Sailboat underway with sunset

Exceptional, or Nothing.

There’s a certain kind of buyer who doesn’t settle. They’ve spent enough time on the water to know exactly what matters — and what doesn’t. They’re not interested in what everyone else is buying. They want a vessel with soul, provenance and the kind of build quality that reveals itself over decades of ownership. Whether they’re drawn to the elegance of a well-found sailboat or the purposeful refinement of a premium powerboat, they share the same standard: exceptional, or nothing.

Niche Watercraft was built for that buyer.

A Carefully Chosen Portfolio

We curate a deliberately small, carefully chosen portfolio of the world’s most compelling sail and power yachts — and we serve discerning buyers across the United States and internationally.

Our regional offices on the US West Coast (Anacortes, Washington), US Great Lakes (Erie, Pennsylvania) and US East Coast (Belfast, ME) give us a genuine national presence across the Pacific Coast, the Atlantic Seaboard and the Great Lakes, with reach into the global marketplace where the finest vessels are built and sold.

Our portfolio reflects that scope. We are bringing back two iconic North American brands — Bruckmann Yachts, a long-respected Canadian builder, and Blue Jacket Yachts, a beloved American classic — reintroduced in small-batch, semi-custom production with the craftsmanship and integrity their reputations demand. For US West Coast clients and buyers, we represent X-Yachts of Denmark — one of the world’s true benchmarks of performance and build quality — serving West Coast buyers directly. And we are proud to introduce Whitacre Catamarans — an exciting new American brand launching in 2026, with hull #1 completing this spring. Built to aerospace-grade composite standards — carbon fiber, epoxy resin and high-performance fiberglass — delivering a hull that is lighter, stiffer and stronger than anything in its class, Whitacre represents the next generation of liveaboard offshore performance cruising catamarans, designed without compromise for serious bluewater sailors and power cruisers alike.

Our Foundation

Niche Watercraft was founded by Mike Mullenberg, whose nearly four decades in yacht sales, dealership ownership and national sales leadership provide rare market insight and deep, trusted industry relationships. His career has been defined by connecting exceptional designs with the right owners, and by understanding what discerning boaters truly value over decades of ownership.

At the heart of our design philosophy is Tim Jackett, a 50-year veteran of yacht design and one of the most respected naval architects in American boatbuilding. His designs are not driven by trends, but by hard-earned knowledge, refined through decades of offshore miles, owner feedback and real-world performance. He brings continuity between past and future - honoring the heart of legacy brands while thoughtfully advancing them for today’s cruising expectations and technologies.

Niche Watercraft delivers what traditional builders increasingly struggle to offer:

Timeless, proven designs
Premium composite construction
Semi-custom flexibility
Factory-direct relationships

  • Mike Mullenberg began his four decades in the boating industry by opening a sailboat and powerboat dealership in the US Midwest. 

    Over the years, as his professional style and career experience grew, so, too, did his deep understanding of the marine industry and his talent for designing and leading successful sales and marketing initiatives.  This made him a sought-after resource for several prominent sail and power boat manufacturers, among them Tartan and Legacy Yachts, for whom Mike served as the head of National Sales & Business Development, spearheading efforts to address market trends by growing and revitalizing a dealer network nationwide.

     Now, Niche Watercraft gives Mike the opportunity to apply his strategic vision and hands-on expertise to build market presence for a diverse, curated portfolio of premium-quality, production and semi-custom watercraft.

  • Tim Jackett is one of the most accomplished and respected figures in modern American yacht design. With nearly five decades of experience shaping performance cruising sailboats, his work has influenced generations of sailors and established a legacy of thoughtful design, seaworthiness and timeless aesthetics.

    For nearly 50 years, Tim served as Chief Designer at Tartan Yachts, where he led the design of the Tartan, C&C and Legacy Yachts lines. Over the course of his career there, he developed 35 production models, resulting in more than 4,000 boats built and sailed around the world.

    Tim’s designs have consistently been recognized among the best in the industry, earning an impressive 14 Cruising World Boat of the Year awards, 6 Sailing World Boat of the Year awards, and 4 Sail Magazine Top Ten Awards. These honors reflect his ability to blend performance, comfort and practical innovation into yachts that sailors trust for both coastal cruising and offshore passages.

    At Niche Watercraft, Tim brings his unparalleled experience and design philosophy to a new generation of thoughtfully crafted boats. His approach creates yachts that are not only beautiful to look at, but deeply rewarding to sail. Through his work with Niche, Tim continues to shape distinctive, small-batch designs that honor the traditions of great yacht building while meeting the needs of modern boaters.

  • Born in Rhode Island, Will is a lifelong sailor who grew up racing dinghies and cruising Narragansett Bay. When not sailing, he sketched boats and built models to test in the family pool. He spent his teenage years liveaboard cruising on the family yacht through the Caribbean and the South Pacific before interning with yacht designer Robert Perry at age 16.

    Will studied yacht design through Westlawn Institute and later earned a Yacht & Powercraft Design degree from Solent University. In 2017, Will interned at James Betts Enterprises, a custom boat builder, before advancing to the role of in-house designer in 2018. In this role he supervised custom yacht builds, designed mechanical systems, and mastered composite tooling and modern construction.

    Collaborating with top designers like Wylie Design Group and Robert H. Perry Yacht Design, Will produced a 60’ daysailer with a freestanding carbon mast, a 52’ motor sailer, and a 110’ sailing research vessel. Today, Will remains based in Anacortes racing boats, cruising, and running his own design office, William Porter Yacht Design LLC.

  • Growing up in Southern California, Colin was raised on the water. As a teenager, he regularly crewed on several different historic schooners. When he wasn’t sailing the schooners, he was racing (and always tweaking) his beloved Thistles. It wasn’t long before Colin understood that the sea was more than a hobby, it was his life’s passion. After obtaining his USCG Captain's License (he holds a 100-ton master, with both power and sail endorsements), Colin began to split his time between teaching and deliveries.

    Today, Colin’s encyclopedic knowledge of the industry, power and sailboats, and nearly all marine systems is what sets him apart. Couple that with his tenacious commitment to customer service, and you’ll quickly see why so many people find Colin indispensable.

  • TC grew up around small sport boats, spending as much time on the water as Michigan’s seasons allowed. Inspired by Jacques Cousteau and maritime legends, he fell in love with cruising and racing aboard an Ericson 34 on Lake Michigan. During Naval aviation training in Pensacola, he raced a NACRA 5.2, taught sailing, and mastered the art of running a Sunfish through squalls.

    His career took him around the world, sailing in San Diego, Subic Bay, Chesapeake Bay, and beyond. In the Pacific Northwest, he honed his skills on monohulls before he and Kelly bought Strider, a Dragonfly 1000 trimaran, sailing the Salish Sea and Desolation Sound. When they couldn’t find a production catamaran fit for four-season liveaboard life, they designed and built the WHITACRE 47.

    A retired U.S. Navy captain and aerospace engineer, TC gained minor celebrity as an F-14 Tomcat Radar Intercept Officer in Top Gun. His career aboard aircraft carriers took him across the globe and into multiple conflicts. Today, TC leads the build hands-on for the Whitcare 47 catamaran project.