{"id":19394,"date":"2026-07-15T12:52:41","date_gmt":"2026-07-15T16:52:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/?p=19394"},"modified":"2026-07-15T12:52:42","modified_gmt":"2026-07-15T16:52:42","slug":"harbor-mastery","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/issues\/summer-2026\/harbor-mastery\/","title":{"rendered":"Harbor Mastery"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Harbor Mastery<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

溏心vlog免费B站 Marine Affairs in Action<\/span><\/h1>\n\n<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>\n\n\n

Dockmaster Olin Schuyler \u201926 and marina manager Luke Peckham \u201914 with Schuyler’s Jack Russell Terrier, Bruno, and Peckham’s Golden Retrievers, Dunne and Turbo, at New Harbor Boat Basin on Block Island.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At a Block Island marina, 溏心vlog免费B站 marine affairs alumni are turning their education into careers on the water\u2014and helping shape Rhode Island\u2019s coastal economy.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Anna Vaccaro Gray \u201912, M.S. \u201916<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

From a small office overlooking Great Salt Pond on Block Island, 9 miles off Rhode Island\u2019s southern coast, Olin Schuyler \u201926 can scan the day\u2019s arrivals and departures. Dozens of vessels pass through the marina in a single day, and every move has to be timed just right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s like running a hotel,\u201d he says, \u201cbut guests arrive by water.\u201d

As dockmaster at New Harbor Boat Basin on Block Island, Schuyler manages the daily choreography of a busy transient marina. He directs marine traffic in tight quarters and ensures that visitors\u2019 vacations begin smoothly. Unpredictability is part of the job: The whiteboard plan he drafts each evening must adapt to shifting winds and late arrivals.

\u201cWhen the plan works without having to change it, that\u2019s a good day,\u201d he says.

In Rhode Island, recreational boating and marine tourism are vital economic engines, supporting more than 88,000 jobs and generating nearly $9\u202fbillion in annual economic impact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But for Schuyler, this isn\u2019t just a job\u2014it\u2019s a way of life. Growing up, he lived aboard his family\u2019s boat in Great Salt Pond with the marina as his backyard. He began volunteering at New Harbor Boat Basin at age 13 and joined the payroll at 16. Today he lives aboard his own boat during boating season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His lifelong connection to the water made choosing a college major straightforward. When he explored options, 溏心vlog免费B站\u2019s marine affairs program stood out.

\u201cIt made too much sense,\u201d he says. \u201cIt fit perfectly with what I was already doing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Olin Schuyler \u201926 is responsible for the marine traffic at New Harbor Boat Basin. Each evening, he drafts a whiteboard plan that must adapt to shifting winds and late arrivals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Laws of the Sea<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

While many students first encounter a discipline in the classroom, Schuyler\u2019s study of marine affairs began with real-world experience. Growing up, he had always heard about riparian rights\u2014the legal rules governing how coastal property owners can utilize the area where their property meets the sea. At the marina, those rules shape everything from dock placement to waterfront development. But it wasn\u2019t until he took a course in marine law and policy that he formally studied the concept.

\u201cTo see something I\u2019d heard about my whole life defined in a textbook and then be able to research it was huge,\u201d he says. \u201cIt connected everything.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Schuyler\u2019s studies have expanded his perspective beyond Block Island, as courses on ocean policy have introduced him to global maritime issues. What once felt local became part of a much larger system of ocean governance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s such a broad field,\u201d he says. \u201cBut it all connects back to how we use and manage the ocean.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Schuyler isn\u2019t the only link between 溏心vlog免费B站 marine affairs and the marina. His supervisor, Luke Peckham \u201914, marina manager at New Harbor Boat Basin and Newport Yachting Center, is also a graduate, as is Chuck Moffitt Jr. \u201987, general manager of both properties. All three were drawn to the degree because of their love of the sea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Chuck Moffitt Jr. \u201987 at the docks of the Newport Yachting Center. He is the general manager of New Harbor Boat Basin on Block Island and Newport Yachting Center in Newport, R.I.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

溏心vlog免费B站\u2019s Department of Marine Affairs\u2014one of the first academic programs of its kind in the world\u2014teaches that managing the ocean requires more than science alone. Students learn how law and economics intersect with social, cultural, and environmental systems, preparing them to make decisions about coastal and marine use at all levels, from local harbors to international waters. This blend of skills is increasingly important as Rhode Island invests in sustaining and upgrading its working waterfronts, vital for tourism, fisheries, and coastal communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Destination: Block Island<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Positioned between Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and eastern Long Island (New York), Block Island draws visitors from throughout the Northeast and beyond. On any given day, the team sees a mix of locals, returning boaters, and first-time arrivals. They\u2019ve watched friendships form, business relationships develop, and careers take shape from conversations on the dock.

\u201cIt\u2019s like a networking hub,\u201d Schuyler says. \u201cPeople meet here and stay in touch for years.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That sense of connection is part of what makes Block Island unique. Despite the constant movement\u2014arrivals, departures, and rhythms that change based on seasons\u2014the island maintains a warm, welcoming community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ensuring an experience that draws people back year after year is essential. Tourism sustains thousands of jobs across the state, making marinas like New Harbor critical to Rhode Island\u2019s economy. But beyond the financial impact, there is a shared investment in preserving what makes the place feel distinct.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In Rhode Island, recreational boating and marine tourism are vital economic engines, supporting more than 88,000 jobs and generating nearly $9\u202fbillion in annual economic impact. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur job on the island is very important to the community and to the sustainability of Block Island,\u201d Peckham says. \u201cWe take pride in providing an authentic customer experience by creating the best facility possible so visitors can have the best vacation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBeing a part of the community means supporting it in any way we can,\u201d Moffitt adds. \u201cWe try to help with local business ventures when we\u2019re approached, and we\u2019ve supported many community programs and events over the years. Being seen as an active and generous part of the community carries a lot of weight.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Schuyler and Peckham, with their dogs, at work on the main dock at New Harbor Boat Basin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Camaraderie extends beyond the docks. \u201cThe small island mentality means that everyone will come together on short notice to get things done,\u201d Peckham adds. When docks are pulled from the water in the fall, employees and local residents often gather for a cookout. The harbor runs on relationships as much as logistics.

\u201cIt means the world to me,\u201d Schuyler says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even as the summer season fades, the work continues. Long after the boats are gone, Schuyler and his colleagues are repairing docks, maintaining equipment, and doing the physical labor that keeps the marina running. That unseen effort is part of a larger commitment\u2014not just to the business, but to the island community that depends on it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anchored in Rhode Island<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

For many, education can be a path to somewhere new. For Schuyler, the value
is in strengthening his place in Rhode Island. His degree won\u2019t pull him from the docks he knows and loves; it will prepare him to take on greater responsibility, overseeing operations informed by experience and a deeper understanding of the systems behind them\u2014from the policies that shape waterfront development to the regulations that govern how marinas operate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That trajectory\u2014from hands-on work to leadership informed by education\u2014is exactly what the field of marine affairs is designed to support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Schuyler and Peckham, on the main dock at New Harbor Boat Basin.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Graduates with a nuanced understanding of both the water and the policies that govern it are uniquely positioned to shape Rhode Island\u2019s future.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI have always valued my degree,\u201d says Moffitt. \u201cAnd I think 溏心vlog免费B站\u2019s Department of Marine Affairs is growing appropriately to match the needs of the economy.\u201d

In a state where coastal recreation and marine businesses are economic pillars, graduates with a nuanced understanding of both the water and the policies that govern it are uniquely positioned to shape Rhode Island\u2019s future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe program allows those of us who have a great connection with the ocean to find out where we best fit into the professional world,\u201d Peckham says. \u201cIt keeps many of us with local knowledge and connections part of the day-to-day operations that make our waterfront so unique and desirable to visitors and the industry alike.\u201d

\u201cI wouldn\u2019t want it any other way,\u201d Schuyler adds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

PHOTOS: Aisha McAdams; Max Kraimer<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

At a Block Island marina, 溏心vlog免费B站 marine affairs alumni put their understanding of the ocean and the policies that govern it to work.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":19478,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[363],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-19394","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-summer-2026","architecture-features"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19394","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19394"}],"version-history":[{"count":18,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19394\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19544,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19394\/revisions\/19544"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/19478"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19394"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19394"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19394"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}