July 15, 2023

Dear Boat Owners, Friends, Neighbors, and Sailors,

It has been five years since John Peck’s death, and seven years since he was diagnosed with glioblastoma multiforme and faced a difficult decision. Since the day that he decided to get back in the truck rather than sell the business, I have worked hard to keep the property functioning as an inland boatyard so that it does not lose the grandfathering that allows us to provide affordable marine services. Through many challenges, I have remained dedicated to working with Pecks’ Boats, Inc. customers, rather than taking advantage of them as part of an underserved market. My ultimate hope is to organize an Intentional Community of Stakeholders and transfer ownership of the real property to a cooperative, Community Land Trust, non-profit, or similar legal entity to protect the property from its own market value. Simultaneously, with the boatyard as a hub, we can network and grow into an active maritime association to address some of the mounting problems in our maritime community. As a tribute to John Peck, who started this journey with me, I have named the association we will form Peck’s Maritime Collaborative (PMC).

In my mind, PMC already exists as a community. I witnessed its existence through the support we received throughout John’s illness; through the turnout at John’s memorial service; through the cards that offered condolences; through the memories shared with me regularly; and through the willingness of customers and friends to help keep the business going.

As a business member of PMC, Pecks’ Boats, Inc. will continue to carry the majority of boatyard overhead and operations as we organize and develop other business entities and sources of income. Other PMC business members currently include Cotuit Solar, Cotuit Mooring, Dream Tale Puppets, Barnstable Seafood Company, and a new 501(c)(3) non-profit I started last year, Time to Sail, Inc. If I had to name one attribute that explains why these entities have come together, it would be integrity. This, again, is John Peck’s legacy. I ask you now to dig into your own value system, remember John Peck’s steadfast loyalty and dedication to the work he performed, and help us shape PMC into an intentional community that our children and grandchildren can be proud of.

Below is a link to an agreement and membership form for PMC that is designed to present my developing vision and start getting us organized around preservation of the boatyard property as a cooperative and other community projects. (PMC MEMBERSHIP FORM LINK ON PMC WEBSITE) I am setting basic individual membership at $50 a year to cover administrative costs, but the membership will include the rest of 2023 and all of 2024. Initially, PMC membership is primarily a vote of support for the project. The association will take shape and grow by responding to the needs and goals of the members. We can accomplish so much if we organize ourselves and work together.

In Peace and with Hope,

Laura C. Opie,
Executive Administrator, Pecks’ Boats, Inc.
Founder and Focaliser, Peck’s Maritime Collaborative