ALL-INCLUSIVE CHARTER YACHT MANAGEMENT
OUR COMPANY
OUR SERVICES
OUR HISTORY
OUR CULTURE
OUR INDUSTRY
OUR PROGRAM
OUR COMPANY

Founded in 2015 and now with a fleet of over 30 sailing catamaran yachts, we are the leading exclusively-crewed term charter yacht management company in the Caribbean strategically based in the Virgin Islands. Our clients include high net worth individuals that enjoy the yacht lifestyle and are looking for financially responsible yacht ownership with flexible owner usage. We offer yacht owners a turn-key, 24/7, yacht management solution and specialize in 45’ - 80’ catamarans that sleep 8 - 10 guests and focus on exploring the islands, fine dining and water-based adventures.


Our company mission is to change thousands of lives by giving our guests the vacation of a lifetime, thereby spreading positive experiences around the world. We differ from our competitors because of our people, our systems, our culture, and our values; Honor, Integrity, Seeking Knowledge and Having Fun, resulting in managing more than $10M in annual charter revenue and $35M of assets. View our services and reach out to us below if you'd like to have our representatives assist you with any of our services!

OUR SERVICES

Reputable Yacht Sales

Looking to upgrade or retire from the yachting industry? Look no further, we have an expert team to accomplish your sale or purchase. With years of experience in the yacht sales and charter industry, we can get you started on your next venture right away. Our co-founder Hank is also a licensed yacht sales broker and completes the full circle of yacht management. Feel free to check out some examples of different types of catamarans we manage hereContact Hank with any inquiries at hank@paradiseyachtmanagement.com


Crew Placement & Management

Matching the perfect crew to your charter yacht is paramount at PYM. We believe the crew is just as, if not more, important to the guest experience as the yacht they are on. This is why we put an utmost effort into attracting the best of the best, vetting them once signed, onboarding to get familiar with our policies, providing 24/7 support and ongoing training with our mentorship program, and giving them a sense of communal family with our crew culture.  Erik is in charge of our crew management so feel free to email him at Erik@paradiseyachtmanagement.com with any inquiries related to crew or about our referral program if you would know someone you would like to recommend to become a crew on one of our charter yachts. Learn more here.


Proactive Maintenance

Without the knowledge and experience of how these vessels operate being in the industry as long as we have, the risk of your yacht staying on dock with mechanical issues during the season is high. We pride ourselves in our in-house maintenance department that is constantly performing proactive maintenance checks and ensuring your charters start and finish without a hitch. 


We provide you the peace of mind by taking care of your vessel as if it was our own. We accomplish this by these included services: In-house emergency and preventative maintenance services performed by highly experienced multihull experts, Partnerships with key USVI maintenance service and parts providers, Discounts on labor rates, Ongoing crew maintenance training, and Affiliation with dealers of Lagoon, Fountaine Pajot, Nautitech & Gemini Catamarans. In addition, we have a dedicated chase motor boat for emergencies.


For boat storage, we offer our fleet private mooring balls and an online booking system to reserve them in Vessup Bay, Red Hook & Long Bay, Charlotte Amalie. For the hurricane season, after years of networking, we have valuable relationships with key boat yards and vendors (Grenada, Carriacou, Puerto Rico, and US EC on request) to ensure a spot.

Operations & Administrative

In the background to keep the charters underway, we have our administrative & operations team ensuring your guests have everything they need prior to arrival and all legal regulations are up to date to keep the good times rolling! We are on call 24/7 for any guest and crew support, local regulation & compliance, provisioning assistance, cleaning service scheduling, and all the odds and ends that many aren't aware of but keep our season cranking away. This is lead by Kimi and can be reached at Kimi@paradiseyachtmanagement.com with any inquiries regarding operations.


Accounting & Financial Services

Accurate financials are paramount in the charter yacht business, so we use a cloud-based software to manage our Accounting, Banking & Cash Flow, Reporting and Crew Payroll. In addition, we have a dedicated accounting team to manage internal controls and accounting systems to ensure checks and balances are perfect.  We are always a call away for any updates or concerns on your accounts and are as transparent as can be when it comes to your yachts' financials. Feel free to reach out to us anytime at info@paradiseyachtmanagement.com for more information on how we can offset your expenses and provide you with peace of mind while enjoying the charter yacht industry. 


Media & Marketing 

We have really shifted our marketing into top gear by aligning it with the most up-to-date strategies on the latest and greatest platforms with creative and eye-popping media, not only to provide brokers with as much content as possible but also to showcase your yacht to the public to have your charter at the top of their list of ultimate vacations. Our main goal is to have your boat packed with charters for the entire season, year after year. We feel one of the best ways to fully display how amazing these charter yachts is and leave nothing on the table. 


Our included marketing services include Yacht Photography, 360º Virtual Tours, Guided Yacht Walkthroughs, Crew Interviews, Social Media Account Creation & Upkeep, eBrochure Creation, Web Design, Advertising, and Charter Broker Campaigns. Phil heads up our marketing department and you can reach him at Phil@paradiseyachtmanagement.com with any questions or concerns.


Charter Concierge

At the forefront of our guest and broker relations is Jill. She ensures your charter booking experience is seamless and enjoyable. We are always a phone call or email away to assist you with any questions or concerns you may have to fulfill your dream vacation. You can reach her at Jill@paradiseyachtmanagement.com

OUR HISTORY

Hank and Steve became friends and business acquaintances upon first arriving in the islands. As they got to know each other it became evident that they both shared the same core values, yet were diverse in their work experience and strengths. Hank is outgoing, heavy networked and a people expert with awesome visionary skills. Steve is keenly attentive to detail, system building and the mastermind of the behind the scenes of the organization. Together as a team, we aspire to surpass goals, run a tight business and strive to make the charter yacht management industry better every day.


In 2015 Hank and Steve founded Paradise Yacht Management after running their own charters down here in the U.S.V.I. and noticed how much the industry could be improved. 


By 2016 they grew their managed yacht roster to 10 and were off and running with their core values:

Honor, Integrity, Seek Knowledge and Have Fun. 


In 2017 Hurricanes Irma and Maria hit, but due to our experience, knowledge and proactive care our entire fleet was saved without any damage. That led us to pick right back up and finish the 2018 season with over 125 charters.


In the 2019 season we partnered up with a reputable maintenance company to handle our exponential growth to ensure we were staying ahead of all proactive maintenance and any mechanical issues. 


By the start of the 2020 season, we had 30 managed yachts and brought on our Dream Team to be the forefront of our each department to better serve our yacht owners, charter guests and brokers.


2021 was by far the most unique year, but we stayed on course and adapted to the new COVID-19 regulations and practices finishing the season with over 400 charters. We are now poised and ready for next season welcoming additional charter yachts. 

OUR CULTURE

The Guests

We give thousands of guests the vacation of a lifetime, thereby fulfilling our mission of spreading positive experiences around the world. These guests are paying their hard-earned money for a great experience and we must deliver! Without them we can’t succeed.


Yacht Owners

Our yacht owners are high net worth individuals from all walks of life. They all have a common theme of loving the yacht lifestyle and the desire for responsible yacht ownership. Yacht owners want to see incoming revenue so they can enjoy their time on the islands. 


Team Members

Along with our office and maintenance staff, vendors and brokers, the crew is the central nerve system of the operation. We strive to hand-select the best crews that share our passion of maintaining a high standard of excellence that is trusted by our Yacht Owners.


Core Values

We are proud to boast that our family-style company culture is a major component that really sets us apart from the rest. All of our staff, including our crew, abide by our Core Values; Honor, Integrity, Seek Knowledge and Have Fun. We live by these on and off the clock. Whenever we have a decision to make, we ask ourselves does this decision support our Core Values? Whenever we hire a crew we ask the question, does this crew support our core values. We hold everyone that we do business with to these values.


E.D.A.'s

E.D.A.'s, or Exceptionally Decorated Acts, are how we promote that we are living by our Core Values. Whenever another staff is aware of someone going above and beyond by demonstrating these values we announce it internally in the form of an E.D.A. They keep us connected and striving for excellence! 

OUR INDUSTRY

Term Charter Management Company

A Term Charter Management Company manages term charters on yachts on behalf of owners. These services typically include crew management, maintenance, marketing, sales/broker management, administration, moorings and yacht finances. 


Term Charter Broker

Term Charter Brokers are the middlemen between all parties. They typically advertise directly to the public, and provide customer- and booking services. They manage charter bookings, charter contracts, coordinate clearing house payments and guest feedback.


Clearing House/Central Agent/CA      

Every private crewed charter yacht must have a Clearing House. Term Charter Brokers deal with clients, your CA deals with the brokers. The main duties of the Clearing Houses are to handle yachts’ calendars, escrow client funds and manage the yachts’ online brochure. 


Net Charter Profit

Net Charter Profit is the contribution to the yacht’s profitability after deducting direct charter cost from a charter’s gross fees. PYM’s fee is calculated on Net Charter Profit to ensure alignment to cost control, and differentiates us from the competitors. 

OUR PROGRAM
Paradise Yacht Management is a firm believer that if you make money we will make money. That’s why we use a low expense performance income-sharing program. Let’s face it, yachts are expensive and margins are tight but with our system we strive to give you plenty of flexibility to use your own yacht for multiple weeks while offsetting expenses.
                                                                
 Our program is simple and unique - unlike our competitors, we earn our fee from the NET CHARTER PROFIT, as opposed to gross. The net profit is the sales number minus all the direct charter expenses. This puts Paradise Yacht Management in a position of having stake in making sure charter expenses are meeting or exceeding budget.


                                                                                                                                                                                                We would be happy to give you a full analytical analysis of your yacht customized for your specific need. We want you to have faith in how the numbers work for your benefit and following our core values will deliver with the utmost honor and integrity. 


Please submit a request below to get started!
HOW CAN WE HELP?

YACHT SALES

Connect with our licensed yacht sales broker and have all your questions answered!

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

Are you qualified and interested in becoming crew, a yacht technician or office support staff? Feel free to apply today!

CLEARING HOUSE

Looking to have your charter bookings cleared, but not your yacht managed? We also offer a clearing house service!

NEWS & MEDIA

Check out what's new with Paradise Yacht Management and read industry-related educational articles!

CHARTER YACHTS OF THE MONTH
OCEAN VIBES
Make: Sunreef
Length: 74 ft.
Sleeps 8 in 4 Queen Cabins
onbord-diving
SHANGRI LA
Make: Lagoon
Length: 52 ft.
Sleeps 6 in 3 Queen Cabins

FALCOR II
Make: Lagoon
Length: 46 ft.
Sleeps 6 in 3 Queen Cabins

G3

Make: Fountaine Pajot
Length: 51 ft.
Sleeps 8 in 4 Queen Cabins

LEEWAY
Make: Leopard 
Length: 58 ft.
Sleeps 6 in 3 Queen Cabins

KATRINA
Make: Fountaine Pajot
Length: 50 ft.
Sleeps 8 in 3 Queen Cabins & 1 Double
BOKETTO
Make: Fountaine Pajot
Length: 42 ft.
Sleeps 6 in 3 Queen Cabins

HEAVENLY
Make: Lagoon
Length: 62 ft.
Sleeps 8 in 4 Queen Cabins

THE DREAM TEAM
SALES & MARKETING
OPERATIONS
CREW SUPPORT
ACCOUNTING
MAINTENANCE
SALES & MARKETING

Mike 'Hank' Hampton
Co-Founder / Business Development 

Hank worked many years in Corporate America. Before he moved to the islands, he was Director of Franchise Operations for Red Robin Restaurants. He managed 43 restaurants through out the US and Canada and was responsible for financials, human resources, corporate vision and corporate compliance. He had over 4000 employees under his watch. Hank had a vision to be an entrepreneur and loved the water. He cashed out his stock, bought a 50’ boat and started one of the most successful charter companies in the Virgin Islands. He has been featured in USA Today, multiple All at Sea Magazine publications, the Virgin Islands Newspaper and most recently in the US Virgin Islands Destinations Magazine.

Phil Scarlata
Director of Marketing 

Phil came aboard the Paradise Yacht Management team two seasons ago for his skills in media & content creation, social media optimization, web design, and his overall business background knowledge in order to give PYM a stronger and professional web-based presence. Spending all of his former 35 years in South Florida, he decided to finally take the jump and move to St. Thomas after traveling to the Virgin Islands for years. He has always had a constant calling to tropical ocean environments so he felt there has never been a better time than the present to upgrade from a peninsula to an island. With the utmost interest in overall client perception from his schooling and previous businesses, we are excited to have Phil managing the forefront of our marketing campaigns in order to reveal to the public the exceptional value that Paradise Yacht Management can offer.

Peter Pieschel
Yacht Brand Specialist

Captain Peter is originally from San Diego, California and has been surfing, fishing and diving all his life. Born to be on the water, he knew he would one day live on a boat and sail away too far off land. After graduating from California State University with a degree in Business Management, Peter began selling Real Estate and worked in Fine Dining Restaurant Management. Despite his success, the ocean kept calling and eventually he decided to trade in the corporate conundrum for a life less ordinary. In 2013, he sailed up and down the Eastern Caribbean aboard his personal 47ʹ Stevens Hylas sailboat with his wife, Jody. They started their journey with two boat dogs, and now they have two adventurous boat kids, Brig and Waverly. Along the way, Peter obtained his US Coast Guard, Master 500 Ton Captain's License with endorsements for Auxiliary Sail, Commercial Towing, STCW 2/3, HELM, as well as a Grade 1 BVI Yachtmaster License.


For the next several years Peter worked as the lead technician maintaining a fleet of charter yachts for one of the most successful charter management companies in the Virgin Islands, Paradise Yacht Management. From there he became the Service Manager for the newly founded MultiTech Marine VI in St Thomas USVI, helping them to become the Authorized Lagoon Service Center and Parts Dealer in the Eastern Caribbean. Peter visited yacht production facilities in France where he was Factory Trained on many highly complex systems. Peter has successfully repaired, maintained, upgraded, and restored hundreds of yachts in the last several years, specializing in all major brands of Catamarans.


“As a professional captain, service center manager, and fellow boat owner, I’m uniquely qualified to help match my clients with the perfect boat for their specific needs. I can shed light and a fresh perspective on some commonly overlooked aspects of buying or selling a luxury yacht, especially while navigating the sometimes confusing particulars of the Caribbean. Please reach out if you’re interested in learning more.”

Jill Bailey
Charter Concierge

Jill recently moved to St. Thomas and joined the PYM team after living and working her whole life in Dallas, Texas. After 13 years of discussing a major move with her husband, Covid gave them the kick-in-the-butt needed to pull the trigger and say goodbye to everyone and everything they knew. A desire to sail and dive more combined with a passion for travel, food, and nice weather led her to the beautiful USVI. A career in hotel and restaurant sales and management was the perfect springboard to launch a new career in yacht management and sales. Jill will be learning the ropes in her new industry while assisting the entire management and ownership team along with the crew and guests.

OPERATIONS

Steve Schlosser
Co-Founder / COO

After earning his Masters Degree from the University of Denver, Steve specialized in and managed numerous small businesses. He spent 13 years in the Financial Industry as a partner in a firm managing 100 million dollars. Steve also followed that by partnering in the medical equipment business for 8 years. In 2011 he followed his sailing dream but couldn’t stay away from the business world. He ran a very successful charter yacht in the Virgin Islands.

Stef du Toit
CEO

Stef grew up in South Africa and started his career with Deloitte in the year 2000. A three-month assignment in the USA during his early 20s turned into an international career focused on entrepreneurship, business process improvement and high-growth companies. He comes to PYM with experience stretching from New York to Tokyo in multiple industries, ranging from financial services to hospitality, green economy, sports marketing and venture capital. A perpetual seeker of knowledge, some of his formal qualifications include chartered accountant and six sigma black belt. He is an avid outdoorsman and enjoys sailing, kite surfing, snowboarding and tennis when not spending time with his wife and kids. He is passionate about people development, conservation and cold beer. In his own words, “There is something really special going on at PYM and I didn’t want to miss out.”

Kimi Willison
Director of Operations

Kimi joined our Paradise Yacht Management team after her travels in a sailboat around the world with her husband Trevor Donnelly. She worked as a licensed CPA for Deloitte before “untying the lines”. She has had many years in the hospitality industry and she recently attained her STCW certification. Kimi is the head of operations for Paradise Yacht Management and helps with all the in-house tasks associated keeping us moving forward efficiently.

Pat Little
Director of Projects and Ops Support

Captain Pat grew up in Canada. He has worked in the Civil Engineering field for over 20 years spending most of that time in the booming Oilsands area of Alberta. He had the unique opportunity of managing staff and large commercial marine vessels in the Tailings Engineering research among other areas. As a teenager, he was a competitive swimmer, lifeguard and part of a scuba club. His interest in sailing started as a kid with small sailboats. As an adult, he has always spent the Alberta summers putting in as much time as possible on the water, waterskiing and sailing his Hobie Cat. As well as his sailing capabilities, Pat holds his Advanced PADI diver certificate and knows the ins and outs of snorkeling and freediving. Pat’s love for the water and the boating world, both professionally and personally pushed him towards further education into the Yachting world of the Caribbean. Pursuing this new adventure, expanded his knowledge and certifications by completing the Master of Yacht 200 Ton Limited License and Advanced STCW.


CREW SUPPORT

Erik Yates
Director of People 

Erik is originally from the Pacific Northwest and most recently has been residing in Denver, CO when he and his wife Heidi decided that the rat race of big cities was becoming too much. The original plan was to move to the islands for retirement, but with the world’s chaos they decided why wait, especially since the kids are grown and on their own. He has been sailing for 12 years and fell in love with being on the water and the beauty of so many places in the Caribbean! Erik’s other passion is music and is hoping to get involved in the music scene by finding somewhere to play drums. Erik has spent the last 30 years in the hospitality industry and comes to PYM to handle all things related to crew and yacht owners.

Brenda Clay
Director of Training 

Brenda is originally from a small town in the foothills of North Carolina.  She spent more than 7 years in the corporate world as an executive assistant and event coordinator before deciding to sell everything and move aboard a boat on the coast of Charleston, SC. She knew as a child she wanted to live by the ocean but she didn’t know until recently that desire would lead her to the islands.  After several years on enjoying the coastal lifestyle, she made her next jump to St. Thomas, USVI. She has been in the yacht chartering industry for 3 years and has never looked back!  She enjoys being in the galley as well as teaching others all about the charter industry.  Brenda works closely with the crews of Paradise Yacht Management and oversees the development of their industry-leading training program.

Kim Hynes
Recruiting Manager

Kim spent many years in the mountains of Colorado where she began her Human Resources career with Denver-based Frontier Airlines, leading the recruiting efforts for all departments. Kim’s most rewarding accomplishments at Frontier were restructuring and implementing the recruiting process resulting in personally hiring over 100 Pilots in a 90-day period for the rapidly growing company and being an integral part of the opening of the reservations center in Las Cruces, NM. Her love for travel, leisure, and hospitality led her to recruiting for the ski industry with Vail Resorts and Arapahoe Basin Ski Area. Although she loved her time in the mountains, raising her two beautiful daughters, her true love was the sun, sand, and beaches of her hometown, St. Petersburg, FL, where she recently returned. In her free time, you will find Kim on the water sailing or boating. Kim now works in HR with PYM, recruiting the most talented and qualified candidates and is working in the Sales Department with yacht owners joining the PYM fleet.


ACCOUNTING

Casey Miller
Yacht Accounting Manager

Casey joined the Paradise Yacht Management accounting team in July of 2018. Her passion for completing the “puzzle” makes her meticulous to a fault, striving for the highest standard in everything she does. She has over 15 years of experience in accounting with a fortune 500 Property Management company where she wrapped up her corporate accounting gig after managing the production of 65,000 utility bills, generating income of over 1.7 million dollars monthly. When she’s not working, she enjoys hunting trips and weekends at the bay. She is a true southern girl so don't be surprised if she blesses your heart and calls you y'all.

Nicole Grisales
Yacht Accounting Specialist

Nicole has a Bachelor of Science in Business Management from Western Governors University and over a decade of Accounting experience. With 7 years spent in Property Management where she was responsible for the timely and accurate billing of over 8,000 resident utility bills monthly. Nicole is conscientious and an auditor at heart, she enjoys problem solving and won’t stop until everything is accurate. This determination carries over in her personal life as in her spare time she runs half marathons. In addition to running for fun, Nicole also spends any chance she gets on the water. Growing up on Long Island, New York she has spent every summer she can remember on the water and that is truly her happy place.

Gabriel Sarmiento
Finance Manager

A Florida native and Florida State University Alumnus with a B.S. in Accounting. His career began as a yacht charter accountant at The Catamaran Company, where he quickly immersed himself in the ins and outs of yacht closings and service. After gaining experience as an Executive, he came about on his course and dove headfirst back into the charter business where he worked his way into the Financial Controller position for the entire group (Charter, Yacht Sales, Yacht Closings, Service, Marinas) before going into his final (6th year) position into an Executive role with Multitech Marine Services.

Sarah Wong
Yacht Accounting Specialist

Sarah Wong joined Paradise Yacht Management in 2021 as a Yacht Accounting Specialist. She comes with over 13 years of accounting experience accompanying her bachelor’s degree in general business from the University of Houston Downtown. She has always had a love for numbers and problem solving and has worked in the oil and gas industry as well as public safety. When she is not working, she enjoys traveling, running and spending time near the water to get her ready for the next challenge!

Angelica Martinez
Yacht Accounting Specialist

Coming Soon

Janessa Sarmiento
Yacht Accounting Specialist

Janessa is a Cuban-American born and raised in Miami, FL. She started her career as an Administrative Assistant at Fort Lauderdale Boatyard and Marina. When the boatyard shut down for construction, she landed a job with The Catamaran Company as an Accounting Specialist, where she gained tons of skills and knowledge about accounting for the yachting industry. She started working for Paradise Yacht Management late 2021. When she isn't working, she's being a mom to her 4-year-old on the autism spectrum and advocating for autism awareness and acceptance.

MAINTENANCE

Trevor Donnelly
Director of Maintenance

Trevor is originally from Seattle, Washington and has been sailing since he was a kid in the Puget Sound. When it was time to earn a living, he started and ran his construction company for most of his life. An opportunity to sell his business presented itself in 2015 which prompted the purchase of a 45 foot sailboat. After 4 years of cruising across the Pacific Ocean, through South-East Asia, down the Indian Ocean and finally up and across the Southern Atlantic Ocean, he finds himself here in the St Thomas looking for his next adventure. He since has obtained his RYA Yacht Master certification and after resolving many challenges on his own vessel, he is ready to put these skills to work. He has taken his mechanical and management background to PYM to oversee all our fleet’s maintenance needs.

Marissa McSwain
Maintenance Administrator 

Marissa is originally from Fairfax, Virginia but grew up moving every couple of years. She has lived everywhere from Washington, DC to Clearwater, FL. Home will always be Charleston, SC where she spent her time boating, fishing, and eating country boils from the salty marshes of the low country. After graduating from the University of South Carolina with a degree in Political Science and Business Administration, Marissa began a career in luxury retail in the heart of downtown Charleston. In 2021 her boyfriend Andrew, took an internship on Lovango Cay and fell in love with the Virgin Islands. A year later they packed a U-Haul and moved their love for the ocean and great food to St. Thomas. She now spends her days spearfishing and expanding her knowledge on the charter yacht industry as one of the newest members of the PYM team.

Amo Sonersall
Maintenance Administrator

A'Monique, also known by her nickname "Amo," was born on the island of St. Thomas but was raised in Orlando, Florida. A'Monique spent the most of her life commuting back and forth between the two locations. When COVID-19 struck, she had recently graduated and feeling homesick, so she made the decision to pack up her belongings and go permanently back to St. Thomas. At the University of Massachusetts Lowell, A'Monique concentrated her studies on political science in order to earn a degree there. She now brings her skill sets to the forefront of the administrative side of the maintenance department to ensure efficiency for our yachts. When she is not in the office, reading, going shopping, and seeing new places are some of her favorite things to do in her leisure time.

CHARTER GUEST REVIEWS WORD CLOUD

Check out our prior charter guests' testimonials to see which words they used the most!