Private buyer representation for the acquisition of expedition yachts and conversion-candidate commercial vessels. Listed and off-market sourcing, technical due diligence, surveyor attendance, and contract negotiation — from first inspection through closing and post-sale transition.
UHNW principals and family offices acquiring an expedition yacht, explorer yacht, or commercial-vessel conversion candidate — on a horizon of six months to two years. Buyers who want a representative on their side of the table, not a listing broker dressed up as one.
Typical vessel profile: 35 metres to 110 metres LOA. Steel or aluminium hulls. Ice-class or ice-strengthened where the mission requires it. Diesel-electric or hybrid propulsion preferred. Vessels with documented class history, complete drawings, and serviceable equipment.
We define your mission first. Family use vs. charter operation. Polar voyaging vs. equatorial. Helideck and tender requirements. Crew complement, range, classification, flag. Operating budget, total cost of ownership, exit strategy. Every recommendation that follows is conditional on this brief.
We work the full inventory — not just what is publicly listed. After 25 years inside the industry, a meaningful share of the best expedition yacht transactions never appear on a yacht-listing portal. We approach owners directly, work through shipyards we know personally, and surface vessels that are formally for sale only after a buyer has been identified.
Where another firm holds the listing of a vessel we are recommending, we work co-operatively with their team in the owner’s interest. Where the vessel is off-market, we negotiate directly with the owner or their advisor.
For every vessel under serious consideration we coordinate independent surveyors we have personally worked with — not surveyors recommended by the seller. Class review, propulsion and electrical audit, structural assessment, drydocking history, and known-issues file. The buyer sees the raw findings, not a summary.
On commercial-vessel conversion candidates — OSVs, research vessels, ice-class supply ships — we attach a conversion-feasibility study to the purchase decision: estimated yard time, conversion budget range, classification trajectory, and the realistic delivered cost of the finished expedition yacht.
Asking prices on expedition yachts and commercial conversion platforms are negotiable to a degree most buyers underestimate. We negotiate on comparable transactions, vessel condition, market position, and the cost of any deferred maintenance the survey uncovers. We do not present low offers; we present supportable ones.
We coordinate counsel for purchase and sale documentation, escrow agent, registry and flag selection, classification continuity, and the post-sale transition to your crew. Where the vessel is moving to a conversion yard or refit yard, we hand the project off to the conversion engagement.
The first conversation costs nothing. We will tell you on that call whether your mission, timeline, and budget align with the kind of vessel you have in mind, and whether we are the right firm to represent you. If we are, we move to a written engagement letter.
Where the next phase requires shipyard travel, surveyor attendance, or sustained off-market sourcing, we engage with a retainer of $15,000 USD or €15,000 EUR. The retainer credits in full against the commission earned on the eventual transaction. If no transaction closes, the retainer covers the work performed on your behalf and is not refunded.
Commission structure is disclosed in writing on every engagement. We do not accept undisclosed payments from sellers, shipyards, surveyors, or any party that creates a conflict with the owner we represent.
An advocate who cannot say no to a vessel is not advocating for the owner. We will tell you when the asking price is unsupported, when the hull is past serviceable life, and when the conversion budget is too thin. We would rather lose the deal than your trust.
Where the right path for the principal is to commission a vessel rather than acquire one, we lead new build owner’s representation — specification, shipyard contract, in-yard supervision, delivery. Where the path is a commercial-to-yacht conversion, we manage the conversion engagement end-to-end. For owners exploring an exit, our SeaKeepers yacht donation pathway delivers a substantial tax-deductible position.
Honest first call. Defined scope. A real engagement, or none at all — we do not chase deals that do not serve the principal.
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