Potter Cove - June 6, 2026

Getting ready to launch at Potter Cove

The weather has been sunny and hot, so I decided to take my sea kayak to the RICKA trip at Potter Cove. This was a joint trip for the Flatwater and Sea Kayak groups.

The RICKA Sea Kayak group assigns levels to trips, not to paddlers. Trip levels range from Level 1 (no previous skill required) to Level 5 (long distances in extremely challenging conditions). It is recommended that newer paddlers start off with Level 2 before moving up to Level 3. Level 2 trips tend to be protected coastal paddling, while Level 3 trips tend to be open water with bigger swells and longer crossings.

Heading out from Potter Cove

This would be a level 2 trip. The plan was to put in at Potter Cove and follow the shore though Jamestown Harbor to the Dumplings and back. We had 15 boats for the trip, and it was nice to see several new faces. We had a couple of folks who attended our “Get to Know RICKA Night”, and a couple who were just looking to check things out. Winds were from the SW 10 to 15 kt with waves of 1-2 feet and a high tide at 1:00 p.m.

We launched at around 9:30 into the calm waters of Potter Cove. Potter Cove is a long sandy beach facing the East Passage of Narragansett Bay. The beach and Taylor Point, which is just south of the beach, are both part of a town park that is popular for swimming, fishing and boating, so parking can be difficult. On days when the wind blows out of the south, which is most days, Potter Cove is somewhat protected. We knew the conditions would change once we got around Taylor Point.

Taylor Point and the Newport Bridge

As you round Taylor Point the amazing view of the Newport Bridge rises up in front of you. 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. Its massive size allowed large Navy ships to access the old Newport Navy Base. The big ships are gone, but Naval Station Newport with the Naval War College is now the Navy’s premiere learning center.

As expected, the wind and waves picked up as we came around Tylor Point. We paddled under the Newport Bridge and into Jamestown Harbor with some light chop and a strong headwind. We took a break near the East Ferry Boat Ramp to make sure everyone was feeling OK. From there we headed out into Jamestown Harbor. It is early in the season, so the mooring field was still relatively empty. You could see the masts of large sailboats still sitting onshore in the nearby boatyards.

Clingstone - the House on a Rock

At the southern end of Jamestown Harbor lies the Dumplings – a grouping of rocks just off Bull Point. These jagged, granite boulders were deposited at the end of the last ice age and resemble dumplings in soup. They are often covered by cormorants and other shore birds.

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.

Into the open water of the East Passage

We took a break at an isolated beach on the southern end of Jamestown Harbor with great views of the Newport Bridge, the Dumplings and the sailboats out in the East Passage.

After the break we paddled out around Bull Point to get a better sense of what it is like to paddle in the open water of Narraganset Bay. We paddled into a strong headwind with 1-2 foot rolling waves. We paddled around the small island off Bull Point before heading back into Jamestown Harbor.

Newport Bridge on the trip back

From there, we headed back in the more exposed water at the edge of the mooring field. We now had a tail wing with 1-2 foot rolling waves The views of the Newport Bridge were amazing, but you definitely needed to pay attention to your paddling. Larger boat wake is also more common in the open water, and we had a couple of 2-3 foot waves come through. Everyone made it back fine.

As we came around Tylor Point into Potter Cove it was like a different world with flat, calm water. We helped each other get boats and gear back to the cars before getting on our way after another great trip.

Links:

My Pictures

Tony's Video

Potter Cove from Rhode island Blueways

Jamestown Harbor - July 8, 2025

Newport Bridge in the fog

It was foggy this morning, so I decided to head over to Jamestown to paddle around Jamestown Harbor and get some pictures of the Newport Bridge. I put in at the East Ferry Boat Ramp and headed out into the harbor.

The Newport Bridge was completed in 1969 and is the longest suspension bridge in New England. It spans the East Passage of Narragansett Bay from Jamestown to Newport. 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.

Clingstone or the "House on the Rock"

I followed the boat moorings down to 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.

It turned out to be a nice morning with nice calm conditions. The fog burned off to hazy sunshine by the time I finished.

Newport Bridge from the Dumplings

Links:

My Pictures

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

Jamestown Harbor - July 22, 2023

Newport Bridge

I decided to head over to Jamestown this morning to paddle around Jamestown Harbor and get some pictures of the Newport Bridge. I put in at the East Ferry Boat Ramp and headed out into the harbor.

The Newport Bridge was completed in 1969 and is the longest suspension bridge in New England. It spans the East Passage of Narragansett Bay from Jamestown to Newport. 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.

Clingstone

I followed the boat moorings down to 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.

It turned out to be a nice morning with the tide going out and 1 to 2 rolling waves - great conditions for the trip.

Newport Bridge and the Dumplings

Links:

My Pictures

Potter Cove - July 29, 2022

Newport Bridge from Taylor Point

With calm water on Narragansett Bay yesterday, I decided to over to Jamestown today to get some pictures of the Newport Bridge. I put in at Potter Cove since I thought I would get better pictures from the north.

Potter Cove is a long sandy beach facing the East Passage of Narragansett Bay. The beach and Taylor Point, which is just south of the beach, are both part of a town park that is popular for fishing and boating. On most days a southwest wind blows in the afternoon producing strong waves. This morning the breeze was slack and the bay was relatively flat. The sky was cloudy and the sun was low resulting in some interesting pictures of the Newport Bridge.

Newport Bridge looking south

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 Jamestown to Newport. 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 paddled into Jamestown Harbor, but didn’t go very far before heading back.

Fisherman on Taylor Point

Links:

My Pictures

Jamestown Harbor - July 23, 2021

Newport Bridge

I decided to head over to Jamestown this morning to paddle around Jamestown Harbor and get some pictures of the Newport Bridge. I put in at the East Ferry Boat Ramp and headed out into the harbor.

The Newport Bridge was completed in 1969 and is the longest suspension bridge in New England. It spans the East Passage of Narragansett Bay from Jamestown to Newport. 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.

Clingstone - House on the Rock

I followed the boat moorings down to 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.

It turned out to be a nice morning with the tide going out and 1 to 2 rolling waves - great conditions for the trip.

Jamestown Harbor from the south

Links:

My Pictures

Jamestown Harbor and Potter Cove - July 29, 2020

Newport Bridge from Jamestown

I headed back to Jamestown this morning to paddle around Jamestown Harbor and get some pictures of the 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 Jamestown to Newport. 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.

Fishing at Taylor Point

I put in at the East Ferry Boat Ramp in Jamestown and headed out into Jamestown Harbor. I usually head south toward 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 time I decided to go north around Taylor Point into Potter Cove.

Potter Cove is a long sandy beach facing the East Passage of Narragansett Bay. The beach and Taylor Point, which is just south of the beach are both part of a town park that is popular for fishing, windsurfing, kayaking and picnicking. On most days a southwest wind blows from morning through the afternoon producing strong waves. Today the breeze was slack and the bay was dead flat. The sky was cloudy resulting in some interesting pictures of the bridge.

Newport Bridge from Taylor Point

Links:

My Pictures

Jamestown Harbor and the Newport Bridge – July 24, 2018

Newport Bridge from the Dumplings

It was foggy as I put in at the East Ferry Boat Ramp in Jamestown. I headed south and hoped that that fog would lift by the time I reached the Dumplings so I could get some pictures of the Newport Bridge, and it did.  

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.

Clingstone - the "House on a Rock"

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.

In spite of the fog, the winds were light and the waves for only 1 to 2 feet - turned out to be great conditions for the trip.

The Wildfire poses for the picture from the Dumplings

Links: 

My Pictures

East Ferry Boat Ramp from Rhode Island Blueways

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

Dutch Island – July 26, 2016

Verrazano Bridge from Dutch Harbor

I took a road trip over to Jamestown to paddle at Dutch Harbor. The wind was quiet, and the West Passage was dead flat, so I paddled out to Dutch Island to check out the Dutch Island Light. 

Dutch Island is located in the West Passage of Narragansett Bay and took its name from the Dutch East India Company that established a trading post here around 1636. In 1654 English colonists purchased the island from the Narragansett Indians.

Remnant of Fort Greble

For many years, the island was fortified to protect the West Passage from invasion by sea. During the Civil War, soldiers of the 14th Rhode Island Heavy Artillery, an African American regiment who later served in the Battle of New Orleans, constructed first earthwork defenses on the island.

In the 1890’s the Army established Fort Greble here. Like Fort Weatherill on the East Passage, Fort Greble was active through World War II and was part of a series of heavily fortified artillery placements that protected Narragansett Bay.

Dutch Island Light

The first lighthouse was completed on the southern tip of Dutch Island in 1826.  The original tower was replaced with the current tower in 1857. The lighthouse remained in service until 1979 when it was replaced with a flashing buoy.  It then fell into disrepair until 2007 when it was restored by the Dutch Island Lighthouse Society.

I put in at Dutch Harbor, and paddled out into the calm water toward the Dutch Island Light.  After snapping a few pictures, I continued around the west side of island before retuning to the take out.

Dutch Island Light

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