Peconic Star plans Greenport comeback with 80-foot party boat

The owner of Greenport’s Peconic Star is pursuing an 80-foot party boat to expand his charter operation — reversing course after abruptly announcing in September that the longtime business was closing for good.

Arnold Hubert, known as Capt. Speedy, has asked the village to expedite renewal of his current license and issue a new one for the additional vessel, Mayor Kevin Stuessi told the Village Board at a work session on Thursday, Nov. 20.

Mr. Hubert recently completed maintenance work on his remaining boat in Sayville and has his eye on the new vessel from New Rochelle. It would have an awning and an upper deck licensed for 50 people.

“I’m very excited. I sent them pictures of the boat, the big boat that we’re buying, and they were ecstatic about that one,” Mr. Hubert told The Suffolk Times last Friday.

Mr. Stuessi said he’s been involved in discussions with Mr. Hubert and the East End Seaport Museum, calling the new boat “even nicer than the existing one and the prior one, too.”

The popular Peconic Star Fleet, which has been a village mainstay since 1982, currently holds two licenses at the Railroad Dock, each costing about $5,000 annually and tied to specific vessels rather than dock spaces. Both licenses expire in May 2026.

The company posted “Out of business, lost our lease” on its website in mid-September, claiming the village refused to offer a five-year extension. Mr. Hubert also sold one of his two boats.

But the following month, the mayor announced that Mr. Hubert, the village and the East End Seaport Museum were quietly negotiating to keep the operation alive. Mr. Stuessi had disputed the captain’s claims about the licenses, saying the village was willing to renew them.

Deputy Mayor Patrick Brennan expressed concerns about holding the dock space open if Mr. Hubert doesn’t complete the purchase. He said there has to be a balance between giving Mr. Hubert enough time and also looking at other potential applicants. 

The board settled on a March deadline for Mr. Hubert to finalize the purchase and provide documentation — two months before his current licenses expire.

“If he’s really committed to doing what he’s presenting now, he’s going to be done by March, because he’s going to need to get it geared up,” Trustee Mary Bess Phillips said. “They’re going to have to really market very hard to get up and running again. He’s going to have to be done by the end of March, anyway.”

Mr. Stuessi said the village typically requires applicants to provide photos and documentation of vessels before approving licenses. Because each license is tied to a specific boat, Mr. Hubert would be able to renew one license for his existing vessel, but would need to create a new one for the potential new boat.

The company has always had two licenses at the Railroad Dock, which the village took control of from Suffolk County in 2014.