Boating, Fishing, and Travel Information for Barrington-Warren, RI

This picturesque harbor, at the junction of the Barrington and Warren Rivers on the upper Bay, is often overshadowed by its more glamorous neighbor, Newport, but it’s a worthy destination for the intrepid boater. The town of Barrington, in particular, is a visual gem of sprawling estates and charming cottages, while Water Street in Warren offers a great place for antique shopping enthusiasts.

The mouth of the Warren River also offers a good place for basin and blue fishing.

Several good restaurants can be enjoyed on the Warren side of the harbor, including the Wharf Tavern, Sunnyside/Tav Vino (Sunnyside for breakfast and lunch, and the same location is Tav Vino for dinner). Tyler Point Grill is a few hundred yards from both Stanley’s and Striper marina.

The Barrington center is just a short walk down the bike path from the harbor and offers a variety of stores including banks, groceries, hardware, clothing shops, sandwich shops, ice cream shops, pizza parlors and more. Also in the harbor is the 100-year-old Barrington Yacht Club.

Blount seafood, which processes clams (quahogs) worldwide, including for Snow’s clam chowder, is on the Warren side. In the summer, they have an outdoor area where you can pull up by boat and get clam cakes, clam rolls, ice cream, and other treats, from their “Clam Shack.‚Äù

Blount-Barker shipyard is right next-door, and across the street is their retail store where you can buy a variety of seafood, including homemade clam chowder.

Tides & Currents in Barrington & Warren, RI

The mean range of tide at Warren is 4.6 feet. The tidal current off the town of Warren has a velocity of about 1 knot. Strong currents may be encountered in Barrington River.

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Anchorages
An excellent anchorage may be found at the mouth of the Warren River about 0.2 mile from the eastern shore in depths of 14 to 15 feet, soft bottom. There is not room for anchorage in the river for any but small craft. Abreast the lower end of Warren the channel is about 0.1 mile wide, with depths of 13 to 17 feet in mid-channel, and small vessels can anchor temporarily at this point.

There is no anchorage in the harbor but you can inquire about moorings owned by the town by calling 401-437-3930 (ask for the Barrington Harbormaster). Or call the Barrington Yacht Club, 401-245-1181 or stanley’s Boat Yard, 401-245 5090.

Hazards
Vessels approaching the river must take care to avoid Rumstick Shoal, which extends nearly 0.6 mile south of Rumstick Point, the southernmost point of Rumstick Neck and the western entrance point of the river. The shoal has depths of 2 to 12 feet and is marked by buoys. Rumstick Rock, 6 feet high, and Rumstick Ledge, with rocks that uncover 1 to 5 feet, are on the westerly side of the shoal.
Above the harbor lie a couple of fixed bridges with low clearance, and rocks for which to be watchful beneath, and beyond the third bridge the water shallows and become extremely tricky to navigate.

Marine Services
A shipyard on the east side of the Warren River at Warren has a hydraulic lift that can handle vessels to 300 tons or 130 feet long. Berths, electricity, gasoline, diesel fuel, water, ice, and marine supplies are available in Warren. Depths reported alongside the major wharves range from 7 to 20 feet. Small craft facilities are also available on the point near the confluence of the two rivers. Several boatyards are in the vicinity; mobile hoists to 25 tons are available.

Striper Marina and Stanley’s Boatyard and Marina are the two options for transients coming into Barrington harbor. There is easy access to the East Bay Bike Path, which runs from Providence to Colt State Park in Bristol, from either marina.
Engine, electronic, and hull repairs are available.

Coast Guard
Bristol
401-243-9585
VHF 16

Tow Service
Sea Tow
800-4SEATOW of VHF 16
TowBoatUS
800-391-4869 or VHF 16

Navigation:
NOAA Chart 13224 (1:20,000)
NOAA Chart 13221 (1:40,000)
Chartkit Region 2, page 27
Chartkit Region 3, page 69
Maptech Warerproof Chart 18

Warren River, emptying into the head of Narragansett Bay westward of Bristol Neck, is the approach to the towns of Warren and Barrington, and Barrington River, which joins Warren River at Warren. A church spire in Warren is prominent.

Approaches
From the bay, the channel to Warren passes between numerous shoals and rocks and is crooked and winding, but well marked. A depth of about 9 feet is in the channel to the lower wharves at Warren, and the same depth is in Barrington River to the fixed highway bridge about 0.5 mile above the entrance.
Note, a sunken wreck at about 41°43.65’N., 71°17.25’W. is on the west side of Warren River.

Small powerboats can make their way under the Barrington Bridge and railroad bridge (now a bike path bridge) into the Barrington River. It’s a great place to drop an anchor and picnic or water ski. (Consult a chart before navigating this area.)