The MMYB sits on 2.5 acres just outside of downtown Newburyport, on the Merrimack River, abutting a historic district. We have made significant investments in our infrastructure over the past few years. In 2019, we replaced an outdated and outgrown facility with a 5,000 sq ft “headquarters” that houses the administrative offices, Ship’s Store, Repairs & Service Department, Parts Department, Brokerage hub, and conference/education space. It connects to a 5,000 sq ft year-round Shop. MMYB hosts 35 moorings, 35 dock slips and has storage space for up to 110 boats in the off-season.
In 2018, 1,350 linear ft of dockage was completely replaced with state-of-the-art floating docks, and updated utilities to ensure you and your vessel's safety. Our yard equipment includes a 50-ton Marine Travelift, 30-ton Marine Hauler, and a 40-ton GROVE Crane with 102' Boom.
1843-1860s
In 1843, William Currier and James Townsend formed a partnership and established the Currier-Townsend Shipyard at the foot of Ashland Street in Newburyport. The Shipyard was most known as the birthplace of a transatlantic record setter the Dreadnought. Built for the Red Cross Line at a time when steamers had already overpowered the profitable and preferred way to cross the pond, this clipper ship, deemed the Wild Boat of the Atlantic by sailors around the globe, was an extraordinary vessel on many levels. The Dreadnought launched on October 6, 1853. This 212-foot, 1,414 ton vessel was famous for holding the transatlantic speed record for sailing ships back in her time. In 1860, Dreadnought made the voyage from New York to England in an unequaled sailing time of nine days and seventeen hours. There is a stone monument today at the entrance to the boatyard that marks this famous achievement.
Captained by the 16-year-old Samuel Samuels, the Dreadnought’s story is one of shipbuilding genius, adventure, romance, and mutiny. Check out this article to learn about her remarkable history.
1940s & 1950s
Ruthann and Wally Lesynski were military veterans and served in the Navy during WW II. After the war, Ruthann continued to serve her country as a reservist. Wally was stationed at the Portsmouth Naval Yard and served in the Navy Seabees, the Navy’s elite diving construction battalion, charged with building landing strips, hospital stations, and bridges needed by the Navy and Marines in Hawaii and the Philippines.
In 1956, Ruthann and Wally "dropped anchor" and purchased the Hatheway Boatyard, a piece of time-worn history formerly known as the Currier-Townsend Shipyard. Tasked with preserving the maritime traditions of the past while building their dreams of the future, the young Lesynski legacy-makers rolled up their sleeves and set out to build the Merri-Mar Yacht Basin literally from the ground up, grow their family, and become an integral resource for those who have a love of life and livelihood on the water. From the onset, Wally started building the Sea Princess, a 38’ cedar and mahogany liveaboard, that Ruthann, Wally, Walter Jr "Jay" and daughter Merri-Lee, called home until 1978 when they moved onto terra firma.
Ruthann and Wally made a strong team. Ruthann was all about the numbers and the business side of the business, while Wally was a creative and innovative hands-on problem-solver. Ruthann was the not-so-quiet powerhouse behind logistics, finances, setting up the retail side of the marina (Ship’s Store, Parts & Service), establishing a strong foundation for growth, and keeping track of the many moving parts of the business… including Wally! MMYB was incorporated in 1959 and the first piece of large marine equipment, a 12-ton Marine Travelift, was purchased the following year. Both Ruthann and Wally had a “Can Do” attitude that was rooted in their military service. That motto has been posted prominently on a wall in the Shop for decades – a doctrine that continues to be put into practice daily.
1960s & 70s
Both Ruthann and Wally were true visionaries. From the beginning, they adopted a business model that has served as the foundation for success and sustainability for the past 68 years. The combination of Ruthann’s forward-thinking "grow within your means" philosophy and Wally’s "if we don’t have it we will make it" doctrine, continue to drive operations daily. They worked tirelessly to build the business and managed to have some fun along the way.
One of many Wally stories: Wally developed his affinity for boatbuilding, incredible skills in fabrication, and fascination with diving at a young age. In addition to his military background and love for the sea, he was an explorer, inventor, and problem solver at heart. Another tidbit about Wally is that he hated to be cold. As a kid, Jay Jr. recalls Wally regularly surfacing from a dive with head-to-toe shivers, taking some of the fun out of one of his favorite passions. An affinity for boat building, a love of diving, and a strong desire to avoid being cold – what else would one do but build a submarine? A yellow submarine! Wally’s brainchild, the Deep Princess, was inspired in part by the SP-350 Denise, Jacques Cousteau’s famous 2-person, deep-diving research submarine known as the Diving Saucer. Wally started building the Deep Princess in the late 1960’s after securing the plans from Captain George Kittredge from South Thomaston Maine. Kittridge manufactured small submarines and was generally recognized as the "father of personal submersibles". Wally modified this 1-person design by adding a propeller, a reversible motor, and an acrylic hatch which complemented the bottom viewing window, offering a 360-degree view. Jay recalls helping Wally build the 16’, 2,000 lb steel sub in the MMYB Shop back when there was a dirt floor and no heat. She was launched in the Merrimack River in 1971. Deep Princess served as Wally’s platform for delivering school-age classes on submersibles, the first of a long history of educational programs offered on-site and "on the road".
1980s - today
The Lesynski’s were always looking for ways to improve yard logistics and maximize the space. Yacht storage in the small yard was and still is a challenge so Wally started thinking about what it would take to move boats around easier and maximize the space. Wally’s solution: The MARINE MASTER HAUL, was designed, fabricated, and completed in 1986. The Hauler is a 30 ft long, self-propelled machine with individual arms maneuvered by using electric hydraulic controls, a joystick & push button pad. The operator can move the Hauler back & forth, turn it on a very tight radius, position it under the vessel, and then “lift itself” so the padded arms can position it precisely. To this day, it is one of the most used pieces of equipment in the yard.
Six plus decades, and three generations later, MMYB has evolved from its modest beginnings into a year-round, full-service marina with seasonal & transient moorings & dockage, storage, a Service Department, a Parts Department, a Ship’s Store, and a Yacht Brokerage for both power & sail.
1843-1860s
In 1843, William Currier and James Townsend formed a partnership and established the Currier-Townsend Shipyard at the foot of Ashland Street in Newburyport. The Shipyard was most known as the birthplace of a transatlantic record setter the Dreadnought. Built for the Red Cross Line at a time when steamers had already overpowered the profitable and preferred way to cross the pond, this clipper ship, deemed the Wild Boat of the Atlantic by sailors around the globe, was an extraordinary vessel on many levels. The Dreadnought launched on October 6, 1853. This 212-foot, 1,414 ton vessel was famous for holding the transatlantic speed record for sailing ships back in her time. In 1860, Dreadnought made the voyage from New York to England in an unequaled sailing time of nine days and seventeen hours. There is a stone monument today at the entrance to the boatyard that marks this famous achievement.
Captained by the 16-year-old Samuel Samuels, the Dreadnought’s story is one of shipbuilding genius, adventure, romance, and mutiny. Check out this article to learn about her remarkable history.
1950s
Ruthann and Wally Lesynski were military veterans and served in the Navy during WW II. After the war, Ruthann continued to serve her country as a reservist. Wally was stationed at the Portsmouth Naval Yard and served in the Navy Seabees, the Navy’s elite diving construction battalion, charged with building landing strips, hospital stations, and bridges needed by the Navy and Marines in Hawaii and the Philippines.
In 1956, Ruthann and Wally "dropped anchor" and purchased the Hatheway Boatyard, a piece of time-worn history formerly known as the Currier-Townsend Shipyard. Tasked with preserving the maritime traditions of the past while building their dreams of the future, the young Lesynski legacy-makers rolled up their sleeves and set out to build the Merri-Mar Yacht Basin literally from the ground up, grow their family, and become an integral resource for those who have a love of life and livelihood on the water. From the onset, Wally started building the Sea Princess, a 38’ cedar and mahogany liveaboard, that Ruthann, Wally, Walter Jr "Jay" and daughter Merri-Lee, called home until 1978 when they moved onto terra firma.
Ruthann and Wally made a strong team. Ruthann was all about the numbers and the business side of the business, while Wally was a creative and innovative hands-on problem-solver. Ruthann was the not-so-quiet powerhouse behind logistics, finances, setting up the retail side of the marina (Ship’s Store, Parts & Service), establishing a strong foundation for growth, and keeping track of the many moving parts of the business… including Wally! MMYB was incorporated in 1959 and the first piece of large marine equipment, a 12-ton Marine Travelift, was purchased the following year. Both Ruthann and Wally had a “Can Do” attitude that was rooted in their military service. That motto has been posted prominently on a wall in the Shop for decades – a doctrine that continues to be put into practice daily.
1960s & 70s
Both Ruthann and Wally were true visionaries. From the beginning, they adopted a business model that has served as the foundation for success and sustainability for the past 68 years. The combination of Ruthann’s forward-thinking "grow within your means" philosophy and Wally’s "if we don’t have it we will make it" doctrine, continue to drive operations daily. They worked tirelessly to build the business and managed to have some fun along the way.
One of many Wally stories: Wally developed his affinity for boatbuilding, incredible skills in fabrication, and fascination with diving at a young age. In addition to his military background and love for the sea, he was an explorer, inventor, and problem solver at heart. Another tidbit about Wally is that he hated to be cold. As a kid, Jay Jr. recalls Wally regularly surfacing from a dive with head-to-toe shivers, taking some of the fun out of one of his favorite passions. An affinity for boat building, a love of diving, and a strong desire to avoid being cold – what else would one do but build a submarine? A yellow submarine! Wally’s brainchild, the Deep Princess, was inspired in part by the SP-350 Denise, Jacques Cousteau’s famous 2-person, deep-diving research submarine known as the Diving Saucer. Wally started building the Deep Princess in the late 1960’s after securing the plans from Captain George Kittredge from South Thomaston Maine. Kittridge manufactured small submarines and was generally recognized as the "father of personal submersibles". Wally modified this 1-person design by adding a propeller, a reversible motor, and an acrylic hatch which complemented the bottom viewing window, offering a 360-degree view. Jay recalls helping Wally build the 16’, 2,000 lb steel sub in the MMYB Shop back when there was a dirt floor and no heat. She was launched in the Merrimack River in 1971. Deep Princess served as Wally’s platform for delivering school-age classes on submersibles, the first of a long history of educational programs offered on-site and "on the road".
1980s - today
The Lesynski’s were always looking for ways to improve yard logistics and maximize the space. Yacht storage in the small yard was and still is a challenge so Wally started thinking about what it would take to move boats around easier and maximize the space. Wally’s solution: The MARINE MASTER HAUL, was designed, fabricated, and completed in 1986. The Hauler is a 30 ft long, self-propelled machine with individual arms maneuvered by using electric hydraulic controls, a joystick & push button pad. The operator can move the Hauler back & forth, turn it on a very tight radius, position it under the vessel, and then “lift itself” so the padded arms can position it precisely. To this day, it is one of the most used pieces of equipment in the yard.
Six plus decades, and three generations later, MMYB has evolved from its modest beginnings into a year-round, full-service marina with seasonal & transient moorings & dockage, storage, a Service Department, a Parts Department, a Ship’s Store, and a Yacht Brokerage for both power & sail.
At MMYB, our TEAM is our biggest asset. We pride ourselves in fostering creativity, encouraging mentorship and continuous knowledge exchange, while preserving our well-rooted maritime traditions and a strong commitment to the communities we serve. MMYB employs staff year-round, offer competitive wages, provide healthcare, generous vacation time, and a matched 401K plan. MMYB proactively and continuously recruits new staff with the goal of keeping maritime trades/craftsmanship alive and promoting the maritime industry as a viable year-round career.
RECENT ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Kudos goes out to MMYB Team Members for working hard to earn the following certifications.
Certified Professional Yacht Broker Certification
In December 2023, Brandon earned his CPYB certification. This credential is the mark of excellence for yacht sales professionals throughout North America. CPYB brokers have to complete the rigors of months of preparation and successfully pass an exam that tests their skills and knowledge as yacht sales professionals, with a commitment to uphold industry standards of skill, competence, ethics, and character
American Boat & Yachting Certification
In early 2024, Billy, Sean & Eric earned their ABYC Standards Certifications, joining in a long tradition of "can do" here at Merri-Mar. This credential is the mark of excellence for top-notch marine technicians. ABYC is a nationally accredited program recognized as the benchmark in marine technician education that elevates the standard of service provided. The several-hour exam covers a broad spectrum of expertise.
We seek dedicated talent to carry on the traditions of the maritime trades. MMYB Team Members are FT year-round employees with benefits. Apprenticeships are available. Call 978.465.3022 for info.
MMYB is committed to purchasing U.S. made products. It is extremely important to us that we support our U.S. manufacturing. We look for products that are both intellectually owned as well as manufactured in the United States. Our staff conducts extensive research to ensure that we have sourced U.S. products and materials whenever possible.
