Ahoy Shipmates,

I am overdue in writing to you; in this case, a positive sign of everything we have going on here at OHPRI and aboard our beloved ship the Oliver Hazard Perry.

The ship is now in her new winter berth at Bowen’s Wharf, and I can’t but help notice her imposing presence as she graces the skyline of Newport’s waterfront when I drive down America’s Cup Avenue, or admire how the afternoon sunlight frames her so elegantly at the dock. And while we love our pier at Fort Adams in the summer, it is equally nice to be hunkered down for the winter in a well-protected berth, more accessible to our community.

With the sailing season officially over, I want to extend a deep debt of gratitude to the fantastic cadre of crew, staff, volunteers, and supporters who helped us over the last year to rebuild our organization. They signed on to sail over the proverbial unknown horizon, and I am excited to say that we have found favorable winds, and welcoming destinations.

Over the last twelve months we refocused our high caliber educational programs to promote maritime domain awareness and workforce development for the maritime industry, marine trades and defense sector. We diversified our programming to include more day sails and dockside events, lowering our operating costs. And we embraced our role as the state’s flagship by engaging more actively with the general public, hosting thousands of visitors aboard both here in Rhode Island and also as we traveled to ports outside of our home waters.

The future is bright, but in order for us to accomplish our goals of providing meaningful programming to our community we need your financial assistance. While our per program revenue is better than it has ever been, our ability to offer these empowering opportunities to a broad audience is still reliant on your support. Don’t miss the boat; be a part of our exciting future. Please consider making a donation today.

Thank you and Fair Winds,

Captain Jonathan Kabak
CEO