Barn Island 2024

Little Narragansett Bay is a fun and easy location for a day's paddling.
From Barn Island, it is an easy 1 - 1.5 mi. paddle to Sandy Point, a narrow island that is a wildlife refuge. Sandy Point is private, but beaching is allowed with the caveat that if you happen to run into one of the roaming stewards, you will be asked to pay a $5 fee (or you can join for an annual fee). The island has many gulls and other seabirds, many of which nest there. At the right time of year, you will see gull chicks running around with their parents - quite an entertaining site! You may also find horseshoe crabs mating on the northern beach.
On the northern (seaward) side of Sandy Point there is a sandbar. The surf breaks over this bar and it can be fun to surf the waves there. From Sandy Point, you can travel eastward around Napatree Point, R.I. and beach there if you like. Note that the waters can be rough rounding Napatree point so use caution. Traveling westward, you can round Stoningtin Point and enter Stoningtin Harbor, home of the last commercial fishing fleet in Connecticut.
Notes:
Barn Island is a popular power boat launch but there is a designated kayak launch area to the right of the ramp. Use this area so as not to interfere with the power boaters.

Requirements to attend this paddle
· arrive 1/2 hour prior to posted launch time
· light
· whistle
· 12 foot kayak or longer recommended (no inflatables or SUP's)
· Coast Guard approved PFD (inflatable PFDs are not allowed)
· Spay skirt
· bilge pump
· appropriate clothing for the water temperature
· Event start time is in your boat, in the water, and ready to paddle! You will need to transport your boat a few hundred feet, from the parking lot to the beach to launch.
Suggested
We strongly recommend that you bring along the following:

• drinking water
• food -plan to bring a lunch, we normally break for lunch prior to the return
• sunscreen
• a change of dry clothes in a dry bag
• familiarize yourself with the area prior to paddling
• check weather conditions for wind speed direction and tides

Any paddle sport is an assumed risk sport. Some aspects of canoeing and kayaking involve the risk of serious injury or death. Southern New England Paddlers (SNEP) although safety conscious, cannot guarantee your personal safety in our Meetup activities.