Our History

Phillip Berman photo

Phillip Berman founded The Multihull Company in 1999 and had no idea how fast it would grow. All he knew for sure was that he had a life-long passion for voyaging and racing catamarans and that he wanted to share that passion with others and in a manner that no one else in the marketplace had realized at the time: by offering purchasing advice to buyers exclusively. He wanted to connect with those sailors who were eager to experience the life of the water, the life of the sea and share his extensive knowledge with them by helping match the right sailor with the right yacht.

As a result, The Multihull Company was the first to offer a buyer/broker partnership to the multihull yachting industry, a partnership that has since been copied – with mixed results – by competitors around the globe. Berman’s vision went beyond simply working exclusively with buyers to one that focused on hiring and partnering with others who shared his work ethic, love of the sea, and experience and passion for putting the sailor first. It was a simple model: speak openly about the pros and cons of any yacht for sale with a potential buyer and those buyers will be loyal to the firm because they will come to trust that TMC would find the best boat for their needs not TMC’s needs.

Twenty-three years later, The Multihull Company’s mission has expanded along with its geography and staff, but not its core ethical mission statement: match the sailor to the yacht whether that is a service to the seller or a service to the buyer. In other words, open, transparent discussions are the heart of the transaction. Today, TMC represents both buyers and sellers with the same ethically driven mandate. And as a result, we have a virtuous circle of happy buyers who often become happy sellers and return to TMC when the time comes for them to move on to another yacht or another dream.

In 2022, Captain Will Miller replaced Berman as CEO of The Multihull Company as successor after having worked together for over a decade.

Miller has this to say on the transition-

“As a captain, sailing school owner, project manager and broker, I have learned the ins and outs of this industry from every perspective. I have ambitiously and patiently hoped for this opportunity to present itself one day, and the timing couldn’t be better. It’s an honor and a privilege to be in this position. Phil has been an amazing mentor and business partner for over a decade, but as Balance exploded onto the market, we both agreed that this was the logical next step for TMC. I plan to lead this company with a continued commitment to operating with the highest degree of professionalism and ethical standards available within this industry. We will revolutionize our marketing approaches, expand our global footprint and continue to offer unparalleled customer service as we head into the future.”


Global Presence

TMC’s brokers work around the globe and include two executive brokers, four senior brokers, and five associate brokers. We realized early on that our world-traveling clients required world-wide services and so we established offices and brokers in a range of locations. We have brokers strategically placed around the world from Australia to Seattle. All of this from the one-man shop Phillip Berman began in 1999.

Earning Hard-Won Successes Over The Years:

  • The Multihull Company has grown in market share every year since it first opened its doors in 1999.
  • In the middle of the global recession, TMC outperformed its competitors – selling yachts in what was easily the worst market in most of our lifetimes. While its competitors shed brokers and costs, TMC kept focused on the sailor and his or her needs. It invested in the future and did not cut costs or brokers.
  • The Multihull Company sells 100-150 catamarans a year on average, with an average sales price around $500,000. The Multihull Company sells larger cats and cats of a higher average value than any other full-service multihull brokerage company in the world. This makes our firm the clear brokerage of choice for those sellers who wish to reach the highly educated, sophisticated buyers that can afford to own and invest in a large catamaran sailboat and harbor it anywhere in the world.

The Multihull Match Makers

TMC was able to earn this position in the marketplace because of its team. Consider that its brokers are among the most highly educated and trained and include graduates of Dartmouth College, Harvard University, and Amherst. They are well-travelled, sophisticated, highly ethical, and most are multi-lingual, a key asset when dealing with buyers or sellers around the globe who respect that level of communication. And of course, TMC’s brokers are passionate multihull sailors with racing or voyaging experience on catamarans.

And because of where it started, TMC has something that few other brokerages can claim: loyal buyers who work with the company to find the right match. TMC is jokingly called the Multihull Match Makers, but no one minds because we feel good about our company and our work and in turn our clients feel very good about us.

Recent News

We take pride in our happy customers

Your team delivered on every mark. You’ve got an amazing broker in Mark Wattrus and I’m confident you will have continued success moving forward together. He was available 24/7 whenever I had questions. We had a great initial visit on the boat and his marketing plan and photos were superb

— Jimmy

I bought a yacht that I had never seen. I did this because I trusted my broker Andrew Holland. It was not an easy job for Andrew, as I am an experienced boat builder and owner of previous yachts, but work in West Africa. Imagine how hard it was to communicate what I was looking for. Andrew came up with exactly what I wanted. He dealt with time delays, all my questions at odd hours, and was there for the survey. He reported honestly and professionally. After buying the yacht, I arrived at the boat on a Sunday night, after dark, after travelling from West Africa to the Caribbean, and found it was better than expected. He never pulled punches and made me aware of shortfalls. I expected to spend my one month leave working on the boat, but actually spent less than one week, and was able to spend 3 weeks sailing – wonderful bonus.

Thank you Andrew for putting up with all my questions, all my worries and all my crazy out of the time zone concerns – you were totally professional, but also I know that if and when we meet up, it will be like a friend finally meeting. You are always welcome on Aseka.

 

— Beverly Cory

Outstanding company with professional subject matter experts. If I were to buy or sell cruising sailboat, particularly a catamaran, Andrew would be my go to broker.

— JT

I have been sailing since I was a child and attended Massachusetts Maritime Academy. But when my wife and I began the process of purchasing an ocean cruising/racing catamaran, I realized that this is a world unto itself. Obviously, we needed to find someone knowledgeable to help us make an informed decision. More importantly, we needed someone honest and willing to put our interests before his or her own. I was lucky to work with Phil Berman at The Multihull Company. He repeatedly shunned the fast buck, choosing instead to work the long road to connect us with the “perfect boat”. I would be glad to recommend Phil and his company to anyone planning to purchase or sell a performance sailing machine.

— Eric Boutiette

Andrew Hodgdon was our broker when we bought our 2018 Lagoon 450F in Antigua in April 2922. He provided great service and was very attentive to our needs. We would highly recommend Andrew and the Multihull Company.

— Jim

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Trust & ExpertiseAbout Us

Successful relationships cannot exist without it. At The Multihull Company we base every relationship on a firm commitment to earning and retaining our client’s trust.

Advice of any kind is valuable only when grounded in hard-won expertise. It too, must be trustworthy. Trust and expertise define the heart and soul of The Multihull Company. We are a team of skilled professionals who thrive on providing expert, trustworthy advice and service to catamaran and trimaran sailors around the globe.

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