Thousand Islands and Canada

Clayton, NY

On July 11 we cast off our lines in Sackets Harbor and headed for the St. Lawrence River and Clayton, NY. We had a pleasant trip, skimming along the US/Canada border and landed at Pier 225 Marina about 11 am.

Talk about laid back! Mike spoke with the marina manager over the phone to reserve our slip and he told us no problem staying there but he would not be around. He would have some of the regulars at the marina look out for us. Sure enough, when we arrived, some of the other boaters were there to catch our lines. The payment was self-serve on the honor system. In two days we never say a marina employee.

We had rushed ourselves a little bit getting to Clayton since we had 1:30 reservations to take a tour boat past several of the islands and Boldt Castle. Once docked, we walked past the edge of town on the major highway in the area to the boat tour dock. We elected for a commercial tour rather than pilot ourselves around for the narrative and history lesson. So, there are actually over 1800 islands, some in the US and some in Canada. Navigating can be a challenge as some of the river is quite shallow. The US side is also the main shipping channel so a sharp lookout is advised. It is pretty busy.

Along the way we saw all sorts of houses on islands. Many appeared to be quaint summer getaways but some were huge old-money estates. Boldt Castle was the highlight of the tour with a long stopover there and a self-guided audio tour. Construction began on Boldt Castle in 1900 at the bidding of millionaire hotel magnate George C. Boldt as a tribute to his beloved wife Louise. Boldt Castle was designed as their summer dream home on the St. Lawrence River, in the heart of the 1000 Islands. However it was not to be; Mrs. Boldt passed away suddenly, just months before the completion of the castle. Mr. Boldt was inconsolable and immediately stopped all construction on Heart Island, leaving the property vacant for over seventy years. The property is now in the the hands of the the Thousand Islands Bridge Authority, an international organization, using entry fees to fund the restoration so it is taking decades to complete. However, they now have the first floor completely restored as well as the main double staircase and the grounds.  If the last time you were there was prior to 2008 then it is well with the trip to visit again.

Across a small bay on the St Lawrence stands the Boldt's boat house. They had a fleet of over 60 boats! The trip was amazing and the Thousand Island area is certainly beautiful.

July 9 was a bad weather day with occasional rain and gusty winds so we stayed on at Clayton to visit the Antique Boat Museum. What a wonderful set of exhibits! They also have the Boldt's houseboat which was then owned by the McNallys (of Rand McNally map fame). As a bonus, there was a car show on the grounds the same day. 

Weather days also present an opportunity to catch up on boat projects. Carousel had not be washed down for a while and the inside of the boat got a good vacuuming.  We took care of topping off our water tanks (Carousel carries nearly 200 gallons of fresh water), pumping out the holding tanks (40 gallons of sewage), and checking for any unusual signs of wear in the engine room. 

OH CANADA!

Early on July 10, with a slight mist in the air we departed Clayton, but not before stopping to top off the fuel. Carousel carries 600 gallons of diesel when full and a full tank at US prices should mean that we will not have to buy fuel at Canadian prices. We crossed over to the Canadian side of the River, heading past Kingston, Ontario and towards Prinyers Cove, a trip of about 40 Nautical Miles. 

Prinyers Cove is an isolated but well protected harbor at the entrance to the Bay of Quinte. The Bay of Quinte will ultimately lead us to the Trent-Severn Waterway. Importantly, it is also a designated call-in site for Canadian Customs. We had already registered by email a few days earlier and provided our Passport numbers and other required information. Upon entry, the boat is properly quarantined which is demonstrated by the use of a yellow flag.The captain of the ship must then use the designated phone at the small marina there to call Canadian Customs. Under quarantine, no other people or items may go off of the ship until the crew and ship are cleared. After a series of questions, they granted entry and we were now allowed to move about freely. It was a very quick process. We removed the quarantine flag and hoisted the Canadian courtesy flag. For other "loopers", we highly recommend this scenic, friendly, protected location.  Also, if you've ever been to Canada since passports were required, we also recommend the pre-registration via e-mail.  It makes the conversation on the phone with the customs agent go very smoothly, since you are already a "known traveler" to the Canadian government.

At Prinyers Cove, we had planned to anchor for the evening but the marina owner was so helpful and the place seemed so hungry for some cash flow that that we decided to rent a mooring ball for the evening. On the mooring, pointing into the wind, we opened up the hatches and let the gentle breeze flow through Carousel. We had saved a special rib-eye meal for our first night in Canada. We fired up the grill, ran the generator for a while to microwave some baked potatoes, and had a great feast. At about dusk, we checked our screens and verified that we were in good shape for fending off bugs. We had a great night's sleep, as we usually do at a a mooring.

Trenton, ON

On July 11, we headed towards Trenton, Ontario towards the new Trent Port Marina. This marina is known for its great facilities, customer services, and nearby services. The marina, in this case is not so much for any of those but, simply that this is the last stop before entering the first lock of the Trent Severn Waterway. Once we arrived, about mid-day, we walked over to the nearby main business district and had locally prepared fish (Haddock) and chips, a meal very popular in these parts. At the marina we enjoyed the boater's lounge, free laundry, and great service staff. We completed a few more chores on the boat (including lowering the mast again - it went much more quickly the 2nd time) and spent the time relaxing in preparation of our first big day on the Waterway.