Breezeway Yachts
Breezeway Yachts was founded in 2016 by Perry and Cheryl Woodman to bring a higher level of service and professionalism to the boating industry in Ontario. Our intention is not to be the biggest. Our goal is to be the best.
Boating has always been a passion, from my days in Newfoundland, messing about in runabouts, sculling and canoeing on the lakes and the open Atlantic. My family took up sailing together, racing and cruising. My daughters have taken it to another level as professional sailing instructors, most recently in the BVI and Cayman Islands.
After a varied career in retail sales, marketing and distribution, I took advantage of an opportunity to sell boats for a local dealer part time in 2005, and quickly moved to full time, then to VP of Sales and Marketing.
After 11 years working for an Ontario Yacht Broker and Dealer, it was time to take control of my own destiny, so Breezeway Yachts was launched. [Breezeway was the name of our social center at Memorial University, and it's a part of a boat, so the name was a natural fit.]
Over the years, I have sold literally TONS of boats, new and used, sailboats, powerboats, catamarans and dinghies worth tens of millions of dollars. I've worked with clients to maximize the value of their boats and sell them quickly. We have found boats internationally and gotten them here; found buyers internationally, sending boats out of the province and the country.
I like to think my team and I work with a larger vision than just closing the sale [although we're pretty good at getting that done as well]. We care that the boat you buy is appropriate for your needs and desires. We want your experience to be comfortable and stress free.
Rob hails originally from Kitchener, Ontario, where he grew up boating and visiting cottages in nearby Lake Huron and Georgian Bay. A Ryerson University graduate with a Bachelor of Technology degree in Electrical Engineering, Rob has also studied Business Administration at the University of Ottawa. These studies launched a 35-year career in high tech marketing and sales with many significant achievements and awards along the way.
Boating is a passion for Rob. He began his boating adventures in 1980 at the Nepean Sailing Club on the Ottawa River. Rob’s first date with his lovely wife Laurel was in a 19-foot Sandpiper on the Ottawa River. Their boating history now includes cruising and racing with family and friends on the Great Lakes, in the BVI’s, Georgian Bay, the Bahamas and participating in the 1997 Newfoundland flotilla. In 2019 Rob completed his RYA/MCA Yachtmaster Offshore Certification with Commercial Endorsement in early 2020, and is available for yacht deliveries.
Rob has volunteer experience as a hockey coach and Able Sailing Companion. In addition, he finds time for hockey, skiing, cycling and his guitar gets regular use! Raising four boys has, of course, required some boat upgrades along the way. Rob and Laurel still live in Ottawa, but they spend much of the summer in the Thousand Islands, aboard their Beneteau 423 'Heart and Soul'. They are based at Trident Yacht club, where Rob has served on the board.
We are pleased to have Rob on the Breezeway Yachts team as he embodies the ideals we value; personal integrity, a love of boating and respect for clients.
Tony was born in Vancouver, but other than 3 years spent in Hong Kong as a teenager, has lived most of his life in Ontario. Tony's introduction to sailing was at the Oakville Yacht Squadron as a 10 year old aboard his father's O'Day Tempest, giving him almost 50 years of boating experience.
Growing up, Tony's family lived in a few different places around the province and world. In Ottawa Tony took part in the junior program and at 12 years old sailed one of the first lasers built. A few years later living in Hong Kong he imported the first laser there, starting of a fleet that is still active today.
Once back in Canada, Tony attended St Francis Xavier University where he acquired a degree in Political Science. His professional career was spent at the Toronto Star where he spent 36 years in advertising sales and marketing.
Finally settling in Whitby, Tony and his wife Sabine sail their CS 36 Scotia Girl out of the Whitby Yacht Club where Tony is Past Commodore. He also owns a shark that he races with mixed success and continues to own a laser.
We are pleased to introduce Tony as a member of the Breezeway Yachts team.