Testimonials

Happy Customers

To McMichael,
Having now owned Calypso for just over two years and with two full seasons to reflect on, I just wanted to let you both know what an amazing boat she is and what a terrific experience I’ve had with her and the relationship with McMichael’s.

I use the boat as much as possible which is probably more than most but less than some, all without captain or crew, so I’ve become pretty well-acquainted with how she operates and the maintenance needed to keep her in top form. While I’m still too far down on the learning curve with respect to managing anything but basic maintenance with the engine, generator and electrical systems, I’m very pleased to report that I’ve had extremely few issues and only one or two that I couldn’t handle myself.  I’m sure that will change as she gets older, but hopefully I will also be more educated to handle them.

Meanwhile I’ve sailed her with a full load of ten guests with enough wind to put the rail in the water, and – far more frequently – I sail her solo all over from Oyster Bay to Nantucket.  She is always a predictable and dependable vessel, and so much fun…

If any potential customer ever wants to speak with a reference, I’d be happy to make myself available. Many thanks to you both!

All the best,
Ian / Hanse 588

To McMichael:
I would like to express my gratitude and appreciation for working with Rick Fleig over the past year in helping with the purchase of our J/109. Throughout our journey, Rick was a true professional in helping us navigate all aspects of the sales process. At times, the process was overwhelming to us and Rick guided us all the way with boat visits, constant updates, and high touch white glove service.
We finally landed on our J/109 for racing/cruising. As you can see from the delivery photos below, we are absolutely loving Our J! We delivered from RI to NJ in May.
I have referred McMichaels to friends and colleagues as well as have become a J Boat advocate!
Sincerely,
John, J/109

Dear McMichael,
This letter is to tell you how happy my wife Nancy and I are with your whole team at McMichael Yacht Brokers and Yards in connection with the purchase of our new Hanse 505 last year. Your broker did a bang-up job at selling us the boat in the first place, and he and his wife have sailed with us several times, which has been  most helpful and enjoyable.

After we purchased the boat, she was stored at your yard for the winter, and we had quite a number of improvements done at our cost, and McMichaels had a ‘to-do’ list from the· agreed-upon terms of sale. Helmut and his gang, including his brother and all the other yard guys, did a very thoughtful, complete and professional job on both our items and the broker-supplied items. Every project was fleshed out by him and his team from the general concepts we had, and he couldn’t have been better in the thorough analysis he did on every project. He also doesn’t hesitate to tell the customer when a proposal is a dumb idea, and we’ve found that he was right in every case!

Finally, I can’t say enough about the follow-through and extremely knowledgable customer service supplied by Peter MacKenzie. He has been a staunch supporter on every little item that needed warranty or other work, and his technical knowledge is truly amazing on all fronts, whether it be mechanical, electrical, plumbing or anything else. He also has no hesitation is doing what is right, and right away. Anyway, thanks for having such a great team, and rest assured we pass this experience on whenever appropriate to potential customers!

Steve, Hanse 505

Dear McMichael,
I purchased a 48-foot cruiser in Buffalo, NY. and paid a captain to deliver the boat to Newburyport MA. Along the way they ran into a serious issue with the fuel fill lines and had to make an emergency stop at your Rushmore Avenue Yard while running on one engine. The captain, a 30 year naval engineer, was driven to get the boat repaired and continue with the delivery; however he knew the repairs were serious. Your team, knowing the situation, jumped into action working with the captain to remove portions of the boats interior and ac systems to gain access to the fuel fill lines. Working two long days, they were able to make the repairs and get back underway. The boat was delivered with only two days delay.

Words cannot express my gratitude and appreciation for your teams dedication and knowledge in making these repairs. I spoke with them several times as they kept me informed of the situation. Everyone at McMichael was fantastic to deal with and Patti called to follow up to ensure everything was ok and that I was happy. Customer service is #1 in any business, and your team went above and beyond providing service. Between my captain and myself McMichael has new customers for life! Thank you for everything!

Sincerely,
Brian B, Carver 40

Dear McMichael,
Yesterday, I had an electrical hiccup on the boat. Two smart guys and one dumb one (me) couldn’t figure it out. I finally gave up and called my McMichael contact. He was snowshoeing with his wife and had to know on the call identification that it was me with a problem—on a Saturday afternoon. Anyway, he answered and right away told me what to do and that fixed it. It probably saved me another round trip to the bay (100 miles) and a couple hundred bucks for an electrician—and a lost day enjoying the boat. The standard of quality, technical excellence and just plain niceness of your people sure speak well of you and everyone at McMichael.

Chuck, MJM 36z

Dear McMichael,
I appreciate all the support that Karen and Grant provided together with the expert work of Helmut, Carl, Albert, Si and particularly Art this past week to get Checkmate back in the water to race. Although you advised that the stuffing box was repacked before year end, upon launching on Friday a week ago, unfortunately the PVC pipe had cracked. Art answered the call for “help” so Checkmate stayed afloat and the he did the repairs ASAP. I am quite excited to share with you and your colleagues that I won the regatta with two first place finishes yesterday and a second in the race on Saturday. My success in a large measure is due to the excellent work done to continue each year to have Checkmate in excellent racing condition and looking like new.

Thank you,
Fred, Shields

Dear McMichael,
I want to compliment the entire McMichael Yacht Brokers organization for successfully completing a very difficult transaction in the sale of my 1984 Tartan ’40. As we all know too well, while she had been maintained in absolutely Bristol condition, we were all surprised when the survey revealed some problems. I compliment McMichael all for keeping the buyer in place, assisting me in getting the problem repaired, and getting the sale closed.

Carroll, Tartan 40

Dear McMichael,
Recently I purchased an Alerion 28, not new but a lovely, well-maintained boat. The best part of the experience was having Rick Fleig as a resource! Indeed, without Rick’s assistance I would most likely not own this boat today. Rick is a truly excellent representative of your company. Personable, knowledgeable, persistent, and completely focused on what’s best for the client. In this instance, the seller was very difficult and I was ready to give-up; but Rick masterfully put all the pieces together. He worked as hard as if this were a $1 million yacht! Rick is a gem! I intend to stay in touch and I’ll be eager to recommend his services whenever possible.

John, Alerion 28

Dear McMichael,
I just wanted to take a moment to thank you for your efforts, professionalism, and success in selling my sailboat. Despite the difficulties of the recession, you delivered a timely sale and reasonable purchase price. There are so many details involved in the sale of a boat in this size range. You paid close attention and gave strong focus to managing this process. I can’t imagine trying to sell a boat without the help of McMichael Yacht Brokers. Please feel free to use me as a reference in the future.

Robert, C&C 35 mk3

Dear McMichael,
I am writing to inform you of our thanks to the crew of McMichael Boat Yard for their outstanding service and dedication to [our program]. Consistently, they have met and or exceeded expectations for service and quality of work and remain instrumental in my smooth sailing success summer after summer. The professional demeanor of Helmut and his crew has always been admired by our captain and my two children, who frequent the premise and often interact with the staff. I want to personally thank the entire yard for their service and let them know how much I appreciate their work.

James, Santa Cruz 52

Dear McMichael,
After 34 years with Anemone bought, serviced, and sold at McMichael’s, and another eight years with two Lightings and a 110 at the Rushmore yard starting in 1945, I think it is time to go on record and say thank you for all that you and your associates have done to keep me afloat these many years.

Al, Pearson 365

Dear McMichael,
Thank you for the extreme kindness you gave me on Friday in helping me with fetching the provisions for my trip South on the J/24 I purchased thru McMichael. I made the trip thru NYC and down to Delaware non-stop in 25 hours and 25 minutes. The boat is safe and sound at my dock in Delaware. Many many thanks! You are a credit to your firm.

Stephen, J/24