Explore the Ocean State with These 6 Unique Boat Tours

The Explorer Riverboat tours the Blackstone River every weekend. courtesy of the Explorer/James Toomey.

When’s the last time you toured a local waterway by boat? Sightseeing cruises are magnets for tourists looking to sample the Ocean State’s famous spray, but residents can also indulge in an afternoon on the water. Whether it’s an urban adventure to explore the mysteries of Rhode Island’s industrial rivers or a nature-viewing excursion on the open sea, these boat tours will help you see the state in a new light.

NORTH

Green Jacket Shoal Tour With the Providence River Boat Company, Providence

The Providence River Boat Company offers more than a dozen ways to experience the capital city’s waterways — from architecture tours to booze cruises — but for something truly unique, hop on the seasonal tour of Green Jacket Shoal. The tour (offered only when tides are low enough) takes visitors outside the Fox Point Hurricane Barrier to explore Rhode Island’s largest ship graveyard. From the mid-1800s to the early 1900s, this patch of water visible from India Point Park was home to a bustling shipyard that serviced everything from steamboats to sailing vessels. Ships past their useful life were sunk in the shallow water and remained there long after the site was abandoned in the early twentieth century.

“It’s one of our favorite tours. It’s really interesting and really well-received,” says Kristin McGinn, co-owner of Providence River Boat Company alongside her husband, Capt. Tom McGinn. “Most people that live here have no idea that it’s there.”

The tour begins at the company’s dock on Dyer Street and takes patrons upriver for an abbreviated version of the narrated daily tour. After that, the boat heads out beyond the hurricane barrier, where David Robinson, director of the Massachusetts Board of Underwater Archaeological Resources, takes over. Robinson was the first to investigate the site when he worked as a marine archaeologist for the University of Rhode Island and continues to share his knowledge about this thriving era in the state’s maritime history. To date, he’s discovered and mapped twenty-nine shipwrecks only visible at low tide.

“We need to make sure that the tide is extremely low, which only happens a few times a summer,” McGinn explains.

The next tour is scheduled for Sept. 2, and McGinn warns it sells out quickly. A portion of proceeds from each tour is donated to the East Providence Historical Society in memory of Pete Manning, who helped Robinson explore the site. 101 Dyer St., Providence, 580-2028, providenceriverboat.com

Views of downtown’s architecture with the Providence River Boat Company.

Explorer River Tours, Central Falls

The Explorer riverboat has been cruising the wilds of northern Rhode Island since 1993, with passengers traveling from all over to experience the history and wildlife of this unique corner of the state. The Blackstone Valley Tourism Council offers tours of the Blackstone River every weekend in season on a custom riverboat made by Blount Boats.

“The Blackstone River is super underutilized, very beautiful, and we’re the only people who run commercial boats up and down it, so it’s a really great way to see a hidden part of the state,” says Sam Jackson, director of river education for the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council.

A typical Saturday evening cruise departs from Central Falls Landing, where passengers are invited to grab food or beverages from nearby Shark’s Peruvian Cuisine and bring them along for the BYOB tour. The leisurely, fifty-minute ride carries guests into the heart of the Blackstone Valley, where former mill buildings stand as reminders of the region’s industrial past. In recent years, the river has undergone massive cleanup efforts to restore its natural glory, and Jackson says visitors are now likely to see ospreys, herons, turtles, cormorants and other wildlife that have reclaimed their home along the river.

An aerial view of the Blackstone River.

In celebration of its thirtieth anniversary, the Explorer is offering a guided Sunday speaker series this summer featuring guests from local organizations. Cruise with experts from Mystic Aquarium, the Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council, Audubon Society of Rhode Island and other groups to learn about the river’s animals, plant life, history and threats to its preservation.

“A big part of our company’s mission is to increase sustainable tourism in the Blackstone Valley. We wanted to show people this river still has so much to offer people,” Jackson says.

For an even more adventurous excursion, check out the Explorer’s sister boat, the Samuel Slater, an authentic British canal boat available to rent for overnight stays on Airbnb. 15 Madeira Ave., Central Falls, 724-2200, rivertourblackstone.com

Passengers on board the Explorer.

EAST

Gansett Cruises, Newport

Looking for an authentic Rhode Island summer experience? How about cruising Narragansett Bay in a former lobster boat while sipping on Del’s and munching on stuffies? Gansett Cruises offers narrated, seventy-five- or ninety-minute harbor tours from Bowen’s Wharf in Newport on a restored wooden lobster boat featuring these and other tasty local treats. Shivani Sood, who purchased the company last year with her husband, Zane Randall, says the aptly named Gansett has been meticulously maintained to offer a comfortable cruising hub for families and visitors of all ages.

“For a 1969 wooden lobster boat from Maine, she’s practically a yacht,” she says.

Guests can sign up for morning, afternoon or evening cruises, with complimentary treats and cash bar available on each. Morning cruises come with mimosas, fresh brewed coffee and orange juice, while afternoon cruises feature Del’s along with coffee cabinets or ice cream. For a stunning sunset view of the Newport Bridge, snag tickets for an evening cruise, which comes with a stuffie and a Champagne toast. The Gansett features a covered lower and open upper deck, so guests can cruise regardless of weather preference.

Each tour includes a knowledgeable guide offering visitors an inside look at Newport Harbor, from its history-imbued lighthouses

to the storied mansions perched atop its cliffs. Even the boats tied up at the wharf don’t escape their attention. Tour guides often know which celebrity-owned yachts happen to be overnighting that week and can point them out to guests as they pass.

“The boats come and go, so they have to keep doing research on them. They do it on their own to keep people entertained,” Sood says. 2 Bowen’s Landing, Newport, 619-1300, gansettcruises.com

Gansett Cruises in Newport Harbor.

Try Sailing With Sail Newport 

Prefer to steer your own boat? Sail Newport’s Try Sailing experience gives guests a chance to get out on the water for a one-hour sailing experience with a trained instructor on a J/22 sailboat. Program Director Kim Hapgood says the opportunity is ideal for budding sailors considering signing up for lessons or visitors looking for a new way to experience Narragansett Bay. 

“It can be as hands-on as the participants want — our certified instructors can sail the boats, or we let participants try their hands at steering and trimming sails if they want,” she says.

Sailing experiences are available daily, depending on demand for boats from the organization’s other programs, and rates vary by weekday and weekend. Each boat can accommodate up to four adult guests, or two adults and three children. Boats depart from the organization’s dock in Fort Adams State Park.

For those who catch the sailing bug, Sail Newport also offers weekly sailing instruction for adults mid-May through October. Soon, you’ll be skimming across Newport Harbor in your very own (rented) sailboat like one of the old-moneyed elite. 72 Fort Adams Dr., Newport, 849-8385, sailnewport.org 

SOUTH

Whale Watching With the Frances Fleet, Narragansett

No need to drive out to the Cape for an up-close look at the wildlife swimming off New England’s shores. The Frances Fleet — which also offers fishing trips — hosts whale watching and dolphin excursions through Sept. 3 out of the port of Galilee. The whale watching season coincides with the summer months, when humpback whales migrate to feed in the warm waters off Rhode Island’s coast. Christine Blount, who owns the company with her husband, Frank, says passengers can also spot finback, minke, right and sperm whales.

“We also see a lot of dolphins, which are just as exciting sometimes as the whales,” she says.

Whale watching tours take place on the Lady Frances, a 105-foot passenger vessel. All tours are accompanied by a naturalist who narrates the excursion. In addition to whales and dolphins, guests often see turtles, sunfish, seabirds and other wildlife. And while whale sightings are never guaranteed — guests receive a voucher for a free trip if no whales are in sight — Blount says the past few years have been excellent for spotting this protected species.

“If the bait is around and their food source is here, then they expect to hang around here,” she says.

Whale watching tours are offered on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, and families can receive discounted rates on Tuesdays and Fridays. Conditions vary out on the water, so Blount recommends dressing for the weather and planning ahead for summer beach traffic.

“People have a fabulous time. It’s usually a good family bonding experience,” she says. 33 State St., Narragansett, 783-4988, francesfleet.com

Rhode Island Bay Cruises, North Kingstown

The Rhode Island Fast Ferry does much more than set sail for Martha’s Vineyard. The ferry service also offers seasonal, thirty-mile tours of Narragansett Bay’s lighthouses and islands under the name Rhode Island Bay Cruises. Owner Charlie Donadio Jr. says the tour is distinct from others in the state because the triple-decker, catamaran-style boat is able to cover a larger portion of the bay during the ninety-five-minute tour.

“This is our twenty-third season doing the lighthouse cruises and Newport Harbor tours,” he says. “It’s very unique in that you’re in a very large, high-speed CAT that carries 320 passengers. We have the ability of seeing ten lighthouses on the tour, because we can move at a higher speed between the sites.”

Tours depart from Quonset Point and head south along the west side of the bay, passing multimillion-dollar homes as the boat travels beneath the Jamestown Bridge. The boat then rounds Beavertail and cruises through Newport Harbor, giving passengers an up-close look at the yachts and lighthouses of the bay’s East Passage before returning to Quonset.

Plum Lighthouse from
the Rhode Island Fast Ferry.

In total, Donadio says, passengers can expect to see ten lighthouses and sixty miles of coastline on Narragansett Bay.

“What’s unique about our vessel is that it’s three stories tall. You could be on the upper deck and literally, you’re looking down on anything and getting a bird’s-eye view,” he says.

The Julia Leigh features a full bar with snacks, air conditioning and restrooms for a comfortable cruise. The boat typically makes a morning run to Martha’s Vineyard before the tour and returns for afternoon ferry service at the end of the day. When not ferrying passengers or cruising by lighthouses, the company also transfers crews for New England’s growing offshore wind industry. 1347 Roger Williams Way, North Kingstown, 295-4040, fastferry.com

The Rhode Island Fast Ferry tours Narragansett Bay.

Paddle On

For those who prefer to cruise at their own speed, these rental locations will meet all your kayaking (and stand-up paddleboarding) needs. Be sure to call ahead for availability.

Photograph: Getty Images/Bondariev.

Kayak Centre

70 Brown St., North Kingstown; 562 Charlestown Beach Rd., Charlestown, 295-4400, kayakcentre.com

Providence Kayak

101 Dyer St., Providence; Lincoln Woods State Park, Lincoln, 829-1769, providencekayak.com

Narrow River Kayaks

351 Liberty Ln., West Kingston (delivery available), 789-0334, narrowriverkayaks.com

Blackstone River Expeditions

15 Madeira Ave., Central Falls, 724-2200, rivertourblackstone.com

Pond and Beyond Kayak

216 Ocean Ave., New Shoreham, 578-2773, pondandbeyodkayak.com

Walker Farm Kayaks

509 County Rd., Barrington, 369-4832, walkerfarmkayaks.com