Watch Hill & Napatree Point

HomeWatch Hill & Napatree Point

Welcome to Watch Hill & Napatree Point

THINGS TO SEE
PLACES TO EAT
PLACES TO STAY
WHERE TO DOCK

The anchorage behind Napatree Point offers good protection and holding ground.
Photo by William Gills

IF YOU’RE LOOKING FOR A LEISURELY PACE, A GREAT BEACH, GOOD FOOD, UPSCALE BOUTIQUES AND SPECTACULAR VIEWS, SET A COURSE FOR WATCH HILL HARBOR AND NAPATREE POINT. VETERAN BOATERS HAVE LONG APPRECIATED THE AREA’S LONG SAND BEACH, PROTECTED ANCHORAGE AND QUICK ACCESS TO A TOWN WITH GOOD RESTAURANTS AND INTERESTING SHOPS. HOWEVER, IF YOU PLAN TO VISIT FOR MORE THAN A DAY, BRING SOME ESSENTIALS, AS WATCH HILL HARBOR DOESN’T HAVE ANY LARGE GROCERY STORES OR OTHER PLACES TO REPROVISION. NO FUEL EITHER, BY THE WAY.

A popular destination for Connecticut, Rhode Island and New York boaters is the anchorage behind Napatree Point, a mile-long sand spit extending west from Watch Hill. The area is part of Little Narragansett Bay, an estuary of about 320 square miles with an average MLW depth of about 7’. It’s a perfect anchorage for small to midsize boats.

Chart of area.

SAT map

Boaters with vessels under 30’ often back stern-to the shore for easy access to the beach. Once anchored, you can frolic in the protected, lake-like water of Little Narragansett Bay or enjoy the surf along the south-facing shore of Napatree Point. And there’s plenty of beach to go around, even during the peak summer months.

Read the story Watch Hill Fishing Information

Napatree Point has an interesting history. It was originally connected to Sandy Point, Connecticut—now an island off Stonington—until the Great Hurricane of 1938 caused a breach in the spit. The huge storm reshaped much of the surrounding shore and destroyed numerous coastal homes. Indeed, the bottom of the anchorage remains littered with parts of cast-iron stoves, refrigerators and metal pipes, giving it the moniker “The Kitchen.”

Watch Hill Light is open for tours on certain days. Photo by William Gills

Watch Hill Harbor is easily reached by dinghy from the anchorage, and there’s a dinghy dock at Watch Hill Docks, next to the Yacht Club, that affords easy access to town. Take a casual stroll down Bay Street, stopping to visit the small shops, bistros and specialty boutiques. If you’re hungry, check out St. Claire’s Annex for traditional diner fare, or the Bay Street Deli for oversized sandwiches bearing names like the Bay Street Reuben, The Mooring or Misquamicut Club. A couple doors down is Bruna’s Café, which offers an assortment of gourmet hot and cold drinks, yogurts, granola, sandwich wraps, salads, fruit smoothies, homemade sorbet and gelato. It’s a great place to stock up on picnic fixings. You can pick up ice for your cooler at the Bay Street Deli or Watch Hill Docks.

Bay Street is home to several shops and restaurants. Photo by William Gills

If you’re looking for something a bit more formal for lunch or dinner, there’s indoor/alfresco dining at the Olympia Tea Room and Bar, as well as the magnificent Ocean House on Bluff Avenue, on a hill overlooking Watch Hill Harbor to the west and the Atlantic Ocean to the east.

Kids will love the Flying Horse Carousel, the oldest continually operating carousel in the country. Public restrooms are located adjacent to the carousel at Flying Horse Beach.

The Flying Horse Carousel is a hit with kids. Photo by William Gills

Speaking of beaches, Napatree Beach is a mile-long sandy stretch of shoreline with picturesque Watch Hill Light at its eastern end and Fort Mansfield, a Spanish-American War gun emplacement now covered with thick vegetation, at its western end. Napatree is crescent-shaped, with soft sand and a view of Fishers Island to the west and on a clear day, Block Island to the southeast and Montauk Point, Long Island, due south. It also happens to be a great spot for surf fishing, if you’re so inclined.

Watch Hill is home to magnificent mansions. Photo by William Gills

Sunrise over the Napatree Point anchorage. Photo by William Gills

A view of Watch Hill Harbor. Photo by William Gills

The beautiful Ocean House resort offers stunning views of Block Island and Fishers Island Sounds.
Photo by William Gills

ABOUT WILLIAM GILLS

AUTHOR AND PHOTOGRAPHER WILLIAM GILLS IS A LIFELONG BOATER. HE AND HIS WIFE OWN AN EXPRESS CRUISER BASED IN MYSTIC, CONNECTICUT, AND SPEND MOST OF THEIR TIME CRUISING THE WATERS OF LONG ISLAND AND BLOCK ISLAND SOUNDS. LAST YEAR, GILLS RELEASED LUBBER’S LOG, PUBLISHED BY LLUMINA PRESS.

Taken from the couple’s journal entries, this boating primer and adventure story covers the good, the bad and the ugly of running a larger boat. Lubber’s Log contains valuable information for new mariners and plenty of humorous “been-there, done-that” anecdotes for those who have traveled the same course and lived to tell the tale.

Price: $12.95

The book can be ordered through Amazon and Barnes & Noble, or through Llumina Press (866-229-9244); E-mail:orders@llumina.com

GETTING THERE:

Chart Watch Hill

Chart: NOAA 13214

While Napatree is an ideal anchorage, getting there is a bit tricky. Boaters arriving from the east must negotiate a dangerous reef that runs from Watch Hill Light to the east shore of Fishers Island. The safest passage from the east is closest to the lighthouse through Watch Hill Passage, between G “1” (gong) and R “21” (flashing red “6” bell). Transit the area at slack tide if possible. From there you must head for Stonington Harbor and cut around the northern end of the western breakwater.

From the west your best route is around the western breakwater in Stonington, past Stonington Point, following buoys to the north past G “5” (flashing green) and around the western tip of Sandy Point. Stay in the channel and don’t cut south toward Napatree Point until you’ve passed Seal Rock and RN “22” (unless you have a shallow draft).

Dockage, Moorings & Service:

Nearest fuel is at Watch Hill Boatyard on the Pawcatuck River on Colonel Willie Cove, just north of Watch Hill Cove.
Watch Hill Docks Marina (401-596-7807): On Watch Hill Cove. Offers 5 transient slips, 30 and 50 amp service, water. The docks feature a free dinghy dock as well.
Watch Hill Yacht Club (401-596-4986): On Watch Hill Cove, the WHYC offers reciprocal privileges to other yacht clubs on a first-come, first-served basis. No reservations. Moorings run $55 per night, and there is launch service.

Anchorage:

Most boaters who visit Watch Hill anchor behind the long, sandy arm of Napatree Point. This area offers good protection in most winds and good holding ground with 7’ of depth at MLW.
Boaters can drop off and pick up passengers at Watch Hill Docks, north of the Watch Hill Yacht Club. It provides easy access to the town. A dinghy dock is located here as well.

Launch Ramps:

The nearest launch ramp is the private ramp at Watch Hill Boatyard on Colonel Willie Cove, just north of Watch Hill Cove. The marina charges a fee to launch and park.
You can also launch at the Barn Hill Wildlife Management Area in Stonington, Connecticut. This free, state-run ramp offers excellent access at all tides, along with good parking, but can be very busy in summer.
A free, state-owned ramp is located several miles north of Watch Hill along the Pawcatuck River in Westerly, Rhode Island. It is a well-maintained ramp with floats, but a long run downriver to the Sound.

Harbormaster:

(401-593-2022)

Boat & Kayak Rental:

Watch Hill Outfitters (401-596-7217; ): Kayak rental and sales
Misquamicut Beach Jet Ski Rental (401-596-6169): Rents kayaks, PWCs and paddleboats

Provisions:

Bruna’s Café (401-348-0103): Breakfast & lunch items, gourmet coffee, Del’s lemonade, gelato.
Bay Street Deli (401-596-6606): Great sandwich items, including lobster rolls, and drinks.

Where to Eat:

Ocean House Resort (401-584-7000): Luxury resort and restaurant with incredible views.
St. Clair Annex (401-348-8407)
Seaside Grill (401-348-6333)
Olympia Tea Room & Bar (401-348-8211): Offers contemporary American and European cuisine, including fresh local seafood, great steaks and chops, pastas, beautiful salads, sandwiches, and sumptuous homestyle desserts.
Bay Street Deli (401-596-6606): Great sandwich items, including lobster rolls, and drinks.
Bruna’s Café (401-348-0103): Breakfast & lunch items, gourmet coffee, Del’s lemonade, gelato.

Where to Stay:

Ocean House (401-584-7000): Expensive, fancy resort and spa with commanding views of the water.
The Villa B&B (800-722-9240)

Things to See & Do:

Flying Horse Carousel, the oldest continually operating carousel in the country, is located on Flying Horse Beach.
Hike out to Fort Mansfield, a Spanish-American War gun emplacement now covered with thick vegetation, at the very western end of Napatree Point.
Watch Hill Light: Visit the lighthouse and museum during summer, Tuesdays and Thursdays 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.

General Information:

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At a Glance

Launch Ramps
Where to Stay
Rentals
Harbor Master and Harbor Info
Getting There
Things to Do