1000 Islands

Mischief Managed

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Thinking about trailering out to the 1000 Islands area next Summer for a 4-5 day trip. I'd like to do alternate nights sleeping on the boat and staying at hotels with dock facilities. I'd also like to roughly 75 to 120 miles per day of cruising (I run 30 to 35 MPH at cruise) and start and end the trip in the same place. Any suggestions for, hotels, places to visit by boat, and places to anchor or get transient slips would be appreciated.
 

tpenfield

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Sounds like a good trip, but long. I test drove a Formula 280 out of Clayton, NY a couple years back. Seems like a nice area for what you are looking to do. Sorry, that I am no help with the details.
 

Bondo

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Thinking about trailering out to the 1000 Islands area next Summer for a 4-5 day trip. I'd like to do alternate nights sleeping on the boat and staying at hotels with dock facilities. I'd also like to roughly 75 to 120 miles per day of cruising (I run 30 to 35 MPH at cruise) and start and end the trip in the same place. Any suggestions for, hotels, places to visit by boat, and places to anchor or get transient slips would be appreciated.

Ayuh,.... There's a few places on the American side of the creek that'll fit the bill,...

Both Clayton, 'n Alex Bay have hotels, 'n motels with dockin' available,...

I'm sure there's many more places on the Canadian side too,... I just don't get over there,...

The 1000 Islands Boat Museum is a Must see attraction, in Clayton,....
 

Starcraft5834

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Im sure you already know this.. pay close attention to your maps/depths.. yea, the main channel is real deep.. everywhere else...not so much.. Last few years I've taken my cuddy up for fishing trips, stay on the main channels.. just because you see lots of open water between islands does not mean it's deep, often it's not.. you go from 100 ft deep to 20ft to 3 ft real quick if you don't pay attention. I bet more lower units are shaved off there than anywhere else yearly.. Clayton has a public dock, it's deep, no fears there...Alex Bay is good too. launch access to some of the state parks is very shallow.. stay away from Grass Point State Park. nice park if your launching a flat bottom row boat.. I put in there, pulled my skirt up a lot there and sweated it out, made it, barely.. the public launch in Clayton in town is nice.. getting in and out there is no problem.. have fun
 

Mischief Managed

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Thanks for the advice so far. I git good advice here for my Hudson River trip last year so I knew it would be a great place to get some for this trip too.

I will be getting the correct chip for my chart plotter, and paper charts as well, so that safe navigation will be a non-issue. That said, I tend to stay in navigation channels regardless. Not into fishing.
 

tpenfield

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On your way up there, just don't stay at the Ramada Inn in Watertown, NY . . was not good, sorry to say.
 

eastont

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1000 Islands is my play ground........so much to see in so little distance.

That's a lot of mileage per day and a lot of fuel.
The 1000 Island range from Kingston to Brockville, or Cape Vincent to Morristown.

There are transient docks available at almost every marina on both shores.

Alex Bay has some good hotels with docking, I'm not too familiar with Clayton or Cape Vincent, but I'm sure there are places.

ABay's municipal dock is good and deep, and it's right downtown so you can eat or just wander the shops.

At the municipal dock in Clayton the dockmaster will call and arrange someone to puck you up if you need groceries, booze, or just a nice meal.

We do it a couple of times a year just to check out the restaurants.....and a couple are quite good.

On the Canadian side there are a number of islands with docking where you pay a fee and stay up to 3 days. There is nothing on the islands and you must take out what you bring in. They all do have very good outhouses.....LOL The best is Grenadier centre, it has actual toilets and running water.

As for hotels on the Canadian side, Brockville has transient docking and a couple of hotels within walking distance, but the big ones are a taxi ride from the water.

Gananoque has municipal docking and a few hotels close to the water.

A real nice place to stay is The Glen House just west of Ivy lea...good food, good rooms and docking. Just down river is The Ivy restaurant in the Ivy Lea Club, it is the best fine dining on the river and you can go in wearing anything but a bathing suit, shorts and tee shirts are the norm.


I could go one forever, but if you have some questions.....ask.

Hope you enjoy the islands
 

CJ River Rider

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We went up last Memorial Day weekend (sans boat or jet-ski) and stayed at the Riveredge resort in Alexandria Bay right across from Boldt Castle. I very much liked it and would like to go back with the jet-ski and zip around the islands. We took a commercial boat tour and rented a pontoon the next day and went to the 81 bridge and back.

As you can see from the pictures below, they have docking available but I don't have any details.

I brought my Garmin along just for fun to record the ride on the boat tour, but I noticed that even though the chart showed detail when we were in Canadian waters, it didn't actually show the border. If I go back with the jet-ski, I would need to know or not when I'm actually in Canada as I love to beach the ski but from what I hear that's a big no-no to hit Canadian land as a US citizen without notifying Canadian customs. Maybe somebody more local can comment on that. Boldt castle even had a mini customs station on the island for boats coming in from the Ontario side.

DSCF0297.JPG DSCF0315.JPG DSCF0300.JPG
 

Bondo

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I would need to know or not when I'm actually in Canada as I love to beach the ski but from what I hear that's a big no-no to hit Canadian land as a US citizen without notifying Canadian customs. Maybe somebody more local can comment on that.

Ayuh,..... The short story is, you can boat in Canadian waters, so long as ya don't fish, anchor, or step foot on Canadian soil, includin' the river bottom,...

Step foot on their soil, 'n you've illegally crossed the border,....
Fishin' in Canadian waters, without an Ontario license will get yer boat, 'n everything on it, Confiscated,...

Btw,... The Best beach in the 1000 islands is Potter's beach, at the head end of Grindstone island,....
An American island, town of Clayton,....
 

steelespike

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In the early to late 60s we used to go to Potters Beach as teenagers and young marrieds.Up to 3 boats.
We would see maybe one or two other boats at the beach.Used to be quiet enough you could just beach the boat.
 

Bondo

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In the early to late 60s we used to go to Potters Beach as teenagers and young marrieds.Up to 3 boats.
We would see maybe one or two other boats at the beach.Used to be quiet enough you could just beach the boat.

Ayuh,.... Many days are still like that,....

Other days, while you can still beach yer boat, ya might have a hundred other boats in there with ya,...

Thankfully, it's a Huge beach/ cove,....
 

Flying Sushi

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Oct 5, 2006
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Used to be quiet enough you could just beach the boat. [/QUOTE said:
We still have a day like this.



Then again it is more like this much of summer days.


Looking forward for this boating season at Islands...
 

cdnNick

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We rented a boat out of Brockville last year, the city owns some islands that you can dock at and explore or play on the beach. They charged by the foot and the pass was good on any of their islands. Some allow you to stay overnight and some even had camping sites. Hopefully we will be boating there on our own boat this year.

Boldt castle is pretty interesting to visit as well.
 

Mischief Managed

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Plans are coming together, thanks for all the ideas. We will be launching at the Clayton town ramp and exploring for 5 days while sleeping on the boat and using transient slips at marinas with shower facilities rather than hotels (but hotels have not been ruled out for the entirety of the trip). I was looking at my charts and thinking a trip a little ways up the Trent Severn and then back would be possible for two of the days. Is that a dumb idea? Is it dull?
 
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