Narragansett Bay Marinas and Storage

[COCG47]

I'm being transferred to Newport RI this summer, and I'm looking for locations to keep my Catalina 36. I'd prefer a slip because the boat is for sale and it would be easier to show that way, but a mooring would work as well. I'm in a bit of sticker shock right now given the slip prices I have found so far. I didn't expect them to be so much higher than Florida, except maybe in the immediate vicinity of Newport. I'm also finding many of the places want to charge you for an entire season (up front), even though the boat will only be in the water half the season; either that or the even higher transient rate.

I'm also interested in a good location for winter storage on the hard, preferably one that allows you to work on your boat.

If anyone has any suggestions/recommendations, I'm all ears. Thanks in advance for the help!
Glenn

[tartansail]

Hi Glenn,
We're moving our boat to Bristol, RI this Spring. We're renting a mooring from Bristol Marine. It's not cheap, but comes with launch, dinghy storage, parking, etc. The mooring filed is a bit rolly if you're planning to live aboard.

Several friends store their boats at Bristol Marine for the winter including one guy who sails around from Boston and another who comes from quite a ways out Cape Cod because of the treatment they get there. We plan to store there as well. I believe that you can work on your boat, but it would be important to check with them to confirm.

We also looked at NE Boatworks in Portsmouth when we were considering marina options. It's a bit closer to Newport with easy access to the bay. Not cheap, but it looked well maintained.

[skipmac]

I kept my boat in N. Bay summer 2009 and had to go for a mooring. Rates in RI marinas are comparable to downtown Ft Lauderdale or better. There may be cheaper locations but I had to shop for a mooring long distance from Florida I ended up in Bristol. If you will be in Newport that's just next door so perhaps more convenient than other spots anyway. Also Bristol is a very nice town.

Downside, the good moorings (those closer to town) are usually booked up so I ended up on a mooring that I used to joke was closer to Newport than Bristol. It was about a mile from town which doesn't matter much except that's the only spot you can leave a dinghy. No launch service and it was a bit rolly in a SW breeze but was about $2000 for a 42' boat for the season.

Think I still have the contact details somewhere if you're interested.

Skip

[S/V Illusion]

If you are fixed on a Newport slip, it is relatively expensive compared with Florida. We now live in Fl but keep our boat in Warwick, RI in Greenwich Bay which is about a 45 minute drive or 2 hour sail. Slip prices in GBay vary from the Newport level to half that depending on whether you want amenities like a pool, restaurant, clean bathrooms, cement docks in a breakwater, etc.. and there are about a dozen choices.
Closer to Newport but still across the Bay is Wickford but the prices there are comparable to the above with one advantage, that being the moorings are relatively calm.
Still closer is Jamestown which is essentially Newport prices but with a more relaxed setting.

It's only money...

[jdives]

I second the vote for Greenwich Bay. My home port is Manhasset Bay, Long Island (NY) but for the last two years have been renting a slip at Norton's Marina in East Greenwich. They're quite happy to rent by the season or just about any portion of it. Originally I was going to just take a slip for August for my vacation but it all worked out so well I went from mid July to mid September.

Norton's marina

Good luck,
Jack

[COCG47]

Appreciate the responses. I'm by no means locked into Newport, although I may be able to get a mooring right there at the Naval Base. In fact I was considering as far away as Buzzard's Bay to the east and Mystic to the west. Anything in Narragansett Bay is easy, particularly given the fact that I'm now in St Pete and my boat is on the hard in Charlotte Harbor (about 1.5 hours). I'll check out the places you all listed. Thanks

[Gudgeon]

looking at your screen name I am going to make a guess that you may be in the Navy. If so I would try to get a slip or mooring ball at the navy marina. Not sure of availibilty of slips and balls.