MERC245

Hello Mr. Tornado, I never been able to join your run,But I followed your threads thru the yrs.I even remember the 1st one and have seen your group over at gull Island.
I was just wondering if you have made up your travel plans for Sat. As a life long boater Downriver allow me to add my 2 cents.
I have to agree with most, Portafino would be the best location for a lunch stop.Clam diggers would be just to far south on the 3rd day of the event.
At Portafino the general manager is Jerry Beasly and the dock guy is Bryan both are great guys.And the docking is easy and off the Trenton channel and in a small canal.
After lunch you can easy burn 2 or 3 hrs or more tooling around the south end of the river, around Grosse isle or out into erie.

Personally when leaving lunch I would circle back around the north point of Grosse isle running south on the east side of the island heading south into the livingston channel,halfway down the livingston ch. you have the hole in the wall.Turn left thru the hole and you at Crystal Bay(Canadain Waters) but it is the prettiest area/water.I know you don't want the hassel, but a nice 15 minute tool around the bay is legal.
If you turn right at the hole, you'll find the cross dyke.Thats were all the americans moved the party out from of Crystal bay after all the BS.(I still anchor over in crystal bay,its just to nice to give up)But theres always a party over at the cross dyke.
And when its time to head north you can circle the south end of the island and head north on the west side of grosse ilse up the Trenton ch. up past portafino into the river once again.While in the Trenton ch. you would just need to mind your P.Qs. a little. Stay in the channel and mind your speed in the right places and god forbid,LOL stay to west of the small nameless island at the southwest corner of grosse isle just as you start to head north.
That sounds like a full afternoon.
Well one day I might be able to sell my 21' checkmate with 245h.p. merc and get that 24-27 Convincor and join U on this weekend.
Any questions or would like a quick tour of the area I would be happy to help!Good Luck and see you over on the Island June 25th
Jeff at [email protected]

AB From Windsor

Is it anymore of a hassle then when Canadian boaters cross over to the U.S. side to go to Jacks or Sindbad's? Last year half of the boats that participated in the "Motor City Can-Am Fun Run" and the "Old School Reunion" were from Canada and I can tell you that I never heard of any of them complaining about the hassle going to the U.S. Get a Nexus Card or I-68 Permit and follow the procedure's and you shouldn't have any problems.

SmurfOnABoat

Exactly, you said HALF.. we would have what 25-30 US boats, to what 1 or 2 CA boats? huge difference than half. I think that is where he is coming from. Not to mention quite a few boats are coming from out of state. OH, FL, KT, IN etc etc... Just not practical for our group is all, since one were not all local, and two, the US group heavily out weighs the CA group.

AB From Windsor

I thought that I said that half of the boats were Canadian at the "Motor City Can-Am Fun Run" and the "Old School Reunion" only. My point was that it was not a big deal or hassle for us Canadians to go to the U.S., so way a hassle for for U.S. boaters to come to the Canadian side. Your point for your run with boaters coming OH, FL, KT, IN etc.. would pose a challenge but once I-68 Permits or Nexus Cards were obtained shouldn't be a hassle. I took some out of town boaters through the Tunnel to get their I-68 Permits on a Friday night for a run on Saturday with no hassles.

Irishtornado

Its not that we don't want to do Canadian stops, but we've asked in the past for someone to help organize it and nobody ever responds, so basically because of the lack of input we've kept it on the states side. We've called the Canadian authorities a couple times asking for a easy way to register out of state boaters and they make it sound like such a hassle that we've sorta just decided it wasn't worth it. Would be worth checking into though if someone wanted to take the time to help on it.

laszlo01

Just some food for thought, an easy way is to have everybody have the enhanced drivers license from sec state and call the us border patrol office here in Gibraltar and they can help you set it up, best way is to have an OPP officer at your point of entry with a list of names and they check you in as you arrive, nexus, passport, mini passport card or enhanced drivers license are all acceptable. Possibly do a stop at duffys on the canadian side, lots of docking and fuel if needed with good food and excellent canadian beer, also a must try is the Cherry whiskey. The boblo docks can accomodate a large group as well with restaurant available. Good luck and remember planning ahead is the key. Just be carefull if you go into white sands as there was alot of seaweed there last year as we broke a prop shaft going into there.

bill63

Cherry whiskey never had that before HA

MERC245

I talked to Bryan, the dock master at portifino about your crowd and all he said was to get hold of him thru portifino and he will make it happen with your size group (I said 12-16 boats).
And as for the old jacks out of wyandotte,Its now called J B's something or other?And that 150' pier that was dissused about. Its built, it runs along the entire concrete boulder strewn front of the place open to the river where its properly 3/4 a mile wide and its deck is about 6 ft high at least.looks like it took a land lubber about a week to design and build it Only a drunken fool would think of using it!