Anchorages
Old Harbor, frequently used as a harbor of refuge, is an artificial harbor formed by two breakwaters on the east side of Block Island, 1.4 miles northward of Block Island Southeast Light. The controlling depths are 7.2 feet (13.2 feet at mid-channel) in the entrance channel, and 12 to 15 feet in the anchorage basin. Depths of 11.3 to 15 feet were available in the inner harbor.

The harbor is occupied by pleasure craft during the summer. The eastern part of the inner harbor is left clear for the passage of the ferry to the wharf. The basin in the southeast corner of the inner harbor is usually occupied by fishing boats and local craft that tie up along the sides. Gasoline, diesel fuel, and berths are available. The Harbormaster, Steve Land, has an office at the Old Harbor town dock and can be reached on VHF Channel 12 or by calling 401-466-3204.

The east breakwater extends about 300 yards northward of the entrance of the inner harbor, and is marked at its end by a light and fog signal. A bell buoy is 0.55 mile northward of the breakwater. A light marks the end of the breakwater on the west side at the entrance to the inner harbor.

Great Salt Pond (New Harbor), on the west side of Block Island, is the best harbor in Block Island Sound for vessels of 15-foot draft or less. In easterly gales when the sea is too heavy to enter Old Harbor, a landing can be made at Great Salt Pond. The entrance, about 2 miles south-southwestward of Block Island North Light, is a dredged cut through the narrow beach. The southwestern side of the entrance is protected by a jetty, which is marked by a light and a fog signal at its outer end. The controlling depth is about 5.4 feet in the left half of the channel and 1.3 feet in the right half, with shoaling in the right outside quarter just shoreward of the inner end of the breakwater. Local knowledge is advised before entering.

The best anchorage in Great Salt Pond is near the southeast end, off the ferry landing, in 15 to 48 feet, taking care to leave a fairway to the landing. A channel with an 8-foot depth leads to Trim Pond, where local fishing craft are moored.

Great Salt Pond Marinas
Champlin’s, the largest of the three marinas in Great Salt Pond, offers everything from a swimming pool to shopping and tennis courts, and is usually the busiest. Block Island Boat Basin offers all the basic services you’d expect and a terrific bar/restaurant, The Orr. Also, check out Payne’s Dock. Cliff Payne and his son, Sands, run this rustic full-service marina that is nestled in the northeast corner of New Harbor. All marine services listed on this page can be viewed on the map above.

Navigation

Prominent Features
Block Island North Light (41°13’39″N., 71°34’33″W.), 58 feet above the water, is shown from a brown tower on a gray granite dwelling on Sandy Point at the north end of the island.