Portolan My account

Purchase, sale and charter · Saint‑Tropez and Monaco

Our method

Portolan charts were drawn by those who had sailed. We work the same way: we only show you what we have seen.

Book a meetingThe four stages
stages, one contact
4
points checked
40
to reply to you
24 h

Why Portolan

A reliable chart is never drawn from a desk. It is traced at sea, mile after mile.

In the Middle Ages, Mediterranean pilots recorded every heading, every distance, every shelter. From these notes came the portolan charts, the first nautical charts worthy of trust, recognisable by their compass roses linked by rhumb lines.

Our trade rests on that idea: inspect before advising, verify before asserting, and give you an accurate chart of the market rather than a list of listings.

The four stages

From the first conversation to the first voyage

The same path for a purchase, a sale or a charter. For a week at sea, it takes a few days; for a yacht to buy, a few months.

A one‑hour meeting

Listening

Before we talk about boats, we talk about you. In Saint‑Tropez, in Monaco or at your home, a broker listens to how you will really cruise: at anchor or on passage, with family or friends, in July only or all season long.

What we do

  • Your waters, your seasons, the number of guests on board
  • Your budget to buy, and above all to run
  • Your calendar, flag and tax constraints, with your advisers

What you receive

  • A written brief, within 48 hours
  • A first estimate of the annual running costs
  • A realistic timeline, from the search to the first voyage

Two to six weeks

The selection

The listed market shows only part of the boats. We also sound out the owners, captains and shipyards we know, then inspect each yacht before proposing it to you.

What we do

  • A sift through the listed market, in the Mediterranean and beyond
  • Off‑market boats, through our network
  • A viewing of every yacht, with our 40‑point log

What you receive

  • Three boats rather than thirty
  • A file for each yacht, with our own photographs
  • What the listing doesn't say, and our candid opinion

A day at sea, then at the yard

The sea trial

A yacht is judged where she will live. We arrange a day out with the captain between Pampelonne and the Hyères islands, then an independent survey, hull out of the water, before any final commitment.

What we do

  • An engine trial at full load, at anchor and in port
  • An independent survey of hull and engines
  • Oil analysis and a reading of the maintenance log

What you receive

  • The surveyor's full report
  • A costed list of the work to plan for
  • Precise arguments for the negotiation

One to three months

The handover

Negotiation, paperwork, flag, crew: a single point of contact follows everything through, until the day the captain welcomes you aboard. And we are still there for the first season, and those that follow.

What we do

  • The negotiation and the standard MYBA memorandum of agreement
  • The escrow deposit, flag, registration and insurance
  • Recruiting a captain you can trust

What you receive

  • A yacht ready to sail, papers in order
  • A crew chosen with you
  • A broker within reach, season after season

The viewing log

What we check before we show you a yacht

Every boat we propose has been inspected by a broker, log in hand. Whatever is wrong goes into your file, in black and white.

01Hull and structure7 points

  • Osmosis and condition of the antifouling
  • Welds, plating and structure
  • Paintwork and gelcoat
  • Anodes and cathodic protection
  • Shaft lines and propellers
  • Rudders and bearings
  • Through‑hulls and valves

02Machinery8 points

  • Engine hours and service history
  • Oil analysis
  • Full‑load trial
  • Generators
  • Stabilisers
  • Bow thrusters
  • Cooling circuits
  • Leaks, smoke and vibration

03Electrics and electronics6 points

  • Switchboards and wiring
  • Batteries and chargers
  • Navigation and radar
  • Satellite communications
  • Automation and entertainment
  • Interior and exterior lighting

04Deck and equipment6 points

  • Remaining teak thickness
  • Windlass, chain and anchoring
  • Crane and tender
  • Water toys
  • Passerelle and swim platform
  • Awnings and outdoor furniture

05Interiors and comfort6 points

  • Air conditioning
  • Plumbing and hot water
  • Watermaker
  • Galley and laundry
  • Signs of damp
  • Noise underway

06Papers and flag7 points

  • Title and mortgages
  • Flag and registration
  • VAT status
  • Classification and compliance
  • Claims history
  • Crew contracts
  • Maintenance log

Our commitments

Six rules we never negotiate

  1. One point of contact

    The broker who listens to you on the first day is the one who hands you the keys. They know your file, your tastes, and your captain's first name.

  2. Three boats rather than thirty

    We only show you the yachts we have inspected and would buy in your place. Your time matters more than the number of listings.

  3. What the listing doesn't say

    A tired engine, teak to be relaid, VAT not properly settled: we tell you, even when it costs us a sale.

  4. Discretion

    A non‑disclosure agreement on request, viewings away from busy hours, sales concluded off‑market: your plans remain yours.

  5. Fees in writing

    By custom, the commission is paid by the seller. It is set out in writing from the first day, and if we also represent the seller, you know straight away.

  6. A reply within 24 hours

    Weekends included, in French, English, German or Italian. In season, a broker can be reached at any hour.

Two offices

Sixty miles of coastline, a single team

The Portolan office on the old port of Saint-Tropez

Saint‑Tropez

Quai Suffren, on the old port

The house's home port. Appointments every day in season, Monday to Saturday the rest of the year.

The bottle-green façade of the Portolan office facing Port Hercule, Monaco, at blue hour

Monaco

Facing Port Hercule

For yachts over forty metres and clients on the Riviera. Appointments on request, including on board.

Frequently asked questions

Working with us

What does your guidance cost a buyer?

Usually nothing: by industry custom, the commission is paid by the seller. For a very particular search, a new build for instance, we agree fees in advance and in writing.

Do I have to sign an exclusive agreement?

Not as a buyer. As a seller, we recommend an exclusive listing: a single broker presents the boat, at the right price, without it being shopped around everywhere.

Can I entrust you with just one stage?

Yes. Some clients have already found their yacht and entrust us with the survey, the negotiation or the recruitment of the crew.

How do you protect confidentiality?

We sign a non‑disclosure agreement on simple request. Files never leave our offices, and off‑market sales are only presented to buyers we know.

And after the purchase?

We remain your broker: charter management, crew follow‑up, winter lay‑up preparation and, when the day comes, the resale.

Book a meeting

Let's start by listening to you

One hour, in Saint‑Tropez, in Monaco, at your home or by video call. A broker calls you back within 24 hours to set the date.

Your plans
Where to meet

Demonstration project · SudWebProject