Pier 5 - July 24, 2016

Shingle style cottages on the shore

It was high tide and the wind was still, so I decided to do some open water paddling over at Pier 5.  

Also known as South Pier, Pier 5 was part of a thriving resort community that grew up in Narragansett in the late 19th century.  At one time, ten hotels and many Victorian and Shingle style cottages lined the streets around the Narragansett Pier. The Towers is all that remains of the old hotels, but many summer cottages - old and new - can still be seen along the shore.

Fishermen offshore

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RICKA Trip at Point Judith - July 23, 2016

At 5:00, I was sitting at the marina boat ramp thinking that my evening RICKA trip on Point Judith Pond would be a bust. Just then Frank and his wife drove up, followed by Tina and her husband, and then Lowell paddled up from Harbor Island. Looks like we had a trip. 

We pretty much followed the loop shown in the Rhode Island Blueways paddle map. We didn’t make it to sunset, but the clouds were great, and we did get a rainbow at the end. I guess that’s what happens when a rain cloud follows you around.

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Upper Point Judith Pond from Rhode Island Blueways
Marina Park from Rhode Island Blueways

Upper Point Judith Pond – July 22, 2016

Justin

I knew we were going out for breakfast this morning, so I needed to stay close to the cottage.  I did a lap around the upper Salt Pond into a stiff wind with wind-swept waves – good practice.  After breakfast, I took the tandem canoe out with Michelle, and Justin took the kayak.  Unfortunately, it was too windy for us to get around the point, so we headed back to the cottage, and decided to try another time.

Michelle and Erik

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Around the Harbor of Refuge – July 21, 2016

Fishermen on the East Jetty

The winds were calm and the tide was low so I decided to do a trip around the Harbor of Refuge. 

The Harbor of Refuge is is located just west of Point Judith and is formed by three jetties that protect the Breachway and the Port of Galilee. The east and west jetties were completed in 1890 and have have been recently repaired. The center jetty was completed in 1910 and has a lot of breaks, which allow great views out into Block Island Sound.

View through the center jetty -
Block Island in the distance

I put-in at Camp Cronin, and paddled out into easy rolling waves. There were a few fishermen on the east jetty, but not as many as usual.  I hurried across the east passage to check out the center jetty - large gaps are revealed at low tide, and I could see through the gaps all the way to Block Island. 

I paddled the length of the center jetty to watch the boats leaving the Breachway and west passage before heading back to Camp Cronin.

Point Judith Light

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Narrow River – July 19, 2016

The cottage is falling down.

I took a road trip this morning over to the Narrow River.  I put in at the Sprague Bridge and paddled up into Pettaquamscutt Cove to check out the little cottage - it was in bad shape last year, and it’s even worse now. This section of the Narrow River is a tidal estuary. At low tide it attracts hundreds of birds looking for breakfast. 

I then paddled down to the Narrows to check out the waves.  I paddled out to Cormorant Point, and then turned around to head back in.  I’d love to come back with somebody so I could paddle out beyond the point.

Waves breaking on Bass Rock

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Narrow River from Rhode Island Blueways

Point Judith Pond – July 18, 2016

Sailboats in the fog

Just like yesterday, the fog rolled in around 6:00 this morning, and rolled out around 8:00.  Today I decided not to wait, and paddled out into the fog at around 7:00.  I headed north along the west side of Ram Island and stayed close to the shore so I could see where I was going.  Visibility was 15 to 20 feet, and I would sometimes paddle very close to birds before they could even see me. 

By the time I reached the Narrows at Upper Point Judith Pond, the fog was starting to lift.  I paddled west into Congdon Cove and Smelt Book Cove before crossing back to Ram Island at Gardner Island. There were a couple of baby osprey in the nest near Smelt Brook Cove, and a couple of adults hunting nearby.  They definitely didn’t like me hanging around.  I paddled back down the east side of Ram Island to the cottage.

Osprey in the nest at Smelt Brook Cove

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Around Great Island - July 17, 2016

Franks Neck - looking back to Horseshoe Point

The day started off foggy, but it was starting to burn off by around 8:00, so I took my canoe out for a trip around Great Island.  It was still a little foggy and hazy as I headed south past Franck’s Neck and into Bluff Hill Cove.  By the time I reached the Port of Galilee, the skies were clearing.  There wasn't a lot of boat traffic, so I paddled down to the last buoy before you enter the Breachway.  From there, I paddled back up past the Snug Harbor Light.  I took a break in the middle of Point Judith Pond on one of the sandbars that appear at low tide before heading back to the cottage.

The last buoy before the Breachway

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One Last Trip around Great Island - July 31, 2015

Low hanging clouds hung on the water as I went out for one last trip around Great Island.  Unfortunately, our summer vacation in Galilee ends today.  Goodbye Horseshoe Point.

Horseshoe Point on Great Island

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Port of Galilee - July 29, 2015

Port of Galilee

I didn’t get to paddle this morning, so I put my boat in the water at the dock near the cottage after supper, and padded south along Great Island to the Port of Galilee.  I knew that the evening light would be better for getting pictures of the fishing boats in the harbor.

Great Island is about 2 miles long and 1/2 mile wide, and full of summer cottages.  I headed south into a moderate headwind and easy rolling waves past Thomas Point and Little Comfort and into the Port of Galilee.  

Fishing boats

The Port of Galilee was created in 1935 when a harbor was dredged and a dock constructed at the mouth of Point Judith Pond. Connected to the ocean by the Harbor of Refuge and Breachway, both completed in 1910, Galilee eventually became the home port for much of Rhode Island's fishing industry.

There was an eclectic collection of ships docked in the harbor - large fishing trawlers, smaller lobster and shellfish boats and charter boats. Generations of fishermen have sailed from the Port of Galilee to work the waters of the Point Judith Pond, the Rhode Island and Block Island Sounds and beyond at the edge of the continental shelf.

Lobster boat

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Pier 5 - July 25, 2015

I headed over to Pier 5 or South Pier yesterday, and paddled down to the Narragansett Town Beach. In the late 19th century, this section of Narragansett became a thriving resort community with 10 hotels and many Victorian and Shingle style cottages. The Towers is all that remains of the old hotels, but many summer cottages - old and new - can still be seen along the shore.

The Towers

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Harbor of Refuge - July 24, 2015

New parking lot and view of the breakwater

The water was clear and calm as I put in at the beach at Camp Croning to paddle the Harbor of Refuge. Construction of the Harbor of Refuge, which protects the Breachway and the Port of Galilee, began in 1890 with the construction of the east and west jetties. The breakwater was not completed until 1910 with the completion of the center jetty.

When I arrived at Camp Cronin, I was surprised to see the work done to repair the damage done by Superstorm Sandy in 2013. After that storm, most of the parking lot had been washed away, and the sand dunes had been replaced by steep cliffs. 

Break in the wall with a view to Block Island

Easy 1 to 2 foot rollers were breaking on the shore as paddled along the east breakwater. Boat traffic was light, so I hurried across the east entrance to the center breakwater. Once reached the center breakwater I was amazed how many birds were on the rocks. Most were cormorants, but there were also sea gulls, egrets and others. 

The water was crystal clear, and the many breaks in the breakwater gave great views out into Long Island Sound with Block Island beyond. At the west end of the breakwater, I sat and watched the fishing boats, charter boats, and ferries entering and leaving the harbor. I paddled back across the beach to Camp Cronin.

Block Island Ferry entering the Breachway

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Lower Narrow River - July 23, 2015

Cormorant Point

It was high tide when I put in at the Sprague Bridge to paddle the Lower Narrow River and the Pettaquamscutt Cove. Like Point Judith Pond, this section of the Narrow River is a tidal estuary. At low tide it attracts hundreds of birds looking for breakfast. At high tide, not so many.

As I padded through the Narrows, it looked like it would be easy to break through the 1 to 2 foot waves breaking on the beach, but instead I took a sneak route through the rocks. Cormorant Point lived up to its name with hundreds of birds out on the rocks. I snapped a few pictures before heading back for an easy paddle around Pettaquamscutt Cove.

Pettaquamscutt Cove

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Lower Pettaquamscutt River and Cove from the Narrow River Preservation Association

Upper Point Judith Pond - July 22, 2015

Having pretty much covered the lower section of Point Judith Pond, decided to paddle north today into the Upper Point Judith Pond.  Boat traffic was light as it has been all week as paddled around Betty Hull Point and the Narrows into the Upper Pond.  Long Cove was quiet, and the osprey nest appeared to be empty.  I paddled back out the Narrows and along the west side of Point Judith Pond through Condon Cove, Smelt Brook Cove and Turner Cove before crossing back to the cottage near Jonathan Island.

Smelt Brook Cove

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Potter Pond - July 21, 2015

After paddling Lower Point Judith Pond yesterday, I decided to paddle over to Potters Pond today.  It is connected to Point Judith Pond by a tidal inlet at Snug Harbor.  Like Point Judith Pond, Potters Pond is separated from the ocean by barriers beaches to the south.  There are great views of the beaches at Matunuck to the south, and wooded shores to the north.

Matunuck

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Lower Point Judith Pond - July 20, 2015

Horseshoe Point Cottage

It was just me and the seagulls (and the cormorants, egrets and other birds) as I paddled out to explore the lower Point Judith Pond. After a busy weekend, the quiet pond was a nice change. The water was calm and flat. The flags laid limp without a hint of breeze. 

Great Island is about 2 miles long and 1/2 mile wide, and full of summer cottages. I paddled down into Welcome Cove along the east side of Great Island.  The empty boat docks made for an interesting picture.

One of many empty docks

I paddled into Bluff Hill Cove near Fisherman's Memorial State Park and looked down to see a crab trap filled with crabs.   As stopped to take a picture, the owner came down to check me out. In addition to catching crabs, which are prevalent in these waters, he also raises oysters in trays floating near his dock.

As I passed under the bridge at the southern end of Great Island, I passed a group of cormorants hanging out on buoys marking the traffic channel. I decided to save the Port of Galilee and Snug Harbor for another day.

Cormorant at the Port of Galilee

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Breachway in the Morning - July 19, 2015

Block Island Ferry in the Breachway

It's tough to start the day without coffee.  It fact, it's impossible.  I was up at my usual time - 5:30 - but the groceries weren't scheduled to be delivered until 7:00.  So headed out to find an open coffee shop. After I found an open Dunkin Donuts, headed to the Breachway to watch the boats going through.  I was surprised to see all the cars lined up at 6:00 to get in the parking lot at Salty Brine Beach.

The Breachway connects the Harbor of Refuge with the Point Judith Pond.  The Breachway was completed in 1910, and the harbor at the mouth of the pond was dredged and a dock constructed in 1935 to create a port for Rhode Island's fishing industry.

Sea Gull at Turner Cove

Later in the day, the sun came out so I took my canoe out to paddle the west side of Point Judith Pond.  I paddled past Ram Island and Jonathan Island toward Smelt Brook Cove.  It was easy to cross the traffic channel near Turner Cover, but there was a steady stream of boats headed out of the Narrows from the marina in the Upper Pond.  After waiting a few minutes, followed a sailboat across to Pine Tree Point.

The steady stream of boats kicked up a steady stream of waves as I paddled down the east side of the Salt Pond.  By the time I reached the cottage fog was starting to roll in.  At times, viability would drop to zero, and then the fog would roll back out again - weird.

Following the sailboat across the channel

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Saugatucket River - July 30, 2014

I paddled up the Point Judith Pond today to check out the Saugatucket River.  

The Saugatucket flows 8 miles from its origin in North Kingstown until it flows into Upper Point Judith Pond in at Silver Spring Cove in South Kingstown.  Like Pettaquamscutt Cove on the Narrow River, Point Judith Pond is a classic estuary where the Saugatucket River empties to the sea. Rhode Island’s other major salt ponds (Ninigret Pond, Green Hill Pond, Quonochontaug Pond, Maschaug Pond) are coastal lagoons. 

I was able to make it up the Saugatucket about a mile to the Mews Tavern before low water and trees blocked my path.

Cormorant at the mouth of the Saugatuckett River

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Harbor of Refuge - July 29, 2014

Fishermen on the Breakwater

I didn't get to paddle yesterday, so it was nice to get out today at the Harbor of Refuge.  

Construction of the Harbor of Refuge, which protects the Breachway and the Port of Galilee, began in 1890 with the construction of the east and west jetties.  The breakwater was not completed until 1910 with the completion of the center jetty. The Breachway that connects the Harbor of Refuge with the Point Judith Pond was completed in 1910, and the harbor at the mouth of the pond was dredged and a dock constructed in 1935 to create the Port of Galilee.

Even in the protected part of the harbor the waves were 2 to 3 feet.  I could see big waves breaking over at Point Judith, so I decided to go over and check them out.  The surfers were out in force.



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Port of Galilee - July 27, 2014

Lobster Boats

I decided to stay local this morning, so I paddled down Point Judith Pond to the Port of Galilee.  

With the Blessing of the Fleet yesterday, it seemed that most of the fishing boats were in port this morning. It’s an eclectic collection of large fishing trawlers, smaller lobster and shellfish boats and charter boats. Generations of fishermen have worked the waters of the Point Judith Pond, the Rhode Island and Block Island Sounds and beyond at the edge of the continental shelf. With the construction of the Harbor of Refuge and the stabilization of the Breachway, Galilee became the home port to this large, ocean-going fishing fleet.

I snapped some pictures before the clouds moved in and the rain began.

Fishing Boats in the Port of Galilee

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Sunrise at Pier 5 - July 26, 2014

I decided to go down to Narragansett this morning to catch the sunrise at Pier 5.  The colors seem to change by the minute.  

Sunrise at Pier 5 in Narragansett

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