John became a boating and fishing fanatic at the ripe young age of 12 when his family moved to Clearwater, Florida from Arizona in 1967. He developed his offshore skills and handling of various sized boats throughout his teen years and into his twenties. Over the years, John always made time to fish and enjoyed boating in Alaska, Mexico and Puerto Rico.
John moved to Washington State to continue his career in the commercial construction industry involving himself with the build out of microchip facilities, hospitals, schools and federal buildings. He spent the next 35+ years traveling the west coast while coming up through the industry until his retirement in 2018 as Senior Project Manager with Jacobs, one of the top engineering firms worldwide.
Upon retirement, John relocated to Stuart, a convenient location for his favorite past-times which include golf, fishing and visiting family. John frequently travels to the west coast of Florida for fishing trips with his godsons to share his passion for boating and the sea.
He recently attempted to sell his own boat but after minimal leads and exposure, was pleased to meet Tom Whittington, owner of Manatee Pocket Yacht Sales. Tom made the experience seamless and enjoyable, so much so that when an opening was available, he eagerly joined the MPYS team.
His love for boats and the water will be evident when you meet John. Reach out and contact him and he will be more than happy to assist in selling your boat or purchasing your dreamboat.
Testimonials
I had the extreme pleasure to work with John Merriam on this transaction. I was driving from New York to Florida when we found the listing and had a friend inspect this boat immediately. He was very accommodating by facilitating a FaceTime inspection and helpful with providing as much information as possible.
We agreed to asking price and my friend provided the deposit. John sent me documentation through their excellent YachtCloser system allowing me to advance the process with a digital signature within minutes of the inspection. All parts of the transaction were handled through the YachtCloser online system, which was very easy to navigate. All of this pretty much took place from the drivers seat of my truck at rest stops off I-95.
I found John to be personable, knowledgable, honest and ethical. I would highly recommend working with him. He also put in extra effort to provide me with a short list of recommended transporters to offer pricing to get the boat up to New York.
Thanks, John, for your terrific effort on my behalf.
John, with Manatee Pocket Yacht Sales, could not have been more personable and accommodating.
The woman in the office helped us with pride and professionalism.
Thank you all for a very pleasant buying experience.
John was amazing. He went way out of his way to help us buy our boat. They were always available when we needed a question answered.
I would definitely recommend this company.
Bought my boat through Manatee Pocket Yacht Sales and worked with John Merriam, he made the whole process a breeze, was my first boat and will definitely use them again in the future.
Thanks John!
