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The Ultimate On‑Board Lobster Salad
Inspired by a Tiara 43 LS at DiMillo's Yacht Sales

Some boats make you want to raise your recipe game. This is a recipe inspired by one of those boats.

After a morning lobstering trip in Maine, we came back to our homeport with four beautiful keepers. Our grilled chili-butter lobster recipe took care of the tails and bodies, but the claws and knuckles? Those became the stars of round two: an elevated lobster salad packed for a visit to see our marina partners over at DiMillo’s Yacht Sales.

If you’ve spent time cruising in Portland, you know DiMillo’s is as iconic as the lighthouse at the harbor’s entrance. Their crew invited us to hop aboard and check out a Tiara 43 LS they have for sale at the brokerage. It's a boat that totally redefines modern coastal luxury, and it inspired this recipe.

We rounded up a few of our local Dockwa teammates to join in on the fun, packed up the lobster salad, crackers, and a couple of cold drinks into a cooler, and strolled down to the docks. By the time we stepped aboard this brand‑new Tiara, the vibe was already set. The salad hit exactly the way we hoped: light, fresh, and just the right amount of fancy. Because when a boat looks this good, the snacks need to keep pace. And honestly, what pairs better with coastal luxury than a perfectly chilled lobster salad? 

Serves: 2-3
Prep Time: 15 min

Main Ingredients:

• 7-9 oz cooked lobster meat (claw and knuckle ideal), chopped into bite-size pieces
• 3 Tbsp mayonnaise
• 1½ tsp Dijon mustard
• 2 tsp white wine vinegar
• 1 Tbsp pickled shallots (or pickled onion), finely chopped
• 1 Tbsp fresh tarragon, finely chopped (plus more for garnish)
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Pinch of kosher salt (if needed)
• 1 small shallot (optional)

Instructions

1. Make the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, Dijon, vinegar, chopped pickled shallots, and tarragon. Add a few cracks of black pepper.
   

2. Taste and adjust: Want it punchier? Add a splash more vinegar or mustard. Want it silkier? Fold in a bit of melted butter or olive oil.

3. Toss with lobster: Gently fold the dressing into the chopped lobster meat until evenly coated.

4. To serve: Spoon onto toasted brioche rolls, butter lettuce cups, or scoop it up with potato chips. Garnish with extra tarragon and a sprinkle of flaky salt.

Galley tip: Consider taking the elevator by adding pickled shallots to add a bright, slightly sweet tang. 

• Quick-pickle method: 2 parts vinegar, 1 part water, 1 part sugar. Bring to a boil, pour over sliced shallots, and store. They last for weeks and make everything better.
  

Why We Love This Recipe For Boat Life:

This is one of those dishes that was made for elevated summer boat days. It packs up easily, chills beautifully in a cooler, and feels just as at home on a picnic table as it does on the deck of a Tiara. Make it ahead, tuck it into the fridge or cooler, and by sundown you’ve got something that’s light, fresh, and special.

To us, this recipe has the same appeal as the Tiara 43LS we were lucky enough to enjoy that day. It's simple but elevated, effortless to bring along, and just as good whether you’re tied up in a marina or rafted with friends in your favorite anchorage. And trust us, when that aft lounge of the Tiara starts to slowly spin 360° toward the sunset, there’s nothing better to pass around than a container of perfectly chilled lobster salad.

Check Out This Tiara 43 LS:

Lobster might have been the star of this Galley Club segment, but the real showstopper here is the boat. 

We have to hand it to DiMillo’s… the Tiara 43 LS is the kind of vessel that makes you rethink what “boat-life” even means. Everything about it is designed for hanging out and actually using the boat, not just looking good tied up at the dock (although let's be honest, it does that nicely too!) 

What we love most, is how the boat is designed to keep you in the middle of the action. The galley wet bar sits right up on deck, tucked behind the helm, with a grill, fridge, and sink all within arm’s reach. It meant that while we were staging our lobster salad, we never had to disappear down below. We could stay in the mix, music going, drinks in hand, soaking up the Portland waterfront with our teammates. The seating flows the same way: that big aft U‑lounge slowly spins a full 360°, so you can face the swim platform, or swing back toward the crowd. And thanks to the Seakeeper stabilizer, even when a wake rolled through, nothing spilled and no one blinked. It all just felt effortless, like the boat was built for days exactly like this.

Up front, the foredeck is spectacular. Think wrap-around lounge and reclined seating, all of it just begging for a midsummer sunset cruise. Not to mention, when it’s time to move, this boat does just that. We’re talking twin Twin Mercury Verado V12s. 600 giddy-up’s each with a top speed of 50 mph. It’s fast, it’s sleek, and it’s full of the kind of thoughtful details that make boat days feel like a vacation every single time.

Big thanks to DiMillo’s Yacht Sales for inviting us to spend the afternoon aboard this beautiful Tiara. If you’re curious, go check it out while it’s still on the market (we get the feeling it won’t be there long.) And if you are cruising through Portland, we highly recommend reserving a slip at DiMillo's Marina. It’s in the heart of the Old Port, and of course, booking is a breeze though Dockwa. 

By the time the sun slipped behind the Portland skyline, we were exactly where we wanted to be: out on the water with good friends, on a beautiful vessel, and with a cooler full of local food that made the whole evening feel a little extra. It was easy to picture a whole boating season of nights like this… long, golden, and effortless.

That’s what a boat like this one does. It brings people together and turns an ordinary day into something special. It makes you want to show up with your best, and if that happens to include a fresh lobster salad in the cooler? Well, that’s just the icing on the brioche. 

Cheers,
Max & Theresa