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Warning to Narragansett Sailors (and others)...

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Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
9080 Posts

Initially Posted - 06/01/2014 : 07:40:54

[url="http://www.soundingsonline.com/dispatches/292144-video-hardluck"]Crunch[/url]!

Dragon sails out of my area. She should know better than to cut corners in a granite field.

Dave Bristle
Association "Port Captain" for Mystic/Stonington CT
PO of 1985 C-25 SR/FK #5032 Passage, USCG "sixpack" (expired),
Now on Eastern 27 $+!nkp*+ Sarge

Edited by - Stinkpotter on 06/01/2014 09:23:57

Voyager
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
5376 Posts

Response Posted - 06/02/2014 : 19:03:58

We have a few of them in Branford CT (and elsewhere) in an archipelago called "the Thimbles" and a few times a year unwary boaters "find" them anew! Purest pink granite. I was almost among their ranks when passing through a narrow channel - my depth meter read 30 one moment, then flashed <i>6</i>, then back to 28. Scared the be-jeepers outta me!
A good friend, when touring the Thimbles, let his young teen son steer once he thought they were past the rocks. Unfortunately, they missed one called "Dick Rocks". Wouldn't you know it? His son ran the boat up onto the rock and rearranged the keel and supporting structures... The boat was retrieved by Tow Boat US for salvage, but that's a different story.
Pity about Dragon, but we all have to watch the rocks.

Edited by - on

islander
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4024 Posts

Response Posted - 06/03/2014 : 05:14:16

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Pity about Dragon, but we all have to watch the rocks.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Or the shoaling that isn't on any maps. This guy was just launched for the season and was taking his boat from my Marina where he had wintered to his summer mooring ball. When leaving my Marina and exiting the creek there is a little sand spit that is by this bulkhead. Not on any maps but is local knowledge that he didn't have. This picture was about 3PM, Next high tide was 10PM. Its all sand so I guess no damage other than his pride having to endure all the looks from every boat coming and going from the Marina on a Sunday.

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Voyager
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
5376 Posts

Response Posted - 06/03/2014 : 08:38:13

Wow! That can ruin your day. Often local mariners will place a fender or lobster trap marker on these kinds of hazards.
We have a "rock" (no-one's quite sure what it is) near the edge of the channel and the local YC has marked it with a white ball. We also have an old set of pilings on the flats at the edge of the harbor. Most of the pilings are gone but one sticks up about 4 ft and remains a hazard. There's a fender tied to it so most local boaters avoid it.
With this in mind, whenever I visit another harbor, especially to anchor out, I try to look out for these kinds of informal warnings.

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ruachwrights
Captain

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USA
258 Posts

Response Posted - 06/09/2014 : 11:33:31

The mishap of the Dragon has nearly occurred to me. It takes me six hours to sail South past the Beavertail Light to the mouth of West Passage of Narragansett (the light pictured in the vid.). If I am heading ENE up the coast to Cutty Hunk or MV it is awfully tempting to try to cut the corner especially since it seems like you have to head south a ridiculously long way before turning the corner. That last minute chart check saved me a costly mistake.

Vern Wright
Hajime

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Voyager
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
5376 Posts

Response Posted - 06/09/2014 : 18:59:47

A few years back we stayed at a Jamestown RI summer rental - it was nice. Right on the Western Passage. Had kayaks and my daysailor. One day we took kayaks down to Beavertail and paddled around the southern tip in the area of Newton rocks. I liked it because there were no stinkpotters burning through kicking up large wakes. There were some good-sized rollers tho coming in from Block Island Sound and the Atlantic. Fun to play in.
I can see why you'd have to give Newton rock plenty of margin - at 4 and 7 ft depths, totally unforgiving.

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Notice: The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.