"It was the middle of the Fort Lauderdale Yacht Show and sun high, docks crowded, and Kevin Merrigan was moving through his packed schedule with his usual calm demeanour, cool confidence and positivity. Brokers, clients, and Industry leaders swirled around him, each one eager for a moment of his time. But, in the midst of all the buzz, Kevin did something that speaks volumes about the kind of leader he is.
On Boarding Unbridled he paused not for a VIP or a deal, but for a crew member, a young deckhand, barely out of his teens, clearly nervous and unsure of his place in the high-gloss world of superyachts. Kevin stopped, smiled, and asked how he was doing and what's his name.
That five-minute conversation wasn't about boats or business it was about aspiration. Kevin spoke to him like a future captain, not just a crew member. He shared a story from his own early days, offered a word of encouragement, and ended with a quiet "Keep pushing and one day this could be your boat."
It wasn't for show. There were no cameras, no audience, just a moment of genuine mentorship. And that's the thing about Kevin Merrigan, he doesn't just sell yachts, he builds people. That short exchange stuck with the young deckhand and later he'd still cite that moment as a turning point and huge amount of encouragement to believe in himself.
Kevin may be known for his deals, but it's these quiet moments of belief and encouragement that truly define his legacy."
— Captain Liam Devlin
Mentorship is the key: Kevin's reaction
"Thank you so much Liam for your kind words and all you do for the good of the industry. It is always a pleasure to meet young crew members that come up through the industry. We all had to start somewhere in life and business and in yachting. In yachting it always appears from the sidelines that it's some mystical event, that it's some otherworldly situation. An impenetrable arena to enter, and the reality is it takes everyday people to keep this operation going. People that are passionate. People who want to learn, people who want to grow in their careers. And my role at this stage of my career is to facilitate this. Any opportunity I can take to encourage them I take, because we all are growing in our career and we're all learning every day. So I thank you for the acknowledgement. I hope the fellow in your story is doing very well! And the greatest pleasure I get at this point in my career is mentoring."
