Young Entrepreneur, Brett Miller, Started His Own Sailing Company Two Years Ago On The Waters Of The Tomales Bay In California
Brett Miller grew up in Nicasio, a tiny town in Marin County, California with a population of a few hundred, went away to UC Santa Cruz where he earned his degree in History and then turned right around and moved home to start the only sailing charter business on Tomales Bay.
So much for entitled millennials.
“I love living working on the water and living in a small town, it’s a pretty great way to live,” Miller, 27, owner of Tomales Bay Sailing Tours said. “There are a lot of changes in Marin and the tourist industry is exploding. I wanted to have some influence in helping it grow the right way.”
Miller has always been in and around the water, learning to sail as a child at nearby Inverness Yacht Club where he learned to rely on himself sailing a boat on the waters of the narrow 14- mile long Tomales Bay, which is protected and lies along the San Andreas Fault and is an hour from San Francisco.
“You learn to work out problems by yourself when you’re a little kid in a boat alone on the water,” he said. “It was actually terrifying to me at first, but I value that experience now.”
Miller has now turned his expertise into a business, which he started more than two years ago after purchasing a very rare 1995 22-foor Tomcat Catamaran that can accommodate six passengers. He has also been a kayak guide for eight years, so he can easily point out the bay's natural marvels while he guides his boat with sightseers aboard.
According to the official site, the Tomales Bay Ecological Reserve is ‘482 acres of salt marsh and tidal flats consisting of pickleweed, arrow grass, gum plant, salt bush and salt grass. Lagunitas Creek drains into the southern part of the ecological reserve. Waterfowl , shorebirds, brown pelican, California clapper and black rail inhabit Tomales Bay.’
“I love to point out the birds of prey that live out here, like the osprey,” Miller said. “This area has been so well preserved and the wildlife is fantastic. Most of the people who want to sail with me appreciate the clean water and the geology of Tomales Bay, but some people just want to ride in the boat and relax. Whatever they decide they want to do, I can cater to their wishes and give them personalized tours.”
The young captain is taking on a partner soon, and next year they will have two catamarans. While Miller spent most of the summer sailing and kayaking with paying customers, now is the time, he said to start marketing his business. Miller has also formed a partnership with a local resort- Nick’s Cove- and passengers have posted positive reviews online regarding Miller’s ability to, “speak with authority about the geography, history, and politics of the area.”
“I need to step up my game, because winter is pretty slow for me personally,” he said. “I’ve had great feedback on my tours and there are plenty of customers only an hour away, a lot of people are starting to discover my business and what the area has to offer.”
To get to the area, you must drive over the Golden Gate Bridge and stay on Highway 1, where the road is filled with winding turns and views of lush forests, tiny picturesque towns, and finally, Tomales Bay.
With so few people living in the area, Miller said the dating scene is non-existent, and the lifestyle is mellow.
“My friends and I are on the water a lot and we have bonfires at night, but it’s really quiet and isolated out here,” he said. “A lot of my friends left for Ivy League schools and they chose a different lifestyle, but I am seeing other people come to the area who are my age and want to forget about the corporate life and just live in a van and work as a guide.”
While most of Millers friends went away to school – and didn’t return- he’s happy where he is.
“When a customer comes out here from the city and they get on board, I hand them a pair of binoculars and start telling them about the area and the wildlife that lives here, and sometimes they are changed,” he said. “I think when they see this place they realize it’s not an area that should be filled with houses and box stores. By incorporating education into my tours I think I change the way people think about this place, which to me is better than having a corporate career.”
Candice Reed
A graduate of Kelsey-Jenny College in Communications as well as a certified grant writer, Candice has written for The Los Angeles Times & The New York Times. She loves entertaining and all things French.
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