Employee Spotlight: Q&A with Ross Branch
A Life Built on the Water: Ross Branch’s Journey with Bristol Marine
What is your background? Where are you from? What are some of your hobbies? Any fun facts about yourself?
My journey in boat building started in 1999, working for David Nutt on Southport Island, Maine. Years later, Bristol Marine acquired the Southport Island yard, making it part of the company. So, in a way, I’ve been with Bristol Marine before the Southport Island location even became Bristol Marine.
I also attended the Apprenticeshop in Rockland, graduating in 2002. After that, I worked independently as a traveling shipwright and spent some time at Hodgdon Yachts.
Like many of us here, I have what I call a “boat acquisition disease.” I own a number of boats that my 12-year-old daughter, Jackie, and I enjoy fixing up and taking out on the water. My main boat is a 38-foot lobster boat, and I have a five-trap recreational lobster license. Jackie got her commercial apprentice license last year, and now she’s upgrading from fishing five traps to 25. She even has her own 20-foot center console. We love being out on the water—whether it’s fishing for stripers or lobsters—it’s great to just take the boat right out of the shipyard and enjoy the day.
As for fun facts, I have a bit of a creative side. A couple of years ago, Jackie wanted to be Coraline for Halloween, so I built a massive pumpkin head costume to go along with her. Before that, I made an eight-foot-tall elephant head and a giant robot head with a moving jaw. I’d walk around yelling, “Gimme your candy!”—got a few laughs.
How did you get into this industry?
I grew up sailing—mostly in Rhodes 19s at a summer camp where I eventually started working. At first, I was painting and scraping porches, then fixing and building them. That got me into woodworking, and I realized how much I loved being on the water. So, I figured—why not combine the two? That’s when I decided to go to boatbuilding school, but I wanted hands-on experience first. I worked for David Nutt for a couple of years around the age of 20, and now, nearly 28 years later, I’m still in the industry.
What excites you about this industry?
Everything! The variety of work we do is exciting—we’re always working on something new. Unlike other Bristol Marine locations, Samples Shipyard in Boothbay Harbor specializes in traditional big timber construction. Right now, for example, we’re working on the Eleanor for the Boston Tea Party project. That kind of large-scale timberwork is what I enjoy most.
Why did you choose Bristol Marine?
Honestly, Bristol Marine chose me—and I couldn’t be happier. Before the acquisition, this facility was in rough shape—financially struggling, with crumbling infrastructure. When Andy Tyska took over, he injected capital into the business. One of the biggest transformations was our 210-foot pier that juts out into the middle of the harbor. It was in such terrible condition that you couldn’t even walk on it. Then COVID hit, and everything was uncertain. Andy gave us the opportunity to stay and rebuild the pier that summer, and now, we built a brand-new, fully functional pier with 50-foot-long, 15-foot-wide floats built by the Bristolite team.
Beyond the infrastructure improvements, Andy also invested in our team—new tools, an upgraded joiner shop for fine woodworking, and even a travel lift. Before, we only had two marine railways—one for 700 tons and another for 150 tons—which aren’t the fastest systems for hauling boats in and out. The travel lift changed everything, allowing us to work on smaller boats while keeping larger projects moving.
Everywhere you turn, you see the impact Bristol Marine has had—not just on the facility, but on the culture. The way the company treats its employees makes it feel like a tight-knit family, and that’s saying a lot, considering I was here before it became Bristol Marine. It’s a place where people genuinely care about each other.
What’s coming next for you with Bristol Marine?
Right now, we’re working on the Katahdin, a historic steamboat on Moosehead Lake in Greenville, Maine. We’ve been restoring her for about six years—deck work, repowering, and now replacing the wooden superstructure on her steel hull. Next, we’re in talks with the owners of Eros, which has been to our Somerset location before. She needs some bottom planking replacement, and that project is expected to start right after Eleanor wraps up in March.
Final Thoughts
To sum it up, I love it here. Andy once said, “We don’t hire to fire—we hire to retire,” and as long as they keep me around, I’ll probably stick with Bristol Marine. After 25 years in this location, it’s hard not to love it.
