During the summer months, RICKA does a “meeting on the water” to replace its usual monthly meetings. We try to do a mix of trips that will be of interested to everyone. This month we did a Full Moon Paddle at the URI Bay Campus.
The 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, more experienced paddlers can cross to Beavertail at the southern tip of Jamestown - one of the most scenic and exposed-coast locations in Rhode Island. To the west is Dutch Island and Conanicut Island. To the north is the Jamestown Bridge and the more sheltered waters of the West Passage.
Bonnet Point
We met at the beach at the Bay Campus for a 7:00 launch. High tide was 7:18 with winds from the south at 10 knots and waves around 1 foot. Perfect conditions for our group of 13, which was mostly experienced flatwater paddlers rather than sea kayakers. Sunset was 8:08 and moonrise was 7:19.
We headed south from the Bay Campus toward Bonnet Shores paddling into the wind. When we reached the rocks at the tip of Bonnet Shores we gather up for the crossing. As the sun set we were able to see the moon rising over Beavertail. We paddled across Bonnet Cove, and then south along the Anawan Cliffs. From there, we paddled out into the West Passage with amazing views of the moon rising over the Beavertail Light.
Moon rises over Beavertail
Eventually we turned north to head back to the Bay Campus. We were now in a following sea, and the main concern is broaching when the wind turns the kayak sideways in the waves. The waves were small, but a stern rudder can still help to keep you going straight.
We made it back to the Bay Campus at around 9:00 after a trip of about 5-miles. It was great night to be out on the water.
With our shorter Great Island vacation, I didn't have time for my usual RICKA trip on Point Judith Pond, so I did it yesterday. It was posted as a flatwater trip, but I also put it on the sea kayak message board.
Point Judith Pond, or the Great Salt Pond, is located along the border of Narragansett and South Kingstown, and 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 pond is 20 miles around with many pretty islands and coves to explore.
Paddling around Galilee
We met in Marina Park at the hand-carried boat ramp next to the Point Judith Yacht Club at 10:00, and were on the water by 10:30. We had 8 boats – 7 kayaks, 1 canoe and a mix of flatwater and sea kayak paddlers. Skies were clear, winds were light from the east and the tide was coming in.
We headed out into the Upper Pond, paddled through the Narrows and out into Point Judith Pond. We checked out the osprey nest at Billington Cove and explored the islands and coves in the upper Point Judith Pond before heading to down to Gardner Island where we crossed the boat channel.
The crew at Dog Beach
We paddled past Beach Island and along Jonathan Island before paddling down the east side of Great Island. It was a little after 12:00 when we paddled into Galilee. We stayed out the boat channel and paddled across the harbor to Dog Beach for lunch.
After lunch, we crossed the boat channel and paddled up the west side of Great Island and Harbor Island, doing our best to avoid the boat traffic. We rounded Pine Tree Point, paddled through the Narrows and back down the Upper Pond. We were back at the put-in around 2:30. Total distance - 9.3 miles.
We had a great session for RICKA’s Introduction to Sea Kayaking – 8 participants, just about the right size.
The session was held at Wickford Harbor, which gave us a lot of options to find different conditions. We reviewed the gear you need for sea kayaking, worked on strokes (efficient forward and backward strokes, sweep strokes for turning the boat, draw and pry strokes to move the boat sideways, bow and stern rudders to hold the boat on a line or turn into the wind, edging, bracing and stopping), and rescue techniques (towing, assisted rescues and self-rescues). Everyone did great.
Our annual summer vacation at the beach ended today, so packing up to go home trumped paddling this morning. We had a shorter vacation this year, so I did all my paddling on Point Judith Pond. Fortunately there are lots of places to explore. I’ll be back next week to lead a trip for RICKA.
I didn’t paddle this morning, but I got out this afternoon for a trip down to Snug Harbor.
Snug Harbor is a small village located on the western shore of Point Judith Pond just across from Galilee. In the early 1900's, Snug Harbor was known for its fishing and lobstering fleet with boats working the waters of Point Judith Pond, Narraganset Bay and the open Atlantic. Today, Snug Harbor remains an active harbor for commercial and recreational vessels.
I didn’t paddle in the morning, but I was able to get out in the afternoon for a trip down to Galilee. The wind was blowing from the south and the tide was going out creating choppy waves and a strong current going through the Breachway.
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 Breakaway and the Harbor of Refuge, both completed in 1910, Galilee eventually became the home port for much of Rhode Island's fishing industry. I paddled past the fishing trawlers, lobster boats and charter before heading back to the cottage. There was lots of wildfire smoke from Canada that made the sky look grey.
The wind was blowing again, so I stayed close to the cottage and paddle around Bluff Hill Cove.
Point Judith Pond, or the Great Salt Pond, is the second largest of Rhode Island’s South County salt ponds. Its southern end at Bluff Hill Cove is protected from the ocean by the huge barrier beach at Sand Hill Cove. I paddled out around the cove, getting bounced around by the wind and waves before heading back to the cottage.
It was windy when I woke up, so I decided to paddle around the islands in the middle of Point Judith Pond.
Point Judith Pond has three large islands – Great Island, Harbor Island and Ram Island, and four smaller islands - Jonathan Island, Beach Island, Gardner Island and Plato Island. Ram Island is conservation land. Great Island, Harbor Island, Jonathan Island and Plato Island have houses on them. Gardner Island and Beach Island are empty, and nice places to stop for lunch. I crossed over at Plato Island, and did a big loop around Gardner island, Beach Island and Ram Island to return to the cottage.
I decided to stay close to the cottage today and paddle around Upper Point Judith Pond. I will be leading a RICKA trip here next week, so I wanted to check out the put-in at Marina Park.
Unlike Rhode Island’s other large salt ponds (Ninigret, Green Hill, Quonochontaug and Winnapaug) that are coastal lagoons, Point Judith Pond is an estuary where the Saugatucket River empties to the sea. I paddled up past Jonathan Island and Harbor Island, through the Narrows into the Upper Pond, and through the mooring field to Marina Park. Then I paddled back past Harbor Island and Ram Island to return the cottage.
This is our 15th year taking a summer vacation on Great Island on Point Judith Pond. We had rented the same cottage on Horseshoe Point for the last 14 years, but the owner wasn’t renting it this year. Fortunately, we were able to find another cottage just down the beach.
Point Judith Pond, or the Great Salt Pond, is the second largest of Rhode Island’s South County salt ponds. Separated in the south behind sand dunes and barrier beaches, Point Judith Pond is connected to the ocean through the Breachway at Galilee.
Fishing boats in the harbor
I always start off my paddling adventures with a trip around Great Island. Great Island is the largest island on Point Judith Pond. It is about 2-miles long and 1/2-mile wide, and full of summer cottages. I paddled down to Frank’s Neck before heading into Bluff Hill Cove and paddling under the bridge into Galilee.
The fishing village of Galilee was developed in 1935 when the State of Rhode Island dredged out a harbor suitable for commercial fishing vessels. I paddled down into the harbor to snap a few pictures of boats going through the Breachway before paddling back to the cottage.
I have led a RICKA Flatwater trip on the Providence River on the July 4th weekend for the past few years. It seems appropriate since one of the first insurrections of the Revolutionary War – the Gaspee Affair – was carried out on the Providence River in 1772. Providence was also the first colony to declare independence on May 4, 1776, and Rhode Island was the last state to ratify the Constitution in 1790 after additional protections were added by the Bill of Rights.
The Providence River is formed at the convergence of the Woonasquatucket and Moshassuck Rivers in downtown Providence. It flows south through Providence for a mile to its convergence with the Seekonk River at Bold Point/India Point. It then opens up into Providence Harbor before continuing south for 8-miles to the narrows between Conimicut Point in Warwick and Nayatt Point in Barrington where it becomes Narraganset Bay.
Leaving the Cove
We had a group of four boats – all kayaks. We put-in at Bold Point and headed out across Providence Harbor towards the Fox Point Hurricane Barrier. The tide was high and the wind was light. Rounding Fox Point we passed the tugboats and paddled under the I-way Bridge and through the hurricane barrier into downtown Providence.
Providence was established in 1636 by Puritan theologian Roger Williams who was fleeing religious persecution in Boston. It became a trading center in the 18th century, a manufacturing center in the 19th century, and a financial center in the 20th century. This history can be seen today in the warehouses, mills and office buildings that line the river.
Tug boats at Fox Point
In the heart of Providence the river passes through Waterplace Park. Completed in 1994, Waterplace Park includes pedestrian bridges over the river that connect over a mile of cobblestone-paved walkways known as the Riverwalk. The park is home to the popular summertime Waterfire events.
We continued up the Woonasquatucket River into the Cove, under the Providence Place Mall, and past the Foundry mill complex before turning around. Trip was around 5-miles.
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.
A couple of weeks ago I took a ride down to Sabin Point Park in Riverside to paddle out to the Pomham Rocks Lighthouse. It ended up being a wasted trip since I brought pieces from two different paddles that didn't fit together. I decided to give it another try today.
Sabin Point is a 4-acre park juts out into the Providence River at end of Shore Road in Riverside just across from Pawtuxet Village. The Providence River is almost a mile wide here so wind, waves, tidal currents, and large boat traffic are common. There was a strong wind from the south as I launched from the boat ramp and headed north along the shore toward the Ponham Rocks Lighthouse.
Pomham Rocks Light (aka Pomham Lighthouse) was built in 1871 and is one of a several lighthouses that uses the same plan by award-winning architect Albert Dow. A nearly identical lighthouse stands on Rose Island in Newport. I paddled out into the wind and small chop toward the lighthouse to take some pictures. Unfortunately, my camera lens got fogged, and I had no way to clean it. This is the only picture that I got.
This summer has been dry and the rivers have been low. Two flatwater trips that I was scheduled to lead for RICKA this summer had to be cancelled due to low water – Pawcatuck (Bradford to Potter Hill) and Charles (Needham to Wellesley). I had a trip on the calendar today at Tully Lake, but even that was low. Rather than cancelling again, I decided to move today’s trip to the Narrow River. It is tidal, so I knew there would be water.
The Narrow River, also known at the Pettaquamscutt River, is the tidal extension of the Mattatuxet River. It begins below the Carr Pond Dam at the Gilbert Stuart Birthplace and flows south for 6-miles forming the border between South Kingstown and Narragansett before entering Pettaquamscutt Cove and flowing out into Narragansett Bay above the Narragansett Town Beach and the Dunes Club.
Gilbert Stuart Stream
There are five distinct sections of the Narrow River – the Upper Pond, the Lower Pond, the "Upper Narrows" from Bridgetown Road and Middlebridge Road, the “Flats” at Pettaquamscutt Cove, and the “Lower Narrows” at Cormorant Point where the river flows into the sea.
My original plan was to do a round-trip on the section from the Sprague Bridge on Boston Neck Road to Bridgetown Road – about 6-miles. The tide was high at 11:30, so we would launch around 10:30 and paddle up on an incoming tide and back down on an outgoing tide. As it turned out, we didn't follow that plan.
Birds at Pettaquamscutt Cove
We put in at the Sprague Bridge and headed upstream into the "Flats" at Pettaquamscutt Cove and the John H Chafee National Wildlife Refuge. Established in 1973, the refuge includes over 300-acres of saltmarsh around Pettaquamscutt Cove that provides habitat for shore birds like gulls, egrets, herons, and cormorants. For many years it was also home to the little red shack on Sedge Island, which was demolished in 2016.
We continued past Middlebridge Road and the Narrow River Fishing Area on Pollock Avenue. This is also a nice put-in, but has limited parking for a group. From there we entered the Upper Narrows between Middlebridge Road and Bridgetown Road. This section of the river is lined with boat docks and summer houses.
Cormorant Point
When we got to Bridgetown Road we decided to change the plan and keep going. We paddled up the Lower Pond, through Casey's Sill, across the Upper Pond, and up Gilbert Stuart Stream as far as we could before turning around.
The trip back was a bit of a slog. The wind picked up and it actually takes several hours for the tide to turn that far upstream - who knew. We were paddling into a headwind and against the tide. Once we got back to Sprague Bridge, Tony and I paddled down to the beach at the Lower Narrows. Total distance for the day was around 12-miles - glad I was in my sea kayak.
With most of the crew up in the Adirondacks, I agreed to lead the Blackstone Valley Paddle Club Trip on the Providence River.
The Providence River is formed at the convergence of the Woonasquatucket and Moshassuck Rivers in downtown Providence. It flows south through Providence for a mile to its convergence with the Seekonk River at Bold Point/India Point. It then opens up into Providence Harbor and continues south for 8-miles to the narrows between Conimicut Point in Warwick and Nayatt Point in Barrington where it becomes Narraganset Bay.
Skyline from Water Street
We had a group of 14 boats – all kayaks, although Danny joined us at Water Street in his canoe. It was high tide when we put in at Bold Point and headed out across Providence Harbor towards the Fox Point Hurricane Barrier. We passed the tugboats and paddled under the I-way Bridge and through the hurricane barrier into downtown Providence.
Providence was established in 1636 by Puritan theologian Roger Williams who was fleeing religious persecution in Boston. It became a trading center in the 18th century, a manufacturing center in the 19th century, and a financial center in the 20th century. This history can be seen today in the warehouses, mills and office buildings that line the river.
Skyline from the Cove
In the heart of Providence the river passes through Waterplace Park. Completed in 1994, Waterplace Park includes pedestrian bridges over the river that connect over a mile of cobblestone-paved walkways known as the Riverwalk. The park is home to the popular summertime Waterfire events
We continued up the Woonasquatucket River into the Cove at Waterplace Park. We paddled under Providence Place before turning around, and had a leisurely paddle back through the city.
Our annual summer vacation at the beach ended today, so packing up to go home trumped paddling this morning. With family, work and weather I missed a few days of paddling, but that’s OK. I was still able to get out to most of my favorites including Potter Pond, the Harbor of Refuge, Jamestown Harbor, the Narrow River and Wickford. I missed some old favorites like Dutch Harbor and Fort Wetherill. Of course, I spent a lot of time paddling on Point Judith Pond including another fun trip with RICKA.
Denny and Ann’s grandnephew Zach is visiting from the UK and I offered to take him out kayaking. Denny and Zach used the kayaks from the cottage. The wind was gusting, but we still spent an hour paddling around Ram Island.
My first choice today was to paddle at Dutch Harbor, but it was fogged in. Instead, I headed over to Wickford to paddle Wickford Harbor.
Wickford was established in the early 17th century when Roger Williams purchased land from the Narragansett Indians and established a trading post. In 1637, Williams sold the land to Richard Smith who constructed a large fortified house on the site, giving the house its nickname the “Castle”. That house was burned during King Philip's War, and the structure that can be seen from the put-in today was built in 1678.
Wickford Shipyard
Wickford grew to become a major port and shipbuilding center, and today contains a large collection of 17th and 18th century homes. It is a picturesque village whose streets are lined with shops and restaurants, and whose harbor is filled with sailboats and yachts.
I paddled out from Wilson Park into Mill Cove, then around Cornelius Island into Fishing Cove, and then out to the breakwater. From there I paddled around the outer harbor before returning to Wilson Park.
I need to have just the right conditions to paddle around the breakwater at the Harbor of Refuge, and this morning I did - clear skies, calm winds, low tide at 6:00 a.m. and swells of just 1-foot. It doesn’t get much better than that.
Even after construction of the Point Judith Light (c. 1810/1857) conditions remained treacherous at the tip of Point Judith and a Federal project was initiated to construct over 3-miles of jetties to provide a secure breakwater refuge for shipping. Work began in 1890 with construction of the east (3,640 feet) and west (2,240 feet) jetties, and was completed in 1910 with construction the V-shaped center jetty (6,970 feet). A 1,500-foot opening was left for the east passage, and a 1,200-foot opening was left for the west passage.
Holes at the "V" in the center jetty
While the jetties were originally constructed to provide a refuge for ships traveling between Boston and New York during bad weather, they also protected the newly constructed Port of Galilee. In 1910, the Town of South Kingstown and the State of Rhode Island dredged the current Breachway and stabilized it with stone jetties. Then, in the 1930's, the State of Rhode Island dredged an anchorage basin just inside the Breachway and built wharves to create a port for large, ocean-going fishing vessels. This allowed the Galilee to become one of the largest fishing ports on the east coast
I lugged my boat and gear across the beach at Camp Cronin and launched at around 6:30 a.m. I was amazed how much damage was done by last year’s winter storms. The navigation tower at the east end of the center jetty was completely destroyed. Huge boulders were pushed aside leaving large gaps in the seawall, even at low tide. It's hard to imagine that water can move those huge rocks. I paddled by the cormorants and other shore birds resting on the seawall out to the tip of the "V" in the center jetty before heading back.
East end of the center jetty before and after the winter storms of 2024
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.
