Catching Up With Mike And Sarah Howe—Riding Dolphins – Speed on the Water
The charismatic power-couple behind the Howe2Live YouTube channel, Maine’s Mike and Sarah Howe have millions of fans around the world. That includes the entire speedonthewater.com and Scrapyard Media teams, who produced a documentary video on the Howe family and its various successful business ventures earlier this year.
Last month in Key West, Mike and Sarah Howe introduced the Super Kraken 52. Photo by Pete Boden copyright Shoot 2 Thrill Pix.
To say they’ve blown us away is pure understatement. Even to a pair of driven and creative professional media teams, their drive and creative is inspiring.
Better still, we count the Howes as cherished friends.
Last month in Key West, Fla., during the Race World Offshore World Championship and Florida Powerboat Club poker run to the famed city, they publicly debuted the Super Kraken 52, a cruising catamaran powered by four 600-hp V-12 outboard engines from Mercury Marine. A successful inventor long before he became a YouTube star, Mike designed the 52-footer from the bottom up.
As you’d expect, the Howes have boating plans for holidays. But before they disappeared into the Florida Keys, they took time for a five-question interview. Here’s what they had to say.
As approachable as they are compelling, the Howes have amassed millions of fans through the adventures chronicled on their Howe2Live YouTube channel. Photos by Jeff Helmkamp copyright Helmkamp Photos.
You’ve had a busy year, which peaked with the introduction of the Super Kraken 52 in Key West. What was that debut experience like for you?
Mike: It was astonishing—it was astonishing. I know that’s a strong adjective to use but it really, really was. Sarah and I could not have come close to imagining the turnout we had for the Kraken debut. A couple of days before, I told Sarah I was kind of scared that only a couple of people who maybe watch the channel would show up. And she blew it off. She was like, “Are you crazy?”
But then a couple of times when we went out to eat in Key West people on the street would come up to us and were like, “We can’t wait to show up.” It got to a point where more and people were, “We’re coming” and “We’re going to be there.” And then I started to get really worried. About a day before our party, I said to Sarah, “Honey, you need to go to the store and grab as much beer as you possibly can and fill all the coolers.”
And sure enough we needed it. The event was set for 6 p.m. We were trying to take a power-nap and my little daughter came in at 4:30 and said, “Dad, there are people climbing over the fence to come here.” So the night was fantastic. It was an incredible experience.”
Sounds like the boat was well-received. Any takers yet?
Mike: The boat was well-received and we have sales secured for 2024. Now we have to finishing putting together production capacity at the factory.
You pulled off some cool adventures in 2023. Which one was the most meaningful?
Mike: In a massive way, it was the trip from Maine to the Florida Keys in one weekend. I am halfway through editing it for Howe2Live and it’s literally brought tears to my eyes because it was such an amazing time, and it was so emotional for Sarah and me. This wasn’t about business or building a new boat. It was about the purity of a relationship between a husband and wife doing something that had never been done before and not knowing how we were going to get through it.
In a remarkable feat of ambition and endurance, Mike and Sarah Howe ran from Maine to the Florida Keys in a 44-foot outboard engine-powered MTI catamaran.
Will there be a Howe adventure this month for the holidays?
Mike: There will. We haven’t gotten together with our extended family in a long time, so we are going to the Dry Tortugas with them. We are taking the Kraken and the (MTI) 440X catamaran. I’m going to put down the camera; OK, I am going to put it down as much as I can. This trip is focused on family and friends.
Sarah: (Laughs) It’s the first time we are getting together without a funeral or a wedding. It’s a big deal.
Mike: I love it out there so much that I have coordinates for the Dry Tortugas tattooed on my arm.
So what’s the next big thing for Mike and Sarah Howe?
Mike: We are going to do a “catch-and-cook” camping series in the Bahamas next year with the Kraken. It will less about pulling up to this great dock in Nassau or some luxury island and really focused on “catch and cook.” It will be minimalistic. We will have the Kraken and we are going to live on it, island-hop and spearfish. We are going to ride dolphins like they are horses.
Do you remember how Aquaman did that with a dolphin under each foot? We’re going to do that, though I think PETA might have a problem with it (laughs).
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