Boaters Warned About RI’s Charlestown Breachway

Charlestown Breachway

Rhode Island officials are warning boaters to use extra caution when navigating the Charlestown Breachway or avoid it completely.

This Charlestown Breachway map shows the warning areas for boaters.

The warning was issued Thursday, September 19, by the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management and the town of Charlestown.

Due to years of storm damage—most recently a succession of strong winter storms in 2023—one of the breachways rock walls has deteriorated, allowing water to pull sand in front of the breachway and into the channel.

The sediment buildup has raised the channel’s floor, leaving it just two to three feet deep at low tide and making it difficult for boaters to avoid getting beached or hitting rocks.

Local and state officials are considering how to effectively repair the breachway.

The recent warning follows a similar warning by Charlestown Harbormaster Thomas Toscano in May in which he said the west wall of the breachway (the East Beach side) has been compromised where it meets the shoreline. On any given day or tide, boaters will likely experience a cross current that flows into and out of the breachway over the eroded wall near the beach.

Toscano said the nearby Quonochontaug Breachway has also deteriorated to a lesser extent.

The deterioration of the Charlestown Breachway is likely to cause significant problems for boaters. The breachway leads to Ninigret Pond, which is home to the Charlestown Breachway boat ramp and three marinas: Ocean House Marina, Shelter Cove Marina, and Ninigret Landing.

The area is also popular for its fishing, state campground, and beaches. In his warning in May, Toscano said boaters should avoid anchoring at “Elbow Beach” because the boat or anchor line will now be within the navigable channel, creating a hazard.

Learn more about the history of the Charlestown Breachway.