Block Island - Old Harbor Dock

[Al - s/v Persephone]

I've never been to Block Island, and am contemplating correcting that the weekend after Memorial Day.

Since I'll be coming from the East (Newburyport - probably by way of either Menemsha or Cuttyhunk), I'm intrigued at the possibility of a direct shot to Old Harbor.

It seems to be the heart of "old Block Island," which I'd prefer to some self-contained "destination marina" with onsite restaurants, etc. on the other side of the island (Salt Pond).

Can anyone here enlighten me on a couple of points:

(1) It appears that stern-to docking against a wharf is required. Are there plenty of well-spaced cleats positioned for crossed stern lines to be sufficient, or do I have to learn to med-moor? The tides look to be no greater than the Vineyard, but how high is that wall?

(2) With all due respect to the apparently well-placed sea-wall(s), is it as exposed to the NE as Vineyard Haven harbor is?

Also, is it true that the Harbormaster will not take reservations so one has to show up and hope for one of the limited spaces?

Fair winds,
Al - s/v Persephone

 

[seadaddler]

very limited

It's been a few years since I have been to block but if I remember old dock pond has very limited dock space mostly power boat space all tied together.
But the salt pond has marinas with dock space for a sailboat and i am pretty sure reservations are possible.
When I have been I anchored out in the harbor and dinghy a shore and easy walk around town to resturants,also have mooring balls in harbor,some one else will give more up to date info,have a great trip to a great place.
Nick

 

[PaulK]

Re: very limited

Old Harbor is probably NOT where you want to be. The "heart of old Block Island" is where the big hotels, bars, and restaurants with their raucous, drunk, and rude patrons are likely to congregate. I think some of the bars close around 02:00H. Others may be later. Before that think of whining sunburned children with grumpy, tired parents, four tto six deep on the sidewalks. Old Harbor is where the car ferries come in with their considerable wake and wash. Space there is extremely tight, with perhaps several dozen spots, taken mostly by sport fishing boats. As you suggest,it can be bouncy even without ferry wakes because of the weather. The breakwaters are also quite high because of the weather. New Harbor was developed because of these problems. Around Memorial Day you will be lucky to find space even in New Harbor, where there are hundreds of slips and moorings. To avoid "destination marinas", don't go to one. New Harbor offers town moorings (green) on a first-come/first-served basis. There are several NON-destination marinas in New Harbor offering moorings and/or dock space. They will take a reservation, but may want a deposit. New harbor is quieter, prettier, and within a half-hour walk of "town", if you actually want to go there. Block has lots of other things to do than to explore T-shirt outlets. Taxi service and motor scooter rentals are available in New Harbor. A boat from Aldo's bakery provides fresh croissants and other breakfast items in the mooring field if you want them. There are several restaurants with bars, in New Harbor, but the layout enables you be be away from the noise unless you're tied to the dock. The Narragansett Inn is a generally quiet, low-key spot for a nice sunset drink on the porch. The high-speed passenger ferry from New London does come in to New Harbor, but since it carries only foot passengers and proceeds slowly in the harbor, it doesn't throw much wake. Reading a current cruising guide might help you to plan your cruising better than just perusing a chart for what appears to be the easiest route.

 

[capejt]

By all means.... drop a hook or pick up a mooring in Salt Pond!
I've been going there for years and love it. In fact, the past two or three tiems, I never even got off the boat. There's plenty of room at the dinghy dock for your dink, or you can use the extensive launch services offered to go ashore.

 

[Al - s/v Persephone]

In the past 5 years, my wife (and dog) and I have put 7200nm on Persephone, marina-hopping from Nantucket to Penobscot Bay. We need dockage (not moorings) and have by now developed a preference for being in historic (even gritty, like New Bedford) old ports, rather than resorts designed to provide restful isolation.

The descriptions in the Maptech Embassy Guide; the Northern Waterway guide; Cruising the New England Coast; and the ACC Guide to New England Marinas led me to think that Salt Pond and its marinas were more of the get-away-from-it-all venues, and that the ACC Guide's supposed "60 transient slips" of Old Harbor Dock might be more up our alley.

After viewing MapTech's overhead photos, I fully expected it to be a bit rolly. (We usually ask DiMillo's for an outer slip in Portland - tanker wakes notwithstanding - in order to get the harbor view.) I just don't want to have to get out in case of an approaching NE'er, as with Black Dog Wharf in Vineyard Haven.

Moreover, I couldn't tell from the photos much about the stern-to tie-up facilities at Old Harbor Dock.

Hence my questions.

Hasn't any one here actually been to Old Harbor? Is it really only a raft-up-the-small-power-boats kind of sailboat-unfriendly place?

Is the town really one big drunken brawl the week after Memorial Day?

Fair Winds,
Al - s/v Persephone

 

[Don S/V ILLusion]

We have been there a few times. This should answer your questions:
http://cruisingguide.blogspot.com/2005/02/ri-block-island-new-england-us.html

 

[Rob19574]

Al - I've been there many times with our Catalina 30. If your looking for a loud - party-type experience then the old harbor may be better. I think the consensus here recommends the new harbor as I do. The old harbor is typically a place for power boats and they raft you off the wall so folks rafted outside your boat will need to pass through your cockpit. Most power boats have raftees passing on the swim-platforms. In the new harbor you have 3 choices: 1) Champlains or Paynes for docked service, 2) mooring has recommended above or 3) drop your own hook. They have pick-up service for a buck or 2 per person per trip and a good town dingy dock located off "The Oar" restaurant. The new harbor is such a great place to relax and enjoy sunsets with plenty of places either nearby or a short walk/cab to town. We take our bikes on the boat and have a water-taxi ride us in that way we have our own bikes with us for the time there.

Good luck!

- Rob

 

[Al - s/v Persephone]

Thanks to all for your inputs.

I'm beginning to get the impression that one sails to BI for only two reasons:
(1) For R&R in a peaceful spot (maybe spending most time on the boat); or
(2) to "party hearty" in Old Town.

Rafting isn't attractive, but the BI Times said they'd gotten funds for a re-do of Old Harbor Dock and expected to be done by April. It sounded like a bit of a spruce-up for visitors.

I certainly didn't expect BI to be unchanged from 1524/Verrazzano, but is there no real old port area with any historical interest?

(We like places like Castine or Belfast; or Salem; or Nantucket Town or New Bedford, where we can "feel the history." If it's in a still active port, like Gloucester or Portland, that's better still.)

Mystic Seaport is a little too far for this trip, so maybe we'll go up to Fall River from Newport. (It doesn't have to be colonial history - WW2 history is also good. As long as it's maritime.)

Oh well. Thanks again.

Fair winds,
Al

 

[SanderO]

Block Island can be fun to sail to lying about 10 miles off shore and a reach.

The Salt pond has poor holding and boaters who don't have experience or skill with that bottom so there's a lot of dragging when the wind pipes up as it often does and there's fetch too as well.

It's also very crowded - over crowded as it's a day trip by ferry from RI and CT. But it's a scenic place which is best enjoyed when not many party people are around... unless that's why you visit. The early spring and late fall can be magical. I personally don't go there in season any more because it's a madhouse.

 

[seadaddler]

Great Place

Block is a great place everyone should go at least once or more.
It 's just like Cape Cod in the summer very crowded but very nice to visit and see it all,block is much smaller so you see it all very fast,Martha's Vineyard is my favorte.
Old Harbor is small and rafting for power boats mostly,Salt Pond is the better place to be on mooring or just anchor out yes some docks also but they pack the boats three abreast and your neighbor might be partying the whole time there,the town dinghy dock is good and walking around town is fun.
I don't which marina it is but it has a few slips with no raft together so reservation would get you a good spot and stay away on holidays,if you go to block head over to greenport and shelter Island and Sag Harbor.
Nick

 

[Al - s/v Persephone]

Nick -

Would the marina you're thinking of with slips and reservations be Block Island Boat Basin? It looks to be a shorter walk to town (and to the local historical society) than Champlins and a better dockage arrangement than Paynes.

However, I notice that only those two have been mentioned. I understand the Boat Basin had a fire in the late 90s, but is supposedly fully restored and operational. Is there nevertheless something wrong with it?

 

[capejt]

AHHHH! Someone else who knows Castine! I spent several years at MMA. If you want a good picture of Old Harbor during the Summer months, imagine Castine with a drunken street party every night.

 

[seadaddler]

Could be

I have only been to block a few times and always anchored out in the salt pond with out any problems and been a while now boating in Florida two years.
The slips I am thinking of is right next to the town dinghy dock pretty sure,I am sure need to make reservations soon,summer is very crowded but lots of fun and nice to walk around town and good places to eat and try the ice cream at ALDO's.
We had folding bikes to ride all around.
Went right after 4 th of Julyvery crowded on weekends but tuesday to thursday less crowds in anchorage,lots of people in town off ferrys and house rentals bring in people.
I may go back to Cape Cod and my favorate Martha's Vineyard this coming june with the motor home and do some biking with our bicycles again.
Have a great time at block and think about going to Greenport.
Nick

 

[PaulK]

Thanks to all for your inputs.
I certainly didn't expect BI to be unchanged from 1524/Verrazzano, but is there no real old port area with any historical interest?

(We like places like Castine or Belfast; or Salem; or Nantucket Town or New Bedford, where we can "feel the history." If it's in a still active port, like Gloucester or Portland, that's better still.)
Al

There are several Victorian hotels and B&B's on the harbor at Old Harbor. The charming porches are tired, and have had their undersides redone with plate glass windows for the t-shirt/beach glass/velvet paintings/ice cream & smoothie stores. Lovely if you like that sort of thing. There are a few other similar hotels about a mile south of town, built to take advantage of the views from higher up. They were also looking tired at our last visit. The views were pleasant, but the cost kept us from wanting more than one drink. The history BI has to offer is mostly in the lighthouses and the geologic makeup of the island- neither of which is particularly visible from Old Harbor.

 

[Al - s/v Persephone]

....................... The history BI has to offer is mostly in the lighthouses and the geologic makeup of the island- neither of which is particularly visible from Old Harbor.

Paul -

I understand that both the BI Historical Society and North Light contain museums.

Are they worth a visit?