Rideau Canal Ontario/Thousand Island NY

T

trailertrawlerkismet

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Feb 23, 2011
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Fluid Motion Model
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Vessel Name
(2022) Kismet
Are there any Tugnuts who have cruised the Rideau Canal and or Clayton NY Thousand Island area? Lisa and I are planning on cruising this area in the near future and I'm looking for places to launch our R27 and store our truck and trailer while we cruise. I've done some of my own research but I'd like to get some first hand knowledge and or recommendations for launching and storage.

Jim
 
Google map search Capricorn Motel Gananoque On. You will see there is a road goes down to the water and there is a boat ramp there. There is a big field behind the motel where you can put a trailer. I was there by truck and a friend picked me up in his boat at the dock there. I looked closely at the ramp and thought it was doable. it is a free ramp and you need to turn as you will see, to get in. It is not a great ramp and it was last year I was there.... There are however marinas in the area that I am sure have better ramps. I was also up that way a few years ago looking at boats before I drank the Ranger Koolade. 🙂 .. It is really a pretty area. There are a few park islands around that my friend stayed at, but the docks fill up fast so your best to stop early and grab a spot. No power but they have tables and the one I was at had a nice out house ( no plumbing gravity fed 🙂 But you guys will love it there. No matter where you put in allow time to explore the area. Boldt castle is a must see. If you put in on the Canadian side you will have to do customs there as it is on the US side. Took us 5 min for Customs.
good luck
 
Kizmet,

Seems we travel in similar circles with you and Irish Mist. We are planning the same trip starting August 2nd for 2 weeks. Our friends have a 7 knot trawler and are doing the canal trip for 3 weeks starting from the SW corner of Lake Ontario (Wilson NY). We will probably tow then meet them along the way somewhere. Off hand, we have been to Clayton and that is a great little town. We will probably start there first to see if we can launch and leave the the tow combo there while we do the canal. Details to be worked later. Meanwhile, we are in Ft Myers all winter. We are really looking forward to the Canal trip though. A few around us have done it and just found it to be a great time. Its a great life having one boat that can take us on the Great Lakes all summer then run south to the tropics all winter. Keep us abreast of how your Canal trip goes. Its great learning from others that have paved the way already.
 
Jim,
I would look into the Keewaydin State Park. They have a ramp and feature pump outs etc. Might work out to leave your rig there while you cruise. State parks are usually cost effective.
D.D.
 
Thanks for the suggestions everyone, this has been very helpful. I'll be looking into all of these locations and let you know what I find. I did check into French Creek Marina/RV Park in Clayton but they want $12.50 per day to park the truck and trailer, which seems a little steep. Probably meant more for a couple of days storage then three weeks.

Jim F
 
Jim:
My wife, daughter and I spend 2 weeks every summer cruising the Thousand Islands. We use the ramp at Keewaydin State Park near Alexandria Bay and use their transient docks as our home port. We store the boat/trailer in a lot behind the swimming pool for the entire time, without a charge. However, we are paying for the transient dockage and therefore have a pass to the park. Another idea may be to buy a NY Empire pass for $65, which gives you unlimited access to all NY State Parks. This may allow you to park your truck/trailer at the park for a reasonable cost.
Our favorite places to visit are Clayton and the antique boat museum, Boldt Castle, Alexandria Bay (the docks are the place to be on the weekends), Kingston ON and a nicely restored mid 1800's village called Upper Canada Village in Morrisburg ON. There are also a number of Canadian Island Parks that you can overnight on. We haven't cruised the Rideau yet, but other boaters on the dock at Keewaydin have and said to budget at least 2 weeks to do so. Some have done it in 1 week but were very rushed. I hope this helps. Have a great trip and maybe we will see you there.
Rodney
 
After all of your impute and the phone calls I made we've decided to launch Kismet at Keewaydin State Park when we do the Rideau, just east of Clayton N.Y. This way we can cruise, visit and explore in the 1,000 Island area and Clayton before cruising over to Kingston, Ontario to cruise the Rideau Canal. I choose Keewaydin because they have a nice launch ramp and marina to stay at for a couple of days to prepare for our trip and visit Clayton by land. The great news is that we can store our trailer at there trailer storage yard for $12.50 per week vs another place I had called that wanted $12.50 per day! Still working on the truck storage.

Thanks again for everyones thoughts and suggestions,

Jim F
 
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