For someone who grew up about as far away from the sea as you can get in England, it may seem strange that Wendy Barker found her calling in the marine industry.

But we’re glad she did – as our Brokerage Manager, Wendy, has just notched up her fifth successful year with us. Congratulations!

‘Armed with little more than my CV, I travelled down to the Southampton Boat Show in 2000 – and struck lucky’ says Wendy. ‘That December, I started work with Premier Marinas at their flagship marina, Port Solent.’

Learning the ropes while learning to sail

Working with boats wasn’t a totally alien experience for Wendy. Her sailing life began at an early age as she grew up spending most summer weekends sailing with her parents on board their Coaster 33 – all of which proved invaluable for what was to come.

‘I rose through the ranks with Premier Marinas from Marina Administrator to Marina Manager,’ added Wendy. ‘But it was only in 2014, after exploring other sectors of the marine industry, that I joined Boatshed – and these past five years have been amazing!’

Wendy plays a vital role in supporting the international network of Boatshed brokers, coordinating and reporting on boat sales and new listings – plus involvement in all the behind the scenes activities that make the Boatshed technologies run so smoothly for our customers.

A typical day for the day skipper?

So is there a typical day in the life of a brokerage manager at Boatshed?

‘Far from it’, says Wendy. ‘But I guess that’s one of the reasons why I enjoy being part of the HQ team here. After five years here, I really understand how Boatshed works and how the business is moving forward – but I’m still learning new things every day!’

While her work is predominantly shore-based at Boatshed’s Gosport HQ, Wendy never misses a chance to get out on the open waters. She holds RYA Dinghy Levels 1 and 2, Powerboat Levels 1 and 2 and Day Skipper qualifications.

‘I used to own a Jaguar 21 – and skippered her for the first time in the Round the Island Race (Isle of Wight) in 2003. In spite of it being a comparatively small boat for that race (it was pretty wet and windy!), we went back for more the following two years. Great fun and great experience,’ added Wendy.

As for the next five years, Wendy sees an exciting future ahead.

‘While so much of the Boatshed business revolves around digital technologies, we are very people-focused,’ says Wendy. ‘We’re all about bringing people and boats together. Having sold 20,000 boats since Neil and Mandy Chapman started Boatshed – I’m really proud to be part of the Boatshed family – and the flowers I received from them were truly appreciated.’