Any tips for boating on Narragansett Bay?

[Major Tom]

Going there right after Labor Day for a week, first time boating New England coast. Any info on great marinas, best places to go, areas to avoid, or anything that might help a Narragansett newbie will be appreciated!

[South of Heaven]

Hey Tom, sounds like a fun trip. I'm not familiar with RI waters but Narragansett Bay is about 2 hours away via water from my parents Cape Cod summer home. I'd love to come down and meet up with you. Are you gonna stay around RI and venture south to CT or are you gonna explore Cape Cod too? I know a little bit about buzzards bay after having boated there for the past 2 years.

Jason 617.817.1136

[Rick from Maine]

A couple of us Maine C-Brats cruised Narragansett Bay Sept 22 –24, 2016. It’s a fun cruising ground with lots of variety. If you earlier the swimming will be ideal. Sea Water temp was 70 degrees when we were there.

I recommend you pick up “A Cruising Guide to Narragansett Bay and the South Coast of Massachusetts “ by Childress and Martin. Although dated, it has all the info that doesn’t change.

We launched at Colt State Park in Bristol RI which has free overnight parking. Unfortunately, the ramp is exposed and was hard to load the boats in waves. So, I’d look for another ramp.

If you like beach combing on sandy beaches, there are a few you can beach your boat on. You can cruise by the backside of the Mansions and tour Newport. There are some quiet anchorages. We couldn’t find a way to get off the boats in Providence as the water was too shallow to get to the floats.

The only Marina we stopped at is Norton’s in Greenwich Cove. It was very accommodating, has everything you need, and is $2/ft.

Rick from Maine

[Major Tom]

I'm really late in posting this but thought I'd share what I learned in case it helsp someone down the road. We went for a week and it was outstanding. Very easy boating... and I've spent most of my boating life on fresh water.

I found Sail Newport, which has a very large parking lot about 1/10 of a mile from a free launch at Ft. Adams State Park. We left the boat there each night on the trailer and drove the truck to our hotel. I think I paid around $30 per night for that. It was the best deal I could find. I was a little concerned about theft so I locked the trailer tires and trailer tighter than Ft. Leavenworth, and put a $50 GPS tracker in the boat. No issues at all. And the launch was fine.

The boating and fishing was very good. We ran all the way up the Bay one day, and spent the rest of the time fishing in various spots, both in and outside the bay. One day was pretty rough with 4-5' swells and short periods, very windy, and I took her outside the bay just a bit to see how she handled it. No problems, she handled as expected. I was curious to see how she handled a following sea, after reading about that here, and I see exactly what everyone means now. I just worked the throttle more than I would in a Vee hull, but if you aren't paying attention I can see how the stern could swing sideways and potentially broach in heavier seas.

All in all, I highly recommend it! (I mean the Bay, not broaching )