John A. Perkins Jr.

Partner
(401) 683-6070

John’s love for water and boats began in childhood on Buzzard’s Bay and in the Maine waters off North Haven Island. His passion found expression in both design and competition – as a young child making and racing model sailboats, building his own boat when he was twelve and winning the New England secondary school championships with a sailing team he started. Summers during his college years, John taught and ran sailing schools for yacht clubs in Maine and Seattle. He successfully competes in One-Design, racing in dinghies, International 14s and 505s.

After graduating from Monmouth College and completing graduate school at the University of Wisconsin, with plans to teach history, John instead became a part-time yacht broker for Northrop & Johnson in Marblehead, MA. He moved on to Alden Yacht brokerage in Boston, eventually becoming Manager, where he stayed for eighteen years. In 1989, he joined the Hoods of Little Harbor as Director of the Yacht Brokerage Division. In July, 2009, John joined Wellington Yacht Partners as a Partner.

John was actively involved in the design of boats during his years with Alden and has since been an active influence on customers in the design of custom yachts.

John has made significant contributions to the yacht brokerage industry and has received recognition from his peers during his several decades of brokering sail and powerboats. Active with the Yacht Broker’s Association of America (YBAA), he co-authored its Code of Business and Ethics, was Chairman of the Business and Ethics Committee for a ten-year period and has previously been voted YBAA's Broker of the Year.

His reputation in the brokerage community and his curiosity about, understanding and knowledge of, his products affords his clients, in their discussions and deliberations with John, to learn not only the facts concerning a particular boat, but also the dream of what it could become. John’s arsenal of repeat clients attests to their confidence in his advice and allows him to stay in touch with the unique histories of many brokered boats and their owners.

John is married to Nancy Driggs, an attorney and writer, whom he met when she was a “would be” client looking for a houseboat. The closest they have come to Nancy’s houseboat is their house in Tiverton, RI, which is built on pilings over the water. They have three children: Jessica, a practicing Neonatologist (son-in-law Kelly and grandson Max); Fletcher, a CFA in the investment business (daughter-in-law Jennifer); and Trevor, an attorney.