Skillman Has a Shipyard, Offering Luxury Croatian Sailboats

By Barbara A. Preston | May 17, 2024

Todd Gasior may live in a landlocked New Jersey town, but the former furniture salesman is a sailor at heart. He has skippered yachts in 20-foot seas and through 70-knot winds. That’s 80.5 mph winds with 20-foot waves! While some may have quit their sailing careers, Todd seems to view successfully navigating the rough seas as a badge of honor, or rite of passage.

Todd Gasior of Skillman opened a shipyard business in his hometown, selling Croatian yachts.

Todd now is pursuing his dream of working in the yachting industry. He recently opened a virtual shipyard of sorts in the Skillman section of Montgomery Township. He is now the exclusive dealer for Kufner Yachts in the USA and throughout the Caribbean, offering luxury sailboats crafted in Croatia.

There is no official office at this point. Todd spends a lot of time traveling to attend boat shows, or else he is out on the open sea giving “test drives” to potential buyers. “Our mission is to bring dreams to life, by providing sailors with boats that fully satisfy their needs.” People buy sailboats for many reasons, he says. “Young people sometimes want to live on the boat and maybe cruise the world,” he said in a telephone interview. “Families may want a boat as a vacation home. Retirees may want to live on the boat part of the time.”

Gasior’s boats are made in the ancient city of Split in Croatia, where sailing is a way of life and the shoreline hosts what appears to be a forest of masts. Kufner Yachts' shipyard was founded by engineer Damir Kufner, former CEO of the Nautika Kufner Charter Company with 25 years of experience in shipbuilding and yacht chartering. Kufner’s ideas for the design of his sailboats originated from his charter experience. Knowing exactly what his customers needed and not always finding what satisfied them, Kufner decided to start his own production and was immediately successful.

Advertisement

“Pricing is aggressive,” Todd says. Prices start at about $550,000 for a 39-foot model to $695,000 for a 54-foot model, he said. “We are now designing a 45-foot boat for the next Miami boat show in 2024.” Similar size yachts run from $1.1 to $1.8 million by a different manufacturer. Kufner Yachts offer superior construction and comfort, Todd adds. “We construct our boats using quality materials, with a range of semi-customizable options, reflecting the individual desires of each owner, both aesthetically and functionally. We offer exceptional service and support to our shipowners across the country,” he says.

Gasior’s lifelong love for sailing began when he was a young boy. He would spend summers on a 16-foot Sidewinder and on his uncle’s charter boat on the Chesapeake Bay. His parents began chartering sailboats in the British Virgin Islands, which deepened his passion.

The Gasiors Richard “Dick” Gasior and his wife Donna opened Gasiors’ Furniture in the old Harlingen School House on Route 206 in Belle Mead in 1978. Their two sons, Todd and Greg, grew up working in the store and eventually managing it. “The furniture business has been our livelihood,” Todd says. “I thank my parents for instilling a strong work ethic in us.”

Gasior’s Furniture and Interior Design in Belle Mead. A non-profit arts organization recently purchased the building in which the Gasiors had sold quality furniture for 45 years. Both sons now work in the yachting industry.

The family sold the property, which includes a two-story building that had at one time been a school house. A non-profit arts organization was expected to close on the property on May 15, but the Gasiors were not at liberty to provide more information on the buyer at this time. Donna Gasior is continuing her interior design business while Dick is enjoying the life of a retiree.

Todd and Greg grew up in West Windsor. Todd graduated from West Windsor-Plainsboro South High School in 1988. Todd moved to Montgomery in 2004, were he lives with his wife, Sue, and their daughter Gillian, 16, a sailor and Montgomery High School sophomore. Todd’s brother Greg is also in the yacht business. He splits his residence between Montgomery and Naples, FL. Todd attended the Annapolis Spring Sailboat Show in April, where he exhibited a 54-foot boat. He is now offering sea trials in Annapolis, MD and later Newport, RI.

Visit Todd’s online shipyard at kufneryachtsusa.com.