|
The Portsmouth Club was chartered in 1974 with 97 members who had tired of going to Boston chapter meetings and saw the need for advocacy and networking focused on the Seacoast maritime community. Captain Richard Holt, Harbor Pilot for Portsmouth Pilots, Inc., was the first President. Over the years, the Club has served as a source of information and a forum for discussions and advocacy centered on waterborne commerce and the marine industry up and down the Piscataqua River and the Greater Seacoast region.
Early advocacy included the two hundred mile fishing limit, the liquid propane gas terminal in Newington, and later the commercial redevelopment of the former Pease Air Force Base and efforts to avert the closure of the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. The Club has consistently advocated for the improvement and maintenance of the 35' federal channel in the Piscataqua River that ensures the viability of multiple marine terminal facilities in Newington and Portsmouth, as well as the vital submarine repair and overhaul drydocks and berths at the Shipyard.
The Club and its member/stakeholders worked with the NH and ME Congressional delegations over the years to secure highly competitive Army Corps of Engineers funding for needed maintenance dredging, and most recently, the expansion of the Turning Basin that ensures safe navigation for the larger vessels calling at the upriver terminals. We were also successful in convincing both ME and NH DOT and the Federal Highway Administration to significantly improve and straighten the alignment of the ship channel when the Sarah Long Bridge was replaced. The Club encouraged priority federal funding by DHS to restore the very significant winter storm damage done to the USCG Station in New Castle as well. Other EndeavorsThe Club has consistently supported and encouraged local marine education programs that provide hands-on opportunities for students, such as the Traip Academy boat building program, the Piscataqua Maritime Commission's Sea Challenge program and the Seacoast Sea Cadet unit.
Regionally, the Club is an annual contributor to Maine Maritime Academy's scholarship fund and in 2026 anticipates the Academy’s establishment of the Captain Richard Holt, Sr. Scholarship, funded in part by memorial donations made to the Club. The Club also helped to fund the ship’s library on the new State of Maine training ship.
Over the years the Club has supported the preservation of the Seacoast’s maritime heritage by working with local maritime history organizations. The Club was involved in the dry berthing of the USS Albacore (SS-218) and the creation of "Albacore Park" to tell the submarine’s story, and has provided financial support to the restoration of the Wood Island Life Saving Station.
The Club actively supports local maritime first responders and specifically the USCG units at the Station in New Castle, and has hosted “Coasties” on Maritime Day in addition to further tangible support via the US Coast Guard Foundation.Programs and Events
To achieve its objective of providing educational and networking opportunities for its members and their guests, for many years the Club has carried out a program of monthly dinner meetings in the fall and winter featuring maritime topics of interest presented by speakers, followed by Q&A. Presenters are drawn from the leadership and operational Navy and Coast Guard units and facilities in the Region, authors of maritime related books and publications, University of New Hampshire and Maine Maritime Academy faculty engaged in maritime research and exploration, among many others.
Events are highlighted by the Club’s signature annual Maritime Day celebration held at the USCG Station in New Castle, featuring a catered lobster bake and the presentation of the Club’s coveted “Maritime Person of the Year” award. For the last several years, the Club has had an Annual Leadership Event in April, often with speakers of national prominence, such as Captain Richard Phillips of Somali Pirate fame and Rear Admiral John Mauger USCG (Ret), who led the Titan submersible rescue/recovery mission and subsequently participated in the USCG maritime safety investigation into the cause(s) of the tragedy. The Club also has been sponsoring a very popular August cruise event on the Piscataqua River with knowledgeable narration by currently serving Senior Governors familiar with its currents, features and history, as well as the many maritime businesses along our working waterfront.
Thanks to the commitment and financial support of the Club’s sustaining sponsors, these programs and events are offered at an affordable cost to our members and their guests, which has resulted in new members bringing their talents to the Club. Membership has increased every year, post-COVID, with a commensurate gain in networking opportunities for all members. Positive validation comes from the fact that in that same time period at least 3 members obtained their current employment through opportunities they learned of by participating in the Club.
Board of GovernorsOFFICERS PRESIDENT: Sean Clancy - Assistant Portsmouth City Manager for Economic Development – January 2028
VICE PRESIDENT: Michael Donahue – Vice Chair, NH Ports & Harbors Advisory Council – January 2027
SECRETARY: Tom Maciel – New Hampshire Port Authority Operations Manager – January 2028
TREASURER: Travis Baker – Appledore Marine Engineering – January 2027
PAST PRESIDENT: Wendy Lull – President Emerita – Seacoast Science Center – January 2028
AT LARGE MEMBERS
(Term ending January 2027) Tom Davis – Captain
Roger Groux – Former Chair, NH Ports & Harbors Advisory Council
Chip Taccetta – Pilot
Tim Winters – Vice President Operations, Sprague Operating Resources LLC
(Term ending January 2028)Bryan Bush – President, Pepperrell Cove Marine Services
Noah Elwood – President, Appledore Marine Engineering
Ted Knowles – Retired Pilot, PNSY Shipyard
Peter Welch – Member, Newington NH Planning Board / former Town Dockmaster
EX OFFICIO
Richard Hartley - Director, NH Port Authority
SENIOR GOVERNORS
Cheryl Coviello - Associate Principal, GZA GeoEnvironmental, Inc
William Creighton - Granite State Minerals
Steve Halloran - Sprague Energy/Pike Industries
Richard Holt, Jr. - Portsmouth Pilots/Moran Towing
Jack Nelson - Retired - Broadreach Staffing
Geno Marconi – Retired Director, NH Port Authority
Bylaws Propeller Club of Portsmouth NH Bylaws 10_11_24.pdf
|
