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Maryann Johndrow | Founder of BoatBot

Updated: Feb 3

Maryann grew up boating in Cape Cod and now resides in Newport Beach, CA. After building a successful tech company, she turned her passion for yachting into innovation, launching BoatBot in 2023 to simplify yacht management. She oversees marketing, sales, and operations, focusing on AI-driven solutions like CaptainAI to streamline maintenance. With a nimble team of 20, she sees technology as key to industry efficiency.




Can you introduce yourself by sharing your name, where you're from, your role in the yachting industry, and the company you work for?


My name is Maryann Johndrow, and I grew up in Fall River, MA, spending summers boating around Cape Cod and Martha’s Vineyard. I now live in Newport Beach, CA, where I founded BoatBot to simplify yacht management through technology..



Can you share how you first got involved in the yachting industry?


I first got involved in yachting after building a successful tech company that automated hiring for casinos. This allowed my husband and me to retire early and pursue our passion for boating. After moving to Newport Beach, we bought a 50’ boat but struggled with unreliable management. Upgrading to a 64’ Absolute, we took on the challenge ourselves and quickly realized the industry lacked a simple, effective digital solution. In 2023, we launched BoatBot, creating an intuitive platform to streamline yacht ownership for everyone.



Can you describe your role and the key tasks you handle? What does your job entail on a daily basis?


My role at BoatBot is multifaceted. I am involved in or directly responsible for marketing, operations, and sales. I spend a significant amount of time refining and demoing the system during the sales process while also enhancing our offerings and messaging. Additionally, a major part of my role involves building industry relationships and networking.



Could you walk us through a typical workday, including your main tasks and projects?


My typical day starts with coffee! Once I’ve had my two cups, I go through my emails, which usually keeps me busy for much of the morning. Our team of about 20 people spans multiple time zones, and they’re all ahead of me. Next, I follow up with new clients on the system, ensuring they have logged in and are comfortable with the platform. If they choose, we assist with implementation, and I help coordinate that.

Currently, I spend a lot of time on the phone introducing myself and BoatBot to industry connections—whether referrals or influential figures in boating—who either have something to offer or whom I can learn from. With boat show season approaching, I’ve also been focused on planning and networking.



Can you describe what it's like to work at BoatBot? What is the work environment and company culture like?


I love this question! We have a fun, hardworking team that knows how to balance work and play. Some team members have worked with us before, while others are new, but everyone understands that we never ask them to do anything we wouldn’t do ourselves. With a team of 20 and a self-funded model, we are highly nimble and flexible. Our clients appreciate this agility, as it allows us to quickly adapt and meet their needs efficiently.



What would you consider your biggest accomplishment or proudest moment in the yachting industry?


Launching BoatBot has truly made me proud. We spent two years developing our technology, deeply understanding the needs and challenges of boaters, service providers, and brokers, and identifying what they were looking for in a solution.



What changes have you observed in the industry since you began your career?


I’m still new to the business side of the boating industry, but things are definitely changing! Sales have clearly slowed since the COVID-19 pandemic ended. Additionally, the service side is facing a shortage of qualified technicians, which makes servicing customers more challenging. This is one reason why BoatBot has been so beneficial, allowing boat owners to find their own answers to minor questions with CaptainAI. Our initial release of CaptainAI is already impressive, but the 2.0 version, which we’ll be releasing this fall, is even more advanced.


Currently, you can ask CaptainAI any boating-related question, and we’ve trained it for months to answer just about anything—we haven’t been able to stump it yet. However, our new release will not only provide answers but also serve as a comprehensive resource for all things boating. With a shortage of technicians, it’s a struggle for everyone. But what if we could bridge the gap by providing technicians with detailed information and troubleshooting guides, allowing them to solve more issues on the spot and support more clients with fewer resources?


What if we could empower the average boat owner by providing not only answers but also resources, manuals, and videos on specific troubleshooting, tailored to their boat’s make and model? This would allow them to solve simple problems on their own rather than waiting for a technician. What if we could equip newer technicians with unlimited resources and a knowledge base so specific that they could solve issues without having to research?


What if we knew so much about each boat that we could predict not only when services were needed but also which parts were required for a specific engine or generator, allowing them to be ordered in advance to reduce wait times and returns? This is where we’re headed. We call it our "black box," and it’s currently in training.


In addition, as with many industries, consumers are demanding self-service and transparency in boat sales. That’s why we created BoatFax. Until now, obtaining a boat’s true history—beyond what’s reported to insurance—has been difficult. If you’ve ever bought or sold a boat, you know how challenging it can be to organize service records, and it only gets harder the longer you own the boat. Just like CarFax, BoatFax enables a one-click transfer of a boat with all service records instantly attached.



What is your vision for the future of the yachting industry?


I see a challenge coming as the economy levels out or dips, with many service experts aging out or retiring without succession plans in place. The upcoming generations don’t necessarily want to get their hands dirty. With fewer technicians available and more leaving the industry, we need to find ways to bridge that gap. I believe technology is key to improving efficiency and allowing the remaining technicians to work more effectively.


I also see the industry as highly fragmented, and I anticipate a consolidation in the future. The marine industry has been slow to adopt change, which has led to many individual companies joining larger groups without fully integrating into a cohesive whole. This lack of integration is felt by the customer. It’s important to have a strategy that provides consistency to consumers, so that as they experience new divisions or groups, there’s a unified approach. This consistency builds loyalty and trust during uncertain times. Once again, I believe technology can play a major role in achieving this.



Is there something about you or your work that most people might not know?


Is there something about you or your work that most people might not know? I can outdrive most of the guys I know on the golf course, but they always beat me at putting!



What advice would you give to your younger self, and what do you wish you had known on your first day in the yachting industry?


Be patient! I’m very much a go-getter and want to hit the ground running. I’ve found I can get pretty excited about AI and technology, but I need to remember that not everyone shares the same excitement for it. Sometimes, I need to slow down my thoughts and meet people where they are in their adaptation to technology.


Get in touch with Maryann Johndrow



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