April and May are always a very busy period for yacht charter brokers. We had a total of 4 (!) yacht shows overlapping in just the past 2 weeks. The MYBA charter show which is arguably one of the best shows of the year, Palma, MEDYS and Poros. I attended Palma and MEDYS and it was great to catch up with friends from the industry, meet a lot of new people, see all the yachts and meet the crew. The last part is especially crucial as for me a successful charter is for 80% down to the crew, 10% down to the yacht and 10% down to the location. The crew is the dream team that tie everything together. So stepping onboard and getting a feel for the crew, their longevity onboard and how enthusiastic they really are, is extremely important for me. As I would never send a high energy client on a yacht where the crew is very serious for example. It is these super small things that will actually make or break a yacht charter. The fun part is definitely the lunches and dinners onboard, getting to taste some of the magic of the chefs! I was lucky to do have a lunch on the SanLorenzo SX112 ON TIME, the 35m Benetti OAK and a lovely dinner onboard the 37m Benetti ANGEL which was built in 2025. Another side that no one discussed about the yacht shows is how they absolutely wreck you as well. You wake up to catch up on some work between 7 and 9am and are on the show from 10/11am until 6/7PM. Then a quick change of clothes and you shoot straight to dinner and after that there is usually a social evening/after party late into the night. And that is a rythm you repeat for 10 days straight. You really don't sleep AND your phone still keeps ringing and messages keep being sent. So staying on top of all of that is extremely hard. But it is the best time of the year! Attached some images of Palma and MEDYS show!

One of the highlights in my career as a yacht broker was stepping onboard M/Y AGAPE ROSE in Croatia at the end of September 2025. A 50 meter yacht. 11 cabins. And for 3.5 days, we were invited to experience it as actual guests. Not a quick tour. Not a sales pitch. We lived it. The crew. The service. The food and drinks. The toys. The islands. The whole feeling of being onboard. Everything was included. And that’s when you really understand how this industry works. Because this is not random generosity. There’s a reason behind it. First, exposure. A strong broker recommendation can make or break a yacht’s season. If I’ve lived the experience myself, I can sell it properly. Second, product knowledge. As a central agent, you want the brokers in the industry to truly understand what they’re offering. Not just specs on paper, but the actual feeling onboard. And third, relationships. This industry runs on trust. Moments like this are what build it. You remember the yacht. You remember the crew. And when the right client comes along… You know exactly where to place them. Of course, the whole experience and a late night drink onboard is most certainly a big benefit!

I saw a message come in from an introducer I had never worked with before. Asking for a call. Bear in mind… it’s past 7pm on a Friday. Didn’t think much of it. It had already been a crazy day, so I left it for a bit. 15 minutes later, I call him back. Within 5 minutes of the conversation, we are talking about a 3 to 4 MONTH charter. Not weeks, months. 20 to 30 meter yacht. And that is exactly how this industry works. A full day of chaos, and then out of nowhere, a serious (although not yet 100% qualified) enquiry lands. No initial heads up. Just straight into it. That’s the life of a yacht broker. Unpredictable, intense… but that is also my favorite part about being a yacht broker. It does take a certain mindset though, because this call also could've been at 11pm or 3am.