After over four decades of hauling and cleaning vessels, organizing the shipyard “like a jigsaw puzzle” — in sunshine, rain, snow and even hurricanes — longtime marina worker Roger Clark of Southold retired last week from Safe Harbor Marina in Greenport.
Mr. Clark worked on the same yard for nearly 45 years, making him a firsthand witness to the evolution of the maritime industry in the historic nautical village.
A child of two Southold schoolteachers, Mr. Clark remembered feeling lost after finishing high school and uncertain of what he wanted to do next. He went on to attend SUNY Canton to study food science and did a stint at the New York State Department of Agriculture inspecting farm produce.
After some time moving all around upstate New York, Mr. Clark said he began to miss the seaside feel of home. He came back to Southold and his friend got him a summer job at a little marina on Main Road, which is known today as the Southold Marine Center.
Although working at marinas wasn’t his initial calling, Mr. Clark’s maritime roots in Greenport go way back. During World War II, Brigham’s Shipyard — now the site of Greenport Yacht & Shipbuilding — built PT boats and landing craft for the U.S. Navy. He said his grandfather worked for Brigham’s building minesweepers for the war effort and his grandmother was stationed there as well in the infirmary.
His great-grandfather was part of the United States Life Saving Service, which was established in 1871 to aid mariners in distress. Today, it’s commonly known as the U.S. Coat Guard.
When the summer ended and he was out of work at the Southold marina, he went to see if Henry Pierce of Pierce Yacht Basin needed some extra hands. He began working for Mr. Pierce in 1980 and was under his wing until the business changed hands three years later.
“I didn’t know a lot about boats, but it was a learning experience,” Mr. Clark said. “Henry taught me a lot — he used to try you out on everything, you did a little bit of everything when you worked with him.”
Jack Brewer then took over with Brewer Yacht Yard and started “reinvesting” into the property, Mr. Clark recalled. At the time, he was buying family-owned boat yards all along the East Coast and looked to bring a “true service yard ” to Greenport, Mr. Clark said.
In 2017, Safe Harbor Marinas and Brewer Yacht Yards merged to become one of the largest owner and operator of marinas in the country. At the time, there was an understanding from Safe Harbor that the Brewer employees had an expertise that they needed in order to run a successful business, so they retained those workers, including Mr. Clark.
“That’s how it’s been all along, every owner, I go with the place,” Mr. Clark joked.
Mr. Clark’s work schedule as a boat hauler changes with the season: in the busy months, Mr. Clark and the crew could take out five to six boats a day out of the water to service them. His job has allowed him to “run his own show” at times, he said, and he has enjoyed being able to work outside, instead of being cooped up inside at a desk all day.
He credited every manager he has worked under for having their own vision. One of his favorite things about his job has been seeing the evolution of the marina, especially the changes in technology. From lifting boats onto wooden cradles to now being able to use cranes and hydraulic trailers, the introduction of modern equipment has improved overall efficiency, he said.
“It’s been a learning experience all along, I’m still learning every day because the technology is just going so fast, it’s hard to keep up,” Mr. Clark said. “I’ve really enjoyed seeing the evolution of the place — that’s just the story of my life, just keep rolling with the changes.”
Doreen Goldsmith met Mr. Clark in kindergarten and they rode the school bus together. They were also neighbors and his parents were her teachers. They’ve remained close friends and have worked together for nearly 28 years, since Brewer Yacht Yard owned the dock.
She described Mr. Clark as very meticulous and friendly person who is incredibly knowledgeable in the field and always willing to lend a helping hand.
“He is a great worker, he was here every day, and then when we had hurricanes, they worked until it was too dark to work anymore,” Ms. Goldsmith said. “He was a very well oiled machine himself — he knew just what to do and how to do it always.”
This past weekend, Mr. Clark’s friends, family and Safe Harbor colleagues gathered at Townsend Manor Inn to celebrate his well-deserved retirement.
Although the business has changed hands over the last few decades, Mr. Clark said one of the sole reasons he stayed was because of the family-like atmosphere — something he said he will miss the most.
Now a few days into his retirement, Mr. Clark said he is looking forward to doing more hiking, catching up on home improvement projects, traveling and spending time with old friends and his family.
Reflecting on his career and his younger self starting out in the industry, he said one piece of advice that stuck with him was from Mr. Pierce: “all you need for this job is common sense and a little bit of foresight.”
“Sometimes you just gotta grab the bull by the horns and just go for it,” Mr. Clark said. “[The youth] can learn a lot just by watching how the experienced people do things: watch closely, ask a lot of questions as to how things are done that way, try to retain it all and don’t be afraid to apply it.”