Anchoring guide for Potter Cove including wind protection, holding ground, depths, approach, shore access, and tips from local cruisers.
🧭 Overview
A peaceful, beginner-friendly anchorage just north of the Newport Bridge on Conanicut Island, with excellent holding, open space, and stunning nighttime views — but no services or shore access.
🌬 Wind Protection
- ✅ Best protected in: S, SW, W
- ⚠️ Exposed to: N, NE
- 🌀 Notes: You are normally very well protected from the prevailing SW winds in Narragansett bay.
⚓ Holding Ground
- ⛱ Type: Mud
- 💪 Holding quality: Excellent
- 💡 Tips: Plenty of room to set anchor, great conditions for less experienced cruisers to gain experience and confidence.
🛟 Approach & Depths
- 📍 Hazards: None notable — clean approach
- 🌊 Depth range at low tide: 12–20 feet
- 🧭 Preferred approach: Straight in from the bay — wide and forgiving
[tide_predictions lat=41.5140″ lng=”-71.3620″ expanded=”true”]
Shore Access
- 🛶 Dinghy landing: Sand and Gravel Beach
- 🏙 Closest services: None walkable — just shoreline trails around the bridge
- 🅿️ No marina or dock access — bring everything you need
💤 Things to Do
- 🛶 Beach your dinghy to get ashore. No services nearby but nice views if you hike towards the bridge
- 🏙 Closest services: Jamestown. A bit of a hike from here.
- 💦 Popular day spot for swimming and water toys.
- 🔇 Lots of activity / noise during the day. Quiet and peaceful at night
- 🥾 Some trails and a small beach area.
Tucked into the eastern shoreline of Conanicut Island, just north of the Newport Bridge, Potter Cove is an underappreciated anchorage that offers protection, ease, and serenity — especially for cruisers seeking a low-key overnight stop. There’s no town nearby, no services, and nothing walkable ashore beyond a few footpaths that wind around the bridge approach. And that’s kind of the point. Most boats pass this one by, making it a rare treat to have the whole cove to yourself once the daytrippers clear out.
Approaching is simple — wide, unobstructed, with plenty of swing room and depths ranging from 12 to 20 feet. The holding is excellent in thick mud, making it a great confidence-builder for newer cruisers or anyone looking for a quiet place to anchor without stress. While the cove fills with activity during the day — swimming, party boats, charters, and float toys galore — it rarely feels crowded, and by evening, the vibe shifts to calm and quiet. The view of the Newport Bridge lit up at night is spectacular, and while it looms nearby, road noise is surprisingly minimal.
If you’re cruising Narragansett Bay and want a peaceful spot that’s both easy and scenic, Potter Cove might be the most overlooked gem on the east side of Jamestown.
Getting more comfortable with anchoring goes a long way toward increasing confidence and safety. It also greatly increases your ability to be flexible in your cruising plans. Potter cove in Jamestown is a great place to gain that skill.
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