This week we interview Merrill Charette, a marine tech entrepreneur who got his start in the industry as a liveaboard sailor. Based in Boston, what started as a journey of self discovery propelled him into a career. In this enthralling episode, Merrill takes us down the winding road of deciding to become a liveaboard. You will hear many insights and lessons learned over the course of his 5 year odyssey of living aboard: from relationships to tips on buying your first liveaboard boat get ready for an exciting episode!

Transcript —–

Talha [00:00:00] Shiver me timbers. You are listening to that shipshape podcast podcast. Hey everybody, this is Talha and Farah and we are talking to our special guest today, Merrill Charette, and he has been doing a lot of boating for the last few years, I think four or five we’re going to ask how much and funny but is. He was never really a sail sail boatman before this and now he is and he has dreams of sailing the world. We’re going to ask about that, how he got here. And let’s jump into it. Welcome to the show now. Sup, guys.

 

Farah [00:00:34] Hi, Merrill. How are you doing?

 

Merrill [00:00:36] Oh, you know, making it out of my parent’s house for the time being. Then I need to head back to the marina at some point, Take the shrink, wrap off, get ready for boating season up in New England. In New England. And New England is still cold. We’re sitting in April right now, but shrink wrap means that they literally sort of wrap up the whole boat. They look like the cocoon almost. And that was going to be fun to be coming out of that cocoon while I’m so busy.

 

Farah [00:01:03] Wait a minute. If you mind if I ask the question, You hang for somebody who is a complete line baby and very rarely has spent time on boats. What do you mean by shrink wrap when you actually say your boat is shrink wrapped? It’s like clingfilm. You’ve actually clingfilm your portion of your boat.

 

Merrill [00:01:18] Yes.

 

Farah [00:01:18] Yes. Has the out of the water, is it still in the water? Halfway in the water?

 

Merrill [00:01:22] Yeah, it’s still in the water. It’s not like the Saran wrap shrink wrap, but it’s like a plastic material that you you build a frame over the top, thicker quantity. Yeah. And then you’ve taken heat gun with it, and, you know, they have the flat white and then they have the transparent. And the transparent allows for, like, greenhouse effects to happen. So it could be 20 degrees outside, but the sun hitting the shrink wrap makes the inside of about 40 degrees.

 

Farah [00:01:50] Is that a good thing or a bad thing? Why would we want to do that.

 

Merrill [00:01:53] In the winter? It’s a good thing because the it’s funny, one of the marinas I live that they I was hoping to take the boat out in the winter and the whole river just froze up. So you can’t take the boat anywhere. And lots of people still live on their boats, right, Miles, you live on your boat full time. Yes. Right. So when you’re living on the boat full time and you want to do that for the winter, then that’s one of the ways to do it. How many years of you.

 

Farah [00:02:16] See you shrink wrap the outside and then you live inside the boat. So you just have your little door. You can come in and out, too. So it’s almost like living in a conservatory.

 

Merrill [00:02:25] Yes. My own little prison.

 

Farah [00:02:29] Prison may not be the right word since you enjoy living on the boat. I mean, come back to last question. How long have you lived on a boat?

 

Merrill [00:02:35] So I’ve lost track of time, but I’m pretty sure it’s going to be either four years or five years.

 

Farah [00:02:41] What made you want to live on a boat? I mean, it’s not every day that you wake up and think, that’s it. I’m done, done with my apartment. I’m going to get a boat and I’m going to move in. Then.

 

Merrill [00:02:52] Yeah, it was pretty much a descent into madness. So in 2008, in I through Hike the Appalachian Trail, so I walk from Georgia to Maine. There’s 2200 miles, took 172 days. Pretty much right after that I started law school. I started law school five days after doing that huge trip. And so I was going through an existential crisis. And I ran into this lady on this train who told me that I could just live on a boat in the harbor. And I looked it up and people did that. So I was like, okay, that’s what I’ll do.

 

Farah [00:03:25] And everybody around you was comfortable with this.

 

Merrill [00:03:28] Well, I had already thought your act. Yeah, I called my parents. They said, Hey, I’m going to live on a boat. And, you know, their reaction was through like the Appalachian Trail. So you can pretty much accomplish anything. No way that you were looking at this as another challenge that you would overcome. Or is it? Yeah. Something that just look cool and you thought to get into it like what was it in your head? Well, I’m always about challenges. I’m less about adventure, but more into challenges doing things. So I guess that.

 

Farah [00:03:58] So did the start of the challenge would be intend to see how it goes and then manifest. So was it sort of, Oh, I just, you know, I’m just going to permanently do this? Or did you just think I’m going to try this for a year or two and then see how I feel by Well.

 

Merrill [00:04:12] To repeat again, it was an existential crisis. So, you know, in my mind I was like, I got to do something because going to law school is so boring and dry and I had to do something. You know.

 

Farah [00:04:26] It gets you out of your existential crisis being on the boat. Do you think it helped?

 

Merrill [00:04:30] Yeah. So what happens is after you through hike a trail, there’s this thing called trail depression. Not a lot of people talk about it, but you’ve had this crazy experience and now you’re kind of thrust into society again, normal life where everything’s kind of easy. So getting onto the boat and just meeting that community because there was a pretty strong community on the Appalachian Trail through hiking that I didn’t really suffer any of that impression. The. And that my friends helped, you know, getting back into their real life. So, yeah. Wow.

 

Farah [00:05:05] This is really fascinating.

 

Merrill [00:05:07] You were you were living in Boston when you were in law school as well. So when I was in law school, yeah. So I finished the 80 and I started law school, like August 17th. And I was commuting from central Massachusetts where my parents were from. So it was like four hour commute, you know, back and forth and, you know, and that’s that’s where it hit you. That’s where you met the lady who was like, Why are you doing this? Did did did you invite her to give you that advice in way your friend? How did that go? Well, when I was taking the train, right, because you go in the morning and people would have their own train seats and everyone knew each other because you’d all get in the train at the same time. And I would have in my outbursts where I’d point to the sky and be like this world a lie. All you guys are slaves to machine. And I guess I did that enough that this lady was eventually like, you know, shot. You know, you live on a boat in the harbor. And just the out of the sky from your boat. And, you know, like, people do that and then.

 

Farah [00:06:13] I can’t I mean, your parents, I mean, would have said, okay, fine, fair enough. You’ve done this incredible hike and, you know, thousands of people a year only able to achieve this and the whole entire world. It’s such an incredible achievement. And then you’ve got this boat and now you’re on it. What about your people around your friends? I mean, you know, your young girlfriend, you know, these experiences. How did they all pan out after your experience of being on the boat?

 

Merrill [00:06:43] Well, yeah, pretty much. After hiking the age that marked my name in the legend. So everyone just assumed I could do anything. But when I went into it, I brought a girlfriend with me. And, you know, the goal was originally, Oh, we can sail around the world and we could do whatever we want. And it’s another adventure that quickly realized that you got to make money somehow. And the person that you bring on board your girlfriend needs to have the same, you know, goals that you do. So there some lessons learned. Nice. And you guys had worked together already. So you’ve already been through this life changing adventure once. Yeah. Yeah, we did the 80 together. The boat is what was our undoing.

 

Farah [00:07:26] Yeah. Why is that close quarters confined compared to open air environments? I mean, do you think it’s because of the proximity?

 

Merrill [00:07:35] Oh, it was probably because of me. Because I’m hard to deal with and the boat and like, those things. Proximity probably didn’t help that. Yeah. Yeah. Boat is pretty tight space, so it can take its toll on relationships. Okay. Okay.

 

Farah [00:07:49] And I mentioned I mean, I have to backtrack here for people who are listening, but also lives on a boat. Right. And I remember the first time that I mentioned to to myself and is this family who I’m also well acquainted with, that he’s getting on a boat. I know your mum received this very well, but I remember his sister was is is still consumed with the idea that he’s going to be my shark one day. And I mean, all of us just thought it was a passing thing. But we’ve seen that his love for the boat and is just it’s just grown over the years of knowledge and experience. And this coming from somebody who correct me if I’m wrong, that you’ve never really been interested in boats prior to this.

 

Merrill [00:08:28] I mean, I love boats. I guess always. I just never had my first boat was a 33 footer and I think I was the same rate earlier. Did you have any prior boating experience to you getting on a boat? No, I’d never even been on a boat my entire life. Oh, boy. So even even more so than me. But I think I think your girlfriend was similar or I mean, you tell me, like, was it more, you know, no more experience at all? And she was at the same time. Well, yeah, she she came from Tennessee, which is pretty landlocked. So she didn’t go. There’s no sea in Tennessee, right? Well, or you’re the only one I see.

 

Farah [00:09:05] Or like, I just How am I going to pay attention to that? Listen, I’m going to be honest here. I love the ocean and I’ve been on a boat. I’ve done deep sea fishing. I’ve stayed on the boat two days at a stretch. Two days at a stretch. But for me, it even a lot more than getting on a boat. Yeah. And it’s it’s it’s a hard us. I mean, it does get really lonely out then the ocean is quite scary. But for me to be able to say I love the ocean enough to actually I’m going to get a boat and move into it is a big ask. And for a lot of people who are listening, who are interested in potentially going down this route, you need to elaborate and tell them a bit more. So people like me, for example, you know, I passed by certain places. I’ve mentioned this before in London. That is beautiful, right? The river, beautiful houseboats, and you would not think that they are. Because they look like proper houses and apartments with little gardens and they’re painted and they’ve got windows and curtains and children playing outside on the deck and it’s gorgeous. It’s pretty than some of the apartments that people living in a concrete jungle. So to be fair, I mean, can you tell us exactly if I was to turn around and say, I want to get on a boat, I want to live on a boat? How would I go about doing it? What do I need to know? Do I need to know anything?

 

Merrill [00:10:27] So there’s so many ways that this could go. But essentially, you’re going to have to choose between living on a houseboat or a sailboat or a powerboat. And each one has their advantages and disadvantages. But yeah, I mean, when it comes down to it, it’s a pretty or it can be pretty rugged and it’s comparable to being outside all the time. You just happen to have like a roof over your head inside the boat. But it’s not for everyone. A lot of people come into it thinking that they’re going to do a lot of traveling or it’s going to be a great time and a lot of people end up dropping out.

 

Farah [00:11:03] Why do you say that? You. Why? Why wouldn’t the travel be an aspect of it? I mean, don’t you go from port to port and, you know, meet different people from different walks of life? But would you say it’s more stimulating than being surrounded in your four walls?

 

Merrill [00:11:18] Sure. But boat stands for bus and another thousand. So nothing’s really cheap. And if you decide to go from port to port, you’re going to end up having to spend some money. Wow. So you lived on a sailboat in Boston Harbor for the last four or five years and you didn’t have any prior sailing experience. You’re getting started doing it now. As you mentioned, it’s not for everyone. You know, the advantages and disadvantages for, you know, whether you’re living on a sailboat or a powerboat or a houseboat. The fire, like you mentioned, the houseboats. One of the downsides is that those people can’t take their boats anywhere. I mean, it could, but it would it would be this whole thing. Production. Yeah. And I can take his boat wherever he wants me. I think it does. About your boat. And what sort of what sort of boat is it like? What are your plans with this boat? So when I first got the boat, I was like, I’m going to sail around the world, right? Everyone’s dream when they get a sailboat, she’s a talking to ship the 36 So Robert Perry, Design world cruising sailboat. She’s actually one to break that down for the dashing to Cuba means. Is it like the Japanese boat was I mean it was made in Tangshan boatyard in Taiwan. Yeah she’s a it was like a classic boat like they were talking about I guess she would be considered a classic. She was made in 1986 and has enough teeth that they had to cut down a rainforest for.

 

Farah [00:12:38] Oh, boy. Did you. This was your first ever boat or is this. Yeah.

 

Merrill [00:12:43] Yeah. Did you see it and fell in love with it? Is he like, that’s the one? Or did you see a bunch of boats before this? Like, how’d that go then? Where did you find it? Well, there was a whole learning experience. I had actually looked at 36 boats before. I thought, Wow.

 

Farah [00:12:55] Wow, That’s a lot.

 

Merrill [00:12:56] Yeah, but you didn’t buy or like any of them. But when you saw this, was it just like fatigue at that point or were you like, this is the one? Well, it was already November by the time I found it. And I was like, Oh God, if I don’t out to this now, then I’m not going to be living aboard. I’m going to be in an apartment, and then my life is going to come to a crashing halt.

 

Farah [00:13:15] So it was a do or die situation. Yeah.

 

Merrill [00:13:18] And finally, 36 boats later, you pull the trigger. You’re like, I’m doing it like 36 votes.

 

Farah [00:13:25] And you bit the bullet.

 

Merrill [00:13:26] Yeah. And then you did it. Was it already in Boston? Did you have to drive it down because you said you had no experience? So how did you do that? Yeah, it was in Norwalk, Connecticut. And by the time I had got the boat and it was like, okay, once I had in the boat, I was like, Oh crap, how am I going to bring it up there? And after looking at 36 boats, everyone assumed that I knew exactly what I was doing. And so then I had to tell the broker that you just sounded like a parolee.

 

Farah [00:13:55] So you sounded like you are. You were an authority on this?

 

Merrill [00:13:59] Oh, for sure. For sure. I knew everything about boats. I’ve read so much. Read books, was an audio box, talked to a ton of people in the industry. And did you take any, like, selling courses before or after buying the boat or during the whole buying process? How long was a buying process by the 36 boats took you? How many days? A month? Six months? I it took about two and a half months. As you can imagine, My law school education kind of went down in the dumps, the law schools going on in the background. And Merrill is looking for the boat, his house to live on.

 

Farah [00:14:33] Having said that, no, something that, you know, a lot of people might have picked, picked up at this point is that you mentioned that you read a lot of books and you did a lot of research. It would be great if you could give us you asked, obviously this interview your how to guide on if you’re going to find a boat, what’s the best way to go about doing in which books you recommend people tap into? Because it’s always great when somebody has that level of experience, it becomes almost imperative. That you lean into them for somebody is going to go down this route.

 

Merrill [00:15:04] Yeah, but we love quick deaths. This could be one of those quick things that recently do. Yeah. Where? I don’t know how to find a book of the be in like your opinion.

 

Farah [00:15:14] And that’s something that I must raise. A two questions. I’ve got one. When I went on a boat and I was there for two days, when you come off onto land, you still keep swaying. It almost feels like you’re like a pendulum. How do you guys do this? You get.

 

Merrill [00:15:29] On. We’re going to go down for sure.

 

Farah [00:15:31] Oh.

 

Merrill [00:15:32] And the second.

 

Farah [00:15:33] Point. The second point, the first boat you picked up after looking at 36 boats you got in November. So your first experience of living in a boat is in winter. That is awful, isn’t it? Didn’t that put you off straight away? Well.

 

Merrill [00:15:47] Yeah. I don’t even know where to begin on this. I would say I might buy top three tips that I would kind of throw right off the bat. Ah, First off, find a boat that’s going to be over 35 feet because anything under 35 feet is going to be pretty claustrophobic, too. I would say. Make sure that if you’re with someone else that you guys have the same goals and aspirations, because a lot of times it seems that one of the partners is all about it. And through their commitment, you know, the other person gets like dragged into something that they don’t really want to do. And third tip is be more open to spending more money on a boat than thinking that you’re going to fix about the right approach.

 

Farah [00:16:35] You need to elaborate on that for somebody who is not boat savvy at all, what does that even mean?

 

Merrill [00:16:40] So when you’re looking at boats, there’s this whole idea of buying a fixer upper. And, you know, the saying is a ferry boat is the most expensive boat you’ll ever own. So, you know, if it came down to spending $40,000 on a fixer upper or $70,000 on a boat, that’s all ready to go. It’s probably a better financial decision to get a $70,000 boat because, you know, boat stands for bust out another thousand. So that $40,000 boat will quickly climb up to 100,000. And you can’t with the money that you put into a boat, you can almost never get back.

 

Farah [00:17:21] That’s really interesting that you say that. So just like with a house and with property, those values fluctuate and go up and down. Does the same happen with a boat?

 

Merrill [00:17:31] Well, I would say that it’s more connected with like cars, right? Like, if you have a Corvette, the Corvette is going to hold its value better than a Prius. So and the classic Corvette will hold it even better. Yeah. Yeah. So it’s more on the the brand of boat and style boat that really matters. I saw plenty of time boats that were for sale for like $60,000. And one of the taglines on the sale would be, you know, previous owners spent $300,000 on this boat. I was just like, okay, well, this guy’s certainly not getting his money back.

 

Farah [00:18:05] That’s painful, though. So you would almost say that, you know, this is this is the kind of investment that you are burning a lot more money than you’re getting your value out of.

 

Merrill [00:18:15] Yeah. So you’re going to end up spending a ton of money like boats aren’t cheap, but.

 

Farah [00:18:20] Really need to love being on a boat in order to invest in. So the take home is you love it. Otherwise don’t do it.

 

Merrill [00:18:27] Yeah, I think that’s a big part of it. I think a lot of people on our shows have mentioned that is that it has to be a passion involved because again, as Maria mentioned, it’s yeah, it’s a harder life than, you know, like land is almost easy compared to a boat. Yeah. Over here you’re especially if you want to seal the world and tell us a little bit about your adventures in a bit. But the way the admiral wants to go around sailing the world, you need to know how every single aspect of the boat works, because there’s not always going to be a line where you can just call up and somebody is going to bring you back.

 

Farah [00:18:57] That’s daunting, though. Yeah, I mean, doesn’t the thought terrify you? I think when you’re getting a boat, from my understanding, not just is not just about busting up the thousands of dollars or pounds. I think in this concept there’s something far deeper. It’s also about being a a being able to enjoy your solitude, being able to make the right decisions, being also able to have that sense of clarity and that ambition and drive, because it’s not just about, Oh, I need to know how my boat works so my rudder works. It’s also about when I’m going to go out there. If something goes wrong, how can I fix it and how can I look after myself in the big blue? It’s not as easy as right. I’m just going to go and sell my boat. And it’s about having life skills, something that, you know, somebody like, for example, Merrill, you already were well equipped with being on a trail like you did.

 

Merrill [00:19:47] Yeah. Mm hmm. How I’ve described living on a boat to people is it’s like a fast track education course. Because you know how I feel the modern day is as you get into a job. Then you kind of learn about that job and you stay in it. And if you own a house, well, most of the time you’re not necessarily doing all the work yourself by being on a boat. There’s so many different aspects of it, right? There’s plumbing, there’s electrical, there’s engines, there is woodworking, rigging sails. And so you’re constantly trying to educate yourself. And it’s pretty stimulating to the brain. You know, I feel like a lot of good things have happened since I’ve been in this continual education phase of my life.

 

Farah [00:20:32] Do you feel living on land is very dull in comparison?

 

Merrill [00:20:35] Well, I used to live on land, and I will say that, yeah, it’s pretty dull. So you’ve been doing this a few years, but what is it like your favorite, like marine recipes maybe underway or just like, quick things you like throwing together? Top three, perhaps again? Well, the boat’s got a two burner, you know, cooktop and then an oven. I can make a mean steak. I like to say a lot of vegetables, too. You know, I’m all about that. I dated a vegan for, like, three years of my life. And, you know, another thing that I’ve been liking is spam and rice Zen with that sauce was that I think Mario’s was mentioning the Heidi sauce. It’s a Pakistani dish.

 

Farah [00:21:17] Oh, my God. Neither one.

 

Merrill [00:21:19] And I guess he fell in love with it. But this isn’t a top three. I love it. It’s pretty.

 

Farah [00:21:24] Impressive. Yeah, and more three.

 

Merrill [00:21:27] Probably some. Dude, I’ll make a mean lobster, you know?

 

Farah [00:21:31] Nice smell. What’s what? Well, you know, I mean, the conversation that I’m having with you, anybody who’s listening can glean that you love being on your boat. And that is a challenge and it is an educational experience, but it’s also a lifestyle choice, which is something that is just nice to have. And that, you know, you’ve highlighted the pros and the cons of making a decision like this, obviously, the financial impact, but also the fact that, you know, you you need to enjoy your solitude and and being able to get your hands dirty and do things yourself. But what terrifies you when you’re on that boat? There must have been a moment, I mean, after you a financial crisis, after this entire experience of being on the boat and spending the last couple of years on it, does this something terrify you when you’re on the boat, when you’re out there in the ocean on your adventures?

 

Merrill [00:22:18] Well, the only time that I’ve been like concerned is when there’s storms headed right for me. But other than that, you know, what do you do? Well, I do, Yeah. Batten down the hatches and get ready. It’s kind of sad.

 

Farah [00:22:33] That’s it. There’s nothing else you can do.

 

Merrill [00:22:35] Yeah. You can’t do anything. You’re on a boat. You’re stuck. Samantha Dennis out of Boston Harbor. How far out of Boston Harbor? As you got. Hundreds of miles, are you? Where are we talking about? I haven’t sailed too far, but I’ve sailed a lot. And generally I do. I don’t know. I always make it out to Cape Cod. I make it out to Rockport. Every single year I say I’m going to sail out to Maine, you know, But I can seemingly never get a girl. That’s going to be cool. Yeah, we need a girl.

 

Farah [00:23:04] You have to have a wingman with you. A girl with you that on your journeys.

 

Merrill [00:23:09] Well, it would be sweet to, you know, have some people, you know, with me. I am a pretty social person, and I’ve never felt that sailing alone. Was that enjoyable for me?

 

Farah [00:23:22] Mm hmm. So how many days are you sailing alone? And times You said you’re going up to Maine and all these places. I mean, for somebody who’s not savvy with how many days travel, it would be, what are we looking at? Roughly three days. Two days, one day.

 

Merrill [00:23:34] Well, the problem with the sailboat is that it takes forever to get to a place. And I’ve learned along the way of owning a sailboat that I have more fun at the destinations than I do on the trip there. So, yeah, so I try to get to a place as fast as I can and then spend several days either at an anchor on a dock or a mooring ball and just check out the town and stay there.

 

Farah [00:23:59] And that’s nice. And so what’s the longest you your journey time has been?

 

Merrill [00:24:03] My longest journey has been 100 miles, and that was from Norwalk to Boston. We stopped somewhere in between and made it out there. It was great.

 

Farah [00:24:15] Wasn’t it, when you bought.

 

Merrill [00:24:18] The boat, was that that journey? Yeah, it was. The the longest journey I’ve been on was when I got the boat and that was 100 miles.

 

Farah [00:24:26] And, you know, the day before.

 

Merrill [00:24:28] Took two days. We sailed nonstop. And the owner of the boat was with you, the old owner. And you guys came together and he showed you the ropes. And then he’s like this. Yeah. So convince the former owner to come with me. And he was all about it. So I brought one of our family friends who’s, you know, a 60 year old man, Mike, and he brought one of his friends, I and so it was the four of us on a boat. And I remember we were leaving the dock and it was November, right? So the boat had shrink wrapped. Fine at one point. So we were removing some of the shrink wrap so we could try to get the sales up. And my friend Mike was having difficulty at the front of the boat getting it off. So the guy, the previous owner, his friend came up, looked Mike Square in the eyes, handed him this beautiful pocket knife, and then went back to the helm. And Mike looked at me as like, Well, I have a strange thing going. So Mike starts to try to cut off the shrink wrap and just fumbles the knife in his hand and falls into the ocean. Davy Jones locker. And Mike, it’s like, Oh, shit. You know, what am I going to do now? So he, you know, yelled to the the guy that’s at the helm. Hey, your knife. It went in. I was like, What? What happened? Like your knife. It just, like, points out his hand. It, like, fell in the water. And the guy looked at him, said that was the last thing that my dad gave to me.

 

Farah [00:25:54] Oh, my gosh.

 

Merrill [00:25:55] I was like, Oh, God, this is a great start to a trip.

 

Farah [00:26:00] Would you know that was awful.

 

Merrill [00:26:03] Was it? Was it The trip was okay, though, Like that was your first trip feeling. How how how did you feel about that? Oh, I mean, it was gorgeous. You know, seeing the sea, seeing the world from the water is a different experience. And you feel.

 

Farah [00:26:16] Relationships become a lot more intense. Metal on boats. Is it. Or does it become like Lord of the Flies? Right. I mean, survival of the fittest. And everybody becomes sort of, you know, goes back to that in the human behavior of do or die and survive and killer instincts. And oh, does it actually become sweeter in terms of spending quality time? And do you feel people become more appreciative?

 

Merrill [00:26:39] Well, I’ve heard stories on either end of that, you know, where some people they go out on a trip with some person that they find out that they absolutely hate. And then, you know, I’ve also heard trips in which people go out with someone they didn’t know and they become lifelong friends.

 

Farah [00:26:56] Hmm. Which ones you hear more often of?

 

Merrill [00:26:59] I probably hear more of the terrible experiences.

 

Farah [00:27:03] Why is that?

 

Merrill [00:27:04] Well, you know, it’s hard to find crew, right? And a lot of the people that you’re friends with, they have lives and whatnot and jobs that they have to go to work and being able to do any traveling long distance, you’re going to either have to find someone that’s not working or is able to work remotely. And then that opens up a lot of problems because it’s like, how are you going to get Internet? Like, where are you going to resupply? Like all these other things? It’s complicated. You got to you got to have a plan. And sometimes what is your plan? So how far do you want to take this boat? Like, what were your goals on your boat? What’s it capable of? Well, when I got the boat, I was like, I’m going to sail around the world. And as time’s gone on, I’m like, You know what? I kind of want to just go to a cool destination and live this, like, Rome remote working lifestyle. Like, ideally, I would, you know, commissioned a custom powerboat that’s like 50 feet and just be able to motor from harbor to harbor and, oh, you know, converting your sailboat or converting bar boating. That’s interesting. Yeah. I mean destinations where that sailing can just take forever, you know, if there’s a wind, you know, and a motor.

 

Farah [00:28:16] Go, If you want to stay on a boat then I mean you could do the same thing by car or by plane. Get from destination to destination. Why plow through the ocean?

 

Merrill [00:28:25] You know, that’s a good point. I like the coastal areas. I mean, you can do it for so cheap. Right. Like, anchoring is free, so you can go to this beautiful location and, you know, that’s beautiful town, very historic. And you can anchor for free and stay there for, you know, who knows how long? No. You know, it’s it’s pretty cost effective for sure.

 

Farah [00:28:53] In terms of accommodation. So you just need a lot of. Yeah. So basically the accommodation is huge. It’s trumps because it’s completely free wherever you go.

 

Merrill [00:29:01] Yeah. But then another thing, it’s not so much fun when a storm comes through that something he has to be particularly well.

 

Farah [00:29:07] How do you think it sounds like a lot of effort. Very little pressure, though.

 

Merrill [00:29:12] Yeah, well, I’ll tell you, I’ve been on a boat and this is what ends up happening to a lot of people. They get a boat that’s a fixer upper and they spend all their time working on them and don’t actually enjoy it. Yeah. And if you don’t have any experience in which you can see, like, a glimmer of hope about how exciting it can be, you’re just going to quickly be like, This sucks, you know?

 

Farah [00:29:33] So what about basic things? Like, I mean, if you were to ask me in a given day, people around me that I look and in apartments or houses, they have pets. Their friends come in and out of their houses. You know, you have friends come over for a party or for dinner, go broke, get groceries. You come back, you cook up a meal. I mean, you’re on a boat. There’s a storm. You can’t even get in. You can’t even get out. What about your basics? Like. Pets. Can you have pets on your boat? Where do they go? To the toilet. You know, it becomes doesn’t it becomes difficult. Do people even have pets when they have a boat, when they’re living on a boat?

 

Merrill [00:30:09] I know a few people that have pets by. It can be a huge pain to actually have a pet. I feel like sailboats aren’t necessarily the greatest for big dogs, especially if you’ve got like a 35 to 40 foot boat. I’ve seen a lot of people have cats, and cats pretty much can take care of themselves. No swimming part, but oh, yeah, I don’t have any pets.

 

Farah [00:30:32] I mean, you could keep like a turtle or something like that. Yeah, a goldfish. They got a plan. Yeah, but then that detracts from, like, normal living, doesn’t it? I mean, a lot of people would want to have, particularly if they’re interested in living on a boat and they still want to have that semblance of of what they can get on land, for example. You know, is it easy to get groceries or do you know, to just do the needful to do the day to day one of your children in your boat?

 

Merrill [00:31:01] Yeah. I mean, everything becomes a little bit harder on a boat, you know.

 

Farah [00:31:06] Like for example.

 

Merrill [00:31:09] Just getting up in the morning, you know, it’s a pretty tight space. Like the beeper that I sleep on. It can be pretty tight and like, you know, and then if it’s really cold outside, you certainly feel the cold and about if it’s hot. Like the plot twist for me so that I don’t have any air conditioning so that in the summer the inside of the boat gets like 110 degrees and the heat decks on the outside light up like the third level of hell. So, you know, it can be extraordinarily uncomfortable.

 

Farah [00:31:40] So now you’re saying it’s it’s quite uncomfortable and that it gets really hot and then, you know, it’s it can be quite tedious, etc.. So then, you know, why would you live on a boat?

 

Merrill [00:31:51] Yeah, I know. It might sound like it completely sucks and there’s a little bit to that.

 

Farah [00:31:56] But you have to convince me I’m a landlubber. Tell me why.

 

Merrill [00:32:01] You know, I guess I’ll begin by saying the community, the community and the boating world is just so strong and it’s on land. Not a lot of people talk to their neighbors anymore or have those type of social interactions and a lot of people just kind of have friendships within their own, you know, workspace. And those are the people that you hang out with. But in a boating world, there’s such a diverse amount of people, right? Everyone, you know, from business owners to, you know, teachers, nurses.

 

Farah [00:32:35] Is you feel like there’s a level of camaraderie that you don’t get when you live on on land and your basic day to day apartment. Do you feel that it’s a level of compatibility that only people who live on boats can actually build and develop?

 

Merrill [00:32:49] Oh, I mean, it’s a great time. You you run into people that you would just normally never run into in your entire life. Like I’d be having drinks and making jokes with this guy who was wrote the leading paper for the Nobel Prize in cancer research or amazing, you know, going out with some people that run a modeling agency. So that’s pretty wild and all sorts of madness. You meet some lifelong friends and everyone likes to hang out.

 

Farah [00:33:17] So, I mean, top kids, do you need to be an amazing swimmer?

 

Merrill [00:33:22] Before we get to the top of this, let’s ask what are the other, like top three reasons you’re in boating? So one would be, Oh, yes. That, you know, it would be just being outside in water escapes. Right. Like you can see extraordinarily far because it’s completely kind of open when you’re on the water and the things that happen, like the sun sets, You know, when the sun goes down on the water, it looks like a million diamonds just glistening and.

 

Farah [00:33:50] You feel your mental health has improved because of it, because, you know, you go to a spa, you pay hundreds and thousands of dollars and you’ve got ocean sounds and trickling rainfall sounds in your ear. I mean, here you are living in the middle of the sea, living at the tip of, you know, the ocean. And you just thinking, wow, you can hear the waves lapping 24 seven. Do you feel that that has helped your mental state and made you and affected your personality?

 

Merrill [00:34:15] I’ve read places that being near the water and having the blue color like, you know, around you is actually pretty healthy for you. I would like to say that I don’t have much stresses these days. Even though things are uncomfortable, I don’t stress too much. And just being on the water is beautiful. Okay.

 

Farah [00:34:36] And last one thing is therapeutic, though.

 

Merrill [00:34:38] Oh, for sure. I mean, I can only say from my experience, but since I’ve been on the water, you know, my stress levels have gone down substantially.

 

Farah [00:34:47] Amazing. And 2.3.

 

Merrill [00:34:50] I’d like to say the idea of being on a boat, you know, kind of changes the game. When you talk to people and you say, I live on a boat. Everyone’s like, Holy crap, you know? And I’m a little bit of a narcissist, so I can’t do that.

 

Farah [00:35:05] It was a game changer.

 

Merrill [00:35:06] Did it go? I was going too good. Where does it go? In a bad way as well. Oh, everyone’s shocked, you know. And they usually ask me, Oh, does it have a bathroom? I’m like, Yeah, does it have a stove? I’m like, Dude, it’s a yacht. And everyone’s like, Oh, God, a yacht, you know, says the words, like, Interesting. So does number on freedom. Is it just being able to.

 

Farah [00:35:28] See.

 

Merrill [00:35:29] The boat changes again?

 

Farah [00:35:31] So, okay, hang on. Do you feel people are attracted more to you when you say you’re like particularly, you know, and people who are curiosities like women? Yes, of course. I mean, if they come up to you and they say, oh, you live on a boat. So, you know, do they get the impression that you’re somebody like who lives in Lifestyles of the Rich and famous, you’ve got this massive boat that, you know, you can.

 

Merrill [00:35:54] Have that go down a block? Oh, for sure. You know, obviously, no one knows the terminology of boating where a boat is under 35 feet and then over 35 feet as a yacht. So when I say, oh, I live on a yacht, the first thing that people picture is like the below decks, mega yachts that are, you know, 200 feet. And I don’t correct them. I say, yeah, yeah.

 

Farah [00:36:18] So you live that illusion up my come yonder, come to my boat.

 

Merrill [00:36:26] Hold it hold your dating game or not. Oh yeah. I mean, it seems that every girl online on in Boston wants to learn sailing. It’s one of those classic things to do. So generally people come up and they say, Oh, I want to learn sailing. I want to learn sailing. And generally the girls that I’ve had over, they love the idea of sailing until we actually start sailing forever. And all this, I’m like, We’ll get there eventually. You know, they’re barfing off the side of the ball. They’re like, Oh, now how much longer we got? I’m like, We just started, you know, 11 hours left. So so let’s let’s jump to some of your best and worst worst trips. Like, was like your best man could be yourself, three of you on most of the best sailing adventures you had. I guess the best sailing adventure I had was when I took the boat from Norwalk, Connecticut, to Boston. It was my first time being out on the water and experiencing it, and I was nervous. I was like, Oh my God, am I going to get seasick? What’s going to happen to me? Didn’t get seasick.

 

Farah [00:37:31] Was the first experience of being on the ocean that high?

 

Merrill [00:37:35] Yeah, And it was an adventure. You know, I felt alive, like out in the elements, like doing my own thing.

 

Farah [00:37:42] It was like Dora the Explorer. Yeah.

 

Merrill [00:37:46] With a crew. And then I’ve seen pictures of you showing me this before. And when you pulled into Boston, it was nighttime, right? And you saw, like, the skyline, like, shimmer in the water and. Oh, yeah, yeah. Coming in to Boston Harbor with the skyline and there’s, like reds and greens and white colors all over the place. It was like looking at the Emerald City, but I was with a crew of 60 plus year old men who didn’t have glasses and know where we were going in the harbor. And, you know, we got so close to this barge at one point, you know, I went down below to use the bathroom thinking that the only one little good and thinking that these old guys were going to, you know, be able to manage if they go to go towards that green light. So towards that green light and go down below and I’ll send the whole boat lit up with this bright white light and it looked like a UFO was about to pick us up. And it being a barge with a spotlight on us to get away, you know? Oh.

 

Farah [00:38:49] Oh, my God. Oh, no. Wow.

 

Merrill [00:38:51] And this is your first trip, then. Stills, right? That’s crazy. Yeah. Awesome. It was all.

 

Farah [00:38:57] Sounds amazing. Okay, so do you need to be for somebody who’s a complete novice to this and if they have to work? Oh, yes. I keep doing this, don’t I? Storyteller, Tell us more about it than good experience.

 

Merrill [00:39:11] Is it tough to like doing good ones? How? You said you’ve gone all the way you haven’t made yet, but you’ve done Rhode Island, right? How do how do you have a best trip there? So, you know, it’s hard for me to do that because a lot of the bad experiences are kind of the most fun experiences. What does that mean? Yeah, you know, one in which it’s just like, Oh my God, we’re in a storm and it’s absolutely terrifying and we managed to survive. Yeah, we’re like, damn, that was that was an adventure. You know? I like the adventure style of it, you know? Okay. And so but top three destinations, according to you, one was just that trip, and the other two would be Providence. And, well, I go to Provincetown every year and. Have a more private life. And, you know, it’s this beautiful place on the Cape. And then I always go to Rockport, to this small little town that’s in northern Massachusetts, near Gloucester. No, I always check that out. Fine.

 

Farah [00:40:14] And is that particularly beautiful or picturesque or any reason why you always go there?

 

Merrill [00:40:19] Well, the funny thing is, like most places that are on the water that are major harbors or ports are very picturesque and people travel, you know, from all around the world to check out the coastline of Rhode Island or, you know, check out Boston Harbor. But having a view from the water is a completely different type of feeling than it is being in the city and looking out towards the water.

 

Farah [00:40:45] I can imagine. It’s like limitless, isn’t it?

 

Merrill [00:40:48] Yeah. Yeah, It goes on forever.

 

Farah [00:40:50] What’s the most amazing thing you’ve seen in the water? Yeah, we’ve seen dolphins. Have you seen sharks?

 

Merrill [00:40:56] Well, I haven’t seen any dolphins. I’ve seen a whole lot of porpoises, which, you know, I tell all the girls that come on a boat, I say, look at that dolphin. But, you know, it’s this ugly looking whale thing. I’ve seen sea turtles in Boston Harbor. I’ve seen people. Wow. I’ve seen. Yeah. When I saw the sea turtle, it was like walking on the dock and this thing popped out of the water. It was a turtle and flippers. And I was like, Oh, my God, that’s not a normal turtle. I don’t even know that They had them there and then gone like four or five feet across. Well, it was a smaller one. And then I’ve seen a sunfish. That’s huge. It was like flopping around in the middle of the water. I mean, did some donuts around that thing wondering what it was. Yeah, that’s probably the extent of my wildlife experiences. There’s a lot of seagulls.

 

Farah [00:41:45] Nothing else he goes through. Okay, so what do you have to do? Seagulls come in and fill your food?

 

Merrill [00:41:51] No, I’ve never actually had a seagull land on the boat or try to mess with me in any type of way. I think they just target the people that are on land.

 

Farah [00:42:00] And I’ve seen. I’ve seen lots of sandwiches being snatched. So I’m just wondering if I’m well carried.

 

Merrill [00:42:09] Yeah, probably in the mind of a seagull. The seagulls more concerned about being eaten by the person on the boat than someone on land killing her fellow. So. So does that sound like your scariest, worst adventures? And does what made them so scary? Well, one trip I decided to go to, it was back during the beginning of COVID, and I had a girl at the time and she could work remote, but she needed to have internet. So I didn’t know if this island called Misery Island. That’s near.

 

Farah [00:42:41] Misery. Yes.

 

Merrill [00:42:44] I was like, I’m going to go sail out to Misery Island, which was a five, six hour sail. And I was going to go there and I was going to see if there was Internet and then I was going to come back. So I. So unless one of my friends, you know, say, Nikki, come with me. I’m going to check out, see if there’s Internet Misery Island. So he’s like, okay, you know, comes on the boat. How long are we going to be gone? Like, pretty long time. So we sell out there, and as we’re sailing out there, there’s these big rollers right there, like waves that are really spread out. And they’re, they, they were like widths of a bus pretty much.

 

Farah [00:43:15] Wow.

 

Merrill [00:43:16] There had been this gigantic storm that had come through, like the day before. And that was during the time in which I was like not 100% grasping the idea that storms the last four days after. So, yeah, we sailed to Misery Island and these big rollers that would pick us up and put us in the like their trough and you couldn’t even see land anymore because you were so down below between the waves now. Wow. We get to Missouri, so.

 

Farah [00:43:44] Okay, I have to ask you to backtrack. So when the storm and what we presumably think on land, it actually carries on in the ocean for a while.

 

Merrill [00:43:52] Yeah. Waves build up over time and distance so a storm’s effects can last a day or two after, you know, with big waves.

 

Farah [00:44:01] Whilst you could actually be, well, deep between two waves. Hmm. Yeah, that’s. Wow.

 

Merrill [00:44:07] And then what would happen as you get out of that? Yeah.

 

Farah [00:44:09] I mean.

 

Merrill [00:44:10] It wasn’t that bad, right? We were just like, wow, you know, sitting there, That’s crazy. And so we get to Missouri Island and we’re sitting there and it’s beautiful. There’s a bunch of people there, and, you know, we have some beers and I’m relaxing. We find out that there is Internet. That’s not a problem. So Nikki comes up to me and she says, Hey, how long is it going to take for us to get back? So in my mind, I was like, okay, we got to go back right now. And, you know, we so we pack up and we leave Missouri Island and on the way, leaving her out, the wind picks up to like 40 something knots. Oh, boy. Sea reignited over the first time. This is round two and. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, everything came back to life in the ocean, I’ll tell you that. And we were just getting back. And I knew that we were screwed when the sun was setting and we were parallel to Lake Marblehead and we still had like 7 hours ago. It took us like the entire time. And Nicky, you know, is kind of blind. So it was me about, oh, no time. And, you know, we there was this one wave that the green and red navigation lights of the on the bow of the boat went up. This wave and this thing just towered over the boat. And you can see the white streams of, you know, this wave. And we just went right through it, came crashing over. It ripped my hat off. It ripped the anchor, lock her up. And I was like, Jesus, you know, we need to get out of here. So we motored, right? And when we got back to Boston, all the lights were off because it was covered and the world was in a pandemic. And, you know, I made it back to the dock. I saw t there, you know, got on the dock as the dock a little bit. I was like, thank you. I think like a day. Wow. Okay. Do you want to give us another do? Is that it was that you said? Well, I went to Provincetown once and on the way there it was pretty crappy out, you know, boat was bouncing around. We had like eight footers and the girlfriend sounds like the back curves. Them have to totally. You need good weather, ideally, right?

 

Farah [00:46:31] Yeah, pretty much before you even venture out.

 

Merrill [00:46:34] Yeah, well, in New England, if it’s good weather, that means that there’s no wind. So. And you got a sailboat. That sucks. But yeah, on the way to Provincetown, a girlfriend got sick, so she was barking our brains out. And family friend Mike was there. So he went down into the cabin to get a some Dramamine for. And this wave hit us on the side and he flew up and hit the ceiling and they were crashing through, you know, and like broke, you know, some bones on his back. And he was just laying there in shock. And we’re like, oh, there’s nothing we can really do about them now. We’re just going to have to get to Provincetown. Some sailed over there and then he was pretty much stiff the rest of the time, but he was okay by the end of it. Right. But that’s sad to hear, old man. Terrible still has back pain years after and Yeah. Oh, those are important.

 

Farah [00:47:29] Things.

 

Merrill [00:47:30] To maybe let’s also do like a top three like safety tips in your mind just because that’s what that made me think of. Well, have a life jacket because I’m pretty much dead and I hate how people are like, Oh, you don’t know how to swim. And and you’re on a boat.

 

Farah [00:47:44] Don’t you don’t know how to swim.

 

Merrill [00:47:47] We have to come back to that. But gone. Yeah, but in my impression, it’s like you fall out three miles out, you’re going to die out there because you’re going to really swim three miles to get back to shore.

 

Farah [00:47:59] I don’t know. Hang on. You are exceptionally brave for being in love with living on a boat. Nothing else. Just. Well, that is insane.

 

Merrill [00:48:10] I like boat. I just don’t like, you know, swim. Being surrounded by liquid death doesn’t scare you.

 

Farah [00:48:17] Saying I have a crustacean allergy, but I want to work in a crab shop. I mean, seriously, That’s okay. I’ll wear gloves. I’m cool. I think I can live through this. So you always want the jacket?

 

Merrill [00:48:32] What do you do? Well, I just make sure I don’t go into the water and a little hassle. Yeah, Okay. Okay. So safety. This one is. I always have a life jacket on hand if you’re out there. Especially, like, wear it, right? Yeah, I would say probably let people know where you are and have kind of a plan with that. And then if you’re doing any long distances, you should probably get like a safety device, like an EPA. I mean, you never know what could happen in an Ippv is, yeah, click the button and it sends out a transmission to Coast Guard or whoever’s in the vicinity that you know you’re in trouble. Know how.

 

Farah [00:49:10] That works?

 

Merrill [00:49:11] NATO Yeah, you just it’s pretty expensive piece of equipment, you know, 6000 bucks. But if you’re going out far, definitely. I have one of those on you.

 

Farah [00:49:20] Yeah. Have you about to use it?

 

Merrill [00:49:21] No, I just recently got one. Right. But have you ever gotten to use your life jacket either? Not. Yeah, I try to. I try to frown away from people going in the water under my watch. Okay. And I don’t see safety tip, you know, check the weather, make sure that you’re going out. And whether that’s not going to be too advanced for you to be able to handle. I’ve seen a lot of people early on just take their boat out in bad weather because they’re like, oh, I want to go sailing. But they have no gauge of how windy things can get when you’re in a lot of wind. Yeah.

 

Farah [00:49:55] You know, when you take the boat out, you land a beautiful place. You know, you you’re sailing and suddenly you just realize it’s a beautiful place to just stop and just admire. And the water is calm and like, lovely and, you know, do you want to dip your feet in? You ever do that or are you too scared?

 

Merrill [00:50:12] Well, I’m not scared, but yeah, there’s something about the water touching me. No, thanks. You know, I’ve gone to a place and people jump in the water and they say, Meryl, come in. And I’m like, I. I don’t really want to go. You know it. This leads to another question we ask all our listeners. I guess this is. But are you afraid of sharks? I think my phobia is more of like related to heights. You know, when I’m building and I’m looking down, I’m like, Oh my God. But if I’m in the water, the only thing I can think about is how far down it goes. So I’m just like, Oh my God, that height I just can’t handle.

 

Farah [00:50:50] So, But you still want to live on a boat. That’s fascinating. How does that work?

 

Merrill [00:50:55] I, you know, just don’t go in the water.

 

Farah [00:50:57] It’s like you live and it.

 

Merrill [00:51:01] Doesn’t mean you need to go into the water.

 

Farah [00:51:03] That’s amazing. Well, we’ll go.

 

Merrill [00:51:05] The best the best sailors in the world are the ones that do not swim by.

 

Farah [00:51:09] Fascinating.

 

Merrill [00:51:11] I can’t listen to names, but that’s what I’ve heard.

 

Farah [00:51:13] But don’t you have to do a lot of things in the water? Like I remember at one stage, this is going back to something you mentioned, something that you were you were oiling your boat or something and you were protecting the base of the boat. I remember you mentioned doing some. Yeah, some painting. Yeah, some painting or something where you protected from rust or something. So wouldn’t you. It’s all part and parcel of maintaining the boat.

 

Merrill [00:51:40] Well, there was one time in which I wanted to clean the bottom of the boat while it was underwater, so I fired up all the courage I had and I got myself a snorkel thing. And I went down into Boston Harbor with, like, a flashlight, like, murky in there. And we had to remind ourselves that you can’t swim. So what does that mean? That we have a life jacket on? What? We was holding on to a rope. And, you know, I get down there and I turn the flashlight on and the flashlight, the light goes like an inch because the water so mercury murky and I can’t see anything. And I’m like, okay, I can’t do this. You know, I can’t do that. That’s a boy. I hire a diver, diver shows up, he sees all this like snorkel equipment on my boat, says, Did you try to go underneath it? I said, Yes. He’s like, the water is contaminated with this stuff, that if you get it in your mouth, it’ll eat your gums out and all this other type of stuff. And I was like, Oh, man, okay, I’m never going in this water.

 

Farah [00:52:41] Oh, my God, that’s awful.

 

Merrill [00:52:44] It’s a very bad story again, because it doesn’t feel right. Rope and blue. Blue. I like it.

 

Farah [00:52:48] You tried. You tried to you. Have you ever been in that water, fella?

 

Merrill [00:52:53] I have. Yeah. I knew people used to swimming, and they still have their gums, so. Yeah.

 

Farah [00:53:01] That’s terrifying, though.

 

Merrill [00:53:02] The slow burn mouth does about, like, what is your dream sale? Like you mentioned, you want to save the world. Yeah, but like, what? What does that mean? And would it be on this boat? Or maybe we can even backtrack and, like, do you have a dream boat in mind? Well, Dream Boat would probably be a custom powerboat. And, you know, with that, it was big, though. Like, nothing.

 

Farah [00:53:25] Yeah, literally. About how big?

 

Merrill [00:53:27] Yeah, I’d say probably 50, 60 feet. And I’m not really sure how I would feel about crossing an ocean. You know, I like to dream that I’ll have a boat in the United States and then I’ll have a boat in the Mediterranean and be able to just jump back and forth because crossing an ocean probably takes like, you know, you and it probably really is. And by between my boat.

 

Farah [00:53:53] So when you mean 50 feet for somebody who has no clue. How many rooms are we looking at? Like we’re looking at one bedroom and a kitchen or are you what is what am I exactly envisioning here?

 

Merrill [00:54:06] Well, 50 feet would almost be the size of like a tractor trailer, I think. And each foot on a boat isn’t just like another foot. It’s like a cubic foot. So everything that, you know, there’s a huge difference between a 40 foot and a 50 foot boat like bathtub. So you would have like a big living room, you know, master bedroom, another bedroom, walk in, shower, probably bathrooms, three for a shower.

 

Farah [00:54:31] It’s like a lap of luxury.

 

Merrill [00:54:32] Yeah. Now, that would be a little scary. Yeah.

 

Farah [00:54:36] You use your family’s on a boat. I mean, do you ever see any families on a boat? Like children, you know, husband, wife do? Or is it mostly a single person thing?

 

Merrill [00:54:48] I’ve seen a lot of couples on boats. I’ve seen a few kids, you know, people that have like a 60 foot boat that have like. Two kids on the boat and a dog. But I’ve also seen probably a majority is just older people that the kids are no longer in the house and they decided by boat so can travel and see the world and whatnot.

 

Farah [00:55:11] Do you would you say it’s mostly a male thing or would you say it’s even plain that you see as many women as you do? Max.

 

Merrill [00:55:18] The marine world is almost entirely dominated by men. And I’ve seen girls coming into the industry, but they’re kind of few and far between majority men. And a lot of single men. Single men are not that way, you know.

 

Farah [00:55:38] Why is that? Why do you think?

 

Merrill [00:55:40] Well, just like I had brought up earlier, about when you’re making plans live on a boat and making sure that the other person is under the same page as you that wants to do this. I feel like a lot of people do get dragged into their partners. And, you know, one partner is pretty adamant about and the other one isn’t so much but comes along and as time goes on, they start to express disinterest on it. Now, but there is a there is a big difference between like owning a boat and going out every now and then and then living on a boat. It’s completely different. So does does. What’s your dream adventure then? You’ve got this dream boat of yours. What are you going to do with it? My dream adventure. Well, I’d probably go to Maine going all the cause I know where the internet is. I made a map of that. Or work remote, you know, along the coast. Check out cool places. Yeah. I would like to have a much more boozy boating experience where I grab a dock instead of just dropping an anchor on a mooring. All, you know, easy on ISR, check out the town type of thing. And I remember you originally sort of had plans to do Cape Horn with Charters and others, but it’s one of the scariest places sailors can describe. Is that the tip of Argentina or something, Right. Well, you know, those dreams of sailing the world are long gone now. Oh, right. But every time I run into a new sailor, they always say the same thing. I’m going to sail the world. And I’m like, Whose door? How old are you? Is that right? I’m 29. 29 years old.

 

Farah [00:57:16] Oh, my God.

 

Merrill [00:57:17] I have to do this. Right. So. So. But it’s also the last four years. So now you totally know how to sail. Yeah, And you could if you wanted to. You could just, like, take off and sail the world right now. If not now, then the next few years. Right. And it sort of depends on if you want to or not then at that point. Right. Well, you know, one of the things that you got to figure out with doing that is how are you going to work and earn money? Because you still live in the real world. That requires money to buy things. So I feel like this whole living aboard and actually being able to travel and do it right requires that you’re in a job that you can work remotely. It’s one of the problems. Cool.

 

Farah [00:57:55] Okay. Do you feel like, you know, some of these amazing life altering experiences that you’ve been through and being on the boat and and you have these amazing stories to tell. Don’t you feel that there’s a huge disparity with the people that you meet on a regular basis if they’re not from marine sort of marine world and that they can feel almost boring in a way, you know, because you’ve got these amazing experiences and as you said, you’ve got this gorgeous view that you wake up to every single day. You focus extensive knowledge by living on the boat. You are a jack of all trades, master of all trades, because you’re able to fix your own boat, maintain things, do things that an average person wouldn’t have to do. You’ve got so much, you’ve got skill, you’ve got, you know, a beautiful view, you’ve got life experience doesn’t have. You can in comparison community. You know, you’ve got the ability to do something very important, which we haven’t touched upon, is the ability to enjoy your own company, which a lot of people are not able to do. I mean, there’s this massive amount of mental health issues, especially after COVID, because people have seen they’re just extremely uncomfortable being on their own, going on the boat in the solitude. I mean, yes, as you said, it’s nice to have a partner on board, but you have had many experiences with you on your own, you know, and you’re pushing yourself out of your comfort zone like you jumped in the water and used a rope to try and clean the underside of a boat. You know, beautiful things like this where you’re challenging yourself every day. Don’t you think that real life or the life experiences that you see on land pale in comparison to this?

 

Merrill [00:59:29] Oh, for sure. Like every time I go into some person’s apartment, I’m just like, Wow, there’s so much space in here. I’m like, Oh, man, I have a washing machine.

 

Farah [00:59:38] Oh, that’s.

 

Merrill [00:59:39] Easy. You know.

 

Farah [00:59:40] You wash your own clothes by hand.

 

Merrill [00:59:42] Well, no dishwasher. That’s awesome to have, I’ll tell you. But the desert, as you put it, is your boat have. What amenities does your boat have? How does the whole minimalism affect your life? Well, I had already come from the eighties, so I pretty much. Everything in a backpack. I’ve been kind of living pretty minimally for a little bit, but I did have a lot of stuff in Memphis, Tennessee. I was living in Memphis before I threw haiku at me, so I had to get rid of that, sold a bunch of stuff. You know, the whole thing that I feel about minimalism, that is just like a cheaper way of living. You don’t have a whole lot of things that can, you know, tie you down. In the famous book Fight Club or the movie, you know, they say that the things you own end up owning you, and if you don’t have a whole lot of things, then you know you’re pretty free tomorrow.

 

Farah [01:00:36] Do you think you’ll ever live on land again?

 

Merrill [01:00:38] Well, ideally, what the plan is.

 

Farah [01:00:42] Is.

 

Merrill [01:00:43] You know, I’d like to get a bigger boat for sure. But I also want to buy plots of land all around the country, maybe even the world, and set up like tiny homes and then be able to, you know, vacation in Montana or take the boat to Maine or go to Florida or, you know, California, do what ever I want type of thing and be able to travel and have experiences because I feel like it’s the having experiences part that a lot of people are missing out on.

 

Farah [01:01:11] But isn’t it I mean, for so many people listening to this, they’re probably thinking, yeah, that would be amazing. Merrill But you need money to make this happen. And where do families come into this and children come into this, and where does real life come into this? This isn’t real. I mean, how do you tell those people that this is real, that you can manage to have these two amazing lives merged together?

 

Merrill [01:01:33] Well, you know, what I’ve learned along the way is there’s jobs for anything, right? There’s some person that goes and just cleans sewage piping of the city and makes a ton of money and is able to do a ton of things, you know, with boating and being able to have this like nomadic lifestyle. There is a job out there, right, that you can do and you can earn money and be able to, you know, live the dream. And that’s what a lot of these YouTube influencers in the boat world or RV world were able to do, right? So they’ve been able to find a niche and then make money off that and be able to travel. But there’s a ton of jobs out there that are remote, especially after COVID leaving.

 

Farah [01:02:11] It’s all very achievable.

 

Merrill [01:02:13] Oh yeah, it’s it’s super achievable for sure. Just not a lot of people have the guts to do it because it is pretty hard, right?

 

Farah [01:02:22] That makes sense. Do you think there’s an ideal age where you say somebody is more suited to come and live on a boat? Or is it just, you know, would you say this is if you I get on a whim, I’m 18. I said, You think that’s it? I’m moving out. I want to get on a boat. Do you think the Marine community would be accepting of of or is it? They look for more mature people who are looking for life experiences in their mid-twenties. It’s more of a mid twenties to late early thirties think.

 

Merrill [01:02:50] So for a while I was the youngest at the marina at age 27.

 

Farah [01:02:56] Really?

 

Merrill [01:02:57] Yeah. The majority were like 40 plus 56 days. You know, people.

 

Farah [01:03:02] Are retiring thing. Then it’s like I think.

 

Merrill [01:03:06] It’s definitely becoming more young now. Like male is sort of a sign of that sort of tide changing. Yeah, the younger Would you.

 

Farah [01:03:14] Say there are lots of people that are now your age or still you’re still the youngest?

 

Merrill [01:03:18] Yeah, I’m still one of the youngest. There is another person that’s younger than me, but it’s by like six months, so. Wow. But yeah, for the most part, everyone’s older, you know, everyone’s older and wiser and all that type of stuff.

 

Farah [01:03:32] Does it get patronizing sometimes? Well.

 

Merrill [01:03:35] Everyone’s super open and I’m a very social, outgoing person, and so I’ve learned a lot along the way, you know? Everyone’s has like a unique view of life and how to navigate life because they’re on a boat to begin with. So you have to have some type of strange thinking to be there. So just hearing different perspectives, you know, I would go to some of the interesting people you met. Tell us about them, man. Interesting people I’ve met. Now I’ve got a friend that’s a VP of a hospital. I got another person that was influential on the Nobel Prize in cancer research. I know a ton of business people. And at the marina, I knew one guy who held the record for going the farthest north anyone’s ever gone on a sailboat and was like a legendary adventurer, you know? T You’re quite interesting, all that, all that type of stuff.

 

Farah [01:04:25] And it sounds so incredible. And I think anyone listening would be really tempted to actually give it a go. Is there any way that people could actually experience what it’s like to live on a boat for a couple of days just to get a feeling rather than actually making that huge investment, spending so much money? And, you know, how would you advise them on going? I’ve been wanting to give this a try for the first time without having to dish out financials.

 

Merrill [01:04:49] You know, that’s a pretty hard one. It’s kind of what I would say. It would probably be taking a charter for multiple days and just. And saying what a week or two weeks on a boat feels like. Yeah. Now you can almost like a Airbnb for boats.

 

Farah [01:05:05] Really? Where?

 

Merrill [01:05:06] Oh, well, in Boston. They have a few of them. You can just go on Airbnb and they got em. Or boat Airbnbs. Yeah. People try it out.

 

Farah [01:05:16] Both of these can be like a date night.

 

Merrill [01:05:19] It could. It certainly could. And I think the way they approach it is also a lot of where you Yeah, the way that people do it is that they just sort of take the leap of faith and. Yeah. I think in the first year that’s sort of a make or break year where they figure out if it’s something for them and they want to pursue it for the next few years or.

 

Farah [01:05:37] But by then, don’t you agree to that? They’ve already invested that money and that could become. Well and sort of the current.

 

Merrill [01:05:44] The thing about boats like the way I was describing is it is a depreciating asset. But I think like if you say you bought a boat today and then you sort of a year later, you’re not really going to lose a lot. You know, you hopefully gain more in terms of like experiences and you become more of a thinker than you were before. Yeah. And but you probably be able to I mean, worst case, like, you know, you could just get like a cheaper boat to begin with and but that’s also why lots of people don’t like it so much. I do just like I was saying, get a boat that, you know, is a fixer upper and then you get lost in doing the project and you don’t even get to take the boat out. And then they just mar the whole experience for you.

 

Farah [01:06:22] So interesting. I think I’m I’m slightly swayed and I would be really interested to see what it’s like to spend a few days on the boat. I mean, the Airbnb does appeal.

 

Merrill [01:06:33] Hmm. So let’s let’s move this email address. Like, what are your top three tips then, for like, living on a boat? How do you make that happen? Well, I would say this is a big one. The outgoing and social. I feel that no man is their own island. And when you get on a boat, there’s so many things that could go wrong and things that you just don’t even know about When you make friends with people. Like, for instance, everyone has their own major boat project that they end up having to work on, where they have a special set of tools that is super expensive to own. And they mastered that one job. So you can borrow tools from people, you can get advice from people how to do projects. Just makes that experience a lot easier because there’s not much content out there about how to fix everything on a boat, and it’s hard to kind of navigate the black hole of information.

 

Farah [01:07:27] Why is that? Why is that? I mean, is it because the people that are living these experiences are not interested in writing down their experiences or sharing these experiences? Or is there any way that people could collate this information and have it somewhere where people who are interested to learn can go to?

 

Merrill [01:07:43] Well, I feel that the vast majority of that is that not a lot of people are writing on the subject, and the only content that you really see out there are those influencers that are kind of traveling the world and having experiences. And that’s what people, you know, focus on. So not a lot of content out there regarding like working on boats and every boat is different and unique, so there’s not one fast and easy way of getting something done. It’s like a level of craftsmanship in there.

 

Farah [01:08:13] That does sound really cool. Yeah, I just feel like it would be seven. Yeah, exactly.

 

Merrill [01:08:19] The tip one. Go meet people. Go, go. Knock on the door next door to you. What’s a few tips to would be, you know, not getting a fixer upper right. You know you want to be able to actually experience boating because it’ll wear you down if you can’t take the boat out and you’re stuck doing projects because projects can last forever. But let’s say you already had a fixer upper and you’re living aboard it. Like what? How would you twist that and just be like, enjoy the ocean more, go out on other people’s boats? Is that what you’re saying? Well, if you already have a fixer upper, I don’t know how to help you, but yeah, just get on other people’s boats. Everyone kind of wants to have other people coming out with them. You know, I always found that when I invited people onto the boat, it wasn’t that I wanted to, you know, show people a good time. I just wanted them to drive the boat so I could have a good time.

 

Farah [01:09:15] Do you feel there’s an element of sort of showing off?

 

Merrill [01:09:17] No, no. At this point, it’s kind of just like part of who I am. So cool. You know, when I say yacht and yachting, it sounds very boring. And when I go back to my parents house every now and then, which is in central Mass and, you know, the occasional person at the bar would be like, So what do you do? I’m like, I’m in yachting. And they’re like, Oh my God.

 

Farah [01:09:39] What is that?

 

Merrill [01:09:40] They must be like the 200 foot mega-yacht, you know? Hmm. Okay, so and then so number two is go. I just enjoy the ocean. Definitely. And then that three, step three, you know, she’s. That’s a hard one. Living aboard, living on board. Make sure you’re in. You’re not living on a mooring ball. You know.

 

Farah [01:10:01] Wipe that with the mooring board. Sorry. You may have to elaborate. What is it? More evil.

 

Merrill [01:10:06] So the three ways you can kind of land the boat, in a sense, is either dropping an anchor or a mooring ball, which is a basically an anchor, and there’s a chain and it tie the boat to this floating ball. And you’re in the harbor, right? You’re not tied to a dock. And so you have. So you have to have your own way of getting to land. So you’d have to have a dinghy. And I know a few people that tried to live on mooring balls. And boy, did it seem like they just went into madness.

 

Farah [01:10:39] Hmm. Really? Why is that? How does that really. How is that?

 

Merrill [01:10:44] Humans are social creatures. And, you know, being out on a floating island long enough, you start to really start to lose your mind. Don’t push it too far. Okay. So you’re saying find a good dock somewhere? Oh, yeah, for sure. Get a dock. You know.

 

Farah [01:11:03] It’s so much easier to live in your own thoughts. It just might. And you might end up becoming, like, Hannibal Lecter.

 

Merrill [01:11:11] And so there’s this age old question, though. So do you. Do you find it’s cheaper to live on a boat or at the same as compared to land? Well, it certainly isn’t cheap to be on a boat. But I mean, for instance, where I’m at the neighboring apartments that are right next to the marina, they charge seven grand a month for rent. And if you do the math for me, I spend roughly $1,000 a month for a dock space. So, yeah, that’s a big gap there in that sense. Yeah.

 

Farah [01:11:43] And that is pretty that’s much cheaper. That’s six grand. Cheaper.

 

Merrill [01:11:46] Yeah. And then when you travel, you can do it pretty cheap. You know, you don’t need to pay for hotels, right, Because you already brought your home with you. So that’s enjoyable.

 

Farah [01:11:55] And we please address the sea legs situation. How do you combat this? The sea legs, but land legs.

 

Merrill [01:12:03] Well, I’ll tell you that the only way to do it is by when you’re on land. You drink so much that it.

 

Farah [01:12:12] Does it bother you after this many years?

 

Merrill [01:12:15] That’s a good question. When I first started living on a boat and I was in law school, I would sit on the back of the class because I was one of those students. And when I was looking at the board and my computer screen, everything was wavy. And I started freaking out. I’m like, Oh my God, this is like a trip. So I typed in a Google and like, you know, the my vision is wavy after being on a boat and of course, web and says, I have this an incurable disease that, you know, I’m going to have a wavy existence for the rest of my life. So I freaked out for a little bit. But nowadays I don’t really get it too much. So I really decide after a few months, like I don’t do too much land. And when I do, I think once in a while this happens to me. I was like, Oh, but now I know. Like in the beginning I had to sort of question myself. Used to be like, Is it me or is it the room? You know, like so is like, imagine there’s an earthquake going on, you know, like minutes.

 

Farah [01:13:09] And it feels exactly like that. I remember it. It’s almost like you feel on balance and your feet and your feet are going to fall over. It’s almost like very hard to explain to people who are not used to being on a boat, but it’s almost like you’re on a trampoline, so to speak. It’s like you’re going in in a wave motion, your body is going in a wave motion, but you’re standing still. So you can’t really tell what exactly your body is doing. Is it swaying or is it your mind swaying? I would think that would make you quite nauseous after a while, even on land. But don’t you stop. I mean, you just you get off that land and you do have things to eat and, you know, you drive places.

 

Merrill [01:13:48] Yeah. Yeah. I think eventually a time comes where it’s almost like a minor way to describe it. You know, the aura and everything. You go, it’s nothing will go. Yeah, I’ve heard stories about people that have gone long distances, and then when they get to land, they get land sick and they start laughing their brains out like, Oh, boy, the opposite. Yeah, this is stable for me.

 

Farah [01:14:08] Oh, that’s quite awful.

 

Merrill [01:14:09] Okay.

 

Farah [01:14:10] It’s quite over. So in terms of things like you cannot do on the boat, is there anything that you miss being somebody who lives on a boat? Like, do you miss certain things that you would have on land?

 

Merrill [01:14:23] Well, I miss the open space to just lay out on the floor and stretch and do all that other type of stuff. But what do I miss? I don’t really miss too much at all.

 

Farah [01:14:35] No.

 

Merrill [01:14:36] Yeah. I still go bars and hang out with people and have good times. And usually the experiences that I have on boats with friends, you know, we take the boat out, we’ll go to an island, we’ll have a good time, you know, wrapped up, watch a fireworks show, all sorts of wild things. And I think if I was on land, I wouldn’t have the same community that I do living aboard. Why would you advise this? Like other people thinking about it. Like. Like what does the sort of person, perhaps. Hmm. Well, I’m going to say, if a person hasn’t had a whole lot of difficult, challenging experiences in their life, it’ll be a shock to the system. But yeah, I mean, I recommend that everyone does that. Is it for everyone? No. But it can be a great time. Or it can be pretty miserable. Hmm. So you’re saying and is that like a person sort of reflection thing is, I would you realize true to yourself? Has it done that for you? You know, pretty much every single person that I’ve met that lives aboard a boat is some type of crazy. You know, so if you’re thinking about living on a boat and your friends would probably say that you’re crazy if you ask them, then, you know, go for it.

 

Farah [01:15:48] Whatever floats your boat, so to speak. It’s just I think it does take one kind of person. And the beauty of it all is the way you’ve described it is quite succinct because you basically said it’s not easy, it’s not everyone’s cup of tea. But if you’re going to go out there and do it, and if you’ve got this passion for it, you know, there’s a huge amount to learning and it’s extremely exciting and there’s life changing and life altering experiences that you’re going to walk away with every day. No one day is the same.

 

Merrill [01:16:18] And some of the, you know, for that is that if you could do it all over again, would you have made that jump back into boating and into boating, rather, or. Yeah, just sidestep the whole adventure. I probably would have gone in a powerboat. Powerboat? Yeah, there’s just more room, right? Like a 40 foot sailboat in a 40 foot powerboat or different, you know, in size. And, you know, I’m on a 40 foot sailboat by being on these 40 foot powerboats. Might have, you know, I could lay on the floor and stretch here. So it’s a whole other feeling. Yoga. I like it.

 

Farah [01:16:55] Okay. Wow.

 

Merrill [01:16:56] Okay.

 

Farah [01:16:58] Well, thank you, Merrell. I mean, I think it’s been really fascinating for somebody like me who’s who had no clue whatsoever to learn and know so much. That’s absolutely amazing. And this isn’t the end. Trust me, there going to be more questions to come. I mean, this is just like starting to scratch the surface of trying to understand what boat life is like. There’s obviously so much knowledge you have. You can share so much skilled knowledge. You can share about technical expertise, about know how knowledge about, you know, places to go. Initially when you’re a newbie, you know, ultimate like sort of tips that you, you know, things that you should know before you even get involved in this process. So we’d love to to keep touching base with you on this.

 

Merrill [01:17:44] Well, it was a great time, guys. Yeah. Thank you. And as a final question for me, what I’m going to ask you is leave us again with the top three and maybe this can be like the gear or the websites or the apps that you as a voter, having done this a bunch of years, that you’d recommend that somebody getting in a boating or thinking about or anything should definitely check out. Well, I would say, you know, several weather apps I always use, Wendy, that seems to be a pretty good one. But I also check Weather.com and all the other ones. I would say that active captain and Navy on for your charts and whatnot. A lot of people have paper charts on their boats, but kind of everyone’s moving towards having just like cell phones and whatnot. And then, of course, ship shape. If you need to find any service providers, you can do a search in there and find people that are in the area because that’s a huge pain to try to find anyone to work on the boat. Love it. Thank you so much, Mel.

 

Farah [01:18:45] Thank you so much. And thank you to as well. It’s lovely to pick both your brains.

 

Merrill [01:18:51] Yeah. And we’ll be touching base soon. Then they can see to the shipshape podcast. Shipshape accrual the number one resource in the U.S..

 

Unidentified [01:19:02] For marine professionals.