Episode #27
027 - Building Boats in the High Desert w/ Mike and Barrett Howarth of Mag Bay Yachts
Mike and Barrett Howarth build boats the way almost nobody does anymore: by hand, as a father and son, in the high desert of Southern California, over an hour from the nearest ramp. That choice tells you everything about how Mag Bay Yachts operates. The right people and the right standard come first, and everything else gets figured out. Boat building runs deep in this family. Mike spent decades in the trade, co-founded Cabo Yachts, and Barrett grew up on its factory floor. That history shaped the standard they hold today, and Mag Bay is where the two of them chose to carry it forward together, on their own terms. We walk through designing the first Mag Bay 33 and the sea trial that proved the hull, the switch to a cross-step design and how it changed the ride, and the custom hardware and stainless they machine themselves because the parts they need that meet their standard cannot be bought. They make the case that a boat should be judged by what is under the hatches, the wiring, the plumbing, the serviceability, just as much as the finish everyone sees. And they are honest about the hard part: building to that standard even when it is not the most profitable way to do it. If you love beautiful-looking and well-riding boats and want to hear how this family operation makes quality decisions because it's the right thing to do, this one is worth your time. Connect With Steve Govel: Website | Instagram | Facebook | TikTok | YouTube | LinkedIn Connect with Mag Bay Yachts Website | Instagram | Facebook | Vimeo Takeaways: A great boat is judged just as much by the parts you do not normally see. Mag Bay's standard comes from the same people-first approach that shaped Cabo. The details under the hatches can say more about a builder than the finish on the outside. Building boats by hand gives Mag Bay more chances to refine the design before it reaches the customer. The Howarths see quality as something built into every system, not just the parts owners notice first Cabo's biggest asset was not only the brand, but the craftsmen behind it. Mag Bay was built by bringing much of that same talent and culture back together. A smaller family-run builder can make decisions around quality without waiting for accounting to approve every detail. The best customer ideas can become part of the next boat when a builder is willing to listen. For Mike and Barrett, Mag Bay is about continuing a standard they still feel responsible for. Chapters: 00:00 Intro 01:09 Mike's first pull toward boat building 02:24 Barrett growing up inside Cabo 04:18 When Barrett knew he wanted to build boats 05:24 Drawing and designing boats by hand 06:36 The early Cabo days 07:34 What made Cabo stand out 09:04 The challenge of building a boat properly 10:29 The details most people never see 13:06 How Cabo grew into a major operation 13:40 Selling Cabo to Brunswick 16:39 Building boats beyond accounting decisions 19:40 Why boat building is a hard business 21:36 Finding the way back after Cabo 22:53 Designing the first Mag Bay 26:03 Bringing the Cabo team back together 31:03 Building boats in the high desert 33:39 The first Mag Bay 33 sea trial 36:24 What changed after the first hull 37:40 Moving to a cross-step hull 40:55 How the cross-step hull rides 44:31 The Mag Bay lineup now 45:39 The special 42 behind them 50:20 Building the best boat, profit or not 52:01 Making the parts they cannot buy 53:58 What quality means at Mag Bay 58:08 Why Mag Bay opened in Jupiter 59:31 Where Mag Bay goes from here 01:00:21 Working together as father and son 01:02:29 Final thoughts Keywords: Mike Howarth, Barrett Howarth, Mag Bay Yachts, Cabo Yachts, Rising Tidecast, Steve Govel, boat building, sport fishing boats, center console boats, custom boat building, family business, father and son, marine craftsmanship, boat design, boat manufacturing, boatbuilding legacy, hull design, cross-step hull, Michael Peters, Steve Matthews, stainless work, custom hardware, boat wiring, boat plumbing, fit and finish, Southern California boat builder, high desert boat building, Jupiter Florida, marine industry
