Client Testimonials

Ed WhiteakerA message from Ed Whiteaker:

“I’ve always believed it is more important to make a friend than to make a dollar. If you treat people right, success will follow.

We hope you enjoy these comments from some of our many satisfied customers.”

 

 

Well, Ip Testimonial
 Well Laura and I have been lurking here for a while, but today we officially joined the Island Packet Owners club. Thank you to Terri Ivins at Whiteaker Yacht Sales for finding the exact boat we have been searching for. Pete and Laura on their Island Packet 380.
Gusto Sellers
  To: Nancy Ballard WHITEAKER YACHT SALES I just wanted to take a moment to thank you for your help in selling our sailboat.  Your professionalism and knowledge of the sailing industry went such a long way in our decision making.  I knew I would get a straight answer to all my questions when selling our boat.  You were prompt at getting the boat listed and kept us informed all along the way in the selling process.  You were very thorough and prompt at follow up.  It truly was a pleasure working with you. Thank you from Alice & Gary […]
Tropical Spirit Photo For Testimonial
An experienced and enthusiastic sailor herself, Nancy Ballard brokered our recent sale.  We have enjoyed all of our interactions with Nancy.  She took the time to answer all of our questions and was knowledgeable of our options at every decision point. She responded quickly to every issue.  She is thoroughly professional.  We highly recommend Nancy Ballard and Whiteaker Yacht Sales without reservation. The Roberts – Buyers of Island Packet 420
“From listing to closing in less than a month!  Our broker and the Whiteaker team represented both seller and buyer with utmost integrity and earned our highest esteem.” Mitzi Gimenez, Seller
We recently sold our IP44 using Whiteaker Yacht Sales. My greatest concern was that we couldn’t be present during the sales process, I shouldn’t have worried. Josh Carson, the broker, kept us well informed during the process. He shepherded the boat through the survey and some subsequent repairs resulting in a sale. We would recommend  Whiteaker and Josh. George Stuart
If it floats, Josh knows it.  I knew what my requirements were, but not exactly what I was looking for or what in the market fit my needs.  I started my search solo and quickly realized I needed help.  Josh immediately focused the search for me and identified options I hadn’t considered.  What impressed me most was Josh’s ability to call out key items I’d missed, and his drive to make sure we got to see all the options.  As a buyer getting in and out of new marinas and boats can be a challenge.  Josh leaps over problems with his […]
From the moment we met Josh Carson we were immediately struck by his knowledge and experience. We knew he was the right one to help us find our boat, and we were right! He was always willing to go above and beyond in our search, including taking a day to go with us to the east coast of Florida. Having been on the water his whole life, Josh is a wealth of knowledge; He was very patient to work with us when we had questions, and is excellent at highlighting differences between systems and manufacturers that we weren’t familiar with. […]
Dear Boat Shoppers! Buying a boat with Ed and Debbie Whiteaker was pure joy.  These two spoke and wrote as if they had but one customer.  Consummate professionals who happily shared a loaded resource quiver.  Ed and Debbie empathetically guided me to what feels like a perfect fit.  You will find no better… With cheers of gratitude from the cockpit of Island Packet 350, ALOBAR! Jonathan Gellman, Santa Barbara, CA
Meet Lorrie and Steve. This is them in Florida on the day they surveyed their soon-to-be new boat, a beautiful Caliber 47′. Their broker at Whiteaker Yacht Sales, Terri Ivins, helped unite them with their dream boat.
We were looking for a cruising boat and really needed help finding the right boat. Terri Ivins took us under her wing, listened to our needs, and found us the perfect boat, our 1994 Island Packet 44.   This year we sailed from Rhode Island to Bahamas!  From deal to closing, Whiteaker Yacht Sales was so easy to work with in finding the boat for us. Gary and Lesley Engelson
Our broker Terri Ivins, backed by the pros at Whiteaker Yacht Sales, made buying our first boat a blast!  She was well informed and highly motivated making sure we found the right fit to fulfill our cruising dreams!  Thank you, Terri! – Patrick and Trista Blauser
“My wife and I recently purchased a Hunter Legend 35.5 listed with Whiteaker Yacht Sales.  We found Broker Mike Fauser and the Whiteaker team to be communicative, professional, and knowledgeable.  Our yacht purchase was a smooth transaction from initial offer to close, and we could not have been more pleased. David L Lawrence
Please accept our sincerest gratitude to Hayden and Radeen Cochran and the entire Whiteaker team for the fabulous job done ensuring the sale of our Island Packet 420 and purchase of our new (to us) Grand Banks 38 Eastbay. Hayden and Radeen maintained great attention to detail and went over and beyond all promises overseeing all aspects of the sale and selection of a new boat for us. They took extra steps to make sure the deal went through on time and to everyone’s satisfaction. Working with the Cochran’s was a great customer experience. We would recommend the Cochran team […]
no photo
When we were ready to sell our 52′ Irwin, we knew exactly who to contact. Nancy Ballard at Whiteaker Yacht Sales has an excellent reputation in St. Petersburg, Florida, and at our marina. And boy are we glad we did!! Nancy went above and beyond!! I broke my toe a week later and Nancy dove in to help with preparing the boat because I was laid up. I hobbled down the dock one morning and there was Nancy, scrubbing my deck in preparation for a showing that afternoon! And, speaking of showings – WOW! Just a couple of days after […]
Terri & Hayden were awesome to work with to find our IP440. After three offers in a crazy market, I came down to Florida to meet Terri’s survey team and spend a full day on the boat. They were awesome and found a few significant items. Rather than push the sale Ed’s advice to Terri and I was to walk away. Debbie and Ed Whiteaker and their team have the integrity you can trust. Terri told us from day one she wanted to find us the “right boat”. A few weeks later I was at home in Canada while Terri […]
We would highly recommend Gary Monnell of Whiteaker Yacht Sales, a true professional. There was an instant connection, and we were thrilled to have him represent us in our search, selection and negotiations. He was patient, kind and knowledgeable. He shared his opinions on the positives and negatives of every boat we considered. He also shared of lot of his personal knowledge, which has been invaluable to us. He knows a lot of experts in the industry and has helped us make great connections. Gary has been an absolute pleasure to work with. Pete and Ellie Lockwood, Noank, Connecticut, Purchasers […]
We couldn’t be more pleased with Nancy Ballard and Whitaker Yacht Sales.  We had our boat listed for a long time with two other agents and had no success in selling it.  Once Nancy listed the boat, she had it sold in a very short time and at a better price than we ever expected.  You will have a hard time finding a harder working more dedicated agent than Nancy Ballard.  The staff at Whitaker Yacht Sales did an outstanding job handling the details of the transaction. Bruce and Anna Cunningham
We, Clay and Suzanne Michaels, would like to tell you of our experience buying an Island Packet 38 with Nancy Ballard.  We met Nancy when she was the seller’s agent on an IP we were looking at which turned out not to be the right one for us. While at survey, both we and our surveyor recognized Nancy’s great attitude, people skills, enthusiasm, experience, realism and desire to help.  She understood right away when we hit a sticking point with the boat.  Based on her actions that day we engaged Nancy to serve as our agent helping us look for […]
Preston, We are totally excited about Radiant. Thanks for all your efforts. We knew that having you in our corner was a great idea. You didn’t let us down. Ray and Cherie Yager, Buyers of Californian 48
We loved working with Preston Wright at Whiteaker for the purchase of Grace, a Jeanneau 45 Sun Odyssey.  Now, after we spent 4 wonderful years in the Caribbean on her, he is did an awesome job selling her for us.” Raymond and Cheri Yager
After a year of looking at boats on the internet, we were lucky enough to discover Whiteaker Yacht Sales during our search for an Island Packet.  Ed Whiteaker proved to be extremely knowledgable while showing my wife and I multiple models. Our entire experience was met with honesty, warmth, and professionalism. It became obvious early on that Ed was more concerned about our happiness and finding the boat that fit us than in just making a quick sale.  I personally have never had a purchasing experience this pleasant. I wouldn’t hesitate to use Ed again, and I would never hesitate […]
We recently bought a boat, Susea-Q, listed by your brokerage, and Nancy Ballard represented the sellers. Nancy has been an absolute joy to work with and had gone beyond the level of service normally expected. Her knowledge of the specific boat purchased and her general knowledge of boats has been exceptionally helpful in our transition to our new boat. Thank you, Nancy, and Whiteaker Yacht Sales for assisting us in purchasing our new love. Best regards, James Street, Buyer of the Catalina Morgan 44′
My wife, Kim and I recently purchased our first large sailboat through Whiteaker Yacht Sales. We had a million questions and Mike Fauser, our broker, was very patient and extremely helpful. I shopped for boats for over a year and talked to many brokers. There was a huge difference from the first time I met Mike. He was a lot more interested in our dreams than in just selling us a boat. He wanted to make sure we got the right boat for us. The Island Packet 35 is perfect. Large enough to sail in open water, but small enough […]
Whiteaker Yacht Sales and Mike Fauser aided us not only in selecting the right boat, but in the negotiations.  We also required numerous documents which were also arranged.  When we knew we were going to get the boat, I contacted numerous riggers in the area in Bradenton and St. Petersburg, Florida.  They asked where the boat was and who was the broker,  the response was always,  “You’re lucky, you got one of the best” or  “He’s one of the good ones.”   I believe it is Mike’s positive outlook, attention to details, and low pressure approach that facilitated our purchase. Buyer, […]
“I want to thank Whiteaker Yacht Sales, and especially broker, Mike Fauser, for all of his tremendous help in my sailboat purchase experience.  I have great respect and trust for Mike’s knowledge of boat systems, marine surveys, repair evaluations, and purchase processes.  Mike’s explanations were thorough, patient and indispensable. I am now a very happy, totally satisfied sailboat skipper, all aided and achieved with Mike’s great knowledge as a sailboat broker and solid character.  Thank you Mike and Whiteaker Yacht Sales!”
Of all the brokers we have dealt with, Nancy Ballard at Whiteaker Yacht Sales is above all the rest. We originally listed our boat with another firm to no avail.  Knowing Nancy personally, we knew she was a skilled sailor and an avid boat person.  We did not know the extent of her skills and knowledge until we enlisted her to sell our yacht.  If we did not know better, one would believe she was selling her own vessel.  We truly believe, if it were not for Nancy, we would still own our yacht.  Nancy helped us in so many ways on a personal level. […]
Hello Debbie, I just wanted to thank you for your help in my purchase of the Gulfstar. While I realize this was not a large sale for your company, your help throughout a difficult transfer of ownership is greatly appreciated. I cannot express enough how helpful Rod has been to me. He has gone over and above the duties of a broker and I would be pleased to consider him as a friend . Since my retirement in 1994 I have been away from the sea and it is joy to be back in the company of a fellow mariner. […]
It was a pleasure working with Terri. We think she did an amazing job from beginning to end. Her knowledge and love for Island Packets were real assets. She was great to communicate with as well. Very available when we had questions or needed to talk. There will be some sadness but we are happy to move on to other things. Thank you for your work in executing the final stages. A smooth process all away around.
We are so happy with our purchase and we appreciate the excellent service we received from Nancy Ballard and Whiteaker Yacht Sales. Nancy was always kind and patient with us as “newbie sailors” and we so appreciate her not treating us as “dummies”. Her technical knowledge was very helpful. We appreciate Whiteaker Yacht Sales going above and beyond. We will highly recommend your company to those aspiring sailors we meet in the future!
Trisha Hayes: We have taken that same picture from the bow of our Island Packet many times. Ed was our broker in 2005. We were new to boating and he was an awesome resource. Whoever is reading this and considering buying a sailboat, in our opinions, Whiteaker Yacht Sales are the people to trust as your brokers to buy an Island packet. First, Island Packets are possibly the best sailing vessels out there and second, these guys are thorough, truthful, hardworking and fair. 😎 We have bought from Ed and Debbie twice and they are great to work with.
Wonderful experience for first time purchase… The enthusiasm and wealth of experience of Hayden and Radeen with Whiteaker Yacht Sales was a huge encouragement. As a couple, they both willingly offered tips and advice to guide us through the entire process. Going above and beyond our expectations, they even helped us plan an itinerary for the next steps before launching! Their guidance was invaluable.
It has been such a pleasure working with Whiteaker Yacht Sales on the purchase of our 2004 Hunter 44.  We could not have done it without all of your guidance and professional help.  Had no idea it was going to be so complicated to find and buy a boat and you led us thru the maze and we came out with a great boat at a great price.  We could’t be happier. Jack and Ann Barnes
“Many yacht brokers can be generous, accommodating, and pleasant when financial times are good. However, it takes a very special broker to do that when times are not, as in the last Recession. In 2008, when we were selling our beloved Island Packet 380, there were very few buyers and the few offers we did get were extremely low. Ed and Debbie were always upbeat and patient, helping us through a very trying time for over a year. They went the extra nautical mile to help sell her, and in the end, their persistence and expertise paid off. Ed is […]
When we decided to retire from boating there was no doubt we would contact Whiteaker Yacht Sales. Fifteen years earlier Ed sold us our new Island Packet 380. It was the professional integrity, knowledge of the high caliber of the Packet and the team work Ed and Debbie showed during that process that brought us back to them. Our boat sold quickly and the process was so seamless. Their entire staff is to be commended. We highly recommend Whiteaker Yacht Sales. Bob and Valen Mayland
Thanks for your help Debbie. Every thing went well and the money arrived in the account this afternoon. Preston did a great job selling Black Pearl and it’s been a pleasure working with him. He is a real asset for Whiteaker Yacht Sales!
Our Gozzard, Manatee, left the dock this morning and headed south (on the inside) to Miami. I cast off the last line and watched her motor down the canal. It was a sad day for us as our cruising life has come to an end. I want to thank all of you for your part in helping us sell Manatee. Ed, you can be proud of your team at Whiteaker Yacht Sales. Your care, professionalism, advice and friendship made the process of selling our boat as smooth as possible. Again, thank you. Rod and Eveline Crist
We were in the market for our first sail boat and had looked around on our own at different boats. We were so happy to have found Ed through a friend’s recommendation. He was very attentive to what kind of boat we needed which ended up being an Islandn Packet 380. After 13 months of looking at many, many boats, one came on the market that fit the bill perfectly. Dealing with Ed was great. He was more interested in finding us the right boat than just selling us one. We highly recommend Ed and his staff at Whiteaker Yacht […]
Dear Gary and Jeanelle, We just wanted to thank you and express our appreciation to you both particularly and all your team for your great assistance in selling our Island Packet 35 Slow Flight. It was a great relief to know we had a very professional team working hard to sell the boat for us particularly when we live some 4000 miles away in England. Nina and I have experienced a wonderful 3 years, sailing some 3000 miles to the south of the Caribbean Sea. We thank you once again. Rod and Nina Ducker
Rosers
“Thanks to Whiteaker Yacht Sales for making the sale transaction so seamless for us! And, of course, there is no question that we have really enjoyed working with you throughout the whole process, both professionally and on a personal level.” Craig and Debbie Roser Sellers of Island Packet 440, Charmed
Dow
“Thanks so much. It has been a real pleasure for us as first time buyers. Everyone along the way has been so nice and so easy to work with that we could not have asked for a better experience buying a boat.” Mike Dow Purchaser of 2007 Beneteau 49’
Douglas
“It was an absolute pleasure working with Bob during this important and fun filled time.” Garrett Douglas Purchaser of Island Packet 32, Desiderata
Mizelle
“I would like to thank you for helping us sell the boat. We are extremely happy with your work. We believe our layout on Yacht World was likely the best we’ve seen. You guys did a great job from the front end listing and advertising to the sale and final closing. Thanks again for all your hard work.” Bob & Judy Mizelle Sellers of Jefferson 46 Motor Yacht Bradenton, Florida
Loftis
“My husband read about sailboats, especially Island Packets for twenty years. His life’s dream at retirement was to buy a boat for cruising on the Florida coast to the Keys, to the Bahamas and beyond. He decided that the Island Packet 380 was the perfect boat for him, his wife Carol, children and great friends. He bought the Island Packet 380 and sailed it to Bradenton, Florida. Upon retirement, December, 2007, plans were made and we began living on the boat from February until July 2008. We sailed in the Gulf and had never been happier. The plan was to […]
Heimann
“Thank you so much for making this such a smooth transaction. Your company and broker Gary Monnell were all very professional and it was a pleasure dealing with such a dedicated group. We have friends currently in the market for a boat 40-42 and we will certainly discuss our success and good fortune to have dealt with Whiteaker Yacht Sales.” Fair Winds, Tina and Dan Heimann Toronto Ontario Canada Purchasers of 2000 Catalina 400
LadyHawk
“Professionalism and caring would best describe our experience with Whiteaker Yacht Sales. From initial contact to assessment visit to listing to showings to a quick sale, we followed the process until a wonderful couple purchased her. They look forward to cruising the way we did. Gary spent a lot of time on the boat preparing the listing, shooting photos, gathering every detail and capturing the essence of “Lady Hawk”…then translating that information into great detail for her description. He began showing the boat immediately with every consideration to us and keeping us informed. We thank you for your hard work […]
Drozdek
“Thanks all your help. It was a pleasure working with you and Gary – we are new to this process and it was helpful having your experience to make everything go smoothly. We are looking forward to enjoying our new boat!” James & Kristen Drozdek Ooltewah, TN Purchasers of 1987 Tayana 37’
Tony Reed
“I just wanted to write you this letter to let you know how much I appreciate the professional way you and your team handled the selling of my sailboat Bright Star. I have worked with other brokers over the years and I must say all others pale in comparison. Everything from handling the questions I had when we first met, to the advice you gave me on preparing the boat to be shown, the advertising you put into the project, showing the boat personally, being on hand at the sea trial and handling the close while I was traveling was […]
Morgan 46 House
“We can’t say enough good things about the boat. We were impressed when we bought her, and are even more impressed now, after her solid performance on the delivery trip. We’re currently working on upgrading this and that. Thanks for helping us make this happen. The whole process went so smoothly, including financing, survey, all that paperwork, transport, etc. If we ever know anyone buying/selling a boat, we’ll recommend you!” Pat & Suzanne House Purchasers of Morgan 46’
Quinns
“We have dealt with other brokers in the past. Not all were fun to deal with. The Whiteakers are just human and understand what we, as purchasers, are going through. There is no pressure, no BS, no trying to sell you something that is not for you and especially no degrading of the other fine yachts on the market. We personally do not like when a broker pushes his product down our throats. I think we have become and will remain friends for a long time after we leave. Debbie and Ed always want to know how we are doing. […]
Delong
“Being a bit different from many of Whiteaker’s listings I really didn’t know how good of a job you could do. Many of your listings seem to be of fairly pricy premium boats. I wanted to sell a 32 foot generic 1997 Catalina, one of about a hundred on the national market…a nice boat, but it really didn’t stand out from the crowd. I listed it myself and tried to sell it for 6 months. After going nowhere, I listed it with a large SE Catalina dealer. Surely they would bring a quick sale! They had it for one year […]