Sailorman exists because boats — and boaters — don’t all show up the same way.
Some folks walk in knowing the exact part number, the thread size, and the torque spec. Others walk in scratching their heads, holding a phone photo, saying, “This thing broke… I think.” Both are welcome here. Always have been.
We’ve been doing this since 1975, and around Fort Lauderdale that kind of time counts for something. Not because it sounds good on paper, but because we’ve watched boats age, designs change, and entire product lines come and go while the same boats keep floating. When you’ve been around that long, you stop treating boating like a transaction and start treating it like a conversation. Sailorman is a long-running marine resale and supply shop in Fort Lauderdale, built around real boats and real boating needs.
We sell name-brand marine gear — new, pre-owned, and never-used surplus — because that’s how boating actually works. Sometimes the right answer is a brand-new part fresh from the manufacturer. Sometimes it’s a piece that was made years ago and still does the job better than what replaced it. Sometimes it’s a surplus item from a project that never happened. Boats don’t care how old a box is. They care whether the part fits, holds, and lasts.
We also do special orders, because not every solution lives on a shelf. Boats get refit, repowered, rebuilt, and modified in ways catalogs can’t always predict. When something needs to be sourced properly — not guessed at — we know where to look and who to call.
A lot of what we do is finding hard-to-find parts. Some components haven’t been made in twenty years. That doesn’t make them useless. In many cases, it means they were built heavier, simpler, and with fewer shortcuts. Knowing whether an older part is gold or garbage takes judgment — the kind that only comes from seeing what survives salt, sun, and time.
Here’s the part the big chains won’t say out loud:
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Not everything on a boat needs to be new— we see that every day on the dock and in the shop.
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New is easy to scan and ship. Old requires thinking. And thinking is kind of our thing.
We also understand refits, not just installs. Installs assume clean starts. Refits assume reality — mismatched holes, modified systems, previous owners with ideas, and boats that have lived real lives. Fort Lauderdale is full of working boats, liveaboards, cruisers, and long-term projects. We deal with that every day. We speak that language.
But Sailorman isn’t just for the seasoned captain or the refit pro.
Plenty of people walk in because they’re learning. New boat owners. Casual weekend boaters. Folks who just want to understand what they’re looking at before they spend money. We like those conversations. Sometimes they come with a lot of questions. Sometimes they just need someone to slow things down, point in the right direction, and explain why something matters — or doesn’t.
And yes, sometimes that includes a story, a laugh, or a quick breather before getting back on track. Boats can be stressful. We don’t add to that.
One minute we might be pulling open an old drawer full of obscure fittings. The next, we’re opening a clean catalog and ordering exactly what you need at a fair price — often from the same quality name brands you’d find anywhere else. There’s no script. Just options, experience, and honesty.
We buy, sell, trade, and consign because marine gear doesn’t live a straight life. Projects change. Boats get sold. Good equipment deserves another run. Used gear, chosen wisely, keeps boats going and saves people real money. That’s not theory — that’s decades of watching what actually works.
And yes, sometimes people walk out with something they didn’t even know they needed — a clever little fitting, a piece of nautical décor, a story attached to an old part. We’ve helped movie set designers, collectors, decorators, and folks who just wanted something cool with a little salt on it. Boats aren’t just machines. They’re part of an adventure.
Chains can’t really operate this way. They rely on volume and uniformity. We rely on experience and judgment.
Sailorman exists because boating is practical, personal, and occasionally unpredictable. Because time on the water teaches things no brochure ever will. And because knowing the difference between “old,” “obsolete,” and “exactly right” matters.
That’s why we’re here. And that’s why people keep coming back — year after year, project after project.
What We Sell (And What We Don’t)
At Sailorman, what we sell is shaped by real boats, real space, and real demand — not by a national planogram.
That means our inventory doesn’t look like a chain store’s, and it never will. Some days the answer is easy. Some days it depends. And some days the right answer is, “That’s not something we can take — but here’s why.”
Sailorman operates as a marine supply, resale, and surplus shop — shaped by what’s actually happening on the water.
New Name-Brand Gear
We sell new, name-brand marine gear from manufacturers boaters actually trust. When something makes sense to buy new — safety equipment, wear items, current-production parts — we stock it or can order it.
If it’s new, it’s new. No gray area. No mystery.
Pre-Owned & Never-Used Surplus
This is where Sailorman really becomes Sailorman.
A large part of our floor is made up of pre-owned gear and never-used surplus. Projects change. Boats sell. Owners overbuy. Refits pivot halfway through.
Some items here are identical to retail, just without retail pricing. Same brand. Same part. Same box. Different backstory.
Others are used, but in excellent condition and completely appropriate for the right boat and the right application. We don’t lump everything together. We explain what something is, how it lived, and whether it makes sense for you.
Some items are one-offs. When they’re gone, they’re gone.
Salvage, Inspected Gear — and Treasure
Here’s an important distinction.
Not everything in the building is meant to go back on a boat — and that’s intentional. We know the difference between functional marine gear, inspected and ready for use, and items that have reached the end of their working life on the water.
But boating history has value too.
Some pieces are kept because they’re beautifully made, hard to find, or just plain cool. Those live as nautical décor — not as functional equipment — and you’ll find them in our Bargain Boutique. Think antique hardware, odd fittings, vintage pieces, and things that belong in a tiki bar, a yacht club wall, or a designer’s project.
That’s not junk. It’s a kind of treasure — curated with intention.
We’re upfront about what’s functional and what’s decorative. Discernment matters, and we take that responsibility seriously.
Special Orders
Not every solution lives on the floor.
We do special orders because boats don’t follow templates. Matching existing systems, working around space constraints, or sourcing a specific component for a refit is part of daily life here. Sometimes the right answer is already in the building. Sometimes it’s a clean catalog order. Knowing which is which is the job.
Why Our Inventory Changes All the Time
Our inventory rotates constantly because we buy, sell, trade, and consign.
We don’t warehouse one version of boating. We reflect what’s happening on the water right now — boats coming out of service, projects getting shelved, gear moving from one owner to the next. That means today’s floor is different from last week’s, and next month will look different again.
That’s not chaos. That’s boating.
What We Don’t Sell — And Why
We don’t take everything, and we’re upfront about that.
Some items don’t move. Some take up too much space for the demand they see. Some are too worn, too bulky, or too application-specific to responsibly resell as working gear. That’s not a judgment — it’s practicality.
If you’re thinking about selling or consigning gear, the best move is to bring it in so we can look at it in person. Boats are hands-on. So are we.
If you want a clearer idea of what makes sense to bring — and who to talk to — we keep that information updated here:
What This Means for You
Sailorman isn’t a warehouse that pushes everything through the same funnel. We’re a guide.
Sometimes that means helping you choose between new and used.
Sometimes it means explaining why something that looks right isn’t.
Sometimes it means pointing out a piece of history that’s perfect for a space, even if it’s no longer going to sea.
You won’t always see the same thing twice here — but you’ll always get the same straight answers.
That’s the deal.
Who Sailorman Is For...
Sailorman is for people who understand that boats — and boating — don’t fit into neat categories.
We serve liveaboards, cruisers, refit projects, working boats, and long-term sailors who know that smart choices matter more than shiny packaging.
We’re also here for yacht crew — engineers, deck crew, and hands-on professionals who need things to work, often on short notice, and who recognize value when they see it. Not every solution needs to come from a captain’s chandlery. Sometimes the smarter move is experience, availability, and knowing where to look.
Sailorman is for people who aren’t necessarily on a tight budget, but still don’t believe good judgment should cost more than it has to. People who appreciate quality name brands, solid construction, and gear that’s proven itself — whether it’s brand new, surplus, or thoughtfully pre-owned.
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We’re for boat owners inheriting systems they didn’t choose.
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For DIY sailors learning as they go.
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For professionals who want straight answers without a sales script.
And Sailorman is also for people who love the look, history, and soul of maritime gear.
Designers, collectors, decorators, set builders, and anyone drawn to nautical décor, antiques, and beautifully made old pieces will find things here that don’t exist in catalogs. Some items still belong at sea. Others have earned a second life telling stories on land.
We’re also for sellers and consignors — people whose projects changed, whose boats sold, or whose gear deserves another chapter. Marine equipment doesn’t live a straight life, and we respect that. If it has value, utility, or history, we’ll tell you honestly what it is and where it fits.
If you care about boats as machines, as homes, or as part of a larger adventure — you’re probably in the right place.
Sailorman also works with the mega-yacht community — particularly crew, engineers, and hands-on professionals responsible for keeping complex systems running in the real world. We understand the rhythm of yachts coming in and out of service, refits mid-season, inventory turnover, and the need to source the right component without guesswork. On the selling and consigning side, we regularly handle high-end yacht equipment that no longer fits a vessel’s configuration but still holds real value. Not every solution needs to come from a captain’s chandlery or a direct-to-manufacturer order. Sometimes experience, availability, and knowing where to look is what keeps things moving.