When Sanderson “Sandy” Carney is out on the water, she’s at peace – even if she’s constantly tinkering with different pieces of the boat.
“What I really love is you never know it all because you’re always tweaking something,” said Carney, who came from a family of avid sailors. “You’re looking at the wind, you’re looking at the water.”
Carney grew up just outside of Boston and spent a lot of time learning to sail on Cape Cod.
“So, it’s just been in my blood,” Carney said. “I love yachts, I love the designs, I love everything about it. So, it’s natural for me.”
For decades, Carney has helped others find that same serenity on the water through her yacht brokerage – Sanderson Yachting.
The Newport-based company began in 2007. By that point, Carney had been working in the industry for 25 years, spending countless hours on the dock and the water for several companies.
While she was in high school, Carney did an internship for Sail Magazine, which was based in Boston area. Then, the editor had started another magazine in Newport, which is exactly where Carney wanted to be because of its busy yachting industry. So, she moved to the coastal town and has never looked back.
Notably, she became the first woman commodore for the Ida Lewis Yacht Club, located in Newport, in 2004. Years before that, she taught sailing at Barrington Yacht Club after graduating from college and ran the yacht charters for Old Port Marine in Newport.
When it came time to launch her own business, Carney was able to lean on her rolodex filled with contacts in the boating industry.
“I just built my contacts. I never really advertised because I didn’t need to; I built by word of mouth,” Carney said.
During the busier years, Carney has chartered up to 30 trips. The business model is like that of a real estate agent but for boats, as a client will call looking to charter a boat during a certain time and location. Customers can choose from a sailboat, catamaran, power yacht and gulet in many destinations from Antarctica to Australia. Then, Carney digs through her database of contacts to find travelers what they’re looking for.
Earlier this year, Carney brought in Erin Pavane, who she met at a boat show, as a partner to help her grow and run the business while she’s considering stepping down from full-time work.
“The world has changed a lot since I started getting into this,” Carney said. “This is going to be good for Sanderson’s clients.”
Pavane has worked in sales and marketing and as a yacht broker, booking 80 boats in her first year. She hopes to help expand Sanderson Yachting.
“I see us booking a few hundred charters per year and hiring a team of people to work there to help execute that,” Pavane said.
Because Carney never advertised or marketed beyond her social groups and contacts, Pavane plans to begin by promoting the business more online. She has already overhauled the website, including adding what types of boats are offered.
Overall, both Pavane and Carney hope to make Sanderson a key player in the yachting industry.
“I know I’ve got really big shoes to fill, but I hope I can continue Sandy’s legacy,” Pavane said.
OWNERS: Erin Pavane and Sanderson Carney
TYPE OF BUSINESS: Yacht broker
LOCATION: 128 Long Wharf, Newport
EMPLOYEES: Four
YEAR FOUNDED: 2007
ANNUAL REVENUE: WND
