Day sail anchorages in Narragansett Bay

[LBBram]

Hi folks,
We are sailing out of Warwick Rhode Island. We are a, new to sailing, family of five with kids and teens. We want to go out for a day sail that will take us somewhere where the kids can jump off at anchor, go explore the shoreline, have a picnic. We are using Navionics app to try to find anchorages but, a lot of the information is vague. Any great spots you might recommend? Or a cruisers manual with updated information?
Thanks!

[fcallard]

Active Captain may be available in your Navionics app. If you haven’t done so, check it out.

[Prospective]

Awesome. I've cruised Narragansett Bay with my family of 6 for years. Potter's Cove on the east side of Prudence Island will be the most popular spot. Inside the cove is mostly private moorings but there are places to anchor if careful. You can also anchor outside the cove in prevailing S winds. Other spots are Dutch Harbor on W side of Connanicut/Jamestown, Wickford Harbor, E side of Hog island near lighthouse. You can also venture in to the Sakonnet River to Fogland point or even all the way to 3rd Beach. All will vary as to shoreline access. Check out the Active Captain Website for descriptions of anchorages.

[Lost Horizons]

I once spent a few days anchored in Greenwich Bay next to a State Park which we visited by dinghy. Do not remember the exact location. Also, briefly anchored for lunch right next to the Fort in Newport, next to the mooring field. That was more than 20 years ago.

[Godshalk]

I have done the same twice this summer although without children. I believe there are public moorings (white balls with blue bottoms) in many of these harbors. At 3rd Beach, where the Town Moorings are clearly marked, the harbormaster was not collecting the fee. Nice beach there and at Fogland. There is plenty of room to anchor at Potters, Dutch, Fogland and 3rd Beach.

[radsailor]

name of park is Goddard Park, like the rocket scientist

[Larry Florida]

Originally Posted by fcallard

Active Captain may be available in your Navionics app. If you haven’t done so, check it out.

Can you describe where to find Active Captain in the Navionics app

[Mplight]

+1 for Fogland, also 3rd beach in Middletown at mouth of Sakonnet, as long as your mast doesn’t exceed 65’ you’re good to clear Sakonnet river bridge. (Rt 24).
Potter cove is nice, but a lot of power boats (not there’s anything wrong with PB!) also, be careful of going ashore- tick central

[jfischgrund]

Wickford Harbor is nice -- the Town of North Kingstown (which Wickford is part of) has a few guest moorings just inside the breakwater, to port as you sail in.

[Library70]

I would avoid Goddard Park beach. The boat wakes, from boats entering and leaving Greenwich Cove, will have you thrashing at anchor all day. Also, "white balls with blue bottoms" describes most of the private moorings in Rhode Island��
Pine Hills cove on the south side of Prudence Island is a nice quiet spot but it gets choppy in winds with a southern component.

[Godshalk]

Library70, I was the one who made the comment about "white balls with blue bottoms." Do you know if there are public moorings and how to identify them? At 3rd Beach, they are clearly labeled Town Mooring $20/night. That was not clear at Potters or Fogland so I anchored there, also have had bad experience with unknown moorings.

[RSB333]

My childhood favorite was Mackerel Cove just South of the Dumplings on Connanicut Is. (Across the bay from Castle Hill. It's a deep cove with a sandy beach and rarely crowded.
RSB333

[jfischgrund]

Originally Posted by Godshalk

Library70, I was the one who made the comment about "white balls with blue bottoms." Do you know if there are public moorings and how to identify them? At 3rd Beach, they are clearly labeled Town Mooring $20/night. That was not clear at Potters or Fogland so I anchored there, also have had bad experience with unknown moorings.

I believe the ones in North Kingstown (Wickford) are orange balls. Check with the Wickford Harbor Master.

[IslandTractor]

I'm a resident of Prudence Island and sail in Narragansett Bay. For a day sail and picnic out of Warwick there are a number of nice spots. Others have mentioned Potters Cove which I think of more as a nice spot to anchor for the night but there are also beaches. Coggeshall Cove between Prudence and Patience Islands is very cute but navigation requires a chart and sometimes a motor to navigate the channel. An area just south of Coggeshall called Sandy Beach by the locals is very nice and uncrowded. The charts don't label it but it is on the western shore of Prudence just opposite and a bit south where Potters Cove is on the east side and would be an easy one tack sail from Warwick. There aren't any other good anchorages on the west side of Prudence but if you sail to the south end there is a old Navy T Wharf that has a nice beach behind it on the eastern side. There is a small floating dock there (inside the wharf) and a sandy beach. The eastern side of Prudence has a couple of sandy beaches near the lighthouse. There are a lot of moorings but it shouldn't be hard to anchor close by.

There are some beaches off of Colt State Park in Bristol. It's mostly used by picnickers arriving by land and not many boaters go there but it is a nice park.

Others have mentioned Fogland and Third Beach along the Sakonnet which are very nice but probably an overnight rather than picnic destination coming from Warwick in the small sailboat. Be aware that coming from Narragansett Bay you will need to motor through Pirates Cove/Sakonnet Basin to get from Mount Hope Bay into the Sakonnet and a foul tide can be 3-4 knots against you.

[Library70]

As far as I know there are no public moorings at Potter's or Fogland.