Joe Walker moved to South Florida in 1976 and currently lives in Islamorada in the Florida Keys. Being the child of water babies, my parents kept my sister and I out on the ocean constantly. I grew up sailing and navigating the waters of Biscayne Bay, fishing and diving South Florida and Bahamas waters, snorkeling, and water skiing. It seemed like anywhere we went, even on vacation in the middle of the country, some sort of water activity was involved, whether camping and canoeing, or white water rafting. The boating lifestyle and lure of the water was always so strong. I have spent the majority of my life in and around the water from the Chesapeake Bay to the turquoise waters of the Florida Keys and Bahamas. It is still my favorite thing to do and I currently live on my Motor Yacht full time.

I remember when I decided to join the South Florida marine industry. I lived in Fort Lauderdale in the heart of the yachting community off of Cordova road and 15th street. It was the mid 90s and I was intrigued by the movement of yachts in the area, how they were operated, and how they worked. I got my first job with Allied Marine Group on 16th street in Fort Lauderdale. Fresh out of college I could have gone for a more prestigious job, but decided to follow my heart and work for Hatteras, Tiara, and Ferretti cleaning boats to get my foot in the door. After gaining extensive knowledge about the brands and making some useful contacts I went into the VP of Sales office and asked for a job selling. I was offered a job in Fort Myers, Florida but refused.

From the contacts I made with Allied Marine I was able to secure a job as a salesperson with Marine Industries, Inc. in Fort Lauderdale. After working with MII and later with Morretti Yachts I gained the knowledge I needed to go into business for myself. I opened National Powerboats in September of 2004 and never looked back. My focus has always been to use the knowledge, industry tools, and resources that I have acquired to support my customers whether buying or selling. I have overseen new builds as well as total restorations, repowers, and modifications. I have captained and transported yachts up and down the Eastern seaboard. I am pleased to say after 10 years in business and 20 years experience and hundreds of boats bought and sold through National Powerboats I have developed life-long friendships and relationships with my customers.

I learned this business from the bilge up and have earned valuable relationships with vendors, advertisers, marine mechanics, interior designers, marinas, transporters, captains, brokers, and builders that my customers can rely on and benefit from. I am experienced, reliable, and committed to my clients offering sharp insight into the market and an aggressive approach when buying and selling their new yacht. I look forward to working with you and your family to make your boating experience the best one possible.

Michael Paul Demarco, Sr. was born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts. Before moving to Florida in 1999 he was the owner of a marina in the Boston area with a total number of 100 slips. The complex also included a full service yachting center with both dry and wet storage, outboard and inboard motor service, yacht brokerage and sales of slips. Michael was raised in a true fishing family and was piloting his father’s boat by age 7 and fishing from Boston down thru Cape Cod and surrounding areas throughout his teens. He brags that “boating is in my blood, mixed in with a little bit of New England saltwater.”

Coming from a family of New England boaters he fell in love at a young age with being out on the water. “In the spring we were fishing for cod and in the summer it was for blues. Now here in South Florida it’s dolphin, yellowtail and tuna. Boston is where I cut my teeth at a young age learning the yachting industry by repairing engines and boats. It was a great way to grow up.” Since his arrival in South Florida in 1999 he has become fully integrated into the yachting and fishing lifestyle of South Florida and the Keys. He tells his New England friends and family to “Come to the Keys for a slice of heaven”.

“My idea of success is doing exactly what you are good at and enjoying each day one day at a time.” This attitude, combined with his knowledge of yachts and seamanship, as well as a past family history of yachting has led to success in today’s field of yacht sales.

The key to his success is listening to his clients and putting the client’s interests first and foremost. He finds a great deal of satisfaction in doing the footwork and researching the current yacht market in order to find the best fit for his client in yacht design and features, as well as in negotiating the best price possible. When selling a client’s yacht, he uses his expertise to determine a current yet competitive market value along with presenting the yacht in the most appealing way through numerous avenues.

If you are looking for a seasoned, high energy, enthusiastic yachting professional who has the reputation of being dedicated to his clients and profession, call Michael DeMarco. “Whether you are looking for the right yacht or looking to sell your current one, please feel free to contact me to discuss our marketing strategy. You won’t be disappointed.”

David Knight has worked in the boating industry for over 10 years and has been boating since a young age. He grew up in Jacksonville, FL, fishing the intercoastal waterways and offshore waters of North Florida. His family owned a 28’ Wellcraft Walkaround and they would often take weekend trips to St. Augustine and overnights offshore fishing. Today he mostly enjoys the inshore waterways of St. Augustine, fishing the creeks and cruising with his wife Lianna and daughter Addison.

Prior to working in the brokerage business, David’s career was in the telecommunications industry. His first job after graduating with a business degree at Florida State University was an outside sales position with a long distance company. He was able to quickly advance his career into sales management and spent several years with T-Mobile as their regional director of business sales in TX.

2008 to present have been some of the most challenging times in the boat business and David has been very successful despite the times. “The most important part of the business is prompt and honest communication” he states. “People want to actually talk to someone when they pick up the phone or send a text or email. They want to see detailed photographs and accurate and thorough inventory of the boat they are looking at. Buyers can be many miles away or across the world and often times they are making a decision based on the advertisement that you put together. The internet has really changed the way boats are found and bought, and has actually made the experience easier for both buyer and seller. People really are not “walking the docks” to look for boats anymore.” David works hard to stay on top of the market so he can give honest and accurate advice to his clients whether they are buying or selling a boat.

David enjoys what he does, and when you love what you do you don’t work a day in your life. He genuinely enjoys helping clients find the right boat that fits their family’s needs, or selling their boat so they can search for the next one. You can be confident that you will have a good experience if you work with David to sell your boat or buy your next one!

Call or text David at 904-236-1246 or email at dknight@nationalpowerboats.com

Growing up in Cleveland Ohio, on the shores of Lake Erie, and spending summers in Long Island New York started the passion for boats and boating in general. Beginning with all kinds of watersports activities and some fishing then graduating to high performance boating, a little racing and cruising, diving and snorkeling, even building and restoring boats plus lots of towing for over 40 years has provided a well rounded education and lots of experience to draw from.

Moving to the beautiful Florida Keys, 16 years ago, really intensified the passion because now boating became a 365 day a year possibility. Once here I began my career selling boats and obtaining my brokers license. Another passion I have is improving and customizing existing designs and during the last 10 years I have worked closely, both directly and indirectly, with some of the biggest names in the boating industry. High end luxury brands like Hydra-Sports, Deep Impact, Statement, Nor-Tech, Blackwater and many others have used my feedback, changes and designs to improve their products. This well rounded experience allows me to offer you, the customer, a unique perspective on your boat purchase. We can talk construction, how a boat will ride, and functionality without the usual “sales pitch”. My role becomes more of a buyer assistant to put you into the exact boat that fits how you will use it.

I was born in Queens, New York and at the tender age of 10 my family and I packed our things and moved to this wonderful city I still call home; Miami, Florida. As I was growing up I had a hobby of working on cars and boats, my hobby soon became a passion. Living in Miami has given me the opportunity to enjoy the water and live the salt life, expanding my hobby and passion into a flourishing yacht management business.

My true experience has been earned by “a hands on” approach and years of dedication. I am no stranger to hard work and this is apparent to my present and you my next client. Whether organizing an entertainment overhaul, delivering a boat, servicing engines, or having a boat professionally detailed I sink my teeth into the project until it is complete. I pride myself on customer satisfaction, promptness, and professionalism. I know boats and yachts literally from the props and bottoms up.

My sales experience came by accident over the last years after some of my very loyal clients asked me and confided in me to offer an unbiased opinion to help them sell their boat or inspect one they were considering buying. I have worked with several yacht brokerage companies assisting my customers and finally decided to personally make the move into sales where I directly share my knowledge and passion.

My entrepreneurial spirit and dedication in the marine industry has helped me develop the skill and confidence to understand the importance of my clients needs and successfully fulfill those needs. I look forward to passing on my enthusiasm, honesty, hard work, and integrity to you my next client. I encourage you to give me a call.