Captain Tim Merighi grew up fishing and boating on the back bays of the Wildwoods, his father imparting in him a love of the area and life on the water.
This Spring, the Vineland native will realize a lifelong dream when he launches Kick Back Tiki Cruises, a floating tiki bar boat based out of West Wildwood (the former B & E Marine at 26th Avenue).
The service, which is scheduled to begin on May 14, will offer private BYOB excursions for up to six passengers. Booking options are now OPEN.
“The idea, as the name implies, is simply to kick back and relax,” explained Merighi. “Our tours are designed to take our customers away from reality for a bit, get them out on the water to have a good time.
“They can sit back and talk as we cruise, sightsee, listen to music and dance, enjoy the sun and do some tanning, bring charcuterie boards. Whatever your idea of kicking back is!”
Kick Back Tiki Cruises will offer daily 2-hour tours, including Rise ‘N Shine, Mid-Day, Afternoon, Happy Hour, Sunset and Wildwood By Night cruises.
A 3 ½ hour restaurant or sandbar excursion will also be available, where parties can choose to visit various locations.
“We can visit a sandbar like Champagne Island and hang out for a little bit or a while,” explained Merighi. “Then we could head over to Lazy Bass in Grassy Sound or the Wharf in Wildwood. With the capabilities of our boat, it can hit speeds of up to 15 mph, so we can quickly get down to 2 Mile Landing.
“There are so many options on the water and on land, which make the Wildwoods so appealing. The geographical area, the layout is just perfect for a service like this, with lots of great waterside locations to enjoy, activities and things to do.”
One very important - and as it turns out, unique - feature of Kick Back: the tiki boat has a restroom below deck.
“No private (6 pack) tiki vessels in South Jersey have a bathroom,” Merighi noted. “Having a fully operational bathroom on board will allow our bachelor and bachelorette parties, older folks and everyone in between to sail with us with peace of mind.
"Kick Back Tiki Cruises offers a private, open air approach for customers to enjoy friends and family on the water. We are committed to providing clients with a safe experience and all captains will be temperature checked daily as well as the cleaning of surfaces after every tour."
Merighi will be joined in the venture by Matt Sawyer, Real Estate Agent at Berkshire Hathaway Home Service, Ocean City, NJ and owner of Love My Life Entertainment, who will be handling the company’s marketing and promotion. After running nightlife and concert events in Philadelphia for over a decade, Sawyer had to put his ventures on hold at the start of the pandemic.
Facing the unknown, he decided to move to Ocean City and got his realtors license, while he searched for ways to bring his event experience to the Jersey Shore. He would soon meet Merighi (on a boat, no less) and the two instantly hit it off.
“We talked about how we both had the same goals and vision for what would soon become Kick Back Tiki, and we hit the ground running with it,” Sawyer explained. “We make a great team. He’s so knowledgeable about boating, the logistics behind it, the local waters, all of it.
“Coming from the nightlife and live music industry, I learned that you really have to know your customers to create memorable experiences.”
For Merighi, opening a business in his childhood paradise is both a practical and sentimental no-brainer.
“There’s no place I’d rather be, this is like a second home to me,” he explained. “I’ve been on the water pretty much my entire life, and my family has been coming down to Wildwood for as long as I can remember. Shawcrest to be exact, right there over the Rio Grande (George Redding) Bridge.
“That’s where I grew up, on the Wildwood side, and got into boating as a whole. As things progressed and I got older, I got into college and got my captain’s license. Soon, I was running fishing charters throughout Cape May, Wildwood and Avalon, all around the area.”
Merighi credits his entrepreneurial drive to growing up in his family’s business. Merighi’s Savoy Inn in Vineland has been serving guests since 1954 and is renowned as one of South Jersey’s most popular and enduring family bistros.
As they begin to take reservations for and officially launch Kick Back Tiki Cruises, Merighi and Sawyer do so with eyes toward the future.
“We decided to go with a one-boat structure for the first year, with the plan being to expand in the coming years,” he explained. “More vessels, service to more cities and states is the goal, very big plans. We’ll start small, learn and continue to grow.”
Added Sawyer: “ Another thing I learned throughout my years in the entertainment industry is that more and more people are prioritizing experiences over material possessions. Whether it be a night at the bars with friends, concerts, sporting events, travel or more laid back, fun events like Kick Back - there is a steady growing interest in these markets.
“I’m excited to offer people our tiki cruise experience. After the last two years we have had, people really just want to put their worries aside and have fun. They deserve it, and we’re just doing our part in helping them with Kick Back.”
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