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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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East Ferry Boat Ramp from Rhode Island Blueways

Newport/Rose Island – July 26, 2017

Newport Harbor (Goat Island) Light

After several rainy days the sky finally cleared, so I headed over to Newport to paddle out to Rose Island.

I put-in at the Washington Street Boat Ramp, paddled out through the Goat Island Marina, and past the Newport Harbor (Goat Island) Light. The first lighthouse was constructed on Goat Island in 1823, but it was moved to Prudence Island in 1851 where the structure still remains as the Prudence Island Light. The current Newport Harbor Light was constructed in 1842.

Rose Island Light

I paddled out into the channel for the 1-mile crossing to Rose Island. With its strategic location on the East Passage of Narragansett Bay, fortifications were constructed on Rose Island as early as the American Revolution. In 1798, the U.S. government began constructing Fort Hamilton on Rose Island. Like Fort Adams, Fort Greble on Dutch Island, Camp Cronin on Point Judith and Fort Wetherill, Fort Hamilton was a coastal defense battery during World War II, and was also used store explosives as part of the Naval Torpedo Station.

With increased shipping traffic around Newport in the mid-1800s, Rose Island seemed like an ideal place to build a lighthouse. The Rose Island Light was completed in 1870. The lighthouse stands atop a bastion of Fort Hamilton, which was built in 1798-1800. The wooden keeper's dwelling features a mansard roof with an integrated 35-foot light tower.

Barracks from Fort Hamilton

The government stopped using Rose Island as a military base after World War II. After the Newport Bridge was completed in 1969, the lighthouse was also abandoned and fell into disrepair. 

In 1984, the Rose Island Lighthouse Foundation was established to restore the lighthouse. The lighthouse now functions as a bed & breakfast, and the island is a wildlife refuge. 

Newport Bridge

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Washington Street 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"

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Trip Description from Rhode Island Blueways