Companies today will talk breathlessly about the importance of “synergy”, which is loosely defined as disparate elements working in concert under a common theme or purpose to accomplish a goal. But when it comes to the newly-launched Warren River Company, it’s not just a marketing gimmick.

The company, founded by local captain and boating enthusiast Jan Moniz, provides historic and scenic tours of the Warren River, celebrates Warren’s maritime history, and does so aboard the only brand of boat that is still manufactured right here in town — Dyer.

“I thought it would be fun to start a boat tour business in Warren, with a boat built in Warren and refurbished in Warren,” Moniz said. “I found the boat, brought it home, fixed it up, and here we are.”

Currently, tours are offered on a 16’ “Glamour Girl” from Dyer. Tours can accommodate up to four people, and Moniz is in the process of having a 20’ Dyer built to accommodate up to six passengers.

Three different experiences are offered. Morning historical tours are available at 9:30 and 11:00 a.m., and take passengers on a cruise of the Warren River, offering historical anecdotes and facts about Warren’s rich maritime culture and heritage for about an hour. Those are open to all ages and cost $40 per person.

For the adult crowd, anyone aged 21 and over can book a 4:30 p.m. cocktail tour, where a small amount of BYOB alcohol can be brought aboard to enjoy a scenic cruise. For a more romantic setting, the 6:30 p.m. sunset cruise is the way to go. Each of these options are $50 and both last about an hour.

“My goal was a little bit goes a long way,” Moniz said. “You don’t need to spend the entire day out on the river. If you can go out for an hour, it’s so good for your soul.”

A Tiverton native that hails from a family of boating enthusiasts, Moniz holds a 100-ton near coastal license and has spent the past 15 years or so living in Warren. She said she is most excited about the chance to share Warren’s waterfront history with people who might otherwise never learn about it. Of course, she consulted with passionate local historical groups to get a good grasp on the facts, first.

“I don’t think people knew we built 800-ton whaling ships here and launched them, and people went out and came back with whales here. A lot of that money kind of sprouted this town. If you look around and look at some of the historical buildings, it was based on whaling,” she said. “Then we venture into the oystering industry. Warren had 12 oyster houses at one point on our little waterfront, which was the most in the entire state of Rhode Island. Water Street is known for its great restaurants, but our history goes back further than what is currently here today.”

A 60-year-old piece of history comes home
With her unquestionable appreciation of Warren’s industrial past, perhaps it is fitting that a little piece of Warren maritime history will one day become an integral part of the new river tour business.

Moniz recently came upon a 29’ Dyer that was built in 1963, commissioned by the late famed American philanthropist, Marjorie Merriweather Post (you might know her better as the original owner of what has become a pretty notorious Floridian summer home — Mar-a-Lago).

The custom-designed boat (the only of its kind to be fitted as a ‘commuter’ model) — once used to ferry foreign dignitaries to and from her wooded summer hideaway in the Adirondacks — had eventually found its way to upstate New York, where it sat languishing in a field. Moniz decided it would be fitting to bring the boat back to Warren and have it restored at the very same place where it was created 60 years ago.

In fact, Moniz said she’s not taking a salary from the business, but that proceeds from tours are going towards restoring the historic boat to its former glory, with the goal for it to one day be used to accommodate up to 10 people on tours.

“Bringing her home 60 years after she left, this boat just gives me goosebumps,” Moniz said. “I hope people respond to it and are enthusiastic about it as I am.”

To book your Warren River tour, go to WarrenRiverCompany.com.