Harbor Mastery
ş¬Đ߲ݴ«Ă˝ Marine Affairs in Action
Dockmaster Olin Schuyler ’26 and marina manager Luke Peckham ’14 with Schuyler’s Jack Russell Terrier, Bruno, and Peckham’s Golden Retrievers, Dunne and Turbo, at New Harbor Boat Basin on Block Island.
At a Block Island marina, ş¬Đ߲ݴ«Ă˝ marine affairs alumni are turning their education into careers on the water—and helping shape Rhode Island’s coastal economy.
By Anna Vaccaro Gray ’12, M.S. ’16
From a small office overlooking Great Salt Pond on Block Island, 9 miles off Rhode Island’s southern coast, Olin Schuyler ’26 can scan the day’s arrivals and departures. Dozens of vessels pass through the marina in a single day, and every move has to be timed just right.
“It’s like running a hotel,” he says, “but guests arrive by water.”
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’ vacations begin smoothly. Unpredictability is part of the job: The whiteboard plan he drafts each evening must adapt to shifting winds and late arrivals.
“When the plan works without having to change it, that’s a good day,” he says.
In Rhode Island, recreational boating and marine tourism are vital economic engines, supporting more than 88,000 jobs and generating nearly $9 billion in annual economic impact.
But for Schuyler, this isn’t just a job—it’s a way of life. Growing up, he lived aboard his family’s 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.
His lifelong connection to the water made choosing a college major straightforward. When he explored options, ş¬Đ߲ݴ«Ă˝â€™s marine affairs program stood out.
“It made too much sense,” he says. “It fit perfectly with what I was already doing.”
Olin Schuyler ’26 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.
The Laws of the Sea
While many students first encounter a discipline in the classroom, Schuyler’s study of marine affairs began with real-world experience. Growing up, he had always heard about riparian rights—the 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’t until he took a course in marine law and policy that he formally studied the concept.
“To see something I’d heard about my whole life defined in a textbook and then be able to research it was huge,” he says. “It connected everything.”
Schuyler’s 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.
“It’s such a broad field,” he says. “But it all connects back to how we use and manage the ocean.”
Schuyler isn’t the only link between ş¬Đ߲ݴ«Ă˝ marine affairs and the marina. His supervisor, Luke Peckham ’14, marina manager at New Harbor Boat Basin and Newport Yachting Center, is also a graduate, as is Chuck Moffitt Jr. ’87, general manager of both properties. All three were drawn to the degree because of their love of the sea.
Chuck Moffitt Jr. ’87 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.
ş¬Đ߲ݴ«Ă˝â€™s Department of Marine Affairs—one of the first academic programs of its kind in the world—teaches 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.
Destination: Block Island
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’ve watched friendships form, business relationships develop, and careers take shape from conversations on the dock.
“It’s like a networking hub,” Schuyler says. “People meet here and stay in touch for years.”
That sense of connection is part of what makes Block Island unique. Despite the constant movement—arrivals, departures, and rhythms that change based on seasons—the island maintains a warm, welcoming community.
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’s economy. But beyond the financial impact, there is a shared investment in preserving what makes the place feel distinct.
In Rhode Island, recreational boating and marine tourism are vital economic engines, supporting more than 88,000 jobs and generating nearly $9 billion in annual economic impact.
“Our job on the island is very important to the community and to the sustainability of Block Island,” Peckham says. “We take pride in providing an authentic customer experience by creating the best facility possible so visitors can have the best vacation.”
“Being a part of the community means supporting it in any way we can,” Moffitt adds. “We try to help with local business ventures when we’re approached, and we’ve 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.”
Schuyler and Peckham, with their dogs, at work on the main dock at New Harbor Boat Basin.
Camaraderie extends beyond the docks. “The small island mentality means that everyone will come together on short notice to get things done,” 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.
“It means the world to me,” Schuyler says.
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—not just to the business, but to the island community that depends on it.
Anchored in Rhode Island
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’t 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—from the policies that shape waterfront development to the regulations that govern how marinas operate.
That trajectory—from hands-on work to leadership informed by education—is exactly what the field of marine affairs is designed to support.
Schuyler and Peckham, on the main dock at New Harbor Boat Basin.
Graduates with a nuanced understanding of both the water and the policies that govern it are uniquely positioned to shape Rhode Island’s future.
“I have always valued my degree,” says Moffitt. “And I think ş¬Đ߲ݴ«Ă˝â€™s Department of Marine Affairs is growing appropriately to match the needs of the economy.”
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’s future.
“The program allows those of us who have a great connection with the ocean to find out where we best fit into the professional world,” Peckham says. “It 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.”
“I wouldn’t want it any other way,” Schuyler adds.
PHOTOS: Aisha McAdams; Max Kraimer
I’m a ş¬Đ߲ݴ«Ă˝ grad, class of 63. I never knew about all of this and I try to visit the island twice a year. We always avoid the summer crowds. When I win the lottery, I’m buying a place there!
The program was created after the Coastal Zone Management Act of ’72 by Dr. Lewis Alexander.
Great crew at the basin. Luke and Olin are the best, always professional and some of the most helpful in the harbor. Hope they are here for years to come.
I received my Master of Marine Affairs degree in 1971 under Dr. Lewis Alexander, but continued my Navy career. It is good to see the Program thriving and growing.