|
|
|||
|
|
|
||
|
|
|||
|
|
Meet the EYS crew!
Roy Edwards, owner of Edwards Yacht Sales has been boating since his childhood days. Growing up in the Midwest and later settling in Florida, Roy has been a avid sailor his entire life. He's been a liveaboard several times in Florida. Boating experience includes cruises to Mexico, Bahamas, British Virgin Islands and around various waterways of Florida. Roy made the jump to trawlers and motoryachts in the late '90's and has owned several including a 34' Sundeck trawler, 36' Albin classic, and a 44' Classic trawler. When not at the office, Roy enjoys his family, fishing and "tinkerin'" with boats of all sizes.
Roy can be reached at 727-725-1600 or Yachts@EdwardsYachtSales.com
|
|
|
||
Edwards Yacht Sales, Quality Listings, Professional Brokers
 |
||||||
|
||||||
Bill Mellon is based on the waterfront in southern St. Petersburg. He has been a Florida resident for the past 21 years. He is a second-generation lifetime boater originally from the southern New Jersey coast with an extensive 40-year background in power boats. His boating experiences have taken him from Atlantic to Gulf coasts as well as many bay and inland waterways. Bill, along with his father, has built several small racing boats. While earning his college degrees, Bill was a Research/Recovery Scuba Diver Instructor that trained many Police/Fire Department Rescue Divers. His Yacht Brokering started in early 2004 after an early retirement from the corporate environment in Information Technology Department and Project Management.
Rick Hoving began boating at a very young age while living on Lake Oswego in Oregon, just outside of Portland. Leaving the United States in the early seventies they immigrated to Canada and settled in Northern British Columbia where the boating was limited to a few months during the summer on the nearby lakes and rivers. Rick bought a 27’ sailboat to live aboard in Vancouver, B.C. while attending college and ventured up and down the west coast whenever his school schedule would allow. Surviving some brutal winters where chipping ice off the rigging during winter passages to Vancouver Island was normal, thoughts of warmer climates and sailing in the tropics became the focus. Pooling resources with a fellow sailor with a 34’ sailboat the plan was set into motion and they headed for the Caribbean. Arriving in St. Thomas in 1978, Rick went to Sea School and received his Captains License and began a career Captaining large catamarans doing daysail and snorkel tours for the tourist arriving by cruise ships. After 12 years of piloting various catamarans and riding out Hurricane Hugo on a 76’ Cat named “Spirit of St. Christopher”, Rick left the Virgin Islands and moved to Texas where he married his wife Michelle. In 1993 Rick and his wife Michelle took a cruise out of Tampa and fell in love with the area. Here in Florida Rick has owned several boats. Rick and his wife Michelle enjoy bareboat vacations here in Florida, the Bahamas and the Virgin Islands. Rick joined Edwards Yacht Sales in March 2004 and currently lives on the intercoastal waterway in Largo, Florida.
Leo Thibault grew up boating in New England. From racing power boats on Lake Winnapasaukee NH to racing sail boats in Narragansett bay. Leo also enjoyed extended cruising from Maine to Nantucket with his family. He moved his family to Punta Gorda a few years ago and fell in love with the area. As a broker, Leo fell in love with Trawlers and Motor Yachts "That's My Specialty"
Don & Pat Rhoda are based in Dunedin, FL. Don started as a weekend captain on Lake Michigan when he was a teenager. Shortly after they were married they bought a 35 foot boat in WI. and have been boating ever since. In the past 38 years they have owned boats of all sizes, mostly power boats. Cruising the Great Lakes & rivers of the north to the Gulf of Mexico.
Bob Cook is an experienced offshore sailor. He has held a USCG Master’s License for power and sail since 1985. Before joining Edwards Yacht Sales, he operated his own company as a delivery skipper, combining yacht deliveries and offshore sailing instruction. He is a consummate passage planner, mechanic, navigator, sail trimmer, radioman and chef. Bob has sailed all kinds and sizes of sailboats from boats as small as a Pacific Seacraft 28 sloop, to as large as a Palmer Johnson Custom 85 Ketch. He has raced and cruised extensively. He crewed on a 4,400 nm Trans-Atlantic race in 1987, sailing aboard a 42’ footer, from Belgium to New Jersey, finishing third.
With all his time at the helm, sailing on hundreds of extended coastal and offshore passages, teaching offshore skills, Bob has accumulated over 150,000 nm at sea. He has experienced about everything that can possibly happen at sea and is a real resource for knowledge and solutions. Having made so many passages to foreign and domestic ports, Bob has developed friends and clients all over the USA and Caribbean. His favorite islands he readily admits are Jamaica, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Grenada, and St. Lucia. He can tell riveting stories for hours. Bob believes strongly in the need to be prepared, to know thoroughly any boat you plan to take to sea, all it’s systems, each crew member, planning the route carefully and staying “ahead” of the weather. With this level of attention to detail Bob has demonstrated over and over his ability to take any boat, anywhere, in any weather.
You will enjoy meeting and working with Bob. He brings a high level of professionalism and personal attention to all his relationships and transactions. You can be assured that he will take the same high level of personal interest and attention to your situation, whether it’s helping you find your perfect boat or helping you find a new owner for your present boat.
Joe Weber has joined Edwards Yacht Sales following eleven years in the new boat and brokerage business. This included selling Tartan, Jeanneau, Beneteau, Catalina, Island Packet, Freedom and Lagoon catamarans for leading dealerships.
Joe has been a sailor for over forty years, sailing the Gulf of Maine, Long Island Sound, Bermuda, the Grenadines, the Virgins, San Diego Bay, Narragansett Bay, Nantucket Sound and the Bay of Fundy. He has captained over fifty models of mono hulls and catamarans which gives him a wealth of hands-on experience.
Joe founded the Tartan Owners' New England association and led owners cruises from Connecticut to Maine and New Brunswick.
Joes goal is finding the right boat for you!
Tom Morton learned the pleasures of boating at an early age, spending every summer in his youth cruising the Great Lakes on his family's powerboats. He learned to sail on dinghies, one designs, and beach cats through his college years. He has sailed a variety of “classic plastic” boats through the years with his wife and three children, ultimately evolving into a multihull enthusiast. After a sucessful career in the restaurant business, Tom is following his passion for boats to a second career as a yacht broker. When the water beckons, Tom enjoys sailing and scuba diving from his catamaran in the Caribbean, or kayaking and fishing on Salt Run, where he lives in St. Augustine, Florida.
Jeff Sorgen began his passion for boating in New York’s Great South Bay as a teenager. Boating became a way of life when he married his wife. After progressing through several power boats in the New York area, his first was purchased immediately following his honeymoon, 37 years ago, Jeff relocated his family to Florida in the late 70’s and became interested in sailing. A succession of sailboats followed as his interests changed from cruising to racing to the simple pleasures of day sailing with friends and family.
Jeff has extensive boating experience, including running a yacht charter business, as well as a lifetime spent in professional sales. “THE CUSTOMER IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF THE SALES PROCESS. ALWAYS TREAT THE CUSTOMER WITH HONESTY, COURTESY AND RESPECT.” This philosophy has been the cornerstone of Jeff’s entire sales career, and has been the reason for his success.
Currently living in South East Florida, Jeff brings his enthusiasm for boating, knowledge of the local boating market, sales experience, professionalism, his concern for his customers, and a passion for building long term customer relationships to Edwards Yacht Sales.
Roy Stringfellow has joined EYS after cruising the eastern Caribbean for several years on his Tayana 55 cutter. He and his wife sailed from Miami to Trinidad during this time, exploring most of the islands for extended periods of time. His previous boating experience including running and captaining a charter business in Miami (Biscayne Bay) on both his Tayana (yes, it has a coastwise endorsement) and a Catalina 42 sloop. Roy also worked as a master scuba instructor in the Tampa area for 16 years where he certified over 600 divers as open water qualified. These experiences, along with his personal boating, have lead to a rounded background in both power and sail. In addition to being an experienced boater, Roy also has an extensive professional sales background with 10 years of medical industry experience and over 12 years of investment and securities sales, of which the last 6 years were as a regional vice president of American Express. Roy lives in Tierra Verde with his wife and will work with buyers and sellers from all over the Florida area.
Thomas Johnson "TJ" has been an avid boater for 40 years starting with small powerboats and eventually graduating into larger cruising sailboats. TJ and his wife Pam learned to sail on the Great Lakes and cruised to Florida from Michigan in 1984 via the upper Great Lakes the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico. TJ has been involved in the selling, equipping and commissioning of new and used sailboats and trawlers on the central west coast of Florida for the past 23 years. Hunter, Catalina, Morgan, O’Day, Endeavour, Hirsh 45, Com Pac, Precision and Beneteau are just some of the new boat lines TJ has sold over the years. Put that experience to work for you whether buying or selling.
Gene Autrey started his adventures on the water by enlisting in the US Coast Guard at eighteen. During his ten year career he operated and served on various Coast Guard vessel including a tour spent in Viet Nam on an 82 foot patrol boat as part of the “Brown River Navy”. Gene and his wife Debbie have owned several power boats and two cruising catamarans. They have cruised extensively in the Caribbean and Central America, living aboard their boats for over 4 years Gene and Debbie have lived in Brevard County, Florida for 25 years residing currently in Melbourne. The Autery’s love to travel and have visited Europe, Asia and Indonesia.
Tim Miller has set down roots in the Fort Walton Beach Florida area after cruising the Southern Caribbean. When he arrived in the area in 2005 he only intended to spend a few months making his boat ready to return to the cruising life. The Florida Panhandle offers great areas and perfect climate for sailboat racing and cruising.
Pam handles the phones, web sites and closings for EYS. Pam began her love of boating approximately 20 years ago after meeting her husband, who has been an avid boater and fisherman all of his life. Her family has owned many boats over the years, primarily open fishing boats and bowriders.