RI / Newport / New England

Newport Rhode Island

Newport, Rhode Island, the sailing mecca of the world! A pilgrimage for every sailor at some point in your cruising life. The harbor bustles 24/7 with everything from Tall Ships and 150 Foot Luxury Cruisers to the smallest of sail dinghies racing back and forth. The history surrounding the harbor and city brings you back to your own nautical memoirs of why you took to the seas.

Getting on the Hook:

The harbor entrance is rather simple but make sure you use your local Coast Guard approved charts for safe navigation and passage. The Newport Bridge will be to the North as you pass Castle Hill Lighthouse off your starboard side (or to the East). You will also round Fort Adams off your Starboard side on your approach into the harbor. We stayed on one of Old Port Marine’s moorings for about $40 per night in 2004 (VHF Channel 68). They provide mooring and launch service as well but you can also use your own tender. There is a town dingy dock but make sure you brink a lock for both your engine and tender. The Town dingy dock is located just North of Bowman’s Warf next to the Goat Island and Rose Island Ferry landing. You should make a mooring reservation ahead of time: Old Port Marine (404.847.9109 or http://www.oldportmarine.com/), Ida Lewis Yacht Club (404.846.1969 or http://www.ilyc.org/Content/Welcome.aspx) or Goat Island Yacht Club (404.849.5655). I use Old Port Marine but a good friend of mine highly recommends Ida Lewis Yacht Club. The Harbor is long- we stayed our first night at the far South end called Brenton’s Cove– it was very quiet and private but a long dink ride to Downtown Newport. We then moved to the other side and got a mooring just off Bowen’s Warf, an easy ride to the town dingy dock. If you love sailboats the site is magnificent as far as the eye can see with wall-to-wall boats no matter where you are in the harbor.

There are also several anchorages fields located near the harbor entrance and also on the far side of Goat Island if you do not want to take a mooring. Again, check your local charts for details. I like the security of a mooring, especially in a busy harbor such as Newport. If you do stay in the anchorage field you will be able to access the town docks or use the launch services (about $2 per passenger).

When your there:

Once on the hook in Newport you can easily fill a week with activities from hiking to shopping, museums to mansions. Check out the following link for some useful information, numbers and websites: http://www.newportharborguide.com/tel.htm. Although you can easily rent bikes, mopeds or a car, we love to bring our bikes with us when we cruise. Plan on a full day of riding if you want to cover everything from the downtown sites to Easton’s Beach. There is a good tourism and visitors center just a block or 2 North on Bowmen’s Warf. You can get bike, hiking or walking maps there as well. We rode our bikes through town and over to Easton Beach, located at the end of Memorial Blvd. The kids will love the marine life that washes ashore. We actually witnessed dead whale that washed ashore. 2 days prior while sailing into Newport, we passed a flock of seagulls feasting on the dead, drifting whale in Rhode Island Sound. Be careful of those Newport seagulls, as they are extremely bold: one swooped in and lifted a sandwich right out of my hand while sitting on Eaton’s Beach!

If your into sailing, and I am sure you are then definitely check out The Museum of Yachting located in Fort Adam’s State Park. I would also recommend taking a peek at the historic mansions as well. We just did one – The Breakers, built in 1895 and was home to the Vanderbilts. From there you can do the cliff walks along the actual breakers that takes you around the Eastern Shores of Newport. The following link will be helpful: http://www.cliffwalk.com/. Newport’s local Captain Vic does a good job at highlighting the “Top 40” Historic Sites on the following link: http://www.captainvic.com/top40/top40.htm. To take in a walk around Newport the following site would be a helpful tool: http://www.newportharborwalk.com/geophoto.htm.


Dining in Newport:

Newport offers the best selection of fine seafood New England has to offer. There is certainly no shortage of eateries of all types along with nighlife or cafes around town. A number of places that could be found on the following sites:

http://www.captainvic.com/top100/capvt100.htm
or
http://www.gonewport.com/whattodo/restaurants.htm

We ate at The Black Pearl and loved it. We also had a great Lobster dinner on Goat Island at a place located next to Goat Island Marina (accessible by water taxi or via your tender). Fresh and good seafood is on the menu everywhere you go. We also had an excellent dinner at Christies located on the harbor. For a quick bagel or breakfast fix there is Panera Bread located in the Long Wharf mall (just a few blocks North of Bowman’s Warf). Make sure you catch in at least one sunset off any bar or restaurant located along the harbor – they all face West making almost anyone with a harbor view and prime candidate for sun setters. There are plenty of ice cream shops along the way including a Cold Stone Creamery.

Nightlife is in abundance as well in Newport offering everything from pubs and sports bars to nightclubs. The dining links above will also direct you to some of Newport’s after-hour activities.

The following links offer additional information on Cruising to and doing things at Newport – Enjoy! - Rob

Maps of Newport and Newport Harbor:
http://www.citimaps.com/newport/maps/newport_full.pdf
http://www.citimaps.com/newport/maps/newport_parking.pdf

Captain Nick's Newport Travel Guide: http://www.captainvic.com/