United Island & Yacht is a yacht agency providing concierge-level support to superyachts across South Florida, the Bahamas, Puerto Rico and key U.S. ports — customs and immigration clearance, marina coordination, provisioning and the last-minute logistics that keep an itinerary moving. In a corridor where timing and local relationships decide whether a crossing feels effortless, the firm has made operational reliability its entire pitch.
Who founded United Island & Yacht?
The firm was founded in 2017 by Laura Garcia-Bartenfelder, with Joe Dargavage as an initial investor. As The Triton reported, Dargavage joined as a full-time partner in October 2024, bringing decades of American yachting-industry experience to the partnership.
Why does its Bahamas heritage matter?
The firm's island credentials run deep. Its roots trace to United Shipping Company in Nassau, established in 1967 — nearly six decades of continuous shipping and logistics operations in the Bahamas. That local infrastructure is what visiting superyachts actually depend on: provisioning, clearance, dockage and on-island relationships.
Who leads the firm today?
Both partners hold industry leadership roles: Dargavage serves as Chairman of the United States Superyacht Association, while Garcia-Bartenfelder sits on the Board of Directors of the Association of Bahamas Marinas — placing the firm at the table on both sides of the Gulf Stream.
Joe Dargavage's verified profile appears in The Little Black Book, The Journal's people directory. For more on the South Florida yachting corridor the firm calls home, see our feature on Palm Beach, the quiet capital of American yachting.
