Payne's Dock 

Welcome to my Payne's Dock Web Page. Above are the two proprietors of this "heaven on Earth"; Cliff and Sands. They are true wizards at docking and undocking boats and are always ready to lend a helping hand.

We love to stay at Payne's Dock in New Harbor. It is a friendly place with lots of families. Friends are easily made and goods times are the rule. Payne's is famous for their snack bar and the Mahogany Shoals bar. Food, drink, music and friends...heaven could not be better.

Here are some photo's showing Payne's Dock (401-466-5572). The right one was taken from the Narragansett Hotel looking out over the Great Salt Pond at New Harbor. This marina is found at the end of Ocean Ave. and "still exudes some of the wild atmosphere from the days when it served as the landing place for the New London boat, and before that the steamers from New York. Early morning doughnuts and coffee in the cafe or a midday lunch break of chowder (ed. great!) and clam cakes have become an island tradition."

Here is a view looking South. Payne's has mainly fixed docks and a few floating docks for smaller boats (<30 ft). Rafting is not the rule and most will have a pier. Payne's is listed as having space for 50 boats but I have seen 3 times that many being accommodated. Very busy times (July 4th, VJ Day, and Labor Day) may result in rafting of boats. Payne's is one of several places on the island where gasoline can be bought. The gift shop has many treasures including the "all American" Tee shirt and locally hand-made Block Island jewelry. It is worth a stop just to get some saltwater taffy.

The bar you've been practicing for...

A popular spot for drinks and live entertainment (Irish folk music) by Walter McDonough. It's small on space but big on atmosphere (and yes, the bar does tilt).

One of the great mysteries of Payne's Dock is the location of the men's room. Here is a big clue...

Let's go to the Block Island Boat Basin

Let's go to Champlin's

Let's go back to the main Block Island page.