Mr. Charles Davis (Dave) Wilder is an experienced broker and marina manager from the 1000 Islands / St Lawrence River Region of upstate New York and Ontario, Canada. Initially based out of the Baltimore / Chesapeake Bay area, his experience includes successful buyer/ seller broker services throughout the Mid-Atlantic, brokering boats from Florida to Massachusetts and everywhere in between. He is seeking expansion of his brokerage reach into the Great Lakes, St Lawrence, Lake Champlain, Hudson River Valley and Florida markets.
Mr. Wilder is a lifelong boating enthusiast, having grown up sailing, fishing and boating on the Chesapeake Bay and summering on the St Lawrence, owning his first boat at the age of fifteen.
His love of the water led him to study environmental science at Ithaca College, NY, and later environmental law at the University of Baltimore. While a student at Ithaca College, Mr. Wilder had the opportunity to work at a local marina and sail on Lake Cayuga. After college he had the chance to work on a lobster boat out of Long Island, NY prior to attending grad school.
During his earlier career as an environmental engineer, Mr. Wilder was placed on long term assignments up and down the east coast. This afforded him the luxury of travel beyond the Bay into the Atlantic, Long Island Sound, and Block Island Sound, as well as the Hudson River, Erie Canal and Lakes Ontario and Erie. He adopted various ports of call in NJ, NY and CT as a liveaboard during many of these assignments.
Relocating to the 1000 Islands upon completion of a successful environmental engineer career, Mr. Wilder worked as a service manager at one of the most popular and busiest marinas along the St Lawrence River and then as a general manager for the largest indoor dry storage marina in the region.
Being a wooden boat enthusiast, Mr. Wilder acquired a position as a broker for Antique Boat America, the largest brokerage of antique and classic boats in North America. He is a former member of the Antique Boat Museum in Clayton, NY.
Mr. Wilder completed his U.S.C.G 100-ton Masters Captains training and has completed several legs of the Great Loop as both a delivery captain and instructor in vessel safety, handling and operations.
Mr. Wilder’s hobbies include building and restoring boats of various sizes and vintages. He is currently rebuilding / restoring an 1894 St Lawrence rowing skiff. Prior builds include a Class C/D racing utility boat completed in the 1970s and recently restored with the goal of entering her in the Antique Boat Museum Boat Show in Clayton, NY. He is experienced in fiberglass repair and use of 1-part and 2-part epoxy primers and paints through the 100% restoration of a 1994 Shamrock runabout.
Mr. Wilder brings knowledge, experience and passion to the United Yacht Sales Team.