Safe Boating

The rich history of Narragansett Bay

Roz Butziger
Posted 10/1/15

Native American settlements, ancient rune stone, U.S. Navy origin – look no farther than Narragansett Bay. Cruising the upper bay puts you within feet of exciting history.

At the head of …

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The rich history of Narragansett Bay

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Native American settlements, ancient rune stone, U.S. Navy origin – look no farther than Narragansett Bay. Cruising the upper bay puts you within feet of exciting history.

At the head of Greenwich Cove, archeologists recently unearthed remains of bears along with village artifacts. As you head north into Apponaug Cove, named for the Native American word for “oyster roasters or clam diggers,” you are sailing by an ancient settlement where Native Americans dug and cooked shellfish in front of their shelters.  If exploring this area, consult your chart for depths.

You’ve been by Chepiwanoxet many times, but this little deserted spit of land was where the first seaplanes were manufactured.  Once an island, Chepiwanoxet was turned into a peninsular when the Gaulledet Aircraft Company dumped rocks and sand to connect it to the mainland so they could ship supplies and manufacture the Curtis floatplane. As you go by, check your chart and don’t run aground. Let the kids practice charting a safe course. Remember to avoid the rocks in this area.

Continue out into Greenwich Bay and you are sailing the waters where the US Navy was founded. The sloop Katy was renamed The Providence and was commanded by Abraham Whipple who was instrumental in the famous burning of the Gaspee. The Providence was used to protect shipping in Narragansett Bay, and later was commanded by John Paul Jones during the Revolutionary War.

Moving west along the shore of Buttonwoods and towards Oakland Beach, you may see the remnants of old support posts. These are the remains of the old Warwick Railroad and later trolley system that ran from Providence through Conimicut and Oakland Beach to Buttonwoods. The railroad had steam locomotives and was built in 1891. This route was functional until 1935. The 1938 hurricane destroyed most of the tracks and only a few pieces of the trestle remain today, some hidden at high tide.

Heading south by Pojac Point you pass over the spot where some of the members from North Star Flotilla of the CG Auxiliary came upon the mysterious rune stone featured on the History Channel. Hidden under water at all but low tide, it sat encrusted with seaweed and barnacles. On the top were carved Nordic rune letters which translated to “A great battle was fought here.” Was this from the Vikings, or maybe the Knights Templar? Either it was moved long ago, or the rising sea level rise caused it to be hidden, but 400 or more years ago that area would have been dry land. It was moved in 2012 and later taken to URI School of Oceanography for study. There is a plan to move it to Goddard Park for all to enjoy.

As you go by any of these places, keep your chart handy. Good to practice a bit of navigation as you look for the historical sites. See if your kids can spot the red and green buoys and know which side to go.

More on the Narragansett Bay next time. Meanwhile a trivia question.

RI State law requires all children under what age to wear a PFD when not in an enclosed space of an underway powerboat? For the answer go to Northstarflotilla.com.

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