merrill stevens yachts

Yacht Repair And Refitting

Service After the Sale from RMK Merrill-Stevens Shipyard

Providing you with high-quality yacht refitting, repair, and maintenance since 1885.

Purchasing a vessel is an investment in the yacht you are buying and the brokerage you purchase it through. The service you receive should not end after payment is made, which is why Merrill-Stevens Yachts provides Service After the Sale.

The Merrill-Stevens name has been synonymous with the yachting industry for over 135 years. After new ownership and management committed to restoring Merrill-Stevens Yachts and RMK Merrill-Stevens to their former glory, the companies began to evolve and are now at service, quality, and capability levels beyond what has been seen in the past.

Merrill-Stevens Yachts offers unique and comprehensive service, repair, and warranty capabilities with the support of the RMK Merrill-Stevens Shipyard. The connection between Merrill-Stevens Yachts and the RMK Merrill-Stevens shipyard gives vessel owners a complete end-to-end service.

RMK Merrill-Stevens' Service After the Sale Division is an official service and warranty center for Sealine yachts. Our maintenance program is custom designed to keep these exceptional vessels looking and performing as intended. Contact your personal Sealine Yachts concierge at 305-324-5211. MS Yachts is also the service and warranty center for Fjord and Maori Yachts.

What is Service After the Sale?

Service After the Sale, also referred to as After Sales Support, are offerings provided by a service provider after a purchase has been made. At Merrill-Stevens Yachts, when you purchase a new vessel from our expert yacht brokerage team, we become permanent members of your extended team. We will always be just a call away, and we have formed partnerships and services to continue providing you value long after your purchase. Whether a previously purchased vessel is in need of refit or repair, the MS Yachts team will be available to help restore and improve your vessel, and get you and your crew back out on the water as quickly, safely, and affordably as possible.

Service After the Sale Provided by Merrill-Stevens Yachts

Purchasing a vessel from MS Yachts allows you to receive services from RMK Merrill-Stevens. Services you will have access to include:

Services Included

• Welding and Fabrication
• Fiberglass and Composite
• Painting and Refinishing
• Mechanical and Pipework
• Running Gear and Bottom Work
• Stabilizers and Hydraulics
• Air Conditioning and Refrigeration
• Electrical and Electronics
• Carpentry and Joinery

Facility Features

• Conveniently located near downtown Miami, Miami International Airport and Miami Beach
• Easily accessible on the Miami River
• 240' superyacht covered working berths
• On-site fueling including Rec 90 & diesel
• Customer storage, workshops, & office space available

The Benefits of Working with RMK MS: Get to Know RMK Merrill-Stevens

RMK Merrill-Stevens is conveniently located in the Miami Health District, which is near downtown Miami, Miami International Airport and Miami Beach. The shipyard straddles the Miami River, with North and South yards on their respective side of the river. Due to its location, the yards are easily accessed through the Miami River.

RMK Merrill-Stevens has 240' covered working berths, on-site fueling, customer storage, workshops, a parts department, office space, and much more.

RMK MS North

RMK MS North, located at 1270 NW 11th Street in Miami, offers refitting, repairs, class inspections, and maintenance services on vessels from 50’ to over 230’, including power catamarans. The RMK MS North is home to the 2700MT Pearlson shiplift, which is the largest shiplift of its kind in South Florida.

Learn more about RMK MS North here.

RMK MS South

RMK MS South, located at 881 NW 13th Ave. in Miami, offers refitting, service, maintenance, and repair on vessels from 30’ to 130’. RMK MS South also offers a parts retail counter, workshops, and office space for partners, which currently includes Pardo Yachts and Delta T Systems.

Learn more about RMK MS South here.

What You Can Expect from RMK Merrill-Stevens

“Excellent service in a professional environment.” - Fabio Potenti

Now under new ownership and management, RMK Merrill-Stevens is a full-service shipyard dedicated to the refit and repair of the world’s finest yachts and vessels since 1885. In addition to offering two full-service shipyards, RMK MS offers brand new facilities and equipment, a complete team of full-time technicians, and top-rated contractors. The $50M+ investment made in the two yards has elevated the shipyard, making it a premiere destination and service provider. RMK Merrill-Stevens’ work is of the highest international standards and meets classification societies requirements including ABS, Lloyds, and USCG regulations.

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Merrill-Stevens Yachts

Miami’s Preferred Yacht Brokerage

Becoming a worldwide leading brokerage starts with you.

Miami-based Merrill-Stevens Yachts is one of the most trusted names among yacht brokers around the world. Our team believes that trust is earned, which is why we go above and beyond industry standards to earn your trust.

Merrill-Stevens Yachts works to earn your trust by offering high-quality service, comprehensive services, and transparency. We help you reach your goals by guiding you through every step of the process, whether buying or selling a yacht. This guidance starts with putting your wants and needs first, and doesn’t end until you’re satisfied.

Merrill-Stevens is a name synonymous with yachts, dating back to 1923, making it a clear choice for yacht owners, buyers, and sellers.

Merrill-Stevens Yachts: Yacht Brokerage Arm of RMK Merrill-Stevens

Merrill-Stevens Yachts is the yacht brokerage arm of the RMK Merrill-Stevens Shipyard. RMK Merrill-Stevens, a shipyard that includes RMK MS North and RMK MS South, is a full-service yard that provides stern-to-stern services for vessels from 30-230’, including refit, service, maintenance, class inspections, and more. RMK MS includes two completely updated shipyards, a large team of full-time technicians, top-rated subcontractors, and state-of-the-art equipment that allows the yard to haul any boat out of the water safely.

50' Sea Ray

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About the Business

Established in 1885. Welcome to Merrill-Stevens Yachts Seasoned Professional Yacht Brokers Merrill-Stevens Yachts is proud to be one of the worldwide leaders in yacht sales and yacht repair. Whether you are interested in buying a yacht, selling your yacht, or refitting and refurbishing your yacht, our seasoned yacht brokerage team and yacht managers are here to assist. Since 1923, the Merrill-Stevens family has been a trusted name in in the yachting community. Merrill-Stevens Yachts is the obvious choice for yacht buyers, sellers, and owners worldwide. …

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881 NW 13th Ave

Miami, FL 33125

Little Havana

Serving Miami Area

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PRODIGI Boat for Sale

50' sea ray | 2017 | $799,000.

• Yachts for sale
• motoryachts

Last updated Aug 23, 2024

Prodigi Boat | 50' Sea Ray 2017

Own it today...financing available -

Complete & submit your application today

https://lfg.money/loan-application/

Impeccably maintained 2017 Sea Ray 510 Fly Extended Hardtop loaded with upgrades.

Just fully detailed and with services up to date she's Turnkey Ready.  

This 2017 Sea Ray 510 Fly is a boater's dream. Only 268 Hours on Her Twin Zeus 600 QSC Engines. 

Outstanding Condition Inside and Out- A True Must See to Appreciate!Extended Hardtop Includes Full Enclosure Newly Installed ($58,000 Option) 

The 2021 Sea-Doo SPARK TRIXX Jet Ski with 4 hours - "COULD BE" included Call for details

Key Features

Upgraded Twin Zeus 600 QSC Eng W/Joystick (268 HOURS) Pods and Engines 

DSS Satellite TV System

Hydraulic Lift Swim Platform ($46,000+ option)

Retractable Bridge Hardtop

Extend Bridge Hardtop

Steel Anchor Underwater Lighting (Blue LED)

Teak Tables

Teak Flooring

Washer/Dryer Combo

French Walnut Satin Cabinetry

French Walnut Wood Blinds

Please contact the listing broker with any questions or to schedule an appointment to see this beautiful Sea Ray 510 Fly Today!

Denison Yachting is pleased to assist you in the purchase of this vessel. This boat is centrally listed by Merrill Stevens Yachts.

Denison Yacht Sales offers the details of this yacht in good faith but can’t guarantee the accuracy of this information nor warrant the condition of this boat for sale. This yacht for sale is offered subject to prior sale, price change, or withdrawal from that yacht market without notice. She is offered as a convenience by this yacht broker to its clients and is not intended to convey direct representation of a specific yacht for sale.

INQUIRE ABOUT PRODIGI

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Prodigi HIGHLIGHTS

• Yacht Details: 50' Sea Ray 2017
• Location: Saint Petersburg, FL
• Engines: Cummins
• Last Updated: Aug 23, 2024
• Asking Price: $799,000
• Maximum Speed: 32 kn
• Max Draft: 4' 2''

Prodigi additional information

• Cruising Speed: 24 kn
• Beam: 15' 4''
• Hull Material: Fiberglass
• Fuel Tank: 1 x 500|gallon
• Fresh Water: 1 x 130|gallon
• Holding: 1 x 68|gallon

Think of consummate hosts you've met. They support social interaction with beautiful settings and all the right amenities and offerings to bring life to the party, keeping the mood bright, lively and happy. You've just imagined the Fly 510, with its highly functional social zones and crowd-pleasing features to keep you and your guests at full-smile. SkyFlow Design™ circulates light and air throughout the boat. The galley, salon and cockpit combine like an indoor/outdoor great room, and the expansive bridge layout is the icing on the cake. Hosting is easy in such an environment. And then when the pace has slackened, a full-beam master suite breathes peace into every weekend getaway.

• Optional Zeus Propulsion W/Joystick 
• Luxurious full beam master stateroom with multiple configurations
• Standard three stateroom layout and two full heads, each with separate showers
• Social zone design with galley up and featuring continuous cockpit / salon interaction
• Standard, fully complemented, upper & lower helm stations
• Expansive bridge layout with multiple seating, lounging and dining areas
• Standard Raymarine® eS12 Radar/Chartplotter combo at lower control station
• Bottom Paint
• Bow Rail, 316 Stainless Steel w/Welded Stanchions, Intermediate Rails & Life Lines
• Cleats, Thru-Bolted - Stainless Steel (8)
• Deck Fill Plates, Stainless Steel
• Deck Rails, 316 Stainless Steel
• Gel Coat, Arctic White
• Graphics, Striping
• Handrails, 316 Stainless Steel
• Hatch, Deck Vent - Translucent w/Locks & Sky Screen Cover
• Hull Windows, Smoked Acrylic
• Lights, Navigation
• Portlights (2, Opening)
• Resin, High-Performance Vinylester
• Rub Rail, PVC w/Stainless-Steel Insert
• Spotlight w/Dual Halogen Bulbs - Remote Controlled (ACR®)
• Storage, Transom Wall (For Lines & Gear)
• Sun Pad w/Drink Holders - Forward Deck
• Swim Platform, Integral/Extended w/Concealed Stainless-Steel Four-Step Swim Ladder w/Integral Grab Handle
• Thru-Hull Fittings, Stainless Steel
• Vent System, Engine Room - Integral
• Windshield, Bridge Venturi
• Windshield, Tempered/Tinted Curved Glass
• Canvas Colors - Blue, Black or Taupe
• Bridge Seats & Console Covers
• Cockpit Seat Covers
• Anchor, Galvanized
• Anchor Chute, Stainless Steel
• Anchor Rope/Chain Storage w/Gas-Assisted Hatches
• Anchor Washdown Spigot
• Windlass, Rope/Chain w/Foot Switches
• Beverage Holders
• Console Glove Box
• Hatch, Sliding Bridge Access
• Lighting, Indirect LED
• Outlet, 12V Accessory
• Outlet, 120V GFI Protected
• Refrigerator, 120V
• Seating, Helm
• Seating, Convertible w/Storage Below
• Ship’s Bell
• Table, Natural Teak - Aft
• Door, Frameless Cabin Entry w/Stainless Steel Accents & Tempered/Tinted Glass (Sliding & Lockable)
• Door, Transom
• Floor Liner, Self-Bailing Fiberglass
• Lazarette w/Dedicated Line & Fender Stowage
• Lighting, LED - White
• Seating, Aft Bench
• Steps, Boarding (Molded-In)
• Steps, Exterior Bridge Access w/Stainless-Steel Handrail & Storage Below
• Carbon Monoxide Monitors
• Carpet, 100% Stainmaster®
• Doors, Wood
• Handrails, Stainless Steel
• Lighting, 12V Indirect - LED Outlets, 12V Accessory
• Outlets, 120V GFI Protected
• Outlet & Switch Plates - Polished Nickel Finish
• Pillows, Accent
• Storage, In-Floor
• Vacuum System, Central - Dual Inlet
• Wood Cabinetry: French Walnut, Satin
• Window Treatment: Fabric Curtains (Salon); Aluminum Blinds (Lower Accom)
• Control Station - Lower Helm w/Single Stidd Helm Seat
• Entertainment Center:
• Gaming System Port, iPod® Interface w/Docking Station, MP3 Port w/USB, 12V Outlet, Stereo - 12V AM/FM, Wireless
• Bluetooth™, SiriusXM® Satellite Receiver w/Antenna, Amplifier, Subwoofer, Speakers (4), Digital Cockpit Remote Control & Speaker Selector Switches
• Storage Cabinet - CD & DVD
• TV, 50" LED / Smart w/Remote Blu-ray™ Player Flooring, Wood
• Seating, Sofa - Opposing
• Storage Cabinets
• Table, Folding Wood
• Coffeemaker, Keurig®
• Countertop, Solid Surface w/Sink, Faucet & Sink Cover
• Flooring, Wood
• Freezer U-line ULN-WH95TP-03 w/Icemaker & Stainless Steel Front - 120V
• Microwave/Convection Cuisinart Oven w/Stainless-Steel Front - 120V
• Power Vent, 12V
• Refrigerator Dual Vitrifrigo DW180IXP4-ES-1 w/Stainless-Steel Front - Dual Voltage (120V/12V) 
• Sun Deck Refrigerator: Dometic CRX1050 mounted on port side aft.
• Storage, Drawers
• Storage, Galley Pantry
• Stove, Two-Burner - 240V
• Trash Receptacle
• Sun Deck Grill:  Kenyon electric grill mounted in wet bar port side aft.
• Bed, Queen Size w/Innerspring Mattress, Pillows, Sheets, Coordinated Spreads & Drawer Storage Below
• Door, Privacy w/Full Length Mirror
• Dressers - Port & Starboard
• Flooring, Carpet
• Headboard, Lattice Style
• Mirrored Hanging Locker, Cedar Lined w/Light TV, 32" LED / Smart w/Remote Blu-ray™ Player
• USB Port - Powered
• Door, Access from Master Stateroom
• Flooring, Tile
• Head, VacuFlush®
• Robe Hook, Head Door
• Shower w/Adjustable Shower Wand & Acrylic Door
• Storage, Medicine Cabinet - Mirrored
• Towels - Sea Ray
• Vanity w/Solid-Surface Countertop, Sink, Faucet & Storage Below
• Bed, Queen-Size w/Innerspring Mattress, Pillows, Sheets, Coordinated Spread & Storage
• Door, Privacy
• Door, Access to Fwd Head/Shower
• Hanging Lockers, Mirrored and Cedar Lined w/Light
• Storage, Lower Cabinet
• TV, 24" LED, w/Remote Blu-ray™ Player
• Door, Access from Companionway
• Towel Bar Towels - Sea Ray
• Vanity w/Solid-Surface Countertop, Sink, Faucet & Storage Belowa
• Convertible Twin Beds, Pillows, Sheets, Coordinated Spreads & Storage Below
• Hanging Locker, Cedar Lined w/Light
• Zone-Controlled Reverse-Cycle System, 240V (34,000 BTU)
• Custom Integral Vent System
• The system consists of three Marine Air units mounted as follows.
• Forward Stateroom: One 12,000Btu unit mounted under berth with digital controls
• Master Stateroom: One 10,000 Btu unit mounted in cabinet with digital controls.
• Salon: One 12,000btu units mounted in entertainment cabinet with digital controls
• Alarms, High Water - Bilge & Cabin
• Battery Parallel Start System - Engines
• Dash, Gel Coated
• Electronic Throttle & Shift Controls (ETS)
• Horn, Air - 12V
• Instrument Panel
• SmartCraft® Diagnostics:
• Instrumentation, Custom Sea Ray® SmartCraft w/Low-Glare Blue Night Lighting & Chrome Bezels
• 4-in-1 Multigauges (2) (Includes: Fuel Level, Oil Pressure, Voltmeter & Water Temperature)
• Tachometers (2)
• SmartCraft VesselView Display:
• Propulsion: Engine Hour Meters, Engine Status, Performance & Fuel, Peak Performance, Boost Pressure (Optional), Troll Control & Cruise Control
• Vessel: Vessel Status, Tank Status, Steering Position & Generator Data
• Environment & Navigation: GPS Interface, Depth & Water Temperature, Depth Alerts, Trip Log Information, Fuel to Waypoint Data & Navigation Data
• Active Alarms/Details
• Alarm History/Details
• Steering, Power Assisted Hydraulic w/Tilt Wheel
• Switch Panel, Backlit
• Switches, Illuminated Weatherproof Rockers & Electronic Dimmer Control
• Electronics Circuit, 12V/50 Amp
• VHF Radio w/Remote Speaker & 8’ Fiberglass Antenna
• Dash, Gel Coated Defroster
• Instrument Panel - High Gloss
• SmartCraft Digital Throttle & Shift (DTS)
• Switch Panel, Backlit - High Gloss
• Windshield Wipers w/Wiper Controls
• Batteries, 8-D Type w/Trays
• Battery Charger/Converter, 120V/60 Amp/12V
• Battery Solenoid Switches, 12V (3)
• Cable Television System w/Inlet, TV Shore Cord, Coax Outlets, Gain Control & Omni Directional Antenna Enclosure, Weatherproof Main Solenoid
• Panel, Circuit Breaker - Remote
• Panel, DC Main Breaker
• Panel, Main Distribution - AC
• Panel, Main Distribution - DC
• Shore Power, Cablemaster™ (Glendinning) 240V/50 Amp w/75’ Cord & Wireless Remote (Cablemaster N/A w/220V/50 Cycle Shore Power)
• Shore Power, Additional Inlet - 120V/50 Amp w/75’ Cord and 6kva Transformer
• Transformer, Shore Power Isolation - 240V/50 Amp
• Wiring, Color-Coded w/Chafe Protection
• Bilge Pumps, 12V Automatic
• Bilge Pumps, 12V Automatic High-Water
• Blowers, 12V Bilge (2)
• Fire Suppression System - Automatic w/Diesel Shutdown, Override & Manual Pull
• Gel-Coated Engine Room
• Insulation, Engine Room - 2” w/Loaded Vinyl Barrier
• Ladder, Stainless Steel - Removable
• Lighting, 12V
• Diesel Fuel System - Electric w/Transfer Pump
• Fuel Filters, Remote (Racor®)
• Fuel Lines, USCG - Type A-1
• Fuel Tanks, Aluminum w/Manual Shut-Off Valves & Sending Units
• 17 kW Onan® 17MDKDP-8154A - Diesel (120V/240V/60 Cycle) w/Sound Shield, Remote Start, Muffler, Closed Cooling, Fuel Filter, Seacock & Seawater Strainer
• Bonding System w/Zinc Hull Plate
• Dual Propellers, 4-Blade
• Rudders, Manganese-Bronze
• Seacocks - Engines
• Seawater Strainers - Engines
• Shaft Logs, Dripless w/Extra Seal Carrier Kit
• Struts, Manganese-Bronze
• The vessel is equipped with four under LED light mounted on transom.
• Bottom is painted with black antifouling paint
• Common Drain System
• Head System (VacuFlush®)
• Holding Tank Level Indicators - MDP
• Holding Tank w/Dockside Pump-Out (68 Gallon)
• Sump Box w/Automatic Pump & Hinged Service Lid
• Freshwater Washdown Spigots w/Hoses - Transom, Engine Room & Anchor Locker
• Pressure Water System w/12V Pump & Charcoal Filtration System
• Shower, Cockpit - Single-Lever Hot & Cold w/Stainless-Steel Door, Braided Hose & Ergonomic Shower Wand
• Water Heater, 240V (20 Gallon)
• Water Inlet, Dockside
• Water Manifold System

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Longtime president of yacht yard Merrill-Stevens dies

By Lucy Chabot Reed

An icon of the South Florida shipyard and brokerage industry died on Sunday, April 5. Fred Kirtland, previously president and general manager of Merrill-Stevens shipyard in Miami, was born and raised in Miami, and spent nearly 50 years at the legendary shipyard on the Miami River. He was 91.

“Fred was an icon in the industry,” said Kevin Merrigan, CEO of Fort Lauderdale-based brokerage firm Northrop & Johnson. “He was the nicest, more honorable man you could ever know. At the time he was building up Merrill-Stevens, it was the yard where the wealthiest of the wealthy took their yachts. And Fred treated the owners just as he treated the varnisher, with a smile and respect.”

Mr. Kirtland was born at Coral Gables Hospital and attended public elementary school. He was sent to Riverside Military Academy in Georgia for high school — “because he was bad”, his son, Whit, said — then started college at the University of Florida before transferring to the University of Miami and graduating in 1953 as Army ROTC cadet No. 1. His life-long best friend, Lester Johnson, would graduate as cadet No. 2.

He served in the Korean War at the Port of Inchon in the supply division. When he returned to the United States, he joined the Dictaphone corporation and would eventually become its No. 1 salesman, according to Whit Kirtland. 

But it was in 1961, when Merrill-Stevens owner Alex Balfe hired him as a broker, that Mr. Kirtland’s yachting career would take root.

“Dad had a real sense of fair play,” said Whit Kirtland, a long-time yacht broker with Merrill-Stevens and now with Northrop & Johnson. “He was always concerned that the industry not see him giving me a free ride. All our family friends were well-off, and my friends all went to work in air conditioned offices at the bank or the offices of their dads. I went to work on the docks, scrubbing fuel tanks. … Dad was a big believer in earning your way. And he appreciated hard work.”

Mr. Kirtland saw that trait in Walter Richardson, who grew up going to the same church and schools as the Kirtland children. 

“The first thing I did when I graduated was take a resume over to Merrill-Stevens,” Richardson said. And for the next 25 years, Mr. Kirtland was instrumental in finding him yachting jobs, including working for the owner of the classic 55-foot Rybovich M/Y Miss Bradford over in Spanish Wells, on the old Burger M/Y Stone Face and among the Highlander fleet. Until finally, Mr. Kirtland offered him a job at the shipyard.

“I had a captain job on a yacht and we were at Merrill-Stevens, getting ready to leave,” Richardson remembered. “I had two sons by then, 5 and 8, and they were crying, my wife was crying. Then I get a call from Fred offering me a job at the shipyard as a superintendent/project manager. So in 1998, I started working under Ron Baker, Tom Dinan and Fred. It was a great experience. They were a wealth of knowledge. 

“I’ll always remember one of Fred’s most common sayings: Owners don’t have yachts to be miserable; they have them to have fun and enjoy themselves on’,” he said. “He was always telling us to get the owner his boat on time and at a fair deal. If someone was not happy, we were to take them to talk to Fred. We were to make sure they left the shipyard happy.”

Doing the right thing

Mr. Kirtland had a tough side, to be sure.

“You either keep your word with Dad or you didn’t,” Whit Kirtland said. “And if you didn’t, he was done with you. That was all it took. Because if he told you he was going to do something — good or bad — he was going to do it.”

At one point, a vessel belonging to the Pegan motorcycle gang was in the shipyard, and one of the members was giving Mr. Kirtland a hard time, threatening him. Whit Kirtland recalled that scene, and remembers being shocked when his father told the man to get out of his office (in less kind language).

“These guys would kill people, and here’s Dad telling him to get out,” Whit Kirtland recalled. “He said, ‘If you want to talk business, sit down and we’ll work this out.’ But if you pressured Dad, he told you in no uncertain terms that was not how he worked.”

He was also forgiving. Richardson said when he made mistakes in his early days managing shipyard projects, he wasn’t fired.

“He certainly gave me a chance at Merrill-Stevens,” he said. “The first couple times I screwed up on a job, he didn’t run me off. He helped me learn from my mistakes. He would sit you down, look at you in the eyes, put the fear of God in you, and you worked it out.”

And Richardson remembers a less intimidating side of Mr. Kirtland — the one who would not only gladly accept a share in Richardson’s fresh catch, but who would also go to Richardson’s house and help himself to a share in his outdoor freezer.

“And he’d come over and walk through the backyard garden, too, taking a tomato or whatever was growing,” Richardson recalled with a laugh. “Yeah, he loved having fresh fish. And he would tell me ‘You need to go out there and go fishing again.’” 

Building a brand

Although he was technically in charge of the main shipyard, Mr. Kirtland was officially given the title of president and general manager in 1965 or 1966, his son said. He would remain with the company until 2009 when Merrill-Stevens went into bankruptcy.

But those nearly five decades under his command would be the modern glory days of yachting. He sold Malcolm Forbes, the millionaire entrepreneur and magazine editor, his last five boats, including the iconic Highlander yachts.

Other regulars at the Miami shipyard included oceanographer Jacques Cousteau’s research ship Calypso , the Amway family’s Enterprise vessels, and M/Y Blackhawk , the 130-foot (37.5m) Feadship owned by the Wirtz family, which owns the Chicago Blackhawks hockey team.

“As far as shipyard managers go, he was top shelf, no doubt,” said Capt. Sandy Broome, who ran the Blackhawk for 26 years. For most of that time, the yacht called Merrill-Stevens home.

“Merrill Stevens was convenient for us,” Capt. Broome said. “You come out of the ocean and you’re in the shipyard in 30 minutes. But more than that, we were treated well. All of the big yacht programs were there, Forbes, Amway. Not for a short time, but for years. That’s because of Fred.”

When it came to his core group of shipyard clients — those that visited the shipyard twice a year for regular maintenance — Mr. Kirtland would do whatever needed to be done to make sure they enjoyed their yachts. Richardson recalled one summer when a good client was in the Great Lakes when a motor stopped working. Mr. Kirtland put the shop foreman on an airplane and sent him to get the yacht running again.

“He was always ready to do whatever it took to make sure our good customers were always taken care of,” he said.

“My father was a people person,” Whit Kirtland said. “He always liked to help people. Some of the stories I’ve heard since his passing of the things he did for people have been truly heartwarming.”

Some of these were stories he said he never knew about his father. Two of his friends called to tell him stories of how kind his father had been after their own parents had died. And for years after Tom Dinan, the second in command at the shipyard, was in a car accident and left paralyzed, Mr. Kirtland would visit him every Saturday for breakfast.

“Dad was genuinely an honest guy who cared about everybody, from the owner of the yacht to the janitor,” Whit Kirtland said. “It’s like Dad always said: Everybody’s important, and you need to make sure they feel like it.’ ”

Mr. Kirtland would walk around the shipyard every day, stopping to talk to workers, asking about their spouses and children. 

“He knew everyone by name, he knew your kids,” Whit Kirtland said. “He was genuinely interested in everybody.”

A little about loyalty

“The thing Fred loved the most was loyalty,” Capt. Broome said. “There’s not a lot of that left anymore.”

That thread carried over into his personal life as well.

“When Dad got out of the military, Lester picked him up from the airport and took him to a party, and that’s where he met my mother, who was there with another man,” Whit Kirtland said. “It’s like Lester always said: when Dad saw Dot and Dot saw Dad, there was no one else in the room.”

The pair were engaged three months later, married four months after that and were married 64 years at the time of his death.

Mr. Kirtland collapsed as he was retrieving his Sunday newspaper last weekend, likely from a heart attack, Whit Kirtland said. 

“It was a bit of a surprise,” he said. “Dad had some health issues, but the doctors told us we’d have him for two or three more years.” 

Mr. Kirtland is survived by his wife, Dorothy; son, Whit; daughter, Kindy; four grandchildren and a legion of yacht brokers and shipyard workers whose careers he helped forge. A ceremony of his life will be planned when restrictions over gatherings because of the COVID-19 pandemic are lifted.

“I just remember him as a compassionate, stand-up guy who always looked after everyone else,” Whit Kirtland said. 

Lucy Chabot Reed is publisher of The Triton. Comments are welcome below.

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About Lucy Chabot Reed

Lucy Chabot Reed is publisher and founding editor of The Triton.

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