James Yokabaskas

James Yokabaskas grew up in Cape Elizabeth, Maine, with a lifelong passion for the ocean, boating, and surfing. His goal is to make buying or selling a boat simple, enjoyable, and professional.

His career on the water began working on charter boats around Portland before graduating from the University of Southern Maine and joining the crew of a 141-foot sailing yacht in the Caribbean.

James went on to complete his USCG 100-Ton Master Captain license and moved to Maui, where he spent two years skippering a performance sailing catamaran. He later earned his dream captain job aboard a 62-foot Gunboat catamaran, one of the fastest cruising catamarans ever built.

As captain, James was responsible for both operating and maintaining the yacht. This included managing a complete electrical refit and maintaining the mechanical and onboard systems. He also gained extensive experience with center-console and power boats throughout Maine, Florida, and the Bahamas.

While aboard the Gunboat catamaran, he sailed over 15,000 miles throughout New England and the Bahamas and crossed the Pacific Ocean from the Galápagos to French Polynesia.

In 2025, James helped with the sale of the Gunboat he had captained and maintained. The experience sparked his interest in yacht brokerage and showed him how valuable his hands-on knowledge could be to both buyers and sellers.

He returned home to Maine and joined East Coast Yacht Sales, bringing his experience as a captain and mariner to the brokerage world.