Boat traffic limited during swim across East Passage





Because more than 700 swimmers and kayakers traverse the East Passage during Save The Bay’s annual swim, the Coast Guard is closing the waterway to boat traffic on Saturday morning.

Because more than 700 swimmers and kayakers traverse the East Passage during Save The Bay’s annual swim, the Coast Guard is closing the waterway to boat traffic on Saturday morning.

With hundreds of swimmers expected to cross the East Passage Saturday from the Naval War College to Potter’s Cove, the Coast Guard is warning boats about a safety zone that will be in effect.

Authorities are closing Narragansett Bay to traffic between Gould and Conanicut islands from 6-10 a.m. during Save The Bay’s annual race. While the ban extends south to the Newport Pell Bridge, the Coast Guard will grant exceptions on a case-by-case basis to pass under the span. The agency can be contacted at VHF channel 16.

The open-water traverse of the East Passage is a 1.7-mile race that is expected to attract about 500 swimmers and 200 kayakers. In its 41st year, the event also features virtual swimmers who participate remotely from pools, lakes and couches across the globe.

Jamestown swimmers who will compete Saturday are Judy Beckman, Stephanie Cotsonas, Deb Foppert, Matt Hull, Robert Nelson, Colin Walsh, Chris Walsh, Onne van der Wal, Robert Gallagher, Barbara Bird, Jeff Lo- Gioco, Karalyn Sommers, Christine Heenan, Dennis Nixon, Sharon Purdie and John A. Murphy.

Cotsonas, a former collegiate swimmer, was the first of 23 Jamestowners to finish the 2016 edition. She reached Potter’s Cove in 44 minutes, 20 seconds, which only was bested by 16 swimmers in the field of 400 swimmers. Timothy Long, who swam at Bowdoin College, set the pace at 38:06.

The race, which commences with the first wave of swimmers at 6:15 a.m., is the largest annual fundraiser for Save The Bay, a Providence-based charity founded in 1970. Through donations and volunteers, the organization protects Narragansett Bay and its 400 miles of coastline.