Hey guys,
I'm thinking about bringing my 16' tin skiff down there in mid May to do some fishing, most likely in the area of the East Passage. Can anyone recommend a ramp that I can access 24 hours. I've been looking at Ft. Adams, but their website doesn't mention the hours of operation for the ramp. My charts also show a ramp located on the east side of Jamestown, but I can't find any mention of it online. Any info would be greatly appreciated. Also, if anyone has thoughts about whether it's feasible to fish that area in a 16' Alumacraft, please let me know. It looks to be a fairly well protected area as long as the weather's not too wild.

OK, the ramp on the east side of Jamestown, is probably the one in Fort Getty State Park, and is only open until dusk, and charge a few dollars to get into park. Fort Adams ramp is the best, it is the one i use everyday, and it is open 24 hours. If you stay anywhere North of Fort Adams you should be fine, but do not go around the point of Fort Adams heading out to sea, cuz it gets some decent swells around that corner. Stay in bay, go up by the Newport Bridge, or Rose Island which is just south of the bridge, or go north of bridge to right side is the Navy base, breakwall, and many places all the way up that right side, (east side of bay), which is calm enough for you. Hope this helps?

FN - welcome to S-B...

I second Fort Adams and will add Melville up the road a bit north of the Navy Base...

Thanks Frightnight, that's just what I was looking for.:btu:

The one on the east side of Jamestown has no parking.........

Where you going to be staying? If it's further up the bay. Haines Park in East Providence is the best, Plenty of parking 24 hrs, great launch.

One downside to Ft adams is just getting there- the roads are awful, the traffic is awful.. BUT, its a good ramp. Its a state park and is open from dawn to dusk, except for fishing ;)

Go to Wilson park in Wickford, parking, free and great ramp and also
much safer section of the bay for a 16ft boat (consistantly, obviously there are alot of days where a 13ft whaler is fine, but unless if really blows hard you can fish the shoreline just outside Wickford)

Ft Getty is on the east side of Jamestown. With a tin boat, you can use the ramp at Ft Wetherhill on the east side. Parking is free, it's open all night - or used to be, and puts you in the east passage.

Yes, but, now your near the mouth of the bay, and could be too hairy for a sixtenn foot aluminum boat! Yes, Melville ramp is good, and maybe closer for you if coming from Mass. Traffis in Newport is not an issue at all that time of the year, just don't go through downtown Newport, go to Fort Adams by way of First beach, and Bellevue Avenue.

Thanks for all the replies. I'm looking to be able to access some deeper water without running too far, so I don't think Haines or Wilson parks are going to work for me. From what I've found online, Ft. Wetherill is a cartop launch site, and while my boat's not big the 40 hp outboard rules out that option. I think Ft. Adams is gonna work fine, and the time of day I'm planning on going, traffic shouldn't be a problem, leaving might be a different story, but that's after fishing, so who cares. As far as where I'm staying, haven't got that far yet. Any suggestions on a relatively cheap but decent place to stay? Does that sort of thing even exist in that area?

theres a ramp at fort wetherill.its a little steep

Pay attention to the discussion about the lower end of the Bay. Upper and Lower Bay can be as different as night and day. Sea state, wind speed everything can be more intense. Much more traffic (and bigger) in the lower bay.