The Captain Morse House has been in our family since my father purchased it in 1955. I spent my summers at the house until I graduated from Tufts University. In 1973 I started Island Sports, a boat rigging and windsurfing shop. I expanded it to Newport, RI, in 1979 and ran it there until 2007, when we sold it. In 2008 I entered the vacation business and converted the Captain Morse House into a successful vacation rental. Since 2008 we have rented the home to over 200 families and groups.
Our most recent project is Vacation Rental MV. This full-service vacation management business is designed to assist busy homeowners with listing and managing their on-island rental properties. 2021 will be our second season in business.
In the winter, my wife and I live in Florida. Each spring, we drive up to the island, where we open up the house and prepare it for the season. We spend about a month doing this and then travel to Oregon, where we spend the summer windsurfing, kitesurfing, and enjoying all the Northwest offers. In the fall, we return to the island, help close the house, and prepare it for winter. There are always jobs to do on a house this large, allowing us more hands-on time. We travel back down to Florida in the late fall with the geese. I have built several homes and enjoy the challenge of maintaining this old house and of creating wonderful living spaces suitable for large or small numbers of guests.
Due to my long time on the island. I can help you plan your vacation. I can provide you with the best possible service if we communicate via telephone or email. Our guests aren't clients so much; they are friends assisting us in maintaining the property and keeping it in our family for future generations. The vacation rental business has allowed our family to continue to own the house and to share it with other people who love the island and the unique architecture and heritage of this wonderful building.