Kayaking Narragansett Bay, RI Memorial Day

[Jay H]

Any sea kayaker out there who may want to join Laura M (Z) and me, Jay H (H) in a couple day sea kayak from Jamestown, RI. We plan on camping at the Fort Getty Rec. Area from Friday night to Monday noonish.

I need to make reservations soon. Thing is I believe we'll need a 3 night min. stay cause of special holiday req. and there is only one car per tent site and one tent per tent site. I have to ask RI about that, might imply the sites are small. But anyway, I don't even know if sites are still available, I have to call them but it's not backcountry camping by any means but what is good is that you can launch from the campsite itself cause it's an island.

Info can be found here:

http://www.jamestownri.net/parks/ftgetty.html#reservations


And jamestown info here (including tide charts):

http://www.jamestown-ri.info/

If you're interested, let me know ASAP, I can try to book the sites at once...

Jay

 

[darren]

I'll join you for some kayaking during the day, but I wont be camping. I dont live too far from there, so I'll probably just drive back and forth. I'm sure I'll have a party to go to in Newport that weekend too.

- darren

 

[swamp]

Hey Jay,
I might be interested in joining you. Like Darren, I live nearby and won't need to camp but love to paddle. Dutch Island (an uninhabited island covered with military ruins,just off of Ft. Getty) is an excellent paddling and exploring destination.

 

[Jay H]

Hey Swamp... OK, I'm going to try to make just one tent site reservation... Hahah, if they are booked, we'll just have to camp in your or Darren's backyard..

Are you a member of RICKA? Mike, the moderator guy at the forum emailed me a bunch of info and he also mentioned Dutch Island. He also mentioned some rogue/stealth camping on the island too...

Sounded quite interesting, it was a long email and I'll have to read it again, but it's sounding like a cool idea. I imagine that campsite will be packed on Memorial Day weekend. And they also allow pets and RVs which might make it kind of loud.

Jay

 

[swamp]

Hey Jay,
There are several hardened campsites on Dutch Island, but I have no idea if they are legal or not. The rule of thumb in RI is if the cops show up, outrun the politicians and you'll be fine. I'd post a smiley here but I'm not joking.

 

[darren]

Dutch Island would be cool. I've seen the pix on the RICKA website but I haven't gone there yet. I'd like to check it out.

BTW, I have extra kayaks if anyone else wants to join us and doesn't have one.

- darren

 

[Jay H]

OK folks, if anybody needs it, I will probably have an extra paddles somebody could borrow and I do have an extra all-nylon sprayskirt too.

I do not have an extra PFD though,

If you've seen my thread, I won a contest and the great folks at Voyage-AD allowed me to take store credit for a set of bent shaft paddles so I'm looking at really splurging and buying an

AT Xception bentshaft 60° feather 2 piece paddle that is a eye popping $390 but I can get $180 off it because of the contest.

I've heard nothing but praise for them on p.net so I will have an extra set of paddles which are very very nice too if somebody needs to borrow one.

Jay

 

[Jay H]

Hi, a little change of plans. Spoke to Laura last night and we decided to go a little more quiet and a little more peaceful than Fort Getty which is right in Jamestown. Thinking that it's fairly pricey there and guaranteed to be mobbed with folks, I found a smaller private campground with probably a little more trees and made a reservation for
3 nights on May 28th (Friday)-May 30th

at a place called Peeper's Pond in Exeter, RI. It's not far from jamestown so we could still take trips from there or perhaps if there is a launch site on the west bank of the Naragansett, we could save the time and launch from there... Anyway, we should have enough room for 4 adults so if you plan on camping let me know, just in case we need to get another site. For those that are going to join us for the day, we'll have to see where we can meet or we can all meet at the campsite.

http://www.gocampingamerica.com/peeperpond/index.html

I've seen directions on other websites, you can google peeper's pond +ri or so and you'll find websites with directions on it...

Jay

Jay

 

[swamp]

There's a small beach at URI's Bay campus (Narragansett,RI) that I used to launch from. It's almost directly west of Fort Getty across the bay. I haven't been there in a few years but,if it's still accessable, it's a great spot.

 

[Jay H]

Thanks Swamp, I shall have to find out sooner or later!

Would there be enough parking there for all of us to meet at?

Jay

 

[swamp]

There was room for 8 or 10 cars right off the beach the last time I was there. After work some night this week I'll take a ride by and have a look.

 

[darren]

Swamp - were you able to check on the launch? Are you still planning on using my spare kayak? You will need a pfd, since my only extra one is a small.

Here is a map of the launch area Swamp is talking about. It is the lab on the left. It is about 1 mile to Dutch Island. We just have to keep our eyes open when we cross the channel. Wrapping our heads in aluminum foil wouldn't hurt either....

I started work last night on my 2x4 kayak rack for my truck. It is coming along nicely. It will cost about $650 less than a TracRac.

- darren

 

[Warren]

Like I mentioned over breakfast yesterday, I'm interested, but:

No kayak, PFD, paddle (but I do have fins...)

Minimal kayak expierance (but I can swim...)

Any recommendations on rentals in the area if all the "extra" kayaks are claimed?

I'll be camping, Jay if I need to make a reservation just tell me.

Are you going to be wearing the horns all weekend long this weekend?

 

[Jay H]

Are you going to be wearing the horns all weekend long this weekend?

That depends, are we going night kayaking?

I'm going to have to talk to Laura sometime this week. I just got email from FunkyFreddy who says he is going to come too. Maybe he can carpool with you since both of you are in the NYC area... Originally, I was going to suggest Fred come out to my place and take my car (with my kayak)..

As far as reservations, as far as I know now, camping wise, it's Me, Laura, FunkyFreddy, you. I believe the rest are day users like Swamp, Darren. Donna email me saying she is coming down on Sunday and then staying sunday night.

Sheesh, do I have to make another spreadsheet? I have some eery feeling that I've become the official VFTT event organizer now.

If I remember when I was talking to PPP, their maximum allowed people per site is 4 adults which would put us 1 over on sunday night. Laura called PPP after I did and she said that they still have some campsites available.

Our options as we see it is to reserve another campsite just for sunday (if possible, they might want a minimum stay thing) or we could live the life of luxury and try to reserve another site for the 3 nights.

Of course, after I made the reservation, Darren says we could stay at his place... d'oh. so obviously worse case scenario i that somebody, or all of us, go chill at Darren's place.

From Sunday's breakfast, it appears the extra equipment we have is:

2 Kayaks (1 from Darren and 1 from Laura).

I have an extra sprayskirt (mine would be perfect for Darren's Mystic since I also have an Impex Mystic) and an extra 220cm Werner Little Dipper paddle.

Jay

 

[darren]

I think Swamp is going to use my Sealoution II XL, but if he doesn't then another big person can use it or I will bring the Mystic for a smaller person.

I have a spray skirt for the mystic, not do not have an extra one for the XL. I have 2 spare paddles, but only 1 extra pfd and it is a small.

If we need another boat, another option is to paddle near my house so I can shuttle all 3 of my kayaks to the water.

I checked on the Kayak Centre's Website for info on rentals. They only rent recreational kayaks for drive away use. Touring kayak rentals can only be used local at the shop in Wickford. It would be about a 15+ mile paddle RT to Dutch Island from Wickford which would be too far for novice paddlers.

I'm pretty much open for anything. I'll paddle anywhere.

- darren

 

[Warren]

O.K., I'll email Fred tonight so we can compare notes- his schedule may be odd, he's not a 9-5'er. As it looks now I'll be leaving work Friday at 1.

Wednesday after work I'll head to the hardware store to get some pipe insulation to prep my roof rack for any Kayak shuttling.

Are all the loaner kayaks claimed? If so is there anywhere else near where we'll be that might offer a touring rental?

 

[swamp]

Hey Darren,
I consulted a book about kayaking the Narr. Bay and it said that there was parking for 6 to 8 cars at that location, so I guess it's legal though I imagine we'd have to get there early to claim a few spots.
I have my own sit-on-top which I can use as long as the water temp is fairly tolerable. It has a self-draining (read: wet ass) cockpit. I should be fine with it. I've used it on the Dutch Island trip several times.
Have we determined what people want to do on what day? I may go up north at least one day this weekend so I'm trying to iron out my schedule.

 

[swamp]

Hey Warren,
Most of the local kayak rental dudes want you to use them "on site", basically you launch right from their facility. There is a tackle shop very close to the campsite that rents kayaks ($35.00 per day) and I believe you can drive them away. It's Quaker Lane Bait and Tackle and their number is 401-294-9642.

 

[Warren]

They do indeed have drive away rentals, no reservations and advise that "you want to get there early".

They open at 4:30 am on Saturday.

I am *so* not the morning person.

 

[darren]

If Swamp isn't going to use my Sealoution II XL, then some else can use it or I can bring the Mystic for a smaller paddler. Warren you want to use the XL? It will be a little big for you, but it has a rudder so you should be able to control it ok.

- darren

ps: almost done with the new kayak rack...