New Harbor Ferry Service Proposed

Plans are underway to bring a 1953 wooden packet boat to Newport as a harbor shuttle. (Photo courtesy Aquidneck Ferry & Charter LLC)

NEWPORT, R.I. – With dredging underway and water and land-side improvements expected to be complete in time for the summer season at the city’s downtown Perrotti Park complex, a commercial real estate executive from Portsmouth has plans to launch a new hop-on, hop-off ferry service that he hopes will become a destination attraction and a fixture in Newport Harbor.

Addison Closson, who spoke with Newport Now earlier this week from New York, said that he hopes to begin operations of his Aquidneck Ferry as early as April, if an application is approved by the state Public Utilities Commission on Feb. 15.

The vessel, a 1953 wooden packet boat, is similar to the kinds of boats that could normally be seen on Narragansett Bay during the 1940s. At 65-feet long with a 24-foot beam, she is capable of carrying 140 passengers, seating 89 for dinner, and is small enough to make frequent stops around the harbor, according to Closson. Built in Bulloxi, Miss., she’s currently being used as a tour boat in Philadelphia, Penn., and could be in port in time for an April launch.

And while other ferry operators including Connanicut Marina’s Jamestown-Newport Ferry and Old Port Marine’s Water Taxi have demonstrated that waterborne transit can be popular – especially during festival and special event weekends – Closson is hoping that his service carves out a niche that complements rather than competes with existing operations.

“Their model is more transportation-based,” says Closson, whereas his would be take more of a hybrid approach, stressing both regularly scheduled stops as well as an emphasis on cultural tourism and private charters. “There are a million people who come to Newport and 125,000 passengers from the cruise ship industry,” Closson says. “If we can attract just a fraction of those numbers, I think we’ll all be fine.”

Under the proposal, the Aquidneck Ferry would operate seven days a week with stops at eight different locations around Narragansett Bay. The schedule would be divided into two loops – a 30-minute inner-harbor route and a cross-passage excursion with stops at Rose Island and Fort Weatherill in Jamestown.

Paige Bronk, director of planning, zoning and development for the city has long been an advocate for establishing a robust harbor shuttle to serve the downtown area.

“The city has always been interested in promoting an increased level of harbor shuttle service,” he says. “And it seems like that is at least one aspect of what this proposal is about.” He also noted that the 30-minute loop is similar to a schedule that the city had proposed to private contractors during an RFP process in 2006.

Closson is still working out the details on where to berth the vessel overnight, however he hopes to come to an agreement with the state for acomodations at Fort Adams, where he says there is ample parking that would allow passengers to avoid the hassles of parking in downtown Newport.

“We’re looking at this as a portal; a water portal,” Closson says. “Something that people could use to go and visit IYRS, or the Museum of Yachting, or Rose Island, and then go shopping on Bowen’s Wharf or Lower Thames Street and then give them an easy way to get back.”

Once operational, he expects to employ some 15-25 people, and plans on operating from April until New Years, with special events from weddings, comedy shows, and private charters providing an added revenue stream during the shoulder and off-seasons.

The concept for the ferry, Closson says, stems from a recent trip to Scandinavia. And while he concedes that the model isn’t widely used anywhere along the eastern seaboard, he noted that Newport is ideally and uniquely suited for just such a service.

“Newport is just set up in such a way that I think it would be ideal,” he says. “The idea is to promote the beauty of the harbor. For me, the beauty of Newport is on the water.”

But, he hopes, his success will lend itself to other businesses and organization. In addition to combination trolley ticketing, Closson plans on reaching out to organizations like the Newport Historical Society to help expand their popular guided tour program.

Currently, Closson is planning on charging $12 for passengers to ride all day, $10 for seniors/military. On board, passengers will be greeting by flat-screen TVs featuring a slideshow detailing Newport’s storied yachting and maritime past, and various attractions around town.

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