About Andrew De Bruin
Andrew De Bruin is a Senior Sales Consultant with The Yacht Sales Co, working from Brisbane and assisting buyers and sellers across the wider yacht market.
His career covers an unusually broad mix of the marine industry. He has worked as a charter skipper, yacht operations manager, service manager, delivery sailor, refit and vessel manager, international yacht broker and brokerage team leader.
That background gives Andrew a particularly practical understanding of yacht ownership. He knows what boats are like to operate, maintain, repair, deliver, charter and sell, not simply how they appear in an advertisement.
From Mediterranean chartering to international cruising
Andrew’s professional sailing background includes working as a charter skipper in Greece and Turkey, two of the world’s busiest and most established yacht-chartering regions.
Charter skippering involves much more than sailing between attractive anchorages. It requires responsibility for the vessel, guests, safety, navigation and the day-to-day problems that can arise while away from a technical base. It also provides direct exposure to how different boats perform when used heavily and what layouts work well for guests and crew.
Andrew later sailed his own 36-foot yacht, *Awatea*, to Singapore. Making a voyage of that kind in a personally owned cruising yacht provides a very different perspective from occasionally sailing a demonstration boat or completing short coastal trips.
It involves living with the vessel’s strengths and limitations, managing equipment, watching weather, planning passages and dealing with maintenance as part of everyday cruising life.
Operations management in the Whitsundays
Andrew worked as Operations Manager for Sunsail in the Whitsundays, one of Australia’s best-known bareboat charter destinations.
Managing charter operations requires close attention to vessel availability, maintenance, turnaround schedules, customer support and the condition of boats returning from hire. It also means understanding the challenges faced by sailors with very different levels of experience.
The Whitsundays are an ideal cruising area, but charter operations still need to account for tides, reef navigation, anchoring, mooring procedures, weather changes and the practical demands of keeping a fleet ready for its next group.
This role gave Andrew valuable insight into how production cruising yachts and catamarans perform under regular use, as well as the features that make a boat comfortable, manageable and practical for real-world cruising.
Beneteau and marine service experience
Andrew later worked in Sydney as a service manager for Beneteau and Vicsail.
Service management sits at the practical end of yacht ownership. It can involve commissioning new boats, organising warranty work, coordinating maintenance and repairs, managing trades and helping owners resolve technical issues.
This experience gave Andrew close exposure to Beneteau yachts and the systems commonly found aboard modern production cruising boats. It also strengthened his understanding of the difference between a yacht’s advertised specification and the practical work required to keep it operating properly.
For buyers considering a pre-owned boat, that background can be useful when discussing maintenance history, equipment condition, previous repairs and likely ownership costs. A formal survey remains essential, but Andrew can help buyers ask more informed questions before reaching that stage.
Managing *Star Gazer* in Southeast Asia
Andrew’s international career also included managing the sailing vessel *Star Gazer* in Southeast Asia.
His responsibilities covered vessel operations and refit work in a region where technical support, spare parts and suitable marine facilities can vary considerably between locations. Managing a yacht in this environment calls for planning, resourcefulness and a clear understanding of which work needs immediate attention and which can be scheduled for a later refit period.
This experience also added to his familiarity with the Gulf of Thailand, the Malacca Strait and the Andaman region. These cruising grounds combine tropical weather, busy shipping routes, remote anchorages and significant distances between some marine-service centres.
Senior brokerage experience in Thailand
Beginning in approximately 2002, Andrew spent around a decade as a senior yacht broker with Lee Marine in Thailand.
During this period, he worked in an international brokerage environment serving buyers and sellers from different countries. He also supervised brokers operating across three offices, adding team leadership and sales management to his marine experience.
International yacht transactions can be more complicated than a straightforward local sale. Buyers may need to consider ownership structures, registration, taxes, import requirements, surveys, delivery arrangements and the practical challenges of purchasing a boat in another country.
Andrew’s time in Thailand gave him experience with international buyers, luxury vessels, cruising yachts and the expectations surrounding higher-value marine transactions.
Brokerage with The Yacht Sales Co
Andrew now works as a Senior Sales Consultant with The Yacht Sales Co in Brisbane.
The company handles new and pre-owned yachts across the sailing monohull, catamaran and powerboat markets. Andrew’s background makes him particularly well suited to buyers considering cruising yachts, production monohulls, sailing catamarans and boats intended for extended use.
His role can include helping buyers identify suitable vessels, discussing model differences, arranging inspections and guiding negotiations through to survey, sea trial and settlement.
For sellers, his experience contributes to realistic market positioning, informed vessel presentation and clearer communication with prospective buyers.
Working with yacht buyers
Andrew’s career allows him to approach a yacht purchase from several angles.
He understands the experience of someone operating a charter boat, the responsibilities of managing a cruising yacht, the technical realities of service and refit work and the commercial process involved in completing a yacht sale.
That combination is useful when discussing questions such as:
- Whether the yacht suits coastal or offshore cruising
- Monohull versus catamaran ownership
- Accommodation and storage for living aboard
- Engine, rigging and onboard-system condition
- Maintenance requirements and future refit costs
- Charter history and its effect on condition
- Short-handed sailing and deck layout
- Equipment needed for extended cruising
- International delivery or relocation
- Survey, sea trial and settlement procedures
His own cruising experience aboard a 36-foot yacht also provides useful context for buyers who are trying to balance space, complexity, sailing ability and affordability.
Working with yacht sellers
For sellers, Andrew brings substantial experience in professional sales, brokerage management and international yacht marketing.
A yacht needs to be positioned honestly and intelligently. Buyers want to understand what the boat has done, how it has been maintained, which systems have been upgraded and what work may still be required.
Andrew’s operations and service background helps him recognise the details that matter to serious buyers. His brokerage experience then helps turn those details into a clear and useful presentation of the vessel.
He can also help owners navigate enquiries, inspections, offers, negotiations, survey findings and the practical stages leading to settlement.
International delivery and cruising knowledge
Andrew’s experience includes yacht deliveries and cruising through the Gulf of Thailand, Malacca Strait and Andaman region.
These waters expose sailors to tropical conditions, commercial traffic, changing weather systems and the logistical challenges of maintaining a yacht across several countries.
This international experience gives Andrew a broader frame of reference when speaking with buyers planning long-distance cruising, purchasing a boat overseas or preparing a vessel for use beyond Australian waters.
What Andrew brings to a yacht transaction
Andrew’s main strength is the depth and variety of his marine career. Few brokers have worked across charter skippering, fleet operations, manufacturer-linked service management, yacht refits, vessel management, international cruising and senior brokerage leadership.
For buyers, this means conversations can go well beyond price and presentation. Andrew can discuss how a boat may work in practice, what its systems and maintenance history could mean for future ownership and whether it suits the buyer’s intended use.
For sellers, it provides access to someone who understands both the condition of the yacht and the commercial process required to present it effectively.
His experience is particularly relevant when discussing cruising monohulls, sailing catamarans, Beneteau yachts, internationally located vessels and boats intended for extended coastal or offshore cruising.
Current role: Senior Sales Consultant
Company: The Yacht Sales Co
Location: Brisbane, Queensland
Marine career: Charter operations, yacht management, service management, refits, deliveries and brokerage
Charter experience: Charter skipper in Greece and Turkey
Australian operations experience: Former Operations Manager with Sunsail Whitsundays
Service experience: Former service manager for Beneteau and Vicsail in Sydney
International brokerage experience: Approximately a decade as a senior broker with Lee Marine in Thailand
Management experience: Supervised yacht brokers across three international offices
Personal cruising vessel: 36-foot yacht *Awatea*
Cruising regions: Mediterranean, Gulf of Thailand, Malacca Strait, Singapore and the Andaman region
Relevant vessel exposure: Cruising monohulls, sailing catamarans, Beneteau yachts and international brokerage vessels
Technical strengths: Yacht operations, refit coordination, service management and practical vessel assessment
Main areas of focus: Yacht sales, brokerage, buyer guidance, vessel condition and extended-cruising suitability
