CONTINUING A 345-YEAR-OLD SERVICE
Situated on Conanicut Island, Jamestown is one of Rhode Island’s most historic towns and it played a significant role during the American Revolution. Named in honour of James, the Duke of York, this quiet, friendly coastal town became a summer haven for the wealthy in the late 19th century. Today Jamestown is a popular destination for day trips and summer vacations. There has been a ferry service between Conanicut Island and Newport since 1675.
The new Jamestown Newport Ferry Dock, located at the Conanicut Marine Services site in Jamestown, is kept busy all year round. The two customized floating docks, one 9 meters long and the other 12 meters long, were designed and built by SF Marina in Norfolk, Virginia. Trapezoidal, they form an L-shape with a 70-degree angle. With their weight and low centre of gravity, the pontoons are not only extremely stable, making them easily accessible for travellers, they have also been designed to withstand large wakes and many years of heavy use. The pontoons are anchored using pile guides and move as one unit with the 1.4-meter tide.
The Ferry Dock was installed in 2020, while an advanced 60-meter floating wave attenuator, also designed by SF Marina, was installed six years ago to protect the whole of the Conanicut Marine Services site.
