ABYA Accreditation

I'm officially a Member of ABYA — the Association of Brokers & Yacht Agents. Getting here took a training course and two exams. Next I have to demonstrate professional standards in my sales portfolios over the next 18 months.

I wanted to explain what this actually changes, because if you're buying or selling a boat, it's not just a logo on my emails — it affects how your money and your paperwork are handled.

If you're selling

Your money sits in a ring-fenced client account, kept completely separate from my business finances. It's not sitting alongside my day-to-day cash, and it can't be touched for anything other than your sale.

The paperwork is standardised — ABYA's own sale and purchase documents, written under English law specifically for boat transactions, not a generic contract adapted from something else. And if anything ever goes wrong, there's a proper dispute resolution route to fall back on, which matters in an industry with no regulator.

If you're buying

Yacht brokerage is largely unregulated, so it's genuinely down to who you choose to work with. ABYA membership means I've had to prove I know how to pass on good legal title, and I have to keep that knowledge current — VAT status, registration, RCD compliance, the lot.

Your deposit goes into a secure client deposit account, independent from my business account, and held there until the transaction is properly completed. You're buying a boat. You shouldn't have to also worry about whether the person holding your money can access it for any other purpose.

Why It Matters to Me

Anyone can call themselves a yacht broker. ABYA membership means I have chosen to be held to a higher professional standard than the market requires. When you work with me, you benefit from the protections, processes and accountability that come with that membership — not simply my word for it.

I describe my brokerage as ethical. For me, that means following recognised professional guidelines, taking no shortcuts and maintaining a client-first approach throughout every stage of the transaction.

Even when you are not buying or selling through True North Yachts, we can provide independent due-diligence support. This can include reviewing the available documentation, checking the transaction process and helping to identify potential gaps, inconsistencies or areas of concern before you proceed.

Because good brokerage should be about more than completing a transaction. It should give buyers and sellers trust in the process, confidence in the documentation and reassurance that their interests are being properly protected.