Welcome
Greetings, I am Rob Lawnsby, base owner of Sailtime Rhode Island. After sailing up and down the East Coast from Bahamas to Maine several times, my wife and I concluded we like New England best; and that Narragansett Bay was it's crown jewel. Lots of cozy anchorages, plenty of delightful villages steeped in history, little current, and 150 square miles of sailing delight. The wind builds every afternoon up to about 15 knots, and then dies down in the evening for placid evening. We were hooked! We started sailing when I was in my 20's when we moved aboard a 24' cutter with my wife and two pre-school children...and a book on how to sail.
Since that life changing experience, we have sailed extensively along the eastern seaboard and beyond. We have made half a dozen round trips down the Intracoastal and back, and spent considerable time sailing in the Chesapeake, the Carolinas, and the Bahamas. In my 30's I built boats in Florida, and worked my way up to Production Manager for Sovereign Yachts. I learned how boats are built, how their systems work, and what the differences are in different designs. I have run the Rhode Island Hunter Dealership for over eight years, with a customer service record second to none. My greatest satisfaction is getting a customer in the appropriate boat for their individual needs. It is so easy to let the difficulties surrounding the learning curve to erode the passion for sailing.
My wife and I currently are year-round liveaboards in Rhode Island, and I hold a 50-ton captains license. I would like nothing better than to get you started on your path to cruising . There is no better feeling for me than to help a budding cruiser get from the dream to the deed! Now running the Sailtime Rhode Island base in Bristol, I bring years of experience to help you find the right formula of boat/time/expense so you can enjoy a hassle free sailing experience. If sailing in one of the best areas in the country on a pristine new Hunter sounds good to you; then fill out the information request and I'll arrange a tour. You can check us out, tour our facility, and see if the SailTime formula makes sense for you.
If you think sailing is only for the adventurous, we would argue sailing is for the tranquil soul. If your comfort zone is the size of a Tupperware lid, we can give you the skills to help it grow. Our sailing school has both men and women instructors who gently lead you from cabin boy to captain or princess to pirate. We are cruisers, not racers. There is no place for hysterics, only coaching.
Narragansett Sailing School is ASA certified and located at our base in Bristol. We use smaller 20 foot boats to start with, use 30 foot boats for our intermediate course, and use a Hunter 36 or 41 for our overnight cruising course. We keep our class size small so students get a good amount of practice during the lessons. There is no question you will be sailing by yourself after the first course, and we let our students practice with the boats after course completion. Find more information at www.naragansettsailing.com/sailingschool.
We also give additional time to our members when appropriate. We want our graduates not only to know how to sail (that’s the easy part) but to be comfortable with docking, anchoring, and dealing with windy weather. Our goal if for you to get past the boating techniques to enjoy the serenity of the bay under sail.
ASA 101 Basic Sailing: We start from scratch, and teach you how to sail on a docile full-keel daysailer. After the 20 hour course is done, you have the boat to practice an additional 8 hours. Three students max, $795
ASA 103 Basic Cruising: After you know sailing, you need to learn boat maneuvering. We move up to a 30 foot boat and add an inboard engine to learn docking and handling the boat in tight quarters. We further polish your sailing skills, and start to get into cruising skills. After the 20 hour course you have the boat for an additional 4 hours for practice. Three students max, $795
ASA 104 Intermediate Cruising: Now that you know how to sail and maneuver the boat, we move up to a 36 foot boat and cruise to an overnight destination. We practice cruising skills like anchoring, navigating, learn boat systems, and get you on the road to sailing independence. Students stay on the boat for the duration of the course. Three days, four students max, $995.
Discounts: We have discounts for the second half of a couple, and discounts for signing up for more than one course at a time. Give us a call and we will go into more detail. 50% deposit reserves your course date.
Where we Sail
Sailtime Rhode Island is located in Bristol, which is in the heart of Narragansett Bay. From here you can sail anywhere in the bay in two hours with a favorable wind. Right outside the Bay is Block Island, Cape Cod, Buzzards Bay, and Long Island Sound. Bristol Marine is a historic marina where Bristol boats were manufactured years ago. From the marina, it takes just a few minutes to be free of the mooring field, and then you are in the bay sailing to your choice of destinations. Potters Cove, which is one of the most protected and placid harbors in the bay located in a nature preserve, is less than an hour's sail away. Bristol Harbor is a sailboat harbor where the sailboats outnumber the power boats 10 to 1. We also have complete protection from the northeast storms.
Directions
Getting here is easy. Take exit 2 off I-195 in Massachusetts and head south on Route 136 for five miles. At the five-mile point there is a Stop and Shop grocery store on the right, and you take a right at the next light which is Gooding Avenue. Follow Gooding until it ends (about a mile) and turn left onto Route 114 south. After 9 tenths of a mile watch for the marina sign on the right (a brown anchor) and turn right onto Poppasquash Road. Bristol Marine is at 99 Poppasquash Road. It is the only marina on this side of the harbor, and you will see it as Poppasquash curves around Bristol Harbor.
So much to do!
In Bristol Itself is a plethora of activities and diversions. Bristol Harbor was an early trading port and shipbuilding center. The Herreshoff Museum has fascinating exhibits of early America’s Cup boats, marine engines, and the story of the Herreshoff brothers and their exploits. There are all kinds of restaurants including German, Seafood (overlooking the water), Italian, and even a restaurant in a converted 17th century wharf building. Historical buildings abound, there are interesting shops, and the largest and liveliest 4th of July parade you have ever seen! go to
Many SailTime members just come and hang out at the mooring! At a mooring the summer breezes waft through the boat, and you have the same privacy you would have at anchor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Bristol Forecast
Mostly cloudy. Patchy fog. Lows in the mid 50s. South winds around 10 mph...becoming west.