Yacht Access Crew

Eric Castillo

Eric joined DDYS twenty years ago as a licensed and bonded Florida Yacht Broker after enjoying a successful career as a professional yacht captain. Since that time, Eric has been involved with vessel sales as well as yacht management, directing the operation of well over one billion dollars’ worth of yachts for clients world-wide. His passion for the business is evident and his personal dedication to serving his clients apparent.

Steve Sharkey

Steve is a licensed and bonded Florida Yacht Broker with DDYS, in addition to specializing in yacht delivery and management. "To be a competent captain, you have to have total knowledge of the yacht and its systems,” according to Steve; his thirty-five years of management and delivery experience on a wide array of vessels throughout North America, the Bahamas and Caribbean have provided a solid foundation of knowledge to support his clients in their yachting interests. Steve brings a wealth of experience and a passion for service to his customers.

Lance Baldwin

After growing up in Boston, boating and fishing along the coast from Rhode Island to Maine, Lance lived in South Florida for twenty years, working at DDYS as a broker. Recently returning to the northeast, Lance leads our sales and management efforts in that area. His knowledge of both sail and power boats, experience in the industry, combined with his love for people, make him a great fit for the area! Lance spends a lot of time on the water boating, fishing or relaxing in Gloucester, Massachusetts. He welcomes the opportunity to share his knowledge and excitement for yachting with his clients.

Drew Baldwin

Drew hails from Boston, growing up in a family that enjoyed the boating lifestyle. He moved to South Florida in his teens and immediately began working in the boating industry, quickly learning that exceptional customer service was the key to success. Soon after relocating, Drew became a licensed and bonded Florida Yacht Broker at DDYS and has enjoyed a consistent sales history, demonstrating a high level of service and commitment to his clients. As a yacht owner himself, he has had the enjoyment of boating all over South Florida with his wife and children, and understands both the pleasure and challenges that come with having a large boat. He readily shares his knowledge of yacht ownership, maintenance and operation with all of his clients, supporting their needs both before and after the sale.

Diego Corona

Since becoming a professional yacht captain (100t) in 2015 to recently joining Yacht Access as a licensed and bonded salesperson in 2021, Diego has learned his way around the yachting industry. At such a young age his knowledge in yacht management, charters and sales is a product of the passion he has for boating. Having lived in 7 countries, Diego is multicultural and multilingual thanks to his extensive travels. He graduated with a B.A in Business Management and a B.A in Logistics & Supply Chain Management from Florida International University. Today he actively uses these tools to realize his clients boating dreams.

Joe Williams

With over 17 years of experience in the yachting industry, 11 of which being Master of yachts up to 208 ft., 100s of successful charters in the Bahams/Caribbean/East & West Coast USA/ Mediterranean East & West, United Kingdom, Alaska, and countless successful refits Joe understands how Paramount relationships are in this great business of Yachting.

Joe was born and raised in Ketchikan Alaska. Growing up on an island there was little doubt a love and familiarity for the ocean would be imbedded. After trying some commercial fishing, he decided to head off to college and in 2004 Joe graduated with a B.A. in Business Management from Fort Lewis College in Colorado. Immediately following college he moved to South Florida and officially started his yachting career. From deckhand to mate, then to 1st officer, Engineer, and eventually to Captain, Joe has worked his way up through the ranks. With drive ,determination, and focus Joe became a captain at 29. At 32 he was running a 141 ft. yacht and by 36 years old he was Master of a 63m, 208 ft. Motor Yacht. After running charter and private yachts all over the world for the industry’s most elite clientele the transition to brokering was a natural progression. As a previous Master, Joe has a firsthand familiarization with Benetti, Proteksan/Turquoise, Trinity, Heesen, Oceanfast, Westport, San Lorenzo, Hargrave, Horizon, Azimut, and Lazzara to name a few yacht buliders. Years of operational and Master knowledge is part of what sets Joe apart from other brokers in the industry. The operational experience, international industry knowledge, experience with a wide range of yacht builders, and complete dedication to personal relationships all have allowed Joe early success in Yacht consulting. Joe’s ability to provide a prospective buyer or charterer a Firsthand, “ Have done it “, viewpoint on quality, ability, performance, limitations, maintenance cost, and resale in an effort to match them with the Yacht that fits their specific needs is one of his greatest attributes.

Mike Burns

Some of Mike’s earliest childhood memories are boating on Lake Ontario aboard his family’s 1949 Chris-Craft Sedan Cruiser. At a relatively young age, he also developed a passion for sailing and began dinghy racing in a variety of different classes.

Mike later gained much experience touring the Great Lakes, and overseas on the North Sea aboard Sail Training Vessels where he learned ship handling, navigation and marlinspike seamanship.
This experience combined with a two-year course in Marine Technology helped Mike earn certification in Coastal Navigation, Celestial Navigation and D.O.T. Marine Emergency Duties.
After a brief stint managing a Charter Boat operation in the North Chanel of Georgian Bay, Mike agreed to deliver a 1947 48’ Elco Motor Yacht from Toronto to Florida via Chicago, and the Tombigbee and Mississippi river systems.
What was supposed to be a one-month delivery turned out to be a three-year, 20,000 mile adventure up and down the eastern seaboard and through-out the Bahamas. It was during this time in his early 20’s that Mike acquired his USCG 100-Ton OUPV Masters license.
As time went on, Mike eventually made a transition from Captain to Yacht Broker, and then business owner, and opened his own yacht brokerage in 2008. In addition to yacht brokerage services, Mike has provided yacht instruction services (both power and sail) and still takes on the occasional role as a Captain.
Over the years, Mike has remained very active in the marine industry. He has served on the Certification Advisory Committee for the Certified Professional Yacht Broker program, is a past member of the Board of Directors for the Yacht Brokers Association of America and Boating Ontario, and also serves on an advisory committee for the Toronto International Boat Show.
Mike is also a contributing writer for several national boating publications, including Power Boating Canada, and is a past producer/host for a regular segment on Power Boat Television – testing and reviewing pre-owned yachts.

More recently, Mike relocated to Fort Lauderdale and is a licenced and bonded Yacht & Ship salesperson. He and his wife spend time aboard their Sea Ray 480 Sundancer and try to live the South Florida boating life to its fullest by occasionally cruising The Bahamas and the Florida Keys. In addition, they often visit the British Virgin Islands running group charters.