Boaters gather for informal 'Aquapalooza' event off Portsmouth

Hundreds of boats took to Potters Cove off Prudence Island for the annual Aquapalooza event Saturday.

The event, usually the last Saturday in July, was curtailed last year because of the pandemic.

People launch their boats from nearby marinas-- some tying their vessels together-- while playing music, enjoying coolers full of food and drinks, and soaking up the sun.

The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, the U.S. Coast Guard, and Warwick, Newport, and Bristol Police held a briefing with the Portsmouth harbormaster before heading out on the water.

The biggest problem authorities anticipated were the jet skis, “going through no-wake zones and area siege floats and dinghies, a lot of traffic crossing each other, not paying attention will result in serious injuries, which we hope doesn’t happen today,” said harbormaster Bruce Celico.

Last year, DEM advised people not to participate because of the pandemic, but some boaters did show up.

This year, boaters were reminded to stay cautious, with the Covid-19 Delta variant spreading.