I met my yacht broker, Grant Ninneman, from Denison Yacht Sales over the phone when I relocated from Connecticut to Florida in search of a full-time liveaboard yacht. I could not have been more fortunate to connect with Grant. I immediately found him to be knowledgeable, responsive, and an excellent sounding board, which was critical to me being a first-time yacht buyer.

Before our first yacht visit, Grant and I exchanged ideas on my yacht preferred features and an initial list of boats I found for sale. Grant quickly reviewed the list, added his thoughts, and developed a multi-day visit plan.  As we toured each boat, Grant was very helpful pointing out the positives and negatives of each boat. He had an excellent balance of providing his point of view when asked without pushing a personal agenda. He invested a significant amount of his time and was very responsive throughout the whole process.

I quickly realized Grant’s own extensive yachting background, and knowledge of local marinas and yacht manufacturers enabled him to not only provide sales support but also expert knowledge on yacht design, features, and capabilities. He was very patient explaining each boat’s design and mechanical features as well as answering all my questions. We spent several days visiting many yachts before finding a 63-foot Hampton which was perfect for my needs.

Grant was extremely thorough during the purchase process including the initial offer, arranging for a survey and haul out location. We reviewed the survey results and Grant helped me organize an initial offer which quickly resulted in an agreement with the seller. Grant continued to help me through every step, including recommending an insurance broker, introducing me to the Denison team that would complete the remaining steps leading to my ownership and introducing me to a training captain. Being new to Florida, Grant even arranged for me to have lunch with him and his family to help me feel comfortable transitioning from home ownership to full-time liveaboard boat owner.

Even though the boat was located in Jupiter and Grant was in Dania Beach, he traveled several times to Jupiter to assist me. He helped arrange temporary dockage prior to and after haul out in Fort Lauderdale and made countless contractor recommendations for completion of work on the boat while out of the water. I could not have completed all necessary work without Grant’s help. For the months following the purchase, Grant continued to regularly reach out to me offering any assistance I may need. He continues to show a genuine desire to assist me even 4-months after purchase.

Grant could not have been more helpful, from the initial yacht search to the purchase process, and then post-sales support. I feel very fortunate to have Grant as my yacht broker. I strongly recommend Grant to anyone wishing to purchase a yacht.

We recently sold our 2005 Meridian 411 SB using Denison, since that's who we worked with when bought the boat six years ago. Tom Robertson was assigned to be our broker and he did an outstanding job. He was on time for the first viewing, got lots of good pictures, and got it listed pronto. After a few hiccups that he resolved quickly, we were on the market. Got some interest quickly, worked out the negotiations on the offer, and Tom worked with the buyer's broker on the survey and sea trial. Once the final price was agreed to, Tom worked with the admin staff to get the paperwork finalized and the sale completed.

Tom did an excellent job and not only would I use him again, but I would definitely recommend him to my fellow boaters for any of their sales/purchases in the future.

Thanks to Tom and Denison in general for an excellent experience.

Michael Johnson was an amazing boat broker to deal with, he was very professional and went above and beyond to meet all my needs in searching for a new boat. He is a very personable individual and I would highly recommend him for any of your boating needs!!

We have used Michael on two extensive projects over the past two years. In 2019 Michael budgeted, managed and delivered a complete renovation of the sun deck on M/Y Bouchon. The work included extensions to the mast arch, fabrication and installation of bar areas, built-in seating, cabinetry, reworking of stairs, new teak flooring, lighting, plumbing etc. This current yard period M/Y Bouchon had an entire paint job of hull and superstructure as well as port engine repairs. While we have a fantastic Captain and crew, Michael’s management of the process was critical to the success of both endeavors. Michael has an incredible amount of knowledge and expertise in this industry and his project management skills and reporting systems are unmatched. We know where we are at all times during the process and at what cost. Michael is such a pleasure to work with. He has a positive yet “get it done right” attitude and is respected by the crew, the vendors, management, and the owner. We would not walk into a yard period without his guidance.

It is seldom that I feel compelled to write to any company regarding the services provided by one of their employees. However, in our situation, I feel that we must.

In May of 2021, my husband and I contacted Mr. Michael Bach to interview him as a potential representative for our purchase of our first fairly large sailing vessel. We had already spoken to several brokers but did not feel that they possessed either the knowledge or professionalism that we knew we would require. We were searching for an individual with a great attitude; a polished and professional command of language; extensive sailing knowledge and experience; as well as a deep understanding of the "rules" of yacht sales, management and decorum to assist us in a process that has become at least ten times more difficult and complicated than we ever imagined.

After a spirited discussion with Mr. Bach, we felt very comfortable that his knowledge, experience and attitude were the combination we had been looking for. 

We were wrong. 

Michael not only met, but exceeded our expectations in every way.

I am ecstatic to say that Mr. Bach exceeded every expectation we had of our broker during; and subsequent to; our purchase experience. He is the consummate professional, to the extent of staying patient with over nine months and a library's worth of questions, (no small feat). He has the rare gift of discernment and was able to ferret out issues with the selling broker that gave us a competitive advantage in our negotiations, with which he is a master. He is knowledgeable about the smallest details, as well as being vastly connected with and able to connect us with other high-quality specialists as were needed. He was responsive on a level that we have almost never experienced with any of the so-called "professionals" we have worked with; (and there have been many); responding to calls, texts and emails that were sent at all hours of the day and night. He would respond as soon as he was able; usually immediately; and always with either a direct answer or a resource where we could find an answer. We felt completely confident that he "had our back' at every turn. We especially appreciated that Mr. Bach did not try to "bluff" his way through anything he was not sure of; he is the rare individual who is secure enough in himself and his abilities to say, "I don't know", always followed by "but I know who does". What a gift.

We closed our transaction at the end of December 2021, and Mr. Bach continues to be on speed dial (although we are sure he would prefer not). However, as the true pro that he is, he continues to be patient and help us with the various challenges of yacht ownership, and particularly this yacht, for which we are incredibly grateful.