Thousand Islands 2021

[Starscream]

As promised, a short trip report.

The 1000 islands region in Ontario between Kingston and Rockport is beautiful, with lots to see and do (Especially if you have access to the US side of the water, with Singer Castle, Boldt Castle, Alexandria Bay, Clayton, and many other nice places).

We left last Tuesday morning, with Bear Hunt loaded to the gills. I often tow with empty tanks to lighten the load, but not this time. 18 gallons of gas, 25 gallons of washing water, 5 gallons drinking water, 5 gallons flushing water two coolers of food and drinks, clothes for a week, rain gear, games, and all the other accessories to make the trip comfortable. We towed about 160 miles to Mallorytown Landing where we launched. It's about $20/day to park the truck and trailer, and there was plenty of parking, bathrooms, a small kids' park and hiking trails.

En route: we averaged 15 mpg over the slightly uphill route.



The kids (11, 12, and 14) were a huge help this time around in getting things set up, in the rain.

Here's a higher resolution version of the photo I posted on another thread yesterday:

Setup still in progress.

We launched around mid-afternoon, with a little snafu as the centerboard dropped during launch and snagged the boat on the trailer. Had to climb up the trailer ladder over the bow pulpit to haul the line back up, as it was STUCK. I attempted to just haul the boat out to make it easier to board, but with the board down I could see the boat starting to lean as somehow pressure was being applied to the board. It may have been under a cross-beam at that point, so I put it back in.

We tied up, explored the launch area, and headed out at maybe 6pm ish, heading for a Parks Canada site on Grenadier Island called Grenadier Central, where there are some docking facilities and a nice bay to swim in. It was a little challenging to find the passage between Adelaide Island and the tip of Grenadier island, since there are so many darn islands and sometimes what you think is one island is two, and other times what you think is one island is actually not an island but an extension of another one, with the bridge between the two pieces hidden just under water. But we made it, with the depth sounder minimum reading of 4.9 ft.

After passing through the channel we headed southwest past Sister Island, which is actually in US waters.

Sister island:

Please excuse the bizarre hair on son#1. He dyed it purple a month ago as part of a fundraising campaign for our local children's hospital (raised $1,500) and had to have it bleached, so now it's just yellow.

We arrived at Grenadier Central and took the very last docking space. Unfortunately we took our trip during the Quebec Construction Holidays, when basically everone goes on holiday at the same time. That meant the docks were FULL of loud disrespectful people, who own motorboats and use them without any thought to anyone else, politeness or anything. It was miserable. Watched a guy pee off a dock in full view of another family's children...but no one cared. We heard but didn't see another tattooed nutcase haul off and slap his maybe 4-year old child in the face, then cover it up with kisses and hugs as he realized that he was in public. Maybe I should have gone over there, but I didn't see the event. But it was so unpleasant because no one else there gave a rat's behind about that girl. My heart is sad for her, but I don't know what I could have done with no evidence and no support from anyone there. It seems that in our neck of the woods it's a law to be fat, bald, loud and disrespectful if you own a motorboat. Rant over. It was miserable and we wish we had anchored out instead. The facilities were closed anyways, so no ice, no bathrooms, and limited hiking. We walked over the the beach, where we were the only ones, and spent the rest of the evening there or on board playing games, cooking, and reading. The partying went on into the night.

My wife made a great observation. The dock we were on was simply a trailer park with boats instead of trailers. There was literally no reason for any one of those boats to be there other than to get together and make noise. Why do that in the middle of nature? Don't people come here to appreciate the place? Nope. Drive your boat to a pristine island, start your generator and amped up music, and throw your crap all over the place. Beautiful.

Sorry, rant over. But we really hated that evening because of the people who were there.

The place was beautiful tho. Turtles, snakes, birds of all kinds, and clear water. More later.

[Russ]

That's why I have never spent a night in a slip.

[Jimmyt]

Hope the rest of the trip was better. Sounds like it was a challenging start.

[pitchpolehobie]

I might recommend Middle Bass and North Bass islands in Erie. Went there in June and they were QUIET!!!

Putinbay and Kelley's are a bit more raucous but also nice if you find the right dock and prioritize weekdays.

[OverEasy]

Oh Fribble!
Sorry to hear you had to put up with that up in Maple leaf country.

Guess bad behavior and nut cases find their way in with the lack of accountability.
(Too bad someone didn’t photograph to other incidents… bet the RMCP would have been able to follow up on it appropriately.
Many cameras now have Time/Date stamps and some even have Geo-tag the photos.)

Too many times idiots get away with inappropriate behavior on the water because it’s not documented and officially reported to authorities.

Here in the states it is also a problem.
Local authorities here, while having access issues on the water, do follow up and prosecute when given photos with the meta data evidence and official complaints. Getting boat registration numbers in the photos helps.
Loud mouths and bullies are not the norm nor should they be allowed any tolerance anywhere.

Glad you were able to play past the behaviorally challenged and make the best of the situation.

We look forward to someday visiting Canadian waters in the future once this COVID-19 pandemic and variants calms down.
The parks and islands are beautiful and the vast majority of people are fantastic individuals.

Best Regards,
Over Easy

[svscott]

I'd love to hear more about the trip including where you launched from and where you stopped asking the way. This area is within a day's drive from NW PA and I am looking at exploring sooner than later.

[Starscream]

I'd love to hear more about the trip including where you launched from and where you stopped asking the way. This area is within a day's drive from NW PA and I am looking at exploring sooner than later.

Thanks for the reminder!

We almost always launch from Mallorytown Landing, although one year it was closed so we drove farther west to Peck's Marina and launched from there. At both places it was something like $25/day for the truck and trailer.

At all the Parks Canada facilities you must pay to stay at their docks, and they have docks and parks all over the islands. There are pay stations where you fill out your boat info and credit card, and slide one copy into a lockbox and put another on your boat. The bathrooms (which were closed this year anyway) and garbage facilities are technically reserved for those who have paid for the dock. It's not expensive; maybe $25 for an overnight stay but you get a crowded dock. Much better to anchor out, if you have a working head on board.

There are some mooring balls and possibly a dock at Adelaide Island: we didn't stop but we saw some boats tucked in the small bay there.

We normally pass a night or two Grenadier Island Central, where there is a large bay (and signs posted for quiet zone!) with a roped off shallow area for kids, and a grassy/sandy beach with a couple of picnic tables. Weekends are terrible there because of the trailer-park boats, but weekdays are idyllic.

Just chilling in the bay at Grenadier Central:


We came in on a Tuesday, I think, and took the very last available dock space, because of those infamous Quebec Construction Holidays.

The docks are well sheltered from every direction, and the bay is, for the most part, as well.

In the morning after a chilly dip we headed to Rockport ON for lunch.


Rockport is a cute, very small town, with a couple of marinas and several tour boats that normally head across to the castles in the US, but it was very, very dead. We tied up at the Boathouse Restaurant docks, only to find the boathouse closed. We found the owner in town, and she told us that they were closed because they had no staff. Another restaurant just beside was open and receiving the Boathouse customers though. There is a nice touristy general store at which we contributed to the local economy. There is also fuel and pumpout at the marina right on the strip called Andress Boat Works, and they have a little convenience store a small selection of supplies, but also ice cream! There are one or two other marinas around the corner but we haven't visited those ones.

After lunch we embarked on the long non-stop trip to Kingston.

[Starscream]

The Kingston leg was long. Fighting up-current aint easy, under sail nor under power. The currents can really move through these narrow channels. We tried to sail from Rockport under the Thousand Islands Bridge (The start of I-81) but the current wasn't having it. We had a nice wake and great speed through the water, but forward progress was less than walking speed. We gave it our most patient shot but rolled up the sails about a half mile from the bridge and did the rest of the trip under power.

Going into the currents I had power set at just over 2000 RPM, for a speed over ground in the high 6mph, touching 7. As I have said before, I probably made a mistake in doing that, since my water speed would have been higher than hull speed because of the current. But it was a long trip and I wanted to be close to 7mph.

The E-tec 90 is not a great cruising motor, as I have also said before. It's too loud. And at 7mph with the wrong wind you can get 2-stroke exhaust back into the cockpit, which seems to be much more noticeable than 4-stroke exhaust.

Most of the trip was driven by Wilson, our Raymarine wheelpilot. A perfect job, and I really wouldn't have wanted to do the trip if I had to manually steer the whole way. That would have exhausted me.

Sail ho! Saw this sailing ship in the distance, so we powered up and blasted over there to check her out.

Don't bug me about the fenders. I know nautical tradition says bring them in, but then you just have to put them out again. So they bump around...who actually cares?

Turned out to be the Fair Jeanne, built as a private sailing yacht and sailed all over the world by her owner, and now part of a sailing camp. She was basically drifting, and we had a little convo about the ole' 90-horse with the crew as we circled around. They loved it.


We followed the marked channel directly to Kingston, past islands, through narrow channels, and across "lakes" which were just extremely wide parts of the river. We bypassed the town of Gananoque, since the channel that brings you up there is longer than the direct route to Kingston. We visited Gananoque on the return voyage.

The approach to Kingston is marked by Cedar Island, which has a historic outpost fort on it with a very visible round roof. Rounding Cedar Island, Fort Henry becomes visible. We didn't visit the forts this year, but we have before. The problem we have found with Canadian historic sites when compared with US historic sites is that we charge way, way to much for a family to visit. 5 people was over $100 to visit the fort and see the changing of the guard. Ridiculous.

Fort Henry


If I remember our tour correctly (and I may not) Fort Henry was built during or for the war of 1812, and was so well done that it was never taken. Thinking of how fast (I mean slow) the Fair Jeanne was sailing when we met her, I can't imagine trying to sail up on a fort like that. The gunners would have had all day to make mincemeat of anything in that channel.

[Starscream]

When approaching Kingston one gets the first glimpse of Lake Ontario. Not something that us river-sailing, Canadian-Shield-dwelling, Covid-lockdown people are really used to seeing. Land on horizon...deleted. Weird.

We were going to stay at the Confederation Basin Marina, and had reservations for two nights. But they called us to cancel: sold out and oversold. So was every marina in Kingston and surrounding areas. By pure chance we were able to contact the Kingston Yacht Club and talk them into letting us stay on their fuel dock overnight, as long as we were out between 9am and 5pm. So we headed over there and tied up, washed up, and walked into Kingston to explore. Kingston has a waterfront path that provides a scenic route from KYC to downtown (and all over Kingston, IIRC).

Rocky beach at KYC, where the boys couldn't get enough of skipping the perfect flat stones. The portion of the lake on this photo with no land on the horizon is looking southwest-ish, towards Rochester NY.


Back to the boat for supper, and set an alarm to get off the dock by 8-ish on Thursday morning. Thunderstorms were forecast all day Thursday, so I got up early to try to find a gap in the storms that I could use to head over to the public docking section of Confederation Basin Marina. That marina has two sections: a large private, gated section for the members and visitors (who don't have their reservations cancelled at the last minute) on one side, and separated by a large building on the other side they have quite a few public spaces which are available only until 11 pm. They are paid for with a parking meter; it was $15 for the day.



I found a window between storms, and transferred from KYC to the public docks. As I pulled in, I calculated the best spot to be: close in to the building and right beside the largest sailboat there. Just after I tied up, the owner of that sailboat shows up and leaves. Now we are the highest mast around. Dammit.

We spent a rainy day exploring Kingston on foot. I really like their downtown: it's clean, has public bathrooms, a market, tons of restaurants, and tons of really good stores. Not the tourist crap like the stores that fill downtown Montreal, selling maple leaves, maple syrup and T-shirts with stereotypical memes. Nope. Kingston has the good stuff: a marine store, stores full of local artistic goods, a farmers market, stores with stuff you actually need and would like to buy, at good prices. This is how you make people want to come back. I never understood what we do in Montreal, with dozens and dozens of tourist-trap stores selling total crap.

Fishing for blue-gills at the public dock:

Those things are spiky! Ask me how I know....I'm the designated de-hooker.

[Starscream]

The return trip was better: weather was awesome, wind was on the beam, and current was following.

Time was a bit of an issue, so we motor-sailed with the jib from Kingston to Gananoque. A power setting of about 1200RPM had us in the high 6's, low 7's over the ground, spiking to 8 in the narrows. I probably could have done almost as well with both sails and no engine, but man, the wind in the islands is gusty and unpredictable. No one felt like being constantly and suddenly heeled over, and I didn't feel like playing the mainsheet for hours. So jib up, set, Wilson: hold the track please. Perfect. The gusts were entirely handled by the Autopilot with zero sail adjustments, and the boys reading and playing below or in the cockpit weren't tossed around too bad.

Gananoque was a very busy place. We got there early, before the crowd, so there was a place at the public dock. There's a little beach, public bathrooms, and a few stores within walking distance of the dock. We ate lunch on board, explored, used the facilities and headed back out. Back to Rockport, with a 10 minute stop for ice cream, then back to the bay on Grenadier island for the night. All calm, almost no boats (construction holidays over), but one rental houseboat who rolled up on us in the bay, chucked a danforth with about 5 feet of chain, and called it a night. My wife wanted to go explain anchoring to them, or have us move, but the wind was forecast calm, the water was 3 ft deep, and I didn't really care if they did drag on to us (remember, our fenders are still out). So battery switch off, and go to sleep in the darkest dark imaginable. Normally we sleep with the battery on and all the various USB lights and charging lights and bilge pump lights and indicator lights are all blinking and glowing. My bilge pumps are hooked up to the selector switch, so we need the battery on for them to work. But in 3' of water, I wasn't worried, and dark-sleeping is kinda fun.

Next morning, time on the beach, then back to Mallorytown landing.



Haul out without incident, then watch the power-boaters do their loud, disrespectful thing, arguing over cutting in line, who's turn it is, yelling at each other and at the park employee who was doing her best to organize things. What jerks.

Overall a fantastic trip, marred only by the powerboaters of the world. I suppose I shouldn't group them all in one basket, but it sure felt like they all belonged there.

[Jimmyt]

Looks like a great trip! Fantastic pics and narrative! Thanks for sharing with us!

[Starscream]

I'd love to hear more about the trip including where you launched from and where you stopped asking the way. This area is within a day's drive from NW PA and I am looking at exploring sooner than later.

You Americans are now allowed in to Canada if you're double-vaxxed, but we still cant visit your side. If you are coming from PA, I'd recommend either Alexandria Bay or Clayton as places to launch. Or, right between the two, there's a boat launch at Grass Point State Park.

Visiting both Boldt and Singer Castles is an absolute must. We couldn't do that this year because they're both on the American side. Plan a minimum of half a day at each location, or even a full day at Boldt. Boldt is self-guided, with the optional assistance of technology, and Singer is guided with an accompanying docent only. If you stop at Singer, don't fool yourself into thinking you can dock on the main dock (south side) facing the open water. One passing cigarette boat will lift your boat up and smash it into the concrete dock. There's room on the inside, a little tricky, but take my word for it: it's worth the challenge to get tucked in there.

Also, check out Swan Bay resort and Marina. I believe you can launch there, and they have guest dock, activities, and a Price Chopper right beside.

[svscott]

Great writeup and trip report! Thanks for the advice on places to see and ramps to launch from.
Back to school season is upon us so no big boat trips so happen until next summer. Hopefully the covid stuff will be mostly behind us and we'll be able to travel freely again by then!

[OverEasy]

What a GREAT trip!
Really glad you and family had a fun trip!
Nice pictures and writing!

[ris]

Glad you had a great trip. Nice pics and trip report. We hope to see you up there next year if Canada will let us in. We are going to spend the whole summer from the Erie Canal to the North channel including the Rideau canal. Thanks again for the trip report.
Richard