RI / Narragansett Bay

TWO WEEKS OF HEAVEN

We’ve been planning our trip up the Narragansett Bay for quite a few years, but something always got in the way. This summer we actually took 2 weeks and did it!

The Narragansett is a great place for southern New Englanders as well as New Yorkers to sail if you are looking to remain in local waters. Aside from being local, most of the stops along the way are short distances that leaves you time for some extra sailing or sightseeing, the wind and depths are great for sailing and the scenery is breathtaking. While experiencing bad weather, fog, missing dinghies and engine trouble can make one’s trip memorable, we had the pleasure (for a change) to have none of those calamities along the way. We had perfect days almost every day that produced beautiful sunsets as well. We split out trip pretty evenly between mooring, anchoring and obtaining a slip.

Leaving our homeport of Mystic, CT aboard “Just Ducky”, our Hunter 37.5, on a bright sunny morning was a good start. We start almost all of our eastern voyages with a stop at Block Island and this trip was no different. After about 2000 miles on the ICW last fall and winter, and spring too, we learned to follow the tides carefully and to take advantage of the currents. We found out the favorable tide was outgoing at 4 p.m., and had mixed feelings as we decided to opt for getting a mooring instead of going with the tide and left in the morning. So we didn’t get the advantage of the outgoing tide nor did we get the pleasure of a south or north wind for easy sailing. Again the ICW taught us many things, one of them that it is no disgrace for a sailing vessel to motor, so motor sailing was the mode much of the day And as luck would have it (and not good luck I might add), we didn’t secure a mooring either.

Arriving at Block was uneventful and my husband Mat used his highly developed anchoring skills and found us a good spot in the anchorage. The bottom in the Great Salt Pond is very hard mud and sometimes it’s very hard to set an anchor. We did have one boat bump us gently on our second night. It seems that they were from Mystic also and their crew offered us some homemade cookies as we waited for the captain to return to the boat. What a nice way to meet your neighbors! It is just a short dinghy ride to the beach and Old Harbor is just a 20-25 minute walk where you can find many shops and a great array of restaurants to choose from. We had a great seafood lunch at The Old Harbor Inn. You also can rent bikes or scooters to take you around the island at your own pace.

Our first stop in the Narragansett was Dutch Harbor on Connicut Island. It was a great sailing day, with visibility over 12 miles. The winds were varied and gusty, but allowed for some challenging sailing. In Dutch Harbor you can either anchor or get a mooring, but call early to reserve a mooring in the busy summer season. The Harbor is just the other side from Jamestown, and again not a long walk along Narragansett Ave to the port of Jamestown. Here you will find some shops (Conanicut Marine Services if you need any supplies) and restaurants as well as the ferry from Jamestown to Newport. This is a non-hectic port that can make a trip to Newport both fun and easy. Biking around the island down to Beavertail Light is a great experience

Not being able to find a slip in Wickford, we opted for Warwick instead. However, if you can get to Wickford, it’s worth the trip and there is an anchorage inside the harbor. Wednesday nights during the summer there are a free outdoor concerts at the town dock. The trip up to Greenwich Bay to Warwick was only about 10-12 miles and was beautiful, and being able to catch the right wind, delightful! The town doesn’t have much to offer and is about a 1.5-mile walk unless you stay in a marina in East Greenwich. However, Greenwich Bay is beautiful and is a good spot to sail. There is an anchorage in the bay for those who enjoy being on the hook.

Our next stop was Bristol, my favorite of the trip. We docked at the Herreshoff Museum that offers both moorings and dockage. If you join the museum, your first night is free and there is a discount on the second night, so after doing the math, we joined and saved about $80.00. There is also a reciprocal arrangement on the museum entrance fee with other maritime facilities. The dock was quiet and only a few blocks from their charming town. We took our dinghy in once (there are a few places to tie up) and walked into town another time. It claims to be the most patriotic town in the US and even has a red-white-blue stripe down the middle of its main street. With flags adorning most doorways, it’s hard not to get caught up in the spirit. If you can time your visit, their 4th of July celebration is supposed to be quite a spectacular sight. The streets are lined with beautifully restored homes as well as boutiques and antique shops; and even have a few places to get that summer ice cream cone.

Then it was a short hop to Battleship Cove in Fall River, MA. Notice I didn’t say short sail. The winds were light and what there was, was on our nose. We picked up a mooring for $35.00. Touring the battleship, submarine and destroyer was fun and educational. The night, however, brought out all of the locals to the outdoor bar adjacent to the mooring field and played music, not even good music, until 1:30 am. Not so much fun!

We awoke to some rainy weather the day we planned to head for Newport. Again, it is just a short sail, about 15 miles. The weather improved as the day went by and we arrived in the sunshine. Since it was Sunday, we had no trouble getting a mooring ($40.00) as the weekenders had already cleared out. Newport is a stop not to be missed as the area offers so much in the way of activities such as historic tours of the mansions, a walk along the cliff-walk, Fort McAdams, as well as excellent shops and restaurants.

Though we did not run out of spots to visit, we did run out of time and worked our way back to Mystic from Newport, about 40 miles, in one day. We had a great time and thank Mother Nature for the great weather. Always, we are grateful that we are able to live the life of vagabonds, even for a little while.