Town Rental Moorings in New Harbor – Great Salt Pond (New Shoreham, RI) 

Town Rental Moorings in New Harbor – Great Salt Pond
Block Island, New Shoreham, RI

Date of Service: Thursday, 9/17/26 – Friday, 9/18/26 (Mooring Ball#86)
Cons: Buggy, No Reservations, No Trash Pick Up, Tether in the Water, & Unable to Pay Upon Arrival
Pros: Dolphin Sightings in Mooring Field, Friendly Harbor Master, Inexpensive ($30/Nightly Off Season), Location, No Wake Zone, Number of Orange Balls (46′ – 55′), Quiet, Swing Room, VHF Responsiveness, & Water Depth

• Complimentary Pump Out
• Launch Service
• Trash Disposal

Special Comments: Acceptable forms of payment: cash, check, or credit card (Amex, MasterCard or Visa).

Anchoring in the Town Mooring Field, within 100′ feet’ of a commercial dock, on the west side of the harbor, within 50 feet of a residential dock private mooring or moored vessel is not permitted.

Attracting 1,500/+ boats on any peak season summer day.

Entry channel into Great Salt Pond is dredged to approximately 12′ – 14′, but the edges shoal quickly. Stay dead center in the channel, especially deep draft vessels, and watch for heavy cross currents that run perpendicular to the jetties during peak tidal shifts.

Complimentary pumpout service is available to all vessels in the harbor. Hours of operation are from 7:30AM – 5PM weekly. Request service, hail “pump out boat” on VHF Channel 73.

Contact the Harbormaster (VHF Channel 12) for availability when you enter the Pond, located in the southwest corner of the Great Salt Pond.

Dedicated town trash boat cruises the mooring fields during peak morning hours to collect bagged trash directly from your transom. Otherwise you can drop it off at the designated dumpster station near the public dinghy dock.

Discharge violation carries a severe fine, $2,000.

Fee covers trash disposal, pump out service, and two shower tokens per day. Additional tokens can be purchased for $2/EA.

Fuel available at: Champlin’s Marina (401-466-7777) VHF Channel 11 or Payne’s Dock (401-466-5572), no monitored VHF.

Great Salt Pond offers excellent 360° protection from ocean swells, but a strong afternoon southwest wind will blow directly across the low lying island landmass. Pond can develop a brisk chop.

Has 90 town owned rental mooring balls.

If all light green (up to 45′) or bright orange (46′ – 55′) town buoys are occupied, immediately contact the Harbormaster (VHF Channel 12). They often have authority to temporarily place transient vessels on unused private white moorings for a single night.

In season, office operates out of a small barge/building to the left of The Oar Restaurant (New Shoreham, RI) when arriving from the road.

Launch service is available for all transient moorings. Contact the launch operator directly for current hours and rates. To request a ride, hail “Old Port Launch” on VHF Channel 68.

Lime green mooring balls in color with black numbers can accommodate vessels up to 45′. Bright orange moorings are for vessels 46′ – 55′ in length.

Mooring balls are on a first come, first serve basis. No reservations!

Mooring balls are only available from Memorial Day (May) – Columbus Day (October).

Peak season arrive between 10AM – 11AM to catch transients departure before their standard checkout time, 10AM.

Peak Summer fee from Memorial Day (May) – Labor Day (September) is $65/nighty and off peak Summer fee, post-Labor Day (September) – Columbus Day (October) is $30/nightly.

Permitted anchorage is east of the main navigation channel.

Private moorings are white in color with black numbers. Only permit holders and designated guests are allowed to use private moorings and cannot be rented out by permit holders.

Public dinghy dock is at the end of the main navigation channel past Payne’s Dock for dinghies less than 12′. Overnight dockage is not permitted. Vessels left for 24 hours will be removed by the Harbormaster and impounded with a $100 fine.

Short stay daytime fee is $30/daily.

Southern and eastern extremes of the pond shallow rapidly to less than 5′ – 6′. Watch your depth.

Town enforces strict quiet hours from 10PM – 7AM.

Two boat moorings is at the Harbormaster’s discretion.

Unable to pay upon arrival as the HarborMaster was leaving for the water for the remaining part of the day (2PM). Requested to that we call and leave a message to include: name, mooring ball number, phone number, and vessel name.

Violations are subject to fines and towing in accordance with town ordinances.

Yacht Club Moorings are blue in color with black numbers. Requires membership and proper flying burgee.

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