Dansm's Sea Kayaking Trips: Newport (RI)

Newport Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island


DATE	May 14, 2004	TIME	1015 to 1400	TRIP LENGTH	17 nmiles

WEATHER	Overcast with thin fog, visibility 1 nmile. Temp 55-60F. Winds NE 5 knots becoming S 10-12 knots. Seas calm with slight swells early, waves 1 foot later. Water temp 50F (wetsuit).			TIDES	11:10 L 17:31 H

LAUNCH SITE	Fort Adams State Park: beach near sailing pavilion. RI24 south to RI114 to RI138 into Newport. Take Broadway to Thames, turn right onto Harrison, then right onto Ocean Drive. The park is on your right. To reach the beach, bear right immediately after the booth.		LANDING SITES	-launch E of Price Neck a small boat launch and beach abut Ocean Drive and offer a fair picnic spot. -Rose Island wonderful views of Narragansett Bay and tours of the lighthouse ($3 fee).

ROUTE	Launch from Brenton Cove, round Fort Adams and head south down the East Passage, then pass Brenton Point and turn east to Land's End. Retrace the route, stopping for lunch on beach east of Price Neck and reaching Castle Hill Light. From the light, head due north across the channel and visit the Dumplings, then cross again to Rose Island, stopping for a visit. From Rose Island, head due east around Goat Island and south through the harbor back to Brenton Cove.

A KAYAKER'S JOURNAL	One February morning, about three years ago, I had my first winter-kayaking experience in Newport Harbor, paddling a similar route around the southern coast of Newport Neck with my brother. At that time I was less well-versed in the mechanics of tidal currents, and we spent most of the trip through the East Passage fighting the current. I was excited to return, this time in the spring, with flowers and new leaves on the trees, few boats on the water, and the tidal currents in my favor. After my string of bad luck with weather forecasts this spring I was worried that an exposed route such as this one was not the best choice, but as I drove along Ocean Drive to the launch it was clear that the sea was cooperating with a calm day, few waves, and fog that was not too thick. I launched from the protected beach in Brenton Cove and headed around Fort Adams, embracing a gray day where the low stratus clouds seemed to trail down almost to Earth, leaving a thin veil of haze at sea level to inhibit visibility. Still, I could look across the East Passage and see the silhouette and flash of Beavertail Light at the southern tip of Conanticut Island. The clouds kept the sun away and the temperatures cool, which I consider a blessing compared to the 80-degrees-and-sunny weather that Boston received. Paddling south, I could tell that the current was ebbing, and I tried to get into a good rhythm in preparation for a long day on the water. After passing Castle Hill Light, perched precariously on the water's edge, I entered the large eddy northeast of Brenton Point and fought my way to the point. Fortunately, the seas were remarkably calm; a 1- to 2-foot swell from the south broke on the shallowest ledges, but the vast shoal off Brenton Point remained largely flat. I selected a safe route through the isolated breakers and turned west toward Land's End and the Cliff Walk. Newport is one of those places that you think can't really exist. The rocky shoreline is lined with houses, as is most oceanfront property these days, but the houses here are different. The locals who built them called them "cottages" because they visited only in the summer, but these structures represent some of the largest and most opulent mansions ever constructed. For a modest fee, visitors can tour several of these mansions, and many tourists walk along the ancient waterfront right-of-way called the Cliff Walk, which cuts through the backyards of some of the most spectacular mansions in the city. However, the most impressive views of the mansions are from the ocean, where you can see the grandeur of the mansions sitting high on the rocky cliffs of Newport Neck. I didn't quite have the stamina to paddle along the Cliff Walk (the best launch site for that trip is my lunch stop on Ocean Drive), but the southern shore of Newport has its fair share of "cottages," and the calm seas on this day allowed me to see them up close. In the end, I did reach Land's End (the southern terminus of the Cliff Walk) and paddled around far enough to look north and see the Breakers, the Vanderbilt family's mansion widely considered to be Newport's most impressive. I retraced my steps to my lunch stop, a small beach flanking Ocean Drive, where I treated myself to a feast worthy of the Gilded-Age Princes of Newport: beef jerky, canned peaches, but most importantly, hot chicken stew and cocoa. My regal fare even attracted a dog whose owner was biking by -- he didn't want to leave! I watched a great egret enjoy his own meal in the shallows nearby. As I ate, I kept an eye on the weather, and as expected the wind veered from northeast to south and began to strengthen. By the time I shoved off again, the wind had reached 10 knots and was generating a bit of chop on an otherwise calm sea. I thought of the trip ahead of me and how a southerly wind would quite nicely blow me back up the East Passage to Rose Island. With anticipation, I reached Castle Hill Light and selected my compass course to cross over to the Dumplings, a series of small, rocky islets off Conanticut marked by Clingstone, the "House on the Rocks" constructed on an island not much bigger than the foundation itself. The cliffs of Conanticut are stunning -- tall and yellow with seabirds and small plants hugging the crevices, they too support immense houses overlooking the bay. Paddling among the Dumplings is also a treat, as the kayaker feels like a floating pinball jumping between bumpers. It was Friday afternoon now, and sailors who had escaped work early for the weekend started appearing en masse; as I crossed the channel to Rose Island I was lucky enough to pass within 50 yards of a gorgeous sailboat boasting a mast that must have been 60 feet in height. When I reached the island, I expected it to be largely empty, but the private foundation that maintains the island had numerous workers mowing lawns, shingling houses, and painting buildings. I stood atop the island and gazed at the beauty surrounding me, a 360-degree view of Narragansett Bay. I also noticed that the wind had become a bit stronger, or perhaps I was noticing it more now that I faced a 2-mile paddle against it. Having no choice, I ate a snack and returned to the water, this time heading for Newport Harbor. Newport Harbor is usually chock full of sailboats, but in mid-May the moorings remain half-empty. On this day, commercial fishermen worked hard to repair their huge boats before embarking on another monthlong voyage, tourists stood on the piers overlooking the harbor, and tour boats buzzed about their business loaded with passengers. I slowly made my way past each pier, paddling steadily into the headwind, sometimes stopping to observe or to rest, and finally returning to the beach at Fort Adams. The day had been wonderful: calm wind and swells when I needed it, stunning vistas, and favorable current. I finished my trip by enjoying shrimp alfredo at the Bowen's Wharf Pub and Restaurant, and not a more perfect ending could be desired. Daniel Smith May 17, 2004

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