Check out an extended photo gallery of the Merritt 88 at marlinmag.com/merritt-88.
With a very successful run of 86-footers, Roy Merritt of Merritt’s Boat & Engine Works in Pompano Beach, Florida, thought it was time for a refresh and a few updates for which he is well known. Utilizing the hull mold for the 86, lengthening it a little over 2 feet, and adjusting the house and cockpit, it’s amazing what seemingly slight additions can do to the boat.
The first of the new 88-footers was a classic open bridge with a full tower for a multiple Merritt boat owner. The second 88-footer is also built for a multi-Merritt owner and features a towering skybridge set atop an enclosed bridge, a first for the storied builder. Other builders have proved the