Podcast Summary: Legends of the Wild Ep. 15

“Boat-Built Ingenuity on the Chesapeake: Crabber, Camper Boats, and DIY Watercraft”
Host: Sam Soholt
Guest: Luke McFadden (Crabber, Boat Builder, YouTuber)
Release Date: December 31, 2025

Episode Overview

In this lively episode, Sam Soholt welcomes creative Chesapeake Bay crabber and prolific DIY boat builder Luke McFadden. The conversation dives deep into Luke’s one-of-a-kind camper boat build, his journey into commercial crabbing, the social media-fueled evolution of his crab stand business, and what inspires his relentless pursuit of oddball watercraft projects. Throughout, both men swap stories about making big outdoor dreams work—with whatever’s on hand.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Camper Boat: Born from a Scavenger’s Imagination

• Origin Story (03:51–08:25):
  • Luke describes the start of his now-viral camper boat: a “Pelican 12-foot Intruder,” essentially “just a Tupperware container” jon boat bought on Amazon, combined with pontoons from another cheap Amazon boat.
  • The goal: camp legally on Baltimore’s urban waterfront—“If I stayed on a boat next to this place...I could go there and check it out and then stay on the boat.” (05:06)
• Materials & Methods (06:29–08:12):
  • The build “was supposed to originally just be frames and then I was going to shrink wrap it...But of course that turned into...a little Conestoga wagon looking camper on this little boat.”
  • Nearly the entire camper is built “out of trash,” scavenged from abandoned marina boats—wood, hardware, even the doors.
• Scale & Quirkiness (08:25–09:11):
  • The interior is just “11 square feet inside...smaller than a sheet of plywood.”
  • “I’m five-six, so, like, I can lay down in it. But you'd be hard (pressed) ...a full size grown man...to actually use this thing.” (08:59)

Memorable Quote [08:12] — Luke:
"I managed to build something that's brand new, brand used. But looks like it's 60 years old."

2. Doing More with Less: Gear, Safety & Workflow on Tiny Boats

• Packing Strategies (09:50–11:56):
  • Luke admits pairing down is tough: “I’m over prepared in a lot of ways and under prepared in a lot of ways. But, yeah, when it comes to stuff, it’s like…on the Chesapeake Bay…weather changes so quickly…you need a ton of safety gear.”
  • Emphasizes everything brought along must have “multiple purposes, or else you can’t...bring it.”
  • Sometimes, “you’re just kind of cold, you know, and it’s the way it is.”
• Lessons from Minimalism (11:59–12:27):
  • Sam reflects on overpacking for “36 foot school bus” trips and the mentality shift required for small craft hunts.

3. Crabbing, Crab Stands, and the “Brand New, Brand Used” Mentality

• Crabber’s Journey (16:23–18:32):
  • Luke, first-generation crabber from Pasadena, Maryland, started helping on boats at age 12.
  • “Only job I’ve really ever had…have done 11 crab seasons running my own boat.”
  • Real talk about the grind: “You gotta love it. If you don’t love it, then it ain't worth it.” (18:52).
• Building the Crab Shack (19:22–24:44):
  • Needed to pivot to direct-to-consumer sales as industry aged and margins slimmed.
  • Invented a roadside “crab stand” out of a rescued wooden boat:

    “I found that one on Facebook for $700...tore it all down, basically turned it into a fruit stand...hauled it up the road and put it in the ground and, you know, made it look like it was floating. And the crab stand was born." (20:47–24:44)

  • The crab stand became a local destination, fueled by social media stories, and helped “bring the boat experience” to people, without crowding real marina operations.

4. Social Media, Content Creation, and Business

• Platform Growth & Burnout (27:33–32:21):
  • Started with TikTok, expanded to YouTube after realizing demand for long-form storytelling and the need for business sustainability.
  • “I was crabbing five days a week, selling two...shooting videos every day...editing all my own videos...I was so burnt out, dude.”
  • Created a team and shifted to YouTube, preferring deeper audience connection:

    “You have a lot more opportunity to storytell and bring them into your world.”

• “Good as Used” Brand (32:21–33:53):
  • New merch brand reflects Luke’s philosophy: “I don’t think I’ve bought anything new my whole life, really.”
  • Offers fans a tangible piece of the story.

5. Luke’s Wildest Watercraft: Hydrofoils, Camper Boats, and Boat Testing

• Favorite Project Highlight [34:13–39:33]:
  • Acquired and restored a one-of-two 1957 Grumman Navy hydrofoil—originally a military experiment, now returned to action.
  • “You’re doing almost 40 in this thing...it feels like you’re flying...it’s wild.” (35:14–35:41)
  • On why hydrofoils didn’t take off: military was “messing with float planes” then, but practical boating “just has too many variables.”
• Inspiration & Future Builds (43:14–44:45):
  • Planning more boat-based hunting trips including to Sika deer country, a possible multi-hundred-mile ocean journey in a john boat, and hunting remote islands.

Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• On building from trash:
  "I pretty much built it for...like, out of trash." – Luke (07:01)
• True size of the camper boat:
  "I figure it to be 11 square feet inside...That’s smaller than a sheet of plywood." – Luke (08:37)
• Philosophy on invention:
  "I think a lot of the things I do...it's not because it's the most easiest or efficient way...it's just because I think it'd be cool." – Luke (40:27)
• On audience interaction:
  "It’s just super cool that…people know I’m going to be there...be able to actually build real face to face relationships…it’s nuts, man." – Luke (25:05–26:32)
• Social media/AI musings:
  "There is a ridiculous amount of people that think it’s AI generated...I literally, like, filmed the entire thing and put it on the Internet. People are like, no, it’s AI." – Luke (45:38–46:37)
• Why create content?
  “Make the videos you want to watch anyway.” – Luke (41:06)
• On risky Amazon buys:
  "Yamabisis is pretty mint…about 50% of the cost of a name brand like Yamaha…You are always rolling the dice though..." – Luke (49:51–53:38)

Recommended Segments (Listening Guide)

• 03:40–08:25: The camper boat origin and build breakdown
• 13:49–15:36: Camper boat adaptation for hunting (deer rack/carrying system)
• 16:20–18:58: Luke’s unlikely route into commercial crabbing
• 19:22–24:44: Building and launching the floating crab stand
• 34:13–39:33: Navy hydrofoil project—a rare watercraft revived
• 41:47–42:22: “You did something because nobody told you you couldn’t.”
• 45:38–47:22: Media authenticity, AI, and “is this even real?”

Where to Find Luke McFadden

• YouTube, Facebook, Instagram: @LukeMcFadden (look for verified blue check due to impersonators)
• Merchandise: goodasused.com
• Crab products & retail: Info linked from his socials; ships nationwide

Tone & Takeaways

Luke’s resourcefulness, humor, and hands-on grit pop throughout the episode. The tone is relaxed, curious, and packed with “just figure it out” energy—a celebration of making unlikely things work on the water (even if the Internet thinks it’s fake). Whether you’re a hunter, fisherman, gearhead, DIY builder, or just love a good story of oddball invention, this hour delivers both practical insight and inspiration for doing things your way—even (especially) if it’s never been done before.