elegant dream yacht, we have unparalleled knowledge of what is needed and moreover the desire to bring about a happy transaction leading to many years of fun-filled ownership.
As one of the world’s most respected specialist classic yacht brokers, with every transaction we maintain equal respect for buyer, seller and yacht. Our aim is to promote harmonious partnerships between yachts and their owners for the benefit of all; not least the yachts themselves, deserving as they usually are of ongoing, caring ownership.
If you are looking to fulfil a long-standing dream or just to get the family on the water with elegance; whether you need a racing thoroughbred, a historic artefact or a cosy cruiser, we look forward to giving you every help in achieving your desire.
How we work
Impartial advice. One client at a time.
We are uniquely placed to offer impartial, up-to-date market information and objective advice to our clients. Sandeman Yacht Company differs from some brokers, dealers and auction houses in that we act solely and exclusively for one client in any given transaction.
This means that we only take a fee from the client instructing us. The fee structure is straightforward, transparent and free from conflicts of interest.
We fully understand that buyers will one day become sellers — and vice versa — so you would not expect our opinion about the market to waver depending on which we are advising — and it doesn’t. If you do seek our assistance you can reasonably expect frank, informed opinions and the inside track.
Expertise
Where we accompany the decision.
A few of the areas where we can add value and walk with you through the process.
To restore or not
We recognise the expectations of buyers; what they like and what they don’t like — and when restoration is the right path.
Refit & restoration
From a refit to a keel-up restoration: who should you use, what’s a fair price, and who is best to supervise the result?
Shipping
Shipping is a minefield. Who can you trust with your pride and joy? What questions should you ask? What’s a fair price? We’ve learned the hard way so you don’t need to.
Condition & provenance
Structural condition, history, originality and provenance are the four most important factors determining the value of a top-tier classic yacht. We help buyers, sellers and owners verify all.
Contracts & completion
Unlike an estate agent, a yacht broker handles all the contract work. The numbers are significant and accuracy is vital. We hold full PI cover and use the ABYA sales contract — peace of mind matters.
Regatta & cruising fit
Looking for Classic Regattas but baffled by eligible yachts? Or a boat for family cruising — what are these yachts like to sail? We haven’t sailed all, but we’re rarely short of an opinion.
The team
Company profiles
Passion for classic craft, matched with the practical knowledge to bring buyer, seller and yacht together.
Founder
Barney Sandeman
The go-to broker on the global classic scene, Barney infuses the Sandeman Yacht Company with a unique understanding of classic and vintage yachts, gleaned from exposure to classic craft at a very early age. Going on to race all over the world, competing at Olympic level and winning international trophies, he nevertheless remains uninterested in modern or super yachts — directing his business to specialise in classic and vintage yachts for which he retains such a passion, and more specifically matching the right boat to the right owner. Travelling extensively, Barney tries to inspect personally all the yachts he lists, placing great emphasis on gaining a full understanding of each one, her history and condition — if not her owner. His success and dedication in this ‘matchmaking’ is such that he often jokes: “I sometimes feel I’ve got an orphanage and I’m getting the children out to the right families.”
Brokerage & administration
Nick Knollys
Nick has had a variety of careers — banking, the Army, security printing and the City — all with significant exposure to the legal and commercial aspects of business and involving a lot of overseas travel, so he is glad now to have his feet firmly on the ground at the front office. His main role is dealing with the yacht details, including the pictorial items for presentation and all the admin and documentary aspects which lead to completion of a sale from initial enquiry. With leisure pursuits from choral singing to walking the dog, he is also a keen sailor, having been brought up on Windfall yachts thanks to his father’s and his own service connections.
Classic yacht specialist
Iain McAllister
Clyde-built Iain was brought up with tales of a forbear crewing the 1887 America’s Cup challenger, THISTLE. He first sailed aboard a Mylne / Dickie of Tarbert sloop in the 1960s and learned the art of helming in the Royal Clyde Yacht Club’s Loch Long One Designs. All of this enabled Iain to absorb a rich, local, but far from parochial, yachting, yacht designing and building culture, now long gone. Since 1989 he’s been imparting his take on all that to manage classic yachts and their restoration, and researching and writing about it — including the last Fife, SOLWAY MAID, the Watson gaff cutter PEGGY BAWN, and coordinating the publication of a definitive biography of G.L. Watson.
International brokerage
Paul Buttrose
A sixth-generation Australian born in Adelaide, Paul sailed out of Sydney on a northerly course in the 1970s. Carving a career in ocean racing complemented by offshore passage-making, he landed in San Francisco where the romance of sailing on board classic yachts continued. Subsequently, he moved to Newport, Rhode Island, establishing a firm footing in yacht brokerage and the sailing community. Subscribing to the mantra “the most valuable attribute for buyers, sellers and brokers of classic yachts is patience,” Paul continues viewing boats and meeting clients in northern and southern Europe, the US, and Australasia.
Looking for the right yacht?
Whether a racing thoroughbred, historic artefact or cosy cruiser — we’d be glad to help.