1. When did you start boating?

As ironic as it sounds, I was never an avid boater growing up. I had lots of friends who were boaters. We'd all hang around the Horseshoe Harbor Yacht Club, in Larchmont. They'd race on weekends and take care of boats. I'd occasionally tag along, but was really content just being around  the water and around boats. At the time, most boats had wooden hulls, and  required a tremendous amount of maintenance. The yards were always full of  people working  diligently, and the smell of paint  and varnish was always thick in the air. Fond memories indeed.

2. How did Brewer Yacht Yards start?

My father ran a hardware store in Mamaroneck, which had been in the family since 1876. I was sweeping the floors by age 8, and spent many weekends as a kid, stocking shelves and getting to know the business, which evolved into a Marine hardware store by the time I was a young man.

Years later, after undergraduate school, a short stint as a Bankers Trust trainee, and a year at Columbia Business School, I got a call from dad. He wanted to buy the boat yard next door, and asked me to run it.

And so began my foray into running boat yards. There were only three of us at the Post Road  Boat Yard, and we were consequently forced to do everything ourselves. We hauled the boats, painted bottoms and did whatever else anyone needed. We sent the bills, deposited the checks, and had fun meeting the day-to-day challenges of running a business.

Without enough slip rentals or winter storage to pay the bills, we focused on customer service; on taking care of people and  their boats. Eventually, we built the yard up into a profitable, going concern, and I realized that other people were better at doing boatyard tasks than I was, so I staffed up and then began to look for other boat yards.

That’s when I found and purchased Pilots Point marina. It was a small marina at the time. And over the years, we’ve kept a watchful eye out for other yards that became available and met our requirements.

In each case, we’ve continued to specialize in servicing our customers. This is by far the hardest aspect of any business. It takes a special amount of extra effort and resolve to be successful.

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3.  There’s a new survey out that states boaters are happier than non-boaters. Based on your experience  over the years, do you think there is truth to this?

Back when I ran the Post Road Boat Yard in Mamaroneck, one of the things that struck me  was how customers enjoyed coming down to their boats, even in the dead of winter. It was their break from reality. They’d fool around with the boat, maybe apply a new coat of varnish or tinker with the bilge. They didn’t have to be out on the water to escape. I remember a few different cases where customers said this is what kept them sane. It’s a lot better than a trip to the psychiatrist.

Another undeniable highlight about boating is what a family affair it can be. It’s something moms, dads, kids even pets can do together. In this busy world where families struggle to find the time to be a family, boating offers that chance to get back to what’s important: each other.

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4. What’s your favorite part about going  to work  everyday?

I love going to work everyday. It doesn’t get any better than that. Sure, you can say the grass is greener on the other side of the fence, but I really like what I do.

When I ran the yard, I really enjoyed the interaction with the customers. They were a treat to be around. And now I focus on running the business, and enjoy completely different pleasures.

I’m not sure if you’ve heard the term “psychic  income” – It  refers to the non-financial gains you derive from your business, from your life. In addition to financial income, this job has afforded me a tremendous amount of psychic income. In my opinion, that’s the true measure of wealth.