Buying or selling a yacht in Fort Lauderdale calls for more than a listing service. It calls for someone who understands the boats themselves, the local market and the details that decide whether a transaction goes smoothly. AK Yachts is the independent Fort Lauderdale yacht brokerage of Andy Kniffin, a Certified Professional Yacht Broker who works directly with every client, from first conversation to closing.
Andy represents both buyers and sellers, across motor yachts, sport fishing yachts, express yachts, trawlers and long-range cruisers, center consoles, sailing yachts and mega yachts. Clients work with one experienced broker throughout, with no hand-offs to junior staff.
Andy was born and raised in South Florida and spent more than twenty years as a professional captain before turning to brokerage, delivering and operating yachts of all types along the North American coast and throughout the Caribbean. His career included three seasons as boat fleet manager for the Miami Vice television series and seven years as personal captain to Julio Iglesias, work that demanded the discretion and confidentiality his clients still rely on today.
Like every competent captain, he spent years directing refits and repairs. That hands-on background shapes how he evaluates yachts for buyers, how he prepares them for sale, and how he spots problems that are easy to miss on a walkthrough. He has been brokering yachts full-time for more than two decades, beginning with yachts over 100 feet before focusing increasingly on mid-sized pre-owned yachts, and has handled both brokerage and new yacht sales.
A buyer’s broker works for you, not for the yacht being sold. Andy begins by understanding how you plan to use the yacht, then searches the wider market for vessels that genuinely fit, including yachts that may not be widely advertised. He arranges viewings, attends sea trials, coordinates the yacht survey, and negotiates on your behalf through the yacht purchase agreement to closing.
His service does not end at closing. Andy specializes in making a yacht ready for its new owner to use, coordinating improvements, repairs and the equipment needed for your cruising plans, whether that means preparing for a Bahamas season, long-range passages or tournament fishing. For buyers new to the process, our guides on why a buyer’s yacht broker makes sense, used yacht buyer tips and how to finance a yacht are a helpful starting point. Buyers who prefer to transact in digital assets can also buy a yacht using cryptocurrency.
A yacht sells best when buyers first see it at its best. Drawing on his years as a captain, Andy takes a newly listed yacht and prepares it to show in its strongest light, advising on presentation, repairs and documentation that answer buyers’ questions before they arise. He then markets the yacht through every relevant avenue, qualifies prospective buyers, manages showings and sea trials, and negotiates through to closing.
Owners preparing to list can learn more in our guides on how to prepare your yacht for sale, tips for selling a yacht and making a seller-direct sale successful.
Work directly with a broker who has operated, refit and sold yachts throughout his career. Share your goals with Andy Kniffin, CPYB, and he will outline the best way forward for your purchase or sale.
Fort Lauderdale is one of the world’s great yachting centers, with a deep concentration of yachts for sale, marinas, boatyards, surveyors and marine specialists. A broker based here can view yachts quickly, coordinate surveys and yard work efficiently, and draw on long-standing local relationships when a project needs the right technician or captain.
The city also hosts the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show each autumn, when much of the market gathers on the waterfront. For owners keeping a yacht in the area, our guide to yacht dockage in South Florida covers the practical side, and our overview of yachting destinations from South Florida shows how much cruising lies within easy reach.
To discuss buying or selling a yacht, contact Andy directly or view current yachts for sale.
