For over three centuries, North Kingstown has enjoyed a reputation as a town with a rich mariners’ tradition. Ships of all sizes have been built or operated here. Small commercial fishing fleets and charter boats continue to anchor here. Recreational boats of all types today are making one-day, weekend or charter trips for boating, fishing, exploration or relaxation.
So it is no wonder that in the historic Wickford Village or in the revitalized Quonset area those familiar sounds and sights of boats are once again gracing the harbor and shores of Narragansett Bay.
Now that previously winterized boats have been shed of their plastic wrap and made seaworthy again, there are plenty of choices in the area where boat owners can launch, anchor and keep their vessels safe or well maintained.
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Marinas and shipyards, three yacht clubs and a few public boat launches make North Kingstown accessible to boaters of every level.
“It’s amazing that in a body of water the size of Narragansett Bay how few naturally protected national harbors there are like Wickford,” says Jack Nicolls, yard manager at Brewer Wickford Cove Marina, where over 200 slips and 50 moorings for boats ranging in size from 10 feet to 80 feet have been sold out early in the season. “But we usually have temporary slips that are available,” he adds of his large marina that offers a variety of services for residents and visitors.
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Wickford Shipyard offers chances for recreational and commercial boat owners to keep their boats there and to work on them.
The Wickford Yacht Club and Saunderstown Yacht Club provide opportiunities for individuals and families to sail and race or to learn how to sail with lessons, cruising activities, skill building, seminars with social events available for anyone to join.
One of the hotspots for kayaking in the state is North Kingstown, thanks to the The Kayak Centre of Rhode Island in Wickford, which offers a variety of kayaks for novices and experts. It also provides lessons and trips for kayakers of all ages.
A favorite place for many residents and visitors to launch their boats is at the Allen Harbor Marina and its public boating ramp in Quonset, which the town currently operates after having acquired the complex from the Navy over three decades ago. There are over 80 moorings and 60 slips here, all of which were also rented out early this season.
“It has been slow so far,” said William Slater, operations manager at Allen Harbor Marina the past 19 years. “The price of fuel is up and not as many people have been going out so far. We do have new people this season.”
Those new patrons at Allen Harbor Marina include Priscilla Boegler and her husband, Jack, from North Kingstown, who are enjoying their time on a 20-foot Aqua Sport. “We are enjoying our first year here,” she says. "We like to fish and we get on the water as much as we can."
Allen Schmitz of North Kingstown had just returned from a venture in the harbor with his son, Nick, and nephew. He says he has been at Allen Harbor Marina for over two decades. “The marina is getting better and better and people are always friendly and helpful here. We have done a lot of tubing and fishing,” he says of the family off-marina ventures. “I have taken my son tubing and he rode it in all the way from Prudence Island to here.” Nick adds: “Last year we caught 58 striped bass.”
On the other side of the sheltered inlet from Allen’s Harbor Marina are boats of Quonset Yacht Club bobbing peacefully up and down. Many will be out on the bay during the weekend. Other boats are being serviced, launched or stored inside at Mill Creek Marine, a dry stack indoor storage facility and their newest neighbor.
This merely skims the surface of boating and nautical-related businesses in North Kingstown who help mariners get out on the water, land the big one, experience the blasts of spray on a fast-power boat, cruise on a sailboat or merely cool off and relax on a saunter up and down the bay.
The economy of the town depends a lot on marine-related businesses, providing employment for so many citizens.
Stop in or call the for more information on specific places or go to the websites of businesses mentioned here to learn more about them.
In the meantime, 'whatever floats your boat' might indeed be an apt motto in North Kingstown waters. The town offers boaters multiple opportunities to enjoy boating, fishing and other pleasurable pursuits in the bay offshore or in its many inlets and coves.
