By: Kate Sarmiento

Spending time on the water changes how someone sees travel.

For Erin Pavane, that perspective formed long before she held the title of Partner and CEO at Sanderson Yachting. Years before leading a global yacht charter company, she was simply someone who felt comfortable at sea. 

She noticed the things most people don’t always think about when planning a yacht vacation, how a calm anchorage can change the mood of a whole afternoon. How a crew that works well together creates a relaxed atmosphere that can make or break a vacation. How the layout of a yacht matters more after a few days onboard than it does in a glossy photo. Those firsthand insights are what guide her recommendations, ensuring every yacht reflects exactly how her clients want to feel, gather, and unwind.

Erin has traveled to more than 30 countries and spent years on the water as a boat owner. She realized that spending time on a yacht is very different from staying in a hotel. It becomes a floating home for a period of time. People bring habits with them. Families have rhythms. Friends have different personalities and preferences. Some guests want full schedules. Others want space to relax with no agenda. The right yacht and crew can work those dynamics rather than work against them.

When she became more involved in the charter industry, she didn’t rely on what she heard from others. She wanted to see things for herself. For four years, she attended every major yacht charter show around the world. From the small charter shows in the Virgin Islands and Greece, and Croatia, to the massive ones in Cannes, France, Monaco, and beyond. She walked through hundreds of vessels. She spent time talking with captains and crew members face-to-face. She paid attention to how yachts were maintained once the presentations were over and the crew weren’t watching.

She noticed the practical things. Storage space that actually works. Crew communication that feels natural. How a galley functions during a busy meal service. How the layout flows when everyone is moving around at once. These aren’t flashy details, but they shape the experience more than people realize.

Over time, curiosity turned into experience. Experience turned into perspective. And eventually, that perspective became leadership.

When Erin stepped into her role at Sanderson Yachting, she brought that background with her. She didn’t approach yacht charter as an abstract concept. She saw it as a real environment where real people spend real time together.

Charters vary depending on where they take place. In the Caribbean, many yachts operate on an all-inclusive basis with a relaxed, laid-back rhythm.  A captain, private chef, all meals and alcohol are included, and the pace tends to feel like everything is on island time. In the Mediterranean, charters have additional costs for local taxes and onboard expenses. Route options vary,  onboard guest limits can vary by country, and seasonality changes pricing. For someone new to yacht charter, that can feel like a lot. But once it’s explained clearly, it makes sense.

Part of Erin’s role is making sure those differences are easy to understand. Conversations come first. Who’s coming? What kind of experience are they hoping to have? Is this about celebration? Rest? Adventure? A mix of everything?

Only after those questions are answered does yacht selection begin.

As her role expanded, so did her understanding of how complex yacht charter truly is behind the scenes. Access matters. Structure matters. Industry standards matter.

Through Sanderson Yachting’s accreditation with MYBA and CYBA, the leading Mediterranean and Caribbean yacht broker associations, she ensures the company operates within the highest professional frameworks in the industry. That accreditation provides access to more than 4,000 yachts worldwide, ranging from 25,000 per week catamarans to multi-million-dollar superyachts.

For Erin, that range is not about scale for its own sake. It is about precision. It allows her team to compare options based on true fit rather than convenience and to guide clients and travel advisors with clarity rather than guesswork.

Yacht charter sits within luxury travel, but it functions differently. Many mainstream travel advisors do not book charters every day. Erin understands that because she once approached the industry from the outside herself. The terminology, regional differences, tax structures, crew dynamics, and seasonal nuances can feel layered at first.

Part of her leadership today involves translating that structure into clear, practical conversations. Not simplifying the experience, but making it understandable. That approach builds confidence in travelers and in the advisors who entrust their client relationships to her team.

Planning itself remains collaborative between the guest and the captain. A suggested route is outlined before departure, but itineraries adjust based on weather and group preferences once onboard. Preference sheets allow crews to provision thoughtfully in advance, accounting for everything from dietary needs to favorite cocktail pairings. Whether it is a relaxed Caribbean charter or a more logistically layered Mediterranean itinerary, the approach remains consistent. Know the yacht. Know the crew. Understand how the week will likely unfold.

That clarity resonates equally with travelers seeking an effortless escape and with advisors who value a partner who understands the nuances behind the scenes.

Erin’s story is not defined by a dramatic turning point, but by steady progression. Interest became immersion. Immersion became experience. Experience matured into leadership.

Time on the water taught her patience and attention to detail. It reinforced something practical. The best trips are not defined by how they look online. They are defined by how they feel once you are living them.

Today, Sanderson Yachting arranges charters worldwide with a perspective grounded in firsthand experience. Each booking begins with listening. Each recommendation reflects lived knowledge. Each itinerary is shaped by alignment rather than assumption.

The title changed from “traveler” to “CEO”. The perspective remained rooted in time spent on the water. And that perspective continues to shape every decision she makes.