Fish Tales and Boat Sales: Meet HMY Yacht Sales Professional Jeff Creary

By Katie Flanagan   December 8, 2022

If you think you’ve heard it all, you are in for an exhilarating exchange of fish stories with HMY Yacht Sales Professional Jeff Creary. Traveling to the opposite side of the world to land a grander black marlin, chasing showering sailfish in the sting of tropical islands known as the Florida Keys, Jeff Creary has galvanizing fish tales to share with you. We had the opportunity to sit down and discuss who Jeff really is and how he found himself in the marine industry.   

Originally born and raised in Portland, Oregon, Jeff found himself traveling across the United States to attend school at Florida State University on a swimming scholarship. Shortly after college, Jeff landed in the Florida Panhandle.  

On the Emerald Coast, a dear friend of Jeff's, Jack Conzelman shared stories of a fishing destination, that potentially held a full-time captain position and spindle beaks. Jeff Creary came to not only know and love this destination but be one of the longest-running participants in their annual billfish tournament at the Ocean Reef Club in Key Largo, Florida. 

Ocean Reef opened new doors for Jeff. “I started at the charter docks, progressed to a private captain gig, and eventually to the demo captain at HMY. “  

Buckalot Capt. Jack
 

From Demo Captain to Yacht Broker at HMY 

The transition from demo captain to yacht broker at HMY was smooth for Jeff. “As the demo captain at HMY, I was already working with clients, showing them the demo boats, and answering questions.” Customer service skills and knowledge of sportfishing products came naturally to Jeff with years of experience as a captain. “I pride myself on customer service.”   

Jeff’s experiences as a private boat captain prior to his time at HMY, were spent building multiple sportfish for employers. “I have the skills and know-how to build and outfit a boat.”  

Jeff Creary Backing down a sportfish boat to catch a billfish

HMY-Demo-Boat-1st-Place-in-Fishing-Tournament-with-Doc-Austin

While discussing Jeff’s knowledge on building sportfish, we sat in the salon of the “Business” a 62’ Viking, a proven tournament winner. Jeff elaborated on his ability to provide knowledge on the product that allowed him to assist in multiple builds, including the new 68’ Viking soon to be delivered in 2023. Jeff is passionate about assisting clients with builds for tournament-winning operations.  

Tournament talk and conversation of travels led to the story we all were waiting for. Jeff and his employer Bob Sorenson landed a 1,239 lbs. black marlin off Lizard Island in Australia. It took nearly three hours after the initial bite to get the fish boat side and an additional hour to figure out how to pull the behemoth fish into the boat. 

We weren’t strong enough to pull the fish in, but fortunately, we had a windless on the bow. We ran the rope through the salon door, all the way up to the bow, and through the sky hatch to the windless. Then we turned the winch on, and we all pulled at the same time. “If I could relive one fishing trip, that would be it.” 

Jeff Creary in Lizard Island with a black marlin

Jeff Creary’s knowledge in the sportfishing world, paired with his product and build experience, allows him to assist his customers throughout the entire process from specking out a new build, outfitting it for offshore battles, and selling a client’s current sportfish. 

To learn more about Jeff Creary and hear about his fishing stories in Australia and the Florida Keys, check out his interview on our YouTube Channel at HMY Yachts. 


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