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CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT : Passengers on board the Explorer ; the Rhode Island Fast Ferry tours Narragansett Bay ; views of downtown ’ s architecture with the Providence River Boat Company ; an aerial view of the Blackstone River ; Gansett Cruises in Newport Harbor ; Plum Lighthouse from the Rhode Island Fast Ferry .
hen ’ 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 .
PHOTOGRAPHY , ( PREVIOUS PAGE ): COURTESY OF THE EXPLORER / JAMES TOOMEY . ( THIS PAGE CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT ): COURTESY OF THE EXPLORER / DAVID LAWLOR ; RHODE ISLAND BAY CRUISES ; PROVIDENCE RIVER BOAT COMPANY ; THE EXPLORER / DAVID LAWLOR ; GANSETT CRUISES ; RHODE ISLAND BAY CRUISES .
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 twentynine 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 . 30 , 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
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
100 RHODE ISLAND MONTHLY l AUGUST 2023