Incident Management at Fort Wetherill - September 15, 2024

Discussing towing in the Dumplings

I decided to attend RICKA’s Incident Management session at fort Wetherill. We regularly practice assisted rescues on trips, but this would be an opportunity to practice more advanced rescues in real conditions.

We met at 9:00 at Fort Wetherill. Seas were calm and wind was from the west as we launched. We paddled out around Bull Point to practice towing in the easy tidal current around the Dumplings. I got to try out my new tow belt with short (15-foot) and long (50-foot) tows. On my tow rope there are two carabiners to unclip - one for short tows and a second for long tows.

Demonstrating the scoop rescue

On short tows my tow belt worked fine. I towed one person by clipping on to one deck line with clip up. Clicking on to one line will allow the tow will continue even if the anchor holding the deck line releases. Clicking on from the bottom with the clip up reduces the likelihood the clip with hit something and release.

I towed two people (rafted tow) by running the tow line through one deck line of the assist boat and clipping into one line of the victim boat with the clip up. This allows the assist boat to reach the carabiner to unclip the line if needed. The short tow line works great when you need to get some quickly away from a hazard, like rocks.

Two paddlers out of the boat

The longer tow works better when you are towing for a long distance – especially in swells so you don’t get run over by the towed boat as it comes down the face of the swell. On long tows, the knot and clip in the middle of my tow line created drag and a one point snagged a clump of sea grass that made it tough to paddle. I might consider removing the second clip and daisy-chaining the rope for shorter tows.

After using the tow belt we practiced contact towing with the person being towed simply grabbing the deck lines of the rescue boat and pushing/pulling the bows/sterns together depending on which way we were going. We practiced pulling boats out of the rocks with tow lines and contact tows as we worked our way along the rocky coast over to Mackerel Cove.

Getting Tim back in his boat

As we rounded one headland we saw Kelly out of her boat holding her arm like she had a dislocated shoulder. Cam was able to get her back in her boat using a scoop rescue. The scoop rescue is used to float a tired or injured paddler into a partially submerged boat, which is then rolled back up, pumped out, and towed to safety with a rafted tow. 

The seas were choppier with winds from the south as we headed back out after lunch. If you spend enough time playing in rocks you will eventually come out of your boat, and Tim demonstrated swimming out of the rocks as a proactive way to get yourself to safer water. 

Reviewing the hand of god rescue

When you are in the water near the rocks, the first thing that you need to do is get yourself to a safe position the with kayak between you and the rocks. Then you can flip the boat over, attach the tow line to the boat, and aggressively swim out of the rocks, all while holding on to the paddle. Tim did fine, and once he was in calmer water Bill and Eric got him back in his boat.  

We worked our way back along the shore continuing to practice assisted deep water rescues, scoop rescues (I did an anchor tow on one), two-out-of-the-boat self-rescues using one boat as an outrigger to get the first paddle in, and hand of god rescues. 

More rescue practice

The hand of god rescue is used to right a kayaker that can’t come out of their boat because they are unconscious or just can’t get the spay deck off. It involves a tricky combination of pushing down on the inside edge while pulling up the outside to right the boat with the paddler still in it - not easy. 

We got back to Fort Wetherill around 4:00 after a long day of practice. I learned a lot, but also realized how much I still have to learn.

View to Newport as we had back to Fort Wetherill

Links:

My Pictures

Video of 2024 RICKA Sea Kayak Training Sessions

Rocks and Rescue Session at Fort Wetherill – July 28, 2024

Heading out of West Cove

I’ve spent a lot of time practicing strokes in my sea kayak on flatwater, but haven’t had a chance to do many trips. When we did the RICKA “Meeting on the Water” out of Fort Wetherill, I was feeling a little uncomfortable in the ocean swells. I knew what I needed to do – relax, and spend more time in those conditions. When I saw that the RICKA Sea Kayak group would be doing a rock play and rescue session at Fort Wetherill, I decided to sign up.

Ask Rhode Island sea kayakers what their favorite paddling spot is, and many will say Fort Wetherill. It provides access to a beautiful section of rocky shore that is much like the coast of Maine. From here you can head north to the Dumplings and Jamestown Harbor for great views of the Newport Bridge, or east to Newport and around Brenton Point for rock gardening and coastal touring, or west to Beavertail to enjoy rock gardening along the southern shore of Conanicut Island.

Paddling in the rocks

For this trip we would be heading west along the southern shore of Conanicut Island. We met at 10:00 at the scuba diving lot to unload our boats and gear. Fort Wetherill is a popular spot for scuba diving and fishing, and the divers and fisherman were out early as well. Eventually the rest of the crew arrived – nine boats. Conditions were easy with waves of 1- 2 feet, light winds from the south, and high tide at 2:30 - that was fine with me. After introductions and the safety talk, we headed out to look for “rock gardening” opportunities.

“Rock gardening” or “rock play” involves catching a ride on ocean swells as they weave their way through the rocky shore. There are three factors to consider when paddling between and over rocks. First, what is the route and can I run it in my boat. Second, is there enough water and is it deep enough for the time needed to complete the run. Third, do I have enough time to get through before the next wave hits.

Staying close to the cliffs

Entering the feature at the proper time is key. Enter a feature in front of a wave (early) and it can send you skidding into the rocks. Enter a feature after the wave (late) and you might run out of water and get stuck on the feature and then hammered by the next wave. You want to enter the feature with the crest of the wave about at your hip.

After a quick warmup on the water we headed out from Fort Wetherill’s West Cove. We paddled close to the cliffs looking for rock play opportunities. We started off easy and moved to more difficult features. By lunch time we were at Horsehead. Tony Moore and I paddled this section in his tandem kayak back to 2018. We paddled into Horsehead late and got trashed by the waves - see 0.49 here. My timing was better this time.

Run through Horsehead

We paddled across Mackerel Cove for lunch (I need to work on my surf landings and launches), and then continued west toward Beavertail. While the cliffs east of Mackerel Cove are quite vertical with little risk of getting pushed into the rocks, the cliffs west of Mackerel Cove are more sloped. My timing on one feature was bad, and I got pushed up onto the rocks. I had to brace through several waves before I had enough water to work myself off the rocks and paddle through the feature.

We paddled around Shore Point before turning around in Hull Cove. On the way back I stayed out a little further from the rocks taking pictures and getting comfortable paddling in the waves. Once back at Fort Wetherill we did rescue practice. I was the rescuer and the rescuee, and did fine on both. Three tips to remember from this trip - keep your hands wide on the paddle, look where you want to go, and lean forward into a sweeping turn,  Mission accomplished on this trip. 

Heading Back to Fort Wetherill

Links:

My Pictures

Video of 2024 RICKA Sea Kayak Training Sessions

July Meeting on the Water at Fort Wetherill - July 15, 2024

Launching  at Fort Wetherill

During the summer, RICKA’s monthly meetings are replaced with “Meetings on the Water” – paddles that are intended to get people together who might not normally paddle together, or get people out to venues that they might not normally paddle. For our July “Meeting on the Water” we decided to step it up a bit with a trip out of Fort Wetherill in Jamestown.

Fort Wetherill is a former coastal defense battery and military base located on the granite cliffs across the East Passage from Newport and Fort Adams. Shortly after the Revolutionary War, Fort Dumpling was built on this site to protect this strategic access to Newport Harbor and Narragansett Bay.

Clingstone - the House on the Rock

The site would eventually become Fort Wetherill - part of an extensive coastal defense battery that included Fort Greene on Point Judith, Fort Greble on Dutch Island, Fort Hamilton on Rose Island, and Fort Adams in Newport that protected Narragansett Bay during World War II.

Today, Fort Wetherill is a state park and a favorite of RICKA sea kayakers. They will often head north to the Dumplings for easy tide race play, or they will head west to enjoy rock gardening along the southern shore of Conanicut Island, or they head east to the Castle Hill Lighthouse and from there around Brenton Point for more rock gardening and coastal touring.

Cormorants on the Dumplings

Our trip would not be that ambitious - just a short trip around Bull Point and past the Dumplings into Jamestown Harbor. We met at the at the Scuba Diving Lot at 6:00 to unload out boats and gear. After introductions and the safety talk we headed out of Fort Wetherill’s West Cove and into the open water of Narragansett Bay.

The wind was from the south and there were waves rolling in as we headed west through the cut-thru and around Bull Point. We stayed close to shore as we headed north along the fishing pier. The tide was going out, so we avoided the tricky tidal currents flowing out of the Dumplings.

Newport Bridge is in there somewhere

The Dumplings is a collection of boulders at the southern end of Jamestown Harbor. The most prominent is Clingstone or the "House on the Rock". This massive post and beam home was built in 1905 and has been recently restored. I am always amazed at the number of birds that gather on the Dumplings.

From there it is an easy paddle around Jamestown Harbor. There are usually great views of the Newport Bridge, which spans the East Passage of the Narragansett Bay from Newport to Jamestown. Unfortunately for us, fog rolled in just as we were launching, and the bridge was obscured in the mist.

Pulling in to East Ferry Beach

The Newport Bridge was completed in 1969 and is the longest suspension bridge in New England. The main span is over 1,600 feet long, and the road deck is more 200 feet above the water. The towers themselves are over 400 feet tall.

We took a short break at the East Ferry Beach in Jamestown. The original plan was to stop for an ice cream that the Sugar Shack on the pier, but with the fog we decided to head back early. We broke out headlamps the boat lights for the trip back to Fort Wetherill.

The crew at East Ferry Beach

Links:

My Pictures

Mike's Video

Saltwater Paddling for Everyone

In Rhode Island, we are fortunate to have great saltwater paddling not just for sea kayakers, but also for flatwater paddlers. Here are some of our favorite flatwater and sea kayaking venues.

Flatwater (These sites are somewhat protected and are suitable for experienced flatwater paddlers, but you may experience wind and wind-blown waves.)

Exploring the coves

Point Judith Pond

South Kingstown

Point Judith Pond, or the Great Salt Pond is the second largest of the Rhode Island’s South County salt ponds. It is a shallow, four-mile long pond located behind the barrier beaches and sand dunes that form Point Judith. The easiest put-in is boat ramp at Marina Park. From there, you can paddle out into the Upper Pond, through the Narrows, and into Point Judith Pond itself. There are numerous coves and island to explore as you head down to the Port of Galilee at the southern end.

West end of the pond

Ninigret Pond

Charlestown

Ninigret Pond is the largest of Rhode Island’s South County salt ponds. Ningret is separated from the ocean by the fragile barrier island that forms East Beach. It is connected to Green Hill Pond by a small tidal inlet. Putting in at Ninigret Park allows you to explore the west end of the pond, including a short hike across the barrier island for a view of the beach. Putting in at the Charlestown Beach put-in allows you to explore the east end of the pond including the Charlestown Breachway and Green Hill Pond.

Upper Narrows

Narrow River

South Kingstown and Narragansett

The Narrow River, also known at the Pettaquamscutt River, arises at Carr Pond Dam at the Gilbert Stuart Birthplace and flows south for 6-miles forming the border between South Kingstown and Narragansett. There are five distinct sections of the Narrow River – the Upper Pond, the Lower Pond, the Upper Narrows, Pettaquamscutt Cove, and the Lower Narrows. Putting in at the Narrow River Fishing Area allows you to paddle upstream exploring the Upper Narrows and the Upper and Lower Ponds. Putting in at the Sprague Bridge provides easy access to Pettaquamscutt Cove and the Lower Narrows where the river flows into Narragansett Bay.

Wickford Harbor

Wickford Harbor

North Kingstown

Wickford is located on the West Passage of Narragansett Bay, and is built around a large, well-protected harbor. Today, it is a picturesque village whose waterfront streets are lined with shops, restaurants and colonial-era homes. Putting in a Wilson Park allows you to explore the backwaters around Rabbit and Cornelius Islands before heading into Wickford Harbor and down into the Cove.

Sea Kayak (These sites are in open water and more exposed, and are suitable for experienced sea kayakers.)

Sakonnet Point Light

Sakonnet Point

Little Compton

Sakonnet Point includes West Island, East Island, Little Cormorant Rock and the Sakonnet Point Lighthouse. It is one of RICKA’s most popular rock garden venues. The water around the islands is very exposed and can be quite active. RICKA members also enjoy surfing when conditions are right at Surfer’s Beach near the Haffenreffer estate. 

Mansion on Ocean Drive

Kings Beach

Newport

Launch at Kings Beach and you are paddling along the amazing rocky shore of southern Aquidneck Island. If you head east you will pass mansions on the rocky cliffs along Newport’s Ocean Drive and Cliff Walk. Seal Rock lies a third of a mile to the south - a wild, exposed area that is a favorite for advanced rock gardening. If you head west you will pass Brenton Point and will enter the open waters of Narragansett Bay. 

Beavertail Light

Bay Campus

Narragansett

The URI Bay Campus provides access the West Passage of Narragansett Bay. To the south lies Bonnet Shores and Whale Rock - a frequent rock gardening site. From there you can cross to Beavertail at the southern tip of Jamestown - one of the most scenic and exposed-coast locations in RI. 

Rock gardening

Fort Wetherill

Jamestown

Fort Wetherill provides access to the lower East Bay. The southern Jamestown shoreline provides outstanding rock gardening and coastal touring, or head north to The Dumplings for easy tide race play during peak flows. Head east across the East Passage, with due caution in very busy waters, to reach Castle Hill Lighthouse, and from there around Brenton Point for rock gardening and coastal touring.

Newport Bridge

Potter Cove

Jamestown

Potter Cove gives you access to Jamestown, Newport and the coves and islands of the upper East Bay. If you head south, you will pass under the Newport Bridge and into Jamestown Harbor. From there you can cross to Newport Harbor, Rose Island and Gould Island.

Fort Wetherill – July 28, 2021

View from the put-in

My original plan was to paddle over to Dutch Island, but an iffy forecast and dark clouds to the north had me thinking better of if. I did a quick lap around Dutch Harbor before heading over to Beavertail to take a few pictures. From Beavertail I could see that the bay on the southern side of Jamestown was relatively calm, so I decided to check out Fort Wetherill. 

Fort Wetherill is a former coastal defense battery and training camp located on 100-foot high granite cliffs across the East Passage from Newport and Fort Adams. Shortly after the Revolutionary War, Fort Dumpling was built on this site to protect this strategic access to Newport Harbor and Narragansett Bay. 

View to Mackerel Cove

The site would eventually become Fort Wetherill - part of an extensive coastal defense battery that included Fort Greene on Point Judith, Fort Greble on Dutch Island, Fort Hamilton on Rose Island, and Fort Adams in Newport that protected Narragansett Bay during World War II. 

I put in at the boat ramp at around 8:30. I paddled around out into West Cove but didn’t venture any further out into the bay. Still, the views of Newport and the rocky coast of Jamestown are great.

Cormorant Rock

Links:

My Pictures

A Little Rock Gardening at Fort Wetherill - June 16, 2018

West Cove at Fort Wetherill

I have often thought it was silly that I live a half-hour from the ocean, but I usually drive two or three hours to paddle at some far off river. Don’t get me wrong; I love river paddling (especially whitewater), but it seems like I am missing out on some great paddling close to home. 

With that in mind, I spoke to Tony at one of our planning meetings about going out with him on one of the RICKA Sea Kayak trips in his tandem Tsunami sea kayak. I love tandem canoeing, so why would tandem kayaking be any different. I knew I wanted to do something with a little action, so we decided to do the trip at Fort Wetherill on the rocky Jamestown coast.

Heading out

Fort Wetherill is a former coastal defense battery and training camp located on 100-foot high granite cliffs across the East Passage from Newport and Fort Adams State Park. Shortly after the Revolutionary War, Fort Dumpling was built on this site to protect this strategic access to Newport and Narragansett Bay. The site would eventually become Fort Wetherill - part of an extensive coastal defense battery that included Camp Cronin on Point Judith, Fort Greble on Dutch Island, Fort Hamilton on Rose Island, and Fort Adams in Newport that protected Narragansett Bay during World War II.

I met Tony early so we could get our gear together and set up the boat. Fort Wetherill is a popular spot for scuba diving and fishing, and the divers and fisherman were out early as well. Eventually the rest of our crew arrived – 14 paddlers in 13 boats. The day was beautiful with sunny skies and light winds. We put in just after high tide with easy 1 to 2 foot waves.

Around the rocks

The trip was led by the two Tims (Tim 1 and Tim 3), and was intended to be an introductory rock gardening trip to give newer paddlers experience around rocks in mild conditions. I strapped on my helmet and we headed out.

Rock gardening is the “whitewater” paddling of the sea kayak world. In rock gardening, you ride ocean swells over and around the rocky coast. Timing is everything as you ride the swells over rocks, and efficient paddling helps to keep you from getting bashed by waves. 

Over the waves

We paddled out of West Cove and headed west under the huge granite cliffs. The Tims provided coaching as we paddled in and around the rocks, and practiced running pour-overs. When we weren’t playing, it was great just to sit back and enjoy the scenery. We paddled around Southwest Point and into Mackerel Cove for lunch.

After lunch, we headed back to West Cove. Tony and I tried to run a gap at the end of Southwest Point against the waves. Unfortunately, our timing was slightly off, and the water receded before we could get our 20-foot boat completely over the rock. We were stuck high and dry, and there was nothing to do but wait for the next wave.

Running the gap at Horsehead

That wave came, and pushed us back into a hole with a cross current that made it difficult to paddle back up and out through the shoot.  We got bounced around by a couple of waves, but eventually got ourselves lined up and powered out over the rock – it was cool.

We paddled in and around the rocks and enjoyed the views on the paddle back to Fort Wetherill. Hopefully Tony will paddle with me again, or I may need to find myself a sea kayak.

Fort Wetherill from Erik Eckilson on Vimeo.

Links:

My Pictures
Tony's Video

Fort Weatherill and the Newport Bridge - July 28, 2016

West Cove at Fort Weatherill

I headed back to Jamestown today to paddle at Fort Wetherill. Like Fort Greble on Dutch Island, Fort Weatherill was coastal defense battery and training camp. It is located on 100-foot high granite cliffs on the East Passage of Narragansett Bay across from Newport and Fort Adams. 

I put in at the Fort Wetherill boat ramp at 7:30. As a paddled out of the West Cove into the East Passage the bay was dead flat with the only waves being an occasional boat wake. I paddled east around Bull Point and headed up to the Dumplings to get some pictures of the Newport Bridge.

Newport Bridge

The Newport Bridge was completed in 1969 and is the longest suspension bridge in New England.  It spans the East Passage of the Narragansett Bay from Newport to Jamestown.  The main span is over 1,600 feet long, and the road deck is more 200 feet above the water.  The towers themselves are over 400 feet tall.

I was surprised at all the birds gathered on the Dumplings - a grouping of rocks just off Bull Point.  The most prominent of the Dumplings is Clingstone or the "House on the Rock".  This massive post and beam home was built in 1905 and has been recently restored.

Clingstone - better known as the "House on the Rock"

Links:
My Pictures
Trip Description from Rhode Island Blueways

Fort Wetherill – July 31, 2014

Newport Bridge

I had worked my way through all my usual paddling spots in Narragansett – Point Judith Pond, the Harbor of Refuge, Pier 5, the Narrow River and the URI Bay Campus - so I decided to head over to Jamestown to paddle at Dutch Harbor.  I thought the water would be relatively calm, and I could get some pictures of the Dutch Island Light.

On the way over, I caught the sunrise over the salt marsh at Zeek's Creek and had some great views of the Newport Bridge. The only access to Dutch Harbor that I know of is at the town boat ramp at Fort Getty, and the guy at the gate wanted to charge me $30! So instead I drove down to Beavertail to see the Beavertail Light, and then went to Fort Wetherill. 

Beavertail Light

Fort Wetherill is former coastal defense battery and training camp located on 100-foot high granite cliffs across the East Passage from Newport and Fort Adams State Park.  I put in at the boat ramp at around 7:30 – high tide was around 11:30.  The paddle was great - 1 to 2 foot rolling waves, and absolutely beautiful scenery.

I know this is a popular spot for the sea kayakers, but flatwater paddlers (with the right skills and equipment) would love this trip as well (in the right conditions). 

View from the Put-in at Fort Wetherill

Links:

My Pictures