Thousand Island Boat Vac.

[Tangled Online]

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica]Hey All. I’m from South Jersey and we do most of our boating on the Northern Chesapeake. We trailer a 260 Sundancer, and we enjoy a good adventure. My wife and I would like to try and plan a trip to the Thousand Islands this summer. I was there as a kid and we camped as a family I believe on Welsley Island and I have always wanted to go back with my own boat ever since. Its been on my “Bucket List” before we have kids to take my wife there and do a week vacation. I had the idea of staying on the boat and going from port to port, either anchoring out or grabbing a slip each nigh, for the true experience as well as to save money on a rental house, I’d rather put it to gas on the water. I’m looking for some local input or from someone that has done something similar. I’m really not sure where to start planning. What would be a good starting point for us? I have read a little about the rideau canal. Is a week enough time to explore this, or should we stick to more of the St. Lawrence sea way area? Is there a loop that can be done on the canal or in that area? We were thinking of early June? I heard mention that June is "Bug Season"? Should this be a concern?!? Any input would be greatly appreciated. [/FONT][/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica]1999, 260 Sundancer 7.4 BravoIII [/FONT]

 

[Timeflys]

Hello..I have lived in the area all my life, may be a little biased, but its a great area to explore. June is a good month, the river is not too busy with boat traffic and its not that hot yet. The water temp is still a little cool, low 60's and the weeds haven't reached full bloom. The mosquitoes are part of summer from June to Mid Aug.
Lots of places to anchor and some of the Canadian Park islands have mooring balls. Both the Canadian Park Islands and New York State Parks [Kring Pt, Watterson Pt, Canoe Pt, Picnic Pt, Mary Island] have overnight docking.
There are some must see attractions in the area: Boldt Castle, Singer Castle, and the Antique Boat Museum in Clayton. One of our favourite pastimes is to sit with a cold beer at Top of the Bay in Alex Bay and watch the comings and goings at the Town Dock.
You might consider launching at Keewaydin State Park or the town dock/ramp in Clayton, NY.
The Rideau Canal is doable over a 7 day period but you will be on the go if you want to check out the islands and the canal. There are lots of locks and go slow areas.
The border through the Thousand Islands is invisible and there are about 7 different law enforcement agencies involved between the 2 countries. The liquor laws regarding the operation of a pleasure craft are quite different between Ontario and New York State so some education is required. Be sure to check in to Canadian Border Security [bring your passport] if you want to land on Canadian soil. Just a warning, but gas and beer/liquor are about 40% more expensive than in the US. Let me know if you have any more questions, but I think the trip would be well worth while.
Peter



http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/lhn-nhs/on/rideau/index.aspx
http://www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/on/lawren/natcul.aspx
http://nysparks.com/parks/52/details.aspx
http://nysparks.com/parks/24/amenities-activities.aspx

 

[Tangled Online]

Peter,

Thank so much for the great info.! I was just a bit concerned of the bug talk of early/mid June, others had mentioned black flies, and that they did not go away until later in the summer. If I come across any questions I will PM you.

Thanks again for the useful info!

 

[Timeflys]

The only bugs we "enjoy" on the river are mosquitoes and a seasonal insect called the shad fly. These bugs appear in clouds for a couple of weeks in June. They can be very localized and are harmless. Black flies are found a little further north, which may be a reason you would want to do the Rideau later in the season.