President, Owner Grand Yachts Inc., CPYB, Yacht Consultant & Broker, Fleming Yachts Specialist
Mobile 250-589-6044
Email rbutler@grandyachts.com
Robb Butler, the owner of Grand Yachts Inc. and Fleming Yachts Canada, has developed an enormous passion for the yachting industry, a passion which drives his success.
Robb was born in Alberta, but as a teen ager relocated with his famliy to Cape Town, South Africa where he discovered boats. Sailing became a mainstay in Robb’s life; he raced dinghies and competed in numerous off-shore keel boat events around the Cape of Good Hope. He has owned seven keelboats and held the position of Skipper on three Trans-Atlantic Races. His last race in 2009 was from Cape Town to Brazil on his own yacht, Summer Love, a 43’ Monte Video built in South Africa by Robertson & Caine, which finally brought Robb and his wife Janey, to Vancouver Island. They then moved from sail to to power and cruised the Gulf Islands on LilyB, their pristine 32’ Grand Banks. After LilyB came Booty, a Shamrock 20 and now drives a SafeBoat25 !
As owner and past CEO for more than 30 years of a large clothing design and manufacturing company, Robb’s business experience together with over 40,000 ocean miles gives him the necessary skills and expertise to guide clients carefully through the delicate stages of buying or selling, whether it be the build of a new yacht or the purchase or sale of a quality pre-owned vessel.
CPYB, Yacht Consultant & Broker, Co-owner and Director, Grand Yachts Inc.
Mobile 604-787-7719
Email dworland@grandyachts.com
Dave grew up spending time on the water, goofing around in Lasers and a Beneteau First 38 on Lake Erie, ski boats and small cruisers in the Muskokas, 14 years cruising and delivering a Little Harbor 54 from Cape Breton to Grenada, and so many places in between, testing Contest Yachts in Europe, and of course, enjoying Desolation Sound, the Gulf Islands, and the San Juans on a wide range of sail and motor vessels from 24’ to 80’.
Trained in finance and marketing at Wilfrid Laurier University, David endured a five year career in the corporate world before becoming a yacht broker in 1996, joining Grand Yachts Inc in January 2008, and becoming an owner in 2021.
Dave is an active industry volunteer having served as President of the BCYBA in 2013 and 2014 and has been on the Certified Professional Yacht Broker Certification Advisory Council since 2007, serving as its Chairperson in 2016 and 2017. Having visited over a dozen yacht builders, and having facilitated hundreds of yacht transactions worldwide, Dave is always learning and developing his deep understanding of the varied suitability of vessels, evolving vessel systems, and fundamentally, the nuances of the yacht brokerage business.
CPYB, Yacht Broker
Mobile 604-220-8004
Email bwhite@grandyachts.com
Born in Vancouver in February and boating by March, Bruce White has been around boats his entire life. His early years were spent cruising from Seattle to Rivers Inlet and all points in between. Bruce joined RVYC at the age of fourteen and has been a member of the Yacht Club for over fifty years. Since he loved the water so much, he started a career working in the coastal tugboat industry, both on the boats and later in management. Bruce claims to have been up every inlet and visited almost every bay on the coast.
In 2002, Bruce joined Grand Yachts Inc. to start a new career with hopes of sharing the beautiful experience of boating and to pass along his boating knowledge. In additoin to his duties at Grand Yachts Bruce joined the Board of the British Columbia Yacht Brokers Assocaiation (B.C.Y.B.A) in 2010 and still serves to date. Bruce is also a Board Member of Boating B.C. Both organizations are very important to the B.C Boating community and Bruce intends to continue his contrubutions to them for years to come.
Crewing for Grand Yachts, Bruce White is a solid team player who looks forward to assisting you search for your perfect boat.
Yacht Broker
Mobile 604-518-3430
Email bmarchant@grandyachts.com
Growing up in South Africa, Brad gained a passion for boating early on in life. He was attracted to the sailing life and moved to the Caribbean, where, for several years he managed a large cruising catamaran. This passion brought Brad to Annapolis, the mecca for sailors in America; this was his first experience with the Beneteau brand.
In 1998, Brad relocated to Vancouver and established First Yacht Services, dedicated to the service of new and used Beneteau sail and power boats, as well as most of the other brands in the marketplace. Since then, First Yachts has commissioned no fewer than 300 Beneteaus, both power and sail. In the process, they were awarded some of the industry’s most recognized service awards.
Brad is passionate about helping clients find the ideal yacht to suit their purpose. He brings 25 years of experience in all facets of boating, be it family cruising, local or offshore racing or special projects, such as a Vic-Maui campaign.
Yacht Broker
Cell Phone: +1 (778) 325-7975
Email : ktimol@grandyachts.com
Kyle Timol got his professional start at a downtown Toronto digital marketing firm right after qualifying from Acadia University, NS.
After a year of honing his skills he took on a role running promotional events for clients such as General Mills, Blackberry, Virgin Mobile and TD Bank. It was during the summer of 2013 that Kyle discovered the joy of sailing and he hasn't looked back. His trajectory changed forever after taking that tiller!
Kyle started racing Albacore dinghies, J24's and 8m keel boats on Lake Ontario and it wasn’t long before the open ocean called. In 2014 Kyle quit his job to embark on an Atlantic crossing to the UK to help deliver a 47ft Vagabond sailboat. This experience left him wanting more, so after spending a year doing boat maintenance and charters back in Toronto he struck out to Australia to find his next sailing challenge. It was down under where he truly fell in love with the sea. Kyle competed in numerous offshore races in preparation for the Sidney to Hobart Race as bowman on a Beneteau 47.7.
Now settled in Sidney, B.C., Kyle's desire is to share the joy and freedom yachting provides and his love of sailing with others.
Yacht Consultant & Broker
Mobile 604-315-8457
Email chemmes@grandyachts.com
Craig was 10 years old when started his life on the water sailing dinghies in South Africa, first a Mirror on Benoni Lake and then a Carioca out of Lake Deneys Yacht Club on the Vaal Dam.
At 16 and living in Vancouver, he and a friend bought an Enterprise which they sailed out of Hollyburn Sailing Club after which there was no stopping his passion for the sea. Craig has owned and skippered yachts (both sail and power) in waters in and around the Cape coast of South Africa, Western Canada, Mauritius, Mozambique and the US Virgin Islands.
One of Craig’s most memorable experiences in his yachting life was building and sailing a Samoa Van De Stadt 47 with his father who was also a passionate yachtsman.
After spending most of his life in an executive corporate environment, Craig is now living out his passion for boats by building new relationships with clients and helping them find their dreams on the water.
Yacht Consultant & Broker
Mobile 604-351-1439
Email sgalloway@grandyachts.com
Steve began boating on Okanagan lake at the age of 8 when his uncle rigged up a plywood dinghy with a 3-horse Johnson outboard and an improvised cable-pulley system that made him believe he was driving a speedboat.
After learning to sail on an Aquacat with his grandmother, he spent two summers restoring a dilapidated wooden Melges C Scow with his father. They launched it, went for an extremely exciting sail, and then forgot to put in the drain caps on the bow. A storm blew in and it sank, but an important lesson was learned.
After a succession of small sailboats, children, and slightly larger sailboats, he purchased a 1970 GB 32 woody from Grand Yachts that he loves a little more than is probably reasonable.
After working for twenty-five years as a writer, Steve is now devoted to helping people find the boat that makes getting out on the water the thrill and joy it should be. As far as he’s concerned, if you’re out on a boat you’ve got it made.
Yacht Broker & Consultant
Mobile 250-575-4025 Email ldrummond@grandyachts.com
Louis grew up in Montreal and spent his summers and holidays on the coast of Maine, where his affinity for the ocean began. As a teen he worked in Florida and spent his weekends on the Gulf of Mexico in a custom 35-foot centre console, snorkelling and exploring the waters from Sanibel Island to the Dry Tortugas.
After university, Louis moved to the Okanagan to start a business. He met his wife, Vikki, and raised their two children and several dogs there. Louis enjoyed coaching his kids soccer, which often took him to Vancouver Island for tournaments. Being near the water rekindled his love of the ocean and boating.
After over 20 years owning and running businesses in the hospitality industry he moved with his wife to Victoria, BC and bought his first fishing boat. Fondly remembering a summer spent crewing a tri-cabin Hatteras off the coast of Greece, Louis recently upgraded to a Nordic Tug 32 and plans to explore the endless boating opportunities in the Pacific Northwest.
Director - Accounting Controller
Email jsahota@grandyachts.com
Hello ! I'm Janey
I was born in Namibia, and raised in South Africa. Educated at U.C.T and The Cape Peninsula University of Technology. Worked for 20 years all over the ‘Fashion World’ in clothing production and design. I run. I love potatoes (as long as they're cooked), I love figs with brie. And poetry.
Robb taught me to sail in 2001 and then he took me to the high seas in 2009.
Our sailboat Summer Love — a Monte Video 43 — took us from
I wrote a blog (after the fact) to re-live the adventure.
Robb and I now live on Vancouver Island and continue to enjoy the water, by helping folk to find their ideal boat!
Born and raised in Johannesburg, Melanie discovered her love for the ocean and mountains while attending university in Cape Town. This was further cemented when travelling to Canada in her early twenties. She fell in love with BC and vowed to one day live here. Fast forward twenty odd years and Melanie and her husband Craig now call Vancouver home, enjoying as much time in the mountains and on the water as possible!
Melanie comes with a background in business and marketing, having worked in publishing, tourism and education, and more recently the yachting world. She can’t wait to explore more of the Pacific Northwest coast, and is thrilled to be part of a team that helps people find their perfect boat to do just the same !
Consultant & Delivery Captain
Mobile 604-861-0333
Shawn Francis joined Grand Yachts Inc. in 2015 after working with Robb Butler in Sidney, delivering boats. After 30 years of successful enterprise, Shawn retired from his bus dealership business in 2013 and moved to Vancouver Island.
Shawn and his wife have been boating since 2002 and currently enjoy their 2016 American Tug 395 pilothouse trawler, which is the recipient of Shawn’s meticulous care and attention.
Shawn brings with him many years of business experience and a well-established reputation for conscientiously attending to details in customer transactions. Shawn’s passion for boating and all things nautical is evident in his enthusiastic approach to meeting other boaters.
Consulting
Office 604-687-8943
Email bmorris@grandyachts.com
Brian Morris started boating at a very early age with his parents, spending most weekends and summer vacations between Howe Sound and Desolation Sound on wooden cruisers. As an adult, he and his family came back to boating in 1993. They bought their first Grand Banks 36 from Grand Yachts in 1996 and upgraded to a Grand Banks 42 in 2005. Since then they have spent summers cruising from the West Coast of Vancouver Island, Alaska and Haida Gwaii.
Brian joined Grand Yachts shortly after retiring from a corporate career in service delivery and sales and marketing. When he is not traveling or boating himself, he indulges his boating obsession by spending time at Grand Yachts helping out wherever needed. Having spent significant time on Grand Banks yachts cruising the Pacific Northwest, Brian brings a wealth of practical experience to the Grand Yachts team.
CPYB, Yacht Broker, Fleming Yachts Specialist
Mobile 604-328-3611
Email bkell@grandyachts.com
I so harkened to the yacht business in the early 1980s, when I saw nothing but opportunity in a fledgling industry. It was the opportunity to work closely with an amazing cross section of people at the most positive times in their lives - when buying and selling the object of their passion - that drew me to the business. Many of the relationships that I have established in that process have grown into life long friendships.
I was also drawn to the opportunity to help grow an industry, by forming the BC Yacht Brokers Association, which continues today and is a model copied elsewhere in North America. At the same time, the yacht business allowed me to work with Roger Glassford, my partner of many years, and together to grow Grand Yachts into a polished and professional sales organization representing two world class product lines: Grand Banks and Fleming.
Perhaps most importantly, the yacht business afforded me the opportunity to grow as a person, to develop my understanding of yachts, people and cruising, and to make a difference.
Founder of Grand Yachts Inc.
1943 - 2019
From the early days in False Creek and founding Grand Yachts, to leaving the Creek to make way for Expo ’86 and moving into the original Coal Harbour Marina, to partnering with Brian Kell to develop the potential of Grand Yachts, to being involved in the development of the BC Yacht Brokers Association, to seizing the opportunity to participate in the development of the new Coal Harbour Marina and building offices there, to expanding our dealership to include the legendary Fleming Yachts, to building rewarding relationships with clients that have become lifelong friends, to building a team of like-minded people to grow the company, and at the end of the day to putting positive excitement and fun into the process of buying and selling yachts. This is Roger's legacy.
Roger Glassford brought integrity to the yacht brokerage industry. This is what we at Grand Yachts continue to strive for every day.
Roger, a man for all seasons, may he rest in peace.