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From visit1000islands.com Boating No 1000 Islands visit is complete without an “on the water” experience, but if you come to the Islands without a boat of your own, no worries! You can rent or hire something to paddle through quiet bays and shallows of the St. Lawrence River, sail across the windswept open waters of Lake Ontario, take you on a tour through the islands, or help you explore underwater mysteries. From a kayak to a fishing boat to antique runabout or a triple-decker touring vessel, there are a boatload of fun ways to experience the water.
Those who want to captain their own vessel can select from a wide variety of rental boats. Many marinas, some lodging properties and even some New York State Parks rent motor boats for fishing or family cruising. New York State law does not require the operator of a boat to have a special license, although many of the businesses that rent boats have age restrictions and want to see a valid driver’s license. Most rental places allow you to rent boats on a daily, weekly or sometimes weekend-basis.
At Clayton Marina the most popular rental is a 19-foot runabout that can be used for fishing, waterskiing or just cruising. The company has about 10 boats in its rental fleet and the 19-footers book up quickly, according to the marina’s co-owner, Melissa Forger. Rental rates for that boat at Clayton Marina are $225 per day or $1,150 for a week.
If you are determined to captain your own vessel, but motors aren’t your style, many options exist for quiet paddling on local waterways. Kayaks and canoes are good ways to spend quality “quiet” on the water and, because no motors are involved, you can get your vessel close to the shoreline to explore interesting spaces and glimpse wildlife up close.
T.I. Adventures in Clayton rents kayaks and also provides instruction. Certain types of kayaks, however, do require skill to maneuver and they will only be rented to competent paddlers who have been trained in safety and rescue measures.
Harkening back to boats of old, the Antique Boat Museum in Clayton provides traditional St. Lawrence rowing skiffs for museum visitors to try their hand at on French Bay. Use of the rowing skiffs is included with the price of museum admission.
Another quiet, yet exciting way to spend time on the water is in a sailboat. Yachting Operation Services in Henderson Harbor can supply you with a rental sailboat (yes, you do have to know what you’re doing and have some very reputable references to attest to that fact!) or you can rent a sailboat and a crew. Sailing adventures are available for a half-day, full day or an overnight “Sneak-Away Cruise.” Yachting Operation Services has a fleet of three sloop-rig sailboats, ranging in size from 25 feet to 35 feet, and four captains. A half-day trip with a yacht and crew is $285, while a whole day excursion is $490.
The Antique Boat Museum also has a Wednesday night drop-in sailing program in which would-be sailors can learn the how-tos from an instructor and then try their hand at one of 14 small sailing vessels in the museum’s fleet.
So say you’re not interested in being the captain, but you still want to participate in an on-the-water adventure – there’s a boat for that too!
Fishing charter boats – with licensed guides – are available on both the river and lake. However, in addition to fishing, some charter guides also offer “cruising” trips, in which they will take you around the area on a guided excursion or the captain will customize the trip any way the guests would like.
Diving guides can navigate qualified divers to a variety of shipwrecks on the river – most of which have not been heavily visited. Some of the diving guides have boats specially designed to accommodate divers and their gear.
Thousand Island Dive Excursions (T.I.D.E.), Clayton, offers a 28-foot customized dive boat and wreck, drift, deep and historical diving charters, as well as night diving opportunities. A two-tank morning dive excursion is $70, while a one-tank afternoon dive is about $55.
OK, so you’re more of a sit-back-and-take-in-the-scenery kind of person? There are plenty of opportunities for you to get out on the water in a boat too.
Uncle Sam Boat Tours, Alexandria Bay, offers a variety of scenic cruises, some with the option of getting off and visiting Boldt Castle. A basic, “two-nation” (the boat crosses the invisible underwater border between Canada and the United States) narrated tour gets you out on the water for more than two hours and costs $16 for adults. Lunch, dinner and other specialty cruises are also available. Uncle Sam has a variety of boat sizes, including double-decker vessels 65 feet long and triple-deckers measuring 100 feet.
Other companies in the region offer sightseeing excursions, as well as the option of renting the tour boat (and captain) for your own private party.
Clayton Island Tours has a 49-passenger vessel that offers scheduled sightseeing tours out of Clayton, as well as the chance to rent the entire boat for your own event. Clayton Island Tours also offers some specialized tours too, including an “Eco Tour” that includes local wildlife viewing and a stop at the Minna Anthony Common Nature Center on Wellesley Island.
The more adventurous can try thundering down the river in a mahogany triple-cockpit runabout. Cruises in this gleaming wooden boat are available at the Antique Boat Museum for $20 per person for a maximum of six people at a time.
So whatever your pleasure on the water, there’s a boat for hire! |
