1000 Islands Area - Advice, tips, recommendations?

[scubasteve87]

Hey Everyone!

I'm looking to take a trip up to the 1000 Islands in July this year with some family and I'll be taking my SX195 up with us. I've mostly boated saltwater in bays/ocean so I have a good amount of experience with some rougher waters, but this will be my first time boating in the 1000 Islands area.

We will be basing our trip out of Clayton, NY it looks like but plan to explore and travel up and down the St. Lawrence. I figured I would make a post to see if any other jet boaters enjoy their summers in the area (or others who frequent it) and have any advice, tips and recommendations. Anything from good places to anchor out, places to see, restaurants, places to avoid and even some navigational tips as I know some areas can be difficult to navigate. I'm super appreciative on any tips or advice or recommendations.

I'm all ears and excited to explore the area and would love to hear your experiences. Thanks!

 

[Coult45]

Hey Everyone!

I'm looking to take a trip up to the 1000 Islands in July this year with some family and I'll be taking my SX195 up with us. I've mostly boated saltwater in bays/ocean so I have a good amount of experience with some rougher waters, but this will be my first time boating in the 1000 Islands area.

We will be basing our trip out of Clayton, NY it looks like but plan to explore and travel up and down the St. Lawrence. I figured I would make a post to see if any other jet boaters enjoy their summers in the area (or others who frequent it) and have any advice, tips and recommendations. Anything from good places to anchor out, places to see, restaurants, places to avoid and even some navigational tips as I know some areas can be difficult to navigate. I'm super appreciative on any tips or advice or recommendations.

I'm all ears and excited to explore the area and would love to hear your experiences. Thanks!

It’s been a number of years since I’ve been there, but the boat museum in Clayton is amazing! I’m also hoping to get up to the Clayton area this summer, so i’m hoping we get some good input from some of the veterans up there.

 

[scubasteve87]

It’s been a number of years since I’ve been there, but the boat museum in Clayton is amazing! I’m also hoping to get up to the Clayton area this summer, so i’m hoping we get some good input from some of the veterans up there.

Thanks for the response! I will be staying near the museum so I figured that was an easy one to add. I've been to the area once almost 10 years ago as I stayed with some friends in Alexandria's bay. They had a small center console and we drove around a little bit and grab lunch somewhere but it was so long ago. I'm sure there are plenty of cool things to see and some things to avoid so I do hope there is some feedback from some other local members here.

 

[zipper]

@212s

 

[212s]

@scubasteve87 If you don't have a chartplotter on the boat or the Navionics app on your phone, I highly recommend one. There's lots of wrecks in the St Lawrence and lots of hazards. If you have neither, then make sure you stay in the buoyed channels. Lots of scenic areas all along the St Lawrence with docking at many of the islands for packed lunches - check out the list on the Visit 1000 Islands | There's More To Discover website. We haven't been able to get over to the US side yet as the pandemic hit that summer. On the CDN side lots of scenic areas too but much less nice places to eat. Lots of places to anchor in bays - just look for the sailboats.

July 8-10 is the Gananoque Poker Run if you're there at that time. The boats typically start from Gan and run up to Brockville area on the CDN side and then take the US channel coming back. The 1000 Islands run is in June right at Clayton, and the Kingston run in August. We hope to be there for all watching from our boat.
? ?
Boldt Castle and Singer Castle might be open for visits this summer too.

Places to eat:
Clayton - Bella's great service and tasty food right on the river with public docks to the east (make sure you have good dock lines and fenders as the water can get rough due to the water traffic).
A-Bay - Coleman's Dock of the Bay great service and tasty food right on the water with public docks beside it (calm inlet bay).

If you get a rainy day, take a 30mins drive south to Watertown on I-81 and just west on #3 you'll find our go to place Texas Roadhouse great food and atmosphere. Nextdoor there's a Red Robin, and West Marine. Across the street you'll find Red Lobster, Olive Garden, and the Salmon Run Mall if you need to shop. There's a Lowe's and supermarkets right there too if needed.

 

[scubasteve87]

@scubasteve87 If you don't have a chartplotter on the boat or the Navionics app on your phone, I highly recommend one. There's lots of wrecks in the St Lawrence and lots of hazards. If you have neither, then make sure you stay in the buoyed channels. Lots of scenic areas all along the St Lawrence with docking at many of the islands for packed lunches - check out the list on the Visit 1000 Islands | There's More To Discover website. We haven't been able to get over to the US side yet as the pandemic hit that summer. On the CDN side lots of scenic areas too but much less nice places to eat. Lots of places to anchor in bays - just look for the sailboats.

July 8-10 is the Gananoque Poker Run if you're there at that time. The boats typically start from Gan and run up to Brockville area on the CDN side and then take the US channel coming back. The 1000 Islands run is in June right at Clayton, and the Kingston run in August. We hope to be there for all watching from our boat.
? ?
Boldt Castle and Singer Castle might be open for visits this summer too.

Places to eat:
Clayton - Bella's great service and tasty food right on the river with public docks to the east (make sure you have good dock lines and fenders as the water can get rough due to the water traffic).
A-Bay - Coleman's Dock of the Bay great service and tasty food right on the water with public docks beside it (calm inlet bay).

If you get a rainy day, take a 30mins drive south to Watertown on I-81 and just west on #3 you'll find our go to place Texas Roadhouse great food and atmosphere. Next door there's a Red Robin, and West Marine. Across the street you'll find Red Lobster, Olive Garden, and the Salmon Run Mall if you need to shop. There's a Lowe's and supermarkets right there too if needed.

Much appreciated on the response! I'm good with a chart plotter and Navionics as I boat along the ocean and sandbars here on Long Island so very familiar with the stay in the channel or run aground. Although in this area its more likely to be rocks than sand. That being said I appreciate the advice.

I'm actually heading up in July during one of the Poker Runs for the make a wish foundation and its run out of clayton. My brother is running his boat in it and we'll be joining him, but I wanted to bring our's to runaround and check out the sights over the weekend. I think the run starts in Clayton, runs to Cape Vincent then all the way to Ogdensburg and back so its a pretty lengthy ride.

I went to school in Buffalo and spend a lot of time along the throughway so should be good going to Watertown if need be. I'll definitely check out the places you mentioned in Clayton and A-Bay. We plan to stay on the US side for most of the trip, but venture for sight seeing (no docking) on the Canadian side.

 

[212s]

I'm actually heading up in July during one of the Poker Runs for the make a wish foundation and its run out of clayton.

I check the calendar every year and the Clayton charity run is listed as June:

June 14-16
1000 Islands Charity Poker Run
Clayton, NY

Double check the dates to be sure as things change due to covid. Perhaps the site hasn't been updated yet.

We plan to stay on the US side for most of the trip, but venture for sight seeing (no docking) on the Canadian side.

Note that the border is more heavily patrolled and monitored for water traffic since covid started. If you want to cross into CDN waters even if you don't land, you should contact the CBSA to advise them ahead of time. Same goes for us crossing over into US waters. This might ease back to normal this summer as restrictions have been lifted though.

 

[scubasteve87]

I check the calendar every year and the Clayton charity run is listed as June:

June 14-16
1000 Islands Charity Poker Run
Clayton, NY

Double check the dates to be sure as things change due to covid. Perhaps the site hasn't been updated yet.

Note that the border is more heavily patrolled and monitored for water traffic since covid started. If you want to cross into CDN waters even if you don't land, you should contact the CBSA to advise them ahead of time. Same goes for us crossing over into US waters. This might ease back to normal this summer as restrictions have been lifted though.

Thanks for looking out, but I have it confirmed through their site here and a screenshot below: 1000 Islands Charity Boat Poker Run – 1000 Islands Charity Poker Run

That being said, I appreciate the heads up. We don't intend to head over to Canada, but in the off chance we do I will most certainly make sure we provide notice and bring our passports. Although the run itself does come back through the Canadian channel on the north side of Wellesley Island so I imagine things area bit more lax. Either way I'm not worried then as we'll be on my brother's boat. Really the event was an excuse to rent a house and vacation in the area for a long weekend this summer.

 

[212s]

Ah I think it's just a typo on the Poker Runs America website, same 14/15/16 but wrong month.