Robert Thuss Earns CPYB Certification at East Coast Yacht Sales in Atlantic Highlands, NJ
Robert Thuss, a yacht broker with East Coast Yacht Sales in Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey, has earned his Certified Professional Yacht Broker (CPYB) designation. The certification adds a professional credential to Robert’s more than 40 years of boating experience and his consultative approach to helping clients buy and sell sailboats and powerboats.
A longtime resident of the Bayshore area and a member of Atlantic Highlands Yacht Club, Robert works alongside Kevin McGettigan, CPYB, at our New Jersey office. Both brokers bring firsthand sailing and powerboating experience to their work with buyers and sellers throughout the region.
What Does CPYB Certification Mean?
The Certified Professional Yacht Broker designation recognizes yacht sales professionals who meet the program’s experience and professional requirements and pass its certification assessments. Candidates must commit to the CPYB Code of Ethics and acknowledge their fiduciary responsibilities, with assessment topics covering marine systems, broker responsibilities, transaction documents, the closing process, and ethics.
For clients evaluating a yacht broker in New Jersey, CPYB certification provides a defined professional qualification to consider alongside a broker’s practical experience, local knowledge, and approach to client service.
More Than 40 Years of Sailing and Powerboating Experience
Robert’s boating background includes work as a sailing instructor and professional yacht captain. Over more than four decades, he has owned, chartered, or delivered dozens of sailing and motor yachts, gaining practical knowledge of boat handling, systems, equipment, and ownership.
He captained his own 42-foot sailboat in two Newport Bermuda Races, including the return passages, and served as navigator for a third race. He has also owned several powerboats, giving him experience with the different considerations involved in sailboat and motor yacht ownership.
Robert holds a U.S. Coast Guard 50-Ton Master Captain’s License with Sailing and Towing Endorsements. That experience informs the conversations he has with clients about how a boat is equipped, how it has been used, and whether it fits their intended cruising plans.
A Consultative Approach to Buying and Selling a Yacht
Before entering yacht brokerage, Robert spent more than 30 years in corporate real estate. He brings a client-first outlook and a consultative approach to his work at East Coast Yacht Sales, supported by a BSc in Business from Vanderbilt University and a graduate degree from Thunderbird.
For sellers, Robert applies his knowledge of boats, systems, and equipment to pricing and value evaluations and to presenting a boat effectively to prospective buyers. For buyers, he helps assess available boats against their needs, budget, and plans for time on the water.
His background supports a practical discussion of both the transaction and the responsibilities of boat ownership, whether a client is purchasing a first boat, moving from sail to power, or preparing to sell.
Yacht Brokerage in Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey
East Coast Yacht Sales’ Atlantic Highlands office serves boaters throughout New Jersey. Located between Route 36 and the harbor, the office provides a local place to discuss brokerage listings, buying plans, and new boats from Axopar and Targa.
Robert’s connection to the Bayshore community and his experience on both sailing and motor yachts complement Kevin McGettigan’s boating and brokerage background. With both Robert and Kevin holding the CPYB designation, clients can work with certified yacht brokers based here in Atlantic Highlands.
To discuss buying or selling a boat in New Jersey, contact Robert Thuss, CPYB, through East Coast Yacht Sales’ Atlantic Highlands office.
