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Anchorage · Rhode Island

Potter Cove — Conanicut Island

Jamestown, Rhode Island · Narragansett Bay · 41°30.8′N 71°21.9′W

Good holdingProtected from NE · E · SE · S · SWAnchorage
Holding
Good
Best in wind
NE · E · SE · S · SW
Depth
8–14 ft
Bottom
sand/mud

At a glance

Depth range
8–14 ft (MLW)
Tidal range
3.5 ft
Bottom type
sand/mud
Capacity
60+ boats
Crowding
Moderate
VHF

Wind protection by direction

GoodNE, E, SE, S, SW
FairN, W
PoorNW
Derived from shoreline fetch + Coast Pilot notes

Amenities ashore

Dinghy dock

Local knowledge

Potter Cove, tucked behind the north end of Conanicut Island just under the Newport Bridge, is the free anchorage everyone in the know uses to dodge Newport's mooring fees and crowds.

Work into the cove and anchor in 9–12 ft over sand and mud that holds well. It's nearly all-round protection except from the north and northwest, where the fetch opens across the bay — in a settled forecast it's flat and quiet. There are no services in the cove itself; it's an anchor-and-relax spot with a little beach and a lot of stars.

Newport is a short sail or a bridge away for a night ashore, but plenty of cruisers never leave the cove.

Hazards & cautions. Open to the north and northwest across the bay — a hard northwesterly sends a chop straight in. The cove shoals gradually toward its head; watch your depth as you work in.

Cruiser reports from the anchorage

No cruiser reports yet. If you've anchored here, be the first — your note helps the next boat in.

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Augusto ratings and editorial are our own synthesis of public-domain sources and cruiser reports. Always verify against current charts and local knowledge before you rely on them.