Luxury yacht charter brokerage, Sanderson Yachting, has been operating for over 20 years, and with a collection of 4,200 yachts across 500-plus destinations, the business has built a strong reputation for crafting bespoke private yacht experiences.
In this ‘In Conversation With’, we meet Erin Pavane, Partner & CEO of Sanderson Yachting. Erin joined the business in 2025 and with a background in tech start-ups, entrepreneurship, and extensive experience in the global yachting sector, she has played an integral role in driving business growth.
Read on to gain an insight into the world of bespoke yacht chartering from this credible authority in luxury maritime travel.
You’ve described yourself as a lifelong world traveller who has spent much of your life on the water, and you were a boat owner long before this became a career. Where did that relationship with the sea begin and how did it evolve to become a career?
I’ve always been drawn to the water, but not in a professional sense initially. I owned a boat long before I entered the yacht charter industry, and spending time on the water was simply something I loved to do. My career actually began in startups, technology, and entrepreneurship. I later found myself selling technology solutions into the yachting industry, which gave me a unique perspective because I was able to see how many different companies operated. That exposure showed me opportunities to improve processes, elevate client experiences, and ultimately led me into yacht chartering. What started as a personal passion gradually became a professional one.
Before joining Sanderson Yachting as Partner and CEO, you spent many years attending major charter shows around the world and personally inspecting hundreds of vessels. What did that immersion teach you that you couldn’t have learned any other way and how has it shaped the way you now think about a charter?
Nothing replaces firsthand experience. You can read specifications, browse photos, and watch videos, but until you’ve stepped aboard a yacht, met the crew, seen the cabins, and experienced the service standards yourself, you’re still missing part of the picture. The biggest lesson is that a charter isn’t really about the yacht itself. It’s about how the yacht, crew, itinerary, and guest preferences come together to create an experience. That’s why I place so much importance on vetting vessels and crews personally whenever possible.
You’ve explored more than 30 countries, from the Balearics and the French Riviera to Australia, Greece and the Caribbean. Is there a destination that genuinely surprised you, or had a significant influence on how you operate at Sanderson Yachting?
One destination that genuinely changed my perspective was the Greek Islands. Before spending significant time there, I think I viewed yacht chartering mostly through the lens of luxury — beautiful yachts, incredible destinations, five-star service. Greece showed me that the most memorable charters are actually about emotional experiences and personalization.
You can have two guests on the exact same yacht in the exact same destination, but what makes the trip extraordinary is how tailored it feels to them specifically. In Greece, every island has a completely different personality — Mykonos is energetic and social, Milos feels raw and adventurous, Hydra is elegant and timeless, while smaller islands can feel completely untouched. It taught me that itinerary design matters just as much as the yacht itself.
That experience heavily influences how we operate at Sanderson Yachting today. We spend a huge amount of time understanding how clients actually want to feel on their trip — whether that’s secluded and relaxed, highly social, family-oriented, wellness-focused, or centered around food, golf, diving, or beach clubs. The yacht is only one piece of the experience.
It also reinforced the importance of firsthand knowledge. We attend yacht shows globally, tour yachts personally, meet crews, inspect cabins, taste menus, and experience destinations ourselves because there’s simply no substitute for being there. The difference between a good charter and an unforgettable one often comes down to details you only notice in person.
You’re known for taking a very hands-on approach, including tasting the onboard cuisine and meeting crews yourself before recommending a yacht. In an industry full of brochures and broker listings, why does that firsthand vetting matter so much to you?
Because trust is everything, our clients are making a significant investment in an experience they’ve often never had before. Photos can be outdated. Marketing materials can only tell part of the story. The quality of the crew, the atmosphere onboard, and the level of service are what truly determine whether a charter exceeds expectations. I want to be able to make recommendations with confidence because I’ve done the homework myself.
Stepping into the CEO role means inheriting an established reputation while bringing your own vision. How have you balanced honouring what the business already stood for with the changes you wanted to make?
When I joined the business as a partner, one of the things that attracted me was its history and reputation. Sanderson Yachting has been around since 2006 and has built strong relationships through exceptional service. My goal wasn’t to change that foundation. It was to modernize the business, expand its reach, and build greater visibility and credibility online while preserving the personalized approach that made the company successful in the first place.
There’s a common assumption that a private yacht is simply a floating hotel. What do people misunderstand most about what a crewed charter actually is?
A yacht charter is far more immersive than a hotel stay. You’re not checking into a property. You’re creating a private experience that moves with you. Your chef, crew, accommodations, activities, and itinerary are all tailored to your preferences. You wake up somewhere different each morning, and the entire experience is designed around your group. That’s what makes it so different from traditional luxury travel. My favorite thing to tell clients is unpack once and explore endlessly.
Discretion and trust are foundations of the client/operator relationship in the luxury travel sector. How much of your job is logistics and itineraries, and how much is about reading and understanding your client?
Understanding the client comes first. The logistics are important, but they’re the easy part once you truly understand what someone wants from their vacation. Some clients are celebrating milestones. Some want family time. Some want adventure. Others want complete privacy. The better we understand those motivations, the better we can design an experience that feels effortless and memorable.
Luxury travel has shifted noticeably toward experience and meaning over pure opulence. Are you seeing that play out in what clients ask for?
Absolutely. Clients still expect a high level of luxury, but they’re increasingly focused on experiences rather than simply amenities. They’re asking for unique destinations, meaningful family experiences, access to places they couldn’t reach otherwise, and itineraries that feel personal. Luxury today is much more about customization, privacy, and memorable experiences than simply having the biggest yacht.
How do you create a genuine sense of surprise and delight to make your client experience a truly unique and memorable one?
The details matter. It starts with listening. The more we learn about a client’s interests, preferences, and travel style, the more opportunities we have to personalize the experience. Often it’s the thoughtful touches that people remember most, the perfect anchorage, a favorite meal prepared onboard, or an itinerary adjustment that creates an unforgettable moment. We travel to these destinations and have experts on the ground so we can create experiences that an individual traveler would never know was even possible.
You work closely with travel advisors, educating and supporting them so they can offer yacht charters with confidence. Why is that advisor community so important to the future of the sector?
When I first started working with travel advisors, I realized how little they knew about the industry and what a foreign concept it was to book a private yacht. It’s such a different category of travel than anything most of them book, yet such a natural extension of their business. I heard countless stories from advisors from ‘my clients came to me to book flights after booking a yacht somewhere else because they didn’t know I could offer it’ to ‘my clients came to me, but I couldn’t get back to them in time so they booked elsewhere,’ and those are awful stories. I wanted to change that for them and for the travel advisor industry as a whole.
Where do you see demand heading next, both in terms of destinations beyond the established Mediterranean and Caribbean routes, and in terms of the kind of traveller now chartering?
Clients are seeking more remote destinations, such as Antarctica, Palau for exclusive diving, Maldives, Tahiti, and Australia, just to name a few. But it’s not just about destinations. It’s about more wellness-focused, experience-focused
Sustainability is an increasingly pointed topic of conversation in the (luxury) travel world. How do you talk to clients about it, and how is the yachting industry responding in your view?
People are definitely thinking more about sustainability. Pretty much all the Yachts and charters at this point have water makers on board. It actually sounded crazy to me when I first got into the industry, but you can drink the ocean water through these insane purification systems so it cuts down on the need for plastic bottles, which is awesome and to encourage this they actually do water competitions at the Yacht shows so that the chefs can come up with creative ways of making the water taste good so that the guests actually want to drink it. I’ve had it myself, and it doesn’t make me sick. That’s the first question everyone always asks. Another thing that has become more and more popular are our solar powered Catamaran’s. They now make them more eco-friendly.
For someone considering their first charter, what’s the single piece of advice you’d give them before they book anything?
Work with an experienced, accredited broker (MYBA and CYBA) and do your due diligence. Verify who you’re working with, ask questions, and make sure you’re dealing with reputable professionals. A good broker will guide you through the process and help you avoid costly mistakes. Working with a US-based brokerage is always going to be the safest because you can verify their business through the Better Business Bureau as well as other state authorities, to make sure they’re legitimate.
And looking ahead, what’s your ambition for Sanderson Yachting, and what would you still love to do personally that you haven’t yet?
Looking ahead, my ambition for Sanderson Yachting is to become one of the most trusted names in luxury yacht charter—not just for access to incredible yachts, but for the level of expertise and guidance we provide throughout the entire experience.
There are thousands of yachts on the market, but what truly makes a charter unforgettable is pairing the right client with the right yacht, crew, and destination. That’s where we want to continue setting ourselves apart. We spend time onboard the yachts, meet the crews personally, attend the major international yacht shows, and stay deeply connected to what’s actually happening in the charter market so we can guide clients with real, firsthand insight—not just brochures.
Personally, I’d love to explore places like Alaska, Antarctica, and French Polynesia, all high on my list!
Luxury is highly subjective. What does it mean to you personally?
To me, luxury is about access, time, and how something makes you feel, not just how expensive it is. It’s about personalization, comfort, and having experiences that feel meaningful and effortless.
Finally, what is your life motto if you have one?
The biggest motto I’ve always lived by is: “You don’t have to be the smartest person, you just have to work the hardest.” OR “If you don’t ask, the answer is always no.”
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