{"id":1896,"date":"2018-07-24T19:14:45","date_gmt":"2018-07-24T19:14:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ec2-34-207-252-176.compute-1.amazonaws.com\/?page_id=1896"},"modified":"2024-06-12T11:36:56","modified_gmt":"2024-06-12T15:36:56","slug":"testimonials","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.galatiyachts.com\/testimonials\/","title":{"rendered":"Testimonials"},"content":{"rendered":"
We want to thank Rex Witkamp <\/a>for working tirelessly to help find the perfect boat for are needs. After searching the entire East coast, we finally found and closed on our Grand Banks and Rex and the entire Galati team made the transaction seamless. <\/p><\/div> Galati Yacht Sales did an outstanding job on my recent purchase of a Grady White Canyon 306. Parker Blalock<\/a> is an honest , hard worker salesman always protecting the interests of both the seller and buyer. He went over and above anything I needed to complete the process and Julie Ann Galati<\/a> also was extremely helpful and efficient. I will always do business with Galati in any future purchases as they are a first class organization. Thank You for making this a pleasurable experience for my wife and I.<\/p><\/div> I have to say I had the best experience ever due to Parker Blalock<\/a> having constant communication and following up on this deal to the end, and directing me to a total professional person, Dana Galvao<\/a>. Galati Yacht Sales has a amazing staff, making it easy for me to buy a vessel this far away with total stress free. Thank you, I would highly recommend both to anyone.<\/p><\/div> Galati yachts might be one of the few five star boat dealers that I have ever come across. Professionalism, promptness, helpfulness, and no misleading\/taking advantage. They brokered my recent boat purchase and have helped with warranty and after sales support.<\/p><\/div> OMG! Galati Yacht Sales in St. Pete<\/a> are the ultimate professionals. Working with Jeff Rummel<\/a> and Dana Galvao<\/a> has been nothing less than fantastic. Both Jeff & Dana have answered all of our questions and performed so well for us, that we can’t thank them enough. Buying a boat from Galati is our most expensive purchase of anything ever and Jeff & Dana have made Linda and myself feel comfortable the whole way through. I highly recommend this firm and suggest that you ask for both Jeff and Dana if you are looking to buy a boat.<\/p><\/div> I purchased a 2023 Prestige 520<\/a>, Jay Dee<\/a> and his team are the best. The entire experience has been great. The Tampa<\/a>Galati Team and their finance department are all very professional and efficient which is very much appreciated. It\u2019s all very transparent. I met them at the Miami boat show, at their Galveston TX<\/a> location and at Anna Maria<\/a> Marina. The Anna maria team are very helpful and their training and maintenance is top notch.<\/p><\/div> Joe<\/a>, thanks for all your hard work! You went above and beyond normal professional duties, especially when switching me off a more expensive boat to the galati trade at the last minute. In addition, you were a lot of fun to work with. Thanks again for all your help. <\/p><\/div> Paul Smith<\/a> has been a great boat broker for us. He had looked out for the owners before and after the sale.<\/p><\/div> I used Paul Smith<\/a> of Galati as my broker when purchasing my current boat. He took the time to walk me through many boats at the St. Petersburg boat show, pointing out the pros and cons of each model for my situation. He negotiated for me, followed up on the survey punch list, and captained the boat from Naples<\/a> to St. Petersburg<\/a> with me. He’s also been great with after sales advice and support. Highly recommended.<\/p><\/div> Great service from Team Galati! Paul Smith<\/a> was an awesome broker when I purchased my Cruisers Yacht<\/a> and when I sold it as well!<\/p><\/div> Elas Wallace<\/a> – incredible experience with this broker! I just want to recognize this broker and how amazing of an experience it was to both sell a current vessel, and upgrade into a larger vessel. It was seamless and professional. The certainty of what he does coupled with his extensive boating experience is what makes him a prodigy in this business. In a world where everything seems to come with problems, Elas was 5 steps ahead of everyone saving me money and getting the deal completed with on point communication. That, in itself, is gold. Thank you kindly Elas Wallace and Galati Yacht Sales.<\/p><\/div> Anthony Gathercole<\/a> is a genuine professional within the Galati family. He took the time to explain things to myself and my father during my first ever Miami yacht show. I would not hesitate to recommend Anthony to friends family and anyone looking for a first class experience!<\/p><\/div> We had the pleasure of having Colby Carr<\/a> assist us with the recent purchase of our 560 Prestige. Colby was amazing and remained professional from the start. We first met Colby at the Palm Beach Boat Show where he spent hours showing us multiple boats and helped us find the make\/model that was a perfect fit for our family. At the time there were no 560 Prestiges on the market and he even helped find a seller of the exact boat we were looking for. There were a few items that needed to be corrected which were discovered on the survey and he calmly helped us to navigate the negotiation of the repairs. We were able to quickly close within the timeframe we wanted and were able to enjoy the boat the entire Summer in the Florida Keys. Colby even arranged and joined the captain for the delivery! Even following the closing he has continued to be a great resource for little items that have come up and always responds in a timely manner (a couple times even while he was on vacation). We will be using Colby to represent us when it comes time to upgrade to our next boat and would recommend him to anyone who is looking for a broker they can trust and rely on. <\/p><\/div> We had the pleasure of working with David Hunt<\/a> to purchase our first yacht. He was very knowledgeable and accommodating, setting up appointments in both Texas and Florida (twice) and answering all of our questions (day, night, and weekends). He was instrumental in guiding us through the survey process. We would highly recommend him to anyone interested in the purchase of a yacht. As a whole, our Galati buying experience was a first-class service. Thank you!<\/p><\/div> It gives me great pleasure to pass on my sincere gratitude for the knowledge and tireless assistance provided by Colby Carr<\/a>. My wife and I are seasoned boaters with clearly defined wants and needs in a boat. <\/p> In the current hot market, having clear desires which are largely inflexible, along with a limited budget causes the boat search to be a frustrating experience. Colby worked patiently with us, showing us every vessel which met our requirements. The process took months including rejecting two vessels based upon poor survey results. <\/p> Nonetheless, Colby found us our ideal boat and we love it.<\/p><\/div> I wanted to reach out and thank Pete Kostuk <\/a>and the entire Galati team in making our purchasing experience special. Pete\u2019s knowledge and passion for yachts is uncompromised and he works exceptionally hard to earn everyone\u2019s trust. Every step in the process including the purchase of our new vessel and the sale of our older boat has been handled in a professional manner. The delivery of our new 43 Tiara was carefully coordinated and Pete went out of his way to drive us to Sanibel to pick up the vessel, provided a licensed captain to brief me on the operation, electronics, and maintenance of the boat in addition to cruising it to her homeport in Naples. I don\u2019t know who needs to hear this but CHRIS WHITE<\/a> has been absolutely amazing through this entire process. If you would have told me that I could buy this boat over the phone, a lot of emails, and 1 trip to Alabama I would of said you are crazy\u2026 but it worked. Chris is one of the most honest and upfront salesmen that I have ever worked with. He did not try to hide anything and would produce anything that I would ask for. He picked me up from the airport, and delivered me right back, and didn\u2019t want anything In return. He definitely had the best interest of the buyer and also the seller. When I get ready to purchase another my first call will be to him. As for you and your processes\u2026Once again TOP NOTCH. I would bother you through continued emails, and phone calls, and an answer was always given. This is a prime example of how a business should be ran, and I can only hope that my employees treat everyone with the same compassion as you all did. Thanks again.<\/p><\/div> We closed on a Sea Ray 1st week of December. Ross Toussaint<\/a> was the broker we worked with out of League City TX. Super professional guy. Also extremely knowledgeable. It was a tricky deal with a lot of twists along the way. Ross stuck with it and kept it together even though I was close to walking away on a couple of occasions. Galati is lucky to have him on your team. He is definitely Top Shelf!<\/p><\/div> I recently completed a search for and purchase of my used 2018 Prestige 560 Flybridge. From our first chance meeting at the Ft Lauderdale Boat Show to our current text and email follow-up conversations Miss Judy Torrey<\/a> impressed me as exactly what I could have asked for in a broker to a first-time boat owner. I very seldom reach out to a company that I have done business with but am so inclined to do so this time. We recently purchased a boat from Galati and our sales rep was Jim Nelson<\/a>.<\/p> Having been in the heavy construction equipment business starting my career as a sales rep myself I have become a critic of sales reps over the years. The Tiara we ended up purchasing is the largest boat we ever bought and there certainly is a lot more to purchasing a boat of this size than I had experience with.<\/p> Jim has been there for us throughout the purchase and certainly had to deal with my lack of knowledge. What really prompted me to write today was the fact that he called me to see how I was making out and if I had any questions. It is fairly easy to sell something to a willing buyer, but to be impressive deserves being recognized.<\/p><\/div> For a number of years, we have been proud sailboat owners. However, after some changes in circumstance, we decided to make the leap over to a powerboat. After researching the different brands in the 50 ft range, we were impressed by the features and overall value offered by the Prestige line. We are located in California and started our search trying to find a newer model, lightly used Prestige 500 or 520 close to our market without success.<\/p> After scouring the internet all over the country and speaking to a number of various dealers\/brokers throughout the country, we discovered a beautiful 2018 Prestige 520 offered by John McDonald<\/a> with Galati Yacht Sales out of Destin, FL. In the age of the Covid-19 pandemic, we were unable to travel cross country to view the boat in person at any stage of this process. Normally, this would make us shy away from a potential deal as there is quite a bit of trust that had to be placed within John and Galati. From the very first contact, John was nothing short of excellent. He immediately took us on a virtual tour of the 520 and we were instantly impressed. After a few short hours of discussion, we were in contract.<\/p> The pre-contract process was the easy part, it was all that was done by John and the rest of the Galati team post contract is what earned them our admiration and feeling to be part of the Galati family. From what we quickly discovered, Galati is large. With multiple branches and capabilities, I was concerned that it would feel overly corporate and not responsive. I could not have been any more incorrect. Galati is a true family run business with considerable care for each of their customers. They’re not looking for the quick sale, it is clear that Galati is looking to create a lifelong relationship by working hard to earn trust and mutual respect. It is so reassuring to see business conducted with this level of care these days. Their success is absolutely deserved!<\/p> Despite multiple hurricanes thrown our way, Galati made the the post-contract \/ pre-sale completion process as easy as could be. Keep in mind, with the pandemic, we were still unable to travel to Florida to see the boat in person. John handled all of the details with meticulous care on our behalf. This is where trust really comes into play. John sure earned it with us! Being that were could not see it, he pointed everything out to us so just as if were were there. I can’t tell you how much we appreciated this as if trust couldn’t be established, we simply would not have been able to continue with the purchase. The survey went on without issue, the boat was exactly how John had presented it to us, it was in excellent shape. Being that this was a dealer owned used boat, it was very reassuring to see what care Galati placed in all of their boats. There were some extremely minor issues we were made aware of that Galati graciously repaired without hesitation. Simply stated, we would have gone through this buying process all over again with the help of John and Galati.<\/p> Once the sale was complete and the boat was ours, the complicated part began. This is where Galati truly shined. Being a licensed captain, John so kindly offered to take the boat from Destin to Ft Lauderdale where it would be loaded on a ship to transport to the West Coast. However, to no fault of John or Galati, we chose United Yacht Transport, which was just terrible to work with. The transport company kept delaying the transit time which went on for well over a month. With us still stuck in CA during the pandemic and being away from our new boat, unwilling to leave us behind, Galati stuck with us and went well beyond their call of duty to continue helping us along. The deal was done, the money was transferred, but Galati stayed with us the entire way. As hurricane after hurricane kept approaching and we were still waiting for the ship transport, John and the rest of the wonderful folks over at Galati continuously looked out for our beautiful new boat keeping it safe with each obstacle. They then decided it would be best to transport it to their Anna Maria location (by Tampa). John did this run himself with the help of a mate.<\/p> At this point, we were so frustrated with the transport company, storms kept coming, we still had not yet seen the new boat in person because of Covid, Galati still refused to leave our side. In fact, without us even asking, the Galati family offered, without charge, to continue berthing and watching out for the boat until it was ready to be transported. Each step of the way, Galati went beyond what anyone else would have done. We appreciate it this beyond words! We felt so comfortable and secure with Galati, never having even met them face to face. The care they showed reached well over to us in CA. Even with the delays in transport, once again no fault of Galati, we were confident knowing the boat was in excellent and capable hands.<\/p> Once the transport ship finally arrived, John arranged and coordinated the boat to be loaded onto the ship, which then went without incident.<\/p> A few weeks later, we unloaded our Prestige 520 in Ensenada, MX. We were delighted, but had no doubt, that this beautiful boat was EXACTLY how Galati had presented it to us. There were no surprises nor issues. Even though we had not seen it in person until this point, we felt like we already knew it so well with the help of John and the others at Galati.<\/p> Now that we have the Prestige safely in our home port, the attention and care from Galati continues. John always graciously makes himself available to us with any question we may have. Additionally, Sean Cardow has been such a valuable resource as he quickly responds to any service issues that arise. And, most recently, we were introduced to Brian Bodner, aka human Prestige encyclopedia, who I have been regularly picking his brain with questions and opinions that he so quickly and reliably provides.<\/p> We may be thousands of miles apart, never stepped foot at a Galati location, or even met anyone from Galati in person, but we are so proud to be part of the Galati family. And most importantly, we love our Prestige 520!<\/p><\/div> I was very impressed with the excellent service received when searching for a boat. Within 24 hrs, they located a boat that was perfect for my family. Great service and experience all around! Give them a try, very trusting and professional.<\/p><\/div> “I just wanted to take a minute to let you know that David<\/a> was a real pleasure to work with throughout my buying process. I know that he was representing the seller but I really felt that he was always working in and for my best interest as well. Anyway I just wanted to let you know that dealing with him and purchasing a boat 14 hours away, that I couldn\u2019t have been more pleased. Thanks again for having great sales people in place to work with!”<\/p><\/div> This is our third boat brokerage purchase through Galati Yacht Sales. Although our experiences with Galati have all been first class, Jim<\/a> took the experience to a whole new level. He remained engaged but did not apply pressure. He accommodated every one of our requests and made some great suggestions along the way. Even though he represented both sides of the transaction, he remained fair and objective to both parties. The closing was not an easy one, as some unexpected issues popped up along the way. But, Jim jumped through many hoops to ensure that we all made it to the closing table\u2026and all of this through the COVID-19 pandemic! We couldn\u2019t be happier with our boat and we are very appreciative of Jim and the Galati Team. Cheers!<\/p><\/div> John<\/a>, Thank you for making my Galati Yacht Sales experience one I will never forget. \u00a0I\u2019ve been dreaming of owning a yacht since I was 10 years of age, and yesterday it became reality. \u00a0Your professionalism, attention to detail, and flexibility with schedules made the entire process silky smooth. \u00a0I look forward to a long relationship with Galati Yacht Sales thanks to you. \u00a0Thanks again for the swag bag only rivaled by the Espy Awards!<\/p> <\/p><\/div> Jim<\/a>, it has been more than six years since we first did business with you and the Galati family. And after three transactions, I feel compelled to write this note. Our experience has been nothing short of fantastic! You have been a professional in every aspect of our dealings. Additionally, we found Terry Meeks to be very knowledgeable, organized, and pleasant while handling our service needs over the years. The word which best describes our relationship with you and Galati is TRUST! We look forward to our continuing relationship.<\/p> <\/p><\/div> John Pugh<\/a> did an outstanding job selling our 45\u2019 Viking Sportfish. Here\u2019s why: I\u2019m writing this letter to express our appreciation for Tim<\/a> and his tireless efforts in helping us through a few transactions over the past couple of years. Tim has been dealing with our family for a few years now and I think he represents extraordinarily well what the Galati experience is meant to be. Form the moment we first met Tim through today he\u2019s always remained unbelievably kind, patient and understanding. His responsiveness and willingness to communicate and help regardless of the time of day, or day of the week is simply unmatched, he truly gets what customer service is all about.<\/p> Tim\u2019s sense of fairness, honesty and integrity are probably what impresses me the most; as long as he\u2019s in the game, available and willing I\u2019ll never do another boat deal without him representing me. He\u2019s never pretended to know everything about every vessel or option or malfunction and even when he knew I wasn\u2019t going to necessarily like an answer he\u2019s been truthful and forthcoming, so I was able to make reasonable decisions based on factual information. He is very forward thinking and makes us feel like we are his number one priority and our best interest is his best interest and that is rare these days.<\/p> Tim is the kind of guy that helps makes a company great and the customer experience even greater. He exemplifies what the Galati mantra is \u2018a name you can trust\u2019. Tim dutifully honors the vision and legacy of Michael Senior and I doubt there could be any higher praise than that.<\/p><\/div> Dear Galati\u2019s Management Team, \u201cWe wanted to tell you that our experience with Galati Yachts was exceptional thanks to the professionalism, boating knowledge, and hard work of Byron Cox<\/a>. He made selling our yacht a smooth, hassle-free experience. Byron was very friendly and outgoing and even helped us get our 1994 Sea Ray 370 Express Cruiser ready to sell. He found a buyer and had our boat sold in a month. We were very impressed. Byron kept us informed during every step of the selling process and the closing went very quickly. We were so pleased with Byron that we are using him to help us find our next boat. We feel like we have made a friend for life. \u201cI wanted to reach out to you and share my buying experience and service from your employee, my broker and now friend, Anthony Gathercole<\/a> at Galati on a Yacht that I closed on today. Living in a totally inland state my knowledge of the Yacht industry was limited when I began. Anthony answered every question I had, every text I sent, every time I called his phone. When he said he was going to reach out to someone on my behalf it was never just words from him. He contacted insurance agents, people he knew selling a dinghy, and many other people\/places on my behalf! Being a business owner in the service industry for the past 30 years I\u2019m am very reserved on giving high marks in this area; however, I give Anthony a 10 out of 10! I am so pleased that when I am ready to buy my next yacht he would be the only person I would contact to conduct business with. He represents your company and it\u2019s values so very well. I just wanted to share my experience with you from one Boss to another.”<\/p><\/div>Al W.<\/h3>
George G.<\/h3>
Joshua S.<\/h3>
Gene D.<\/h3>
Gabriel A.<\/h3>
Paul F.<\/h3>
John L.<\/h3>
Paul M.<\/h3>
Jeffrey L.<\/h3>
John F.<\/h3>
John W.<\/h3>
Robyn and Stan McQuiston<\/h3>
James K.<\/h3>
Stan M.<\/h3>
James K.<\/h3>
\nWe appreciate the five-star treatment by Galati!<\/p><\/div>Kevin S.<\/h3>
Ken B.<\/h3>
T.M<\/h3>
\nThough having not owned a boat before she deftly assisted me in all facets of the qualification, search, feedback, contact, offer and contract procedure, survey, repair\/costing, closing, and post-closing experiences. Her experience as a yacht captain were essential. She could recognize my shortcomings, but my potential, having sailed small ships in the Navy and being a current widebody airline pilot. She was hardnosed when warranted with sellers\u2019 brokers or suppliers and even me at times, but knew immediately when to back off and let circumstances play out. She knew instinctually when to fight the current and when to let go and let it help the process.
\nThere was no detail too small to escape her attention. She tracked down and made sure all warranties were transferable and transferred in the end. She gave me the resources to find dockage, service work, safe passage of the new boat to the W Coast, and important contacts such as a training captain.
\nI had no idea of the complexity and enormity of the transaction I was to undertake, and I don\u2019t know if I could have done it without Judy Torrey. I do know that anyone else would have left holes in the wake of the deal. Judy left none and I am now a very confident and excited owner of a beautiful vessel. Thank you very much for hiring her. She is a 110%\u2019er<\/p><\/div>Dennis H.<\/h3>
\nI have to let you know that we were fortunate to have contacted Jim when we started looking at boats.<\/p>
\nI had many questions and he was extremely responsive.
\nFurthermore, his style, honesty, and knowledge was excellent.<\/p>
\nHe is there after the sale; remarkable!<\/p>Zack A<\/h3>
Brad Smith<\/h3>
Matt Remion<\/h3>
David & Donna Machado<\/h3>
Greg Keller<\/h3>
Bob & Laurie Camastro<\/h3>
John Pipes<\/h3>
\n1. He knows boats! We were confident John would inform prospective buyers of all the attractive features of our Viking and the reliability of Viking boats.
\n2. His posting on the Galati Website was comprehensive. Pictures and facts were accurately posted.
\n3. He was smart about pricing and working with us on negotiating offers.
\n4. Applied the 3Cs – Cost, Clutter, Cleanliness. Just as one does before showing a house.
\n5. Overall John was Professional, Courteous, and Respectful. Very easy to work with!
\nWe are glad to recommend him. <\/p><\/div>Will Cantrell<\/h3>
Rick Burdick<\/h3>
\nI am writing to thank you for your hospitality during our recent stay and offer a few observations. My wife and I docked our boat at your marina in early March and our planned stay was significantly extended due to the Covid-19 pandemic. We wanted to thank you for accommodating us during these very unusual circumstances. I also wanted express how impressed I was with your employees and how well your facility is managed. Due to the unique situation I was able to casually observe the daily operations of the boat yard, employees and contractors. I also have no previous exposure to Galati\u2019s as a customer or personal relationship. The attention to detail, the engagement of the employees and the quality of the care that the vessels received in the Anna Marina facility was remarkable. Over the last 30 years I have managed large teams of employees, so I have an appreciation for what it takes to build the kind culture that I observed at Galati\u2019s. The best way to explain this is that I observed workers applying the same high level of care and quality to their work when there were no customers or managers present. This culture only comes from long term and consistent direction from your management team, obviously over multiple generations. I would enthusiastically recommend Galati\u2019s to anyone that is interested in purchasing or maintaining a yacht. I know that you had to cancel your 50th anniversary event due to Covid-19 but I think that the organization that I observed is an appropriate celebration of your first 50 years. Best wishes for the next 50 years and thanks again. <\/p><\/div>Tim and Cheryl Batsche<\/h3>
\nThanks again for a fantastic Galati experience.”<\/p><\/div>Johnny Hogan<\/h3>