We had been home for a couple of weeks after the 2025 Boat Camp. Al had an ablation procedure for a cardiac problem. Eight hours in the hospital and then a couple of weeks of rest. He is feeling good, thank goodness, and ready to go cruising!
Limerick had returned to Shennecossett after their R&R at Napatree. After a night at the dock they headed out.
Can you ever have too many photos of your boat?
Limerick ahead of us.
Then Kindred Spirit ahead of Limerick.
It was a short ride over to Stonington where we anchored. Hot and humid day so into the water I went.
It was our 31st wedding anniversary so my wish was to have dinner at the DogWatch Café. And to eat their fabulous Asian seared tuna. So yummy!
The next morning we headed to Newport. A bumpy ride that left me feeling a little so-so. I rarely get sea sick so it was a bit of a surprise.
The Point Judith Lighthouse
Built in 1898, this little granite lighthouse appears just before the Castle Hill Inn complex at the entrance to the East Passage of Narragansett Bay. It is so nestled into the cliff face that it almost appears to be part of the natural rocky landscape.
The Castle Hill Inn right on the shores of the East Passage of Narragansett Bay, established in 1875. The 1938 hurricane cut it off from the mainland. During World War II the inn was used as a base for naval officers and then transformed into a summer hotel. It is now a true year-round luxury hotel with 33 rooms. $1800-3600 per night!!
Newport is busy in August. The Harbormaster was unbelievably nice and found us a mooring off Goat Island where we could raft together. This is a harbor where you could sit on your boat all day and watch the sights and entertainment from there.
This photo does not do justice to Maximus, a 194-foot sailing yacht that sailed right past us. Built in 2023, the yacht is for sale for $92.6 million dollars.
Watch this video! What a way to pick up your mooring line. Keep your eye on the guy hanging below the bowsprit and the other guy handling the boat hook to get the line.
This lovely little pink Friendship sloop was seen sailing in and out of the harbor. She can be charted for private groups of “up to twelve guests, for families, bachelorette parties, small corporate occasions and other close-knit gatherings.” LadyBird was purchased and restored to honor his wife’s memory who had passed away after a battle with breast and brain cancer.
Newport is one of the loveliest harbors at night, especially with a full moon overhead.
I have always wanted to visit Rose Island Lighthouse. I had read that people can rent rooms in it and stay overnight (more about the later.) The only way to visit the island is on the Jamestown-Newport Ferry with a Hop On Hop Off ticket. Or to land your dinghy or kayak on the beach there.
The Rose Island Lighthouse sits on a little island (18.5 square miles) just before the Newport Bridge, halfway between Newport and Jamestown.
We got a ticket to ride…..
A guide meets you at the dock to walk you around, talk about the history and point out interesting features. In the mid-1860’s Narrangansett Bay was becoming quite busy with steamship traffic carrying passengers and freight between Newport and Boston so a navigational lighthouse was deemed necessary. The Rose Island Lighthouse was completed in 1870 for $7500. The structure is only 35 feet tall but it stands 48 feet above the water.
The U.S Coast Guard managed the lighthouse from 1941 until 1970. In 1969 the Newport Pell Bridge was completed and the Rose island Lighthouse became obsolete when all the necessary navigation aids were situated upon the bridge.
From the 1970’s through early 1980’s, there were attempts to find a purpose for the lighthouse. It sat idle and became a target of vandals and theft, including the Fresnel lens which was broken and thrown into the sea. In 1984 Charlotte Johnson and Curt Bunting organized an effort, Rose Island Lighthouse Foundation (RILF) to save the lighthouse from demolition and to prevent it from being sold and transformed into a marina and upscale resort. According to our guide, their efforts were finally successful due to the discovery that it is an important nesting habitat for many wading shorebirds. Hurray for the birds!
The City of Newport took ownership and developed a mission to restore the lighthouse to its former glory and open it as a museum to the public. The restoration of the Rose Island Lighthouse took from 1985 to 1993.
Fort Hamilton was constructed on Rose Island between 1798 and 1801 as part of the first federal coastal defense initiative. The 210-foot-long bombproof barracks are the most intact military structure for this period. The lower photo is one of the rooms in the barracks that can be rented for an overnight stay. No electricity, no bathroom. I would have to give that serious thought before renting. About 5 seconds.
The walls are 2 ½ feet thick and the ceilings are HIGH.
We walked up to the lighthouse.
The first floor kitchen area. I love that old iron stove/oven. I had a miniature one as a child and wish I had kept it. The bathroom (toilet only) is right next to the kitchen sink (top left photo – through that door and to the left.)
Some of the interior guest rooms. Because people visit the island, guests who are staying overnight must keep the bed made, tidy their room, leave the door open and tuck their valuables away between 10 am -4 pm.
Cindy discovered the extra toilet (haha.) Tic Tac Toe from shells and a decorated life ring.
We climbed the staircase from the second floor up to the third level. At that point there is a ladder to climb up to the light.
in one direction you can see the barracks and the “gift shop” and in the other you can see the islands dock and ferry arriving.
The Newport Bridge.
At the top. This visit to the top of Rose Island Lighthouse reminded me of our time in HopeTown on Elbow Cay in the Bahamas where we watched the lighthouse keeper light the “candy-striped lighthouse“. This Fresnel lens was very tiny in comparison.
Don and Cindy enjoying the views.
We walked along the shore below the lighthouse.
Remember the bathroom situation?
This is the outhouse on the island. For day visitors and for people staying in the barracks rooms. They use “The Tinkle Tally System”
Inside photo (thank you, Al) of the system. The “Tinkle Tally System” with the shell icons is in the lower left corner. Charming.
Near the outhouse is the shower – the stockade fencing surrounds it. Notice the solar bags on the ground to heat up your shower water.
Although staying overnight in a lighthouse sounds utterly charming, I think I am past the age where that is appealing. At least on Rose Island.
While waiting for the next ferry, we enjoyed a little swinging.
After our long day, we rewarded ourselves with ice cream at Sticks & Cones. Of course.
D & S
Really enjoyed your post and photos. Thank you. Deanna and Sarah