french fest is in cape vincent. yes 1000 islands still. we only went to caigers probably a hand full of times. well be sure to have some fun there next year!!

Mark is still one of the owners at Caigers just chatted with him via email last week, seeing if he had more for my 32 Regal Cruiser again, I took it away last fall and kept closer to home.. Lake Simcoe. Mark said he would made room so that good to hear, I will continue to tow my 290 Powerquest here and there, great to have a towable boat .... Any of you guys ever gone down river thru the seaway to Montreal? its a great trip, we have done it a few times. Montreal Marina is a the foot of the old city really a great place to spend a few days. Last trip down we planned it to attend the Montreal Jazz Festival.. boy do those guys ever know how to throw a party..

Every bar goes through turmoil so hopefully it will be back to normal this year! Never been to Montreal! Maybe that could be a fun get together and get people to run up there

How far from A-Bay is Montreal by river?

It's about 185 miles ..usually takes two days ..the second day can be long ,all depends on freighter traffic .

That sounds like a cool trip! Are there a lot of locks to go through, is that what takes up so much time?

Yeah that's a hike, but it does sound pretty fun! You'd need to take a week off to make the trip and enjoy yourself from the sounds of it.

After 300 miles on my boat in a weekend I think it would be time for a new boat I'd already be bored of it!!! Hahaha

There are Seven locks on the seaway two in Ontario one in New York and four in Quebec. The freighters lock thru one at a time and they have priority. The Lockmaster`s are pretty good at getting pleasure craft thru while there is a gap in large traffic. My first day is usually easy Rockport or Abay to Cornwall and then Montreal Harbour late at night generally after midnight but the seaway is well lite at the last two locks ....and the lock master will tell not to worry about the posted speed limit. Its a great trip and 5 to 7 days is best .....

After I wrote the post realized that there is only 1 lock in Ontario the Iroquois and 2 in New York State the Eisenhower and the Snell then 4 in Quebec ..And I must say for all my American friends the folks that work the two American locks are friendliest and most accommodating I my opinion on the Seaway ....

I think my parents were talking about taking a boat trip up that way through the locks with their friends this summer.

If they need any info let me know. We have meet many Americans in Montreal over the years , lots come from Vermont they come out of lake Champlain . I think we will try and get our friends off the dock at the riveredge and head that way again in july....

I've seen some really cool over the top photos of the boathouses in the 1000 Islands.

Yes the 1000 Islands are full of unique and beautiful boathouses, just part of the cottage on the Island requirement. The Canadian and US shore also have there share of great looking boathouse, some over 125 years old.

Do any of you keep your boats in a boathouse in the 1000 islands? I must say that would be pretty awesome. Especially hearing the rumbling exhaust.

Ohhhh yaaaa. Some BEAUTIFUL boat houses. Nice thing about the river too is none of these janky floating lake docks. Most all of the docks are beefy well built wodden docks also! Not 1 cottage looks like the next ! Well at least the majority. No condos and resorts crowing the shores either !

This link has some great photos
 

http://www.1000islandslandmarks.com/...st_lawrence_ri...

I see that they changed the abay run to Clayton this year. And added a shootout to it also. This will be AWESOME if it takes off. We're going to need to rehab some old bars and build some new ones if we're going to host a big deal shootout years down the road lol does anyone know if they are trying to add this as a stop for the shootout circuit like Loto, outlaw challenge and grand Cherokee ?

+1 more river rat here. I live and boat out of the ogdensburg area, frequent Alex bay/ Clayton area 4-5 times a year, hanging at lake of the isles and potters beach. It takes about an hour to get to the bay at a 45-50 mph cruise from Lisbon beach where I launch north of the burg. We also frequent the waddington and massena areas, where we hang out at croil island sandbar, where croilfest is held, I think someone mentioned it in an earlier post, that party is a good time! It is kind of nice being centrally located, to travel towards the bay or towards massena. I'm not one to sit in one place too long, I like burning gas too much!
I think the changes PRA are making the annual Abay poker run is great. There have been years where that date in early June is just too early in the year. A couple years ago it was 50 degrees and raining. Also that early in the season debris can be floating also. I think if they can get a shootout organized that could bring some real big iron to the area! Does anyone care to speculate where the course might be set up?
Anyways hope to see you guys on the water!

29 fever! thanks for the post!!

i think we are in for a great summer and hope we can get a great group of people to run, drink, and make memories with!

there is talk of a personal big cook out happening at a local powerboater's cottage happening the weekend of the new clayton shootout. who would want to go?

So what is the date for the Clayton Shoot-out? ..If JoAnne and I on the river that weekend we would certainly drop by the cottage party ...I was in Rockport yesterday bringing home my inflatable the temperature was warm enough that I thought about throwing it in and going for spin, just need to dodge the iced over areas .Never been on a boat in the river in January ....This weather is killing me, snowmobiles are in the trailer waiting for Ontario trails to open, even in Quebec were I also ride they are lacking snow as well....oh well going to Toronto Boat Show next week may-be that will cheer me up....

We'd be up for a cook out for sure! Who might I ask might be hosting it?

Just a few random pictures from up our way on the river. There's a few from croilfest, a couple of friends boats and my fathers pachenga.[ATTACH=CONFIG]549485[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]549486[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]549487[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]549488[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]549490[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]549491[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]549492[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]549493[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]549494[/ATTACH]

ill let the cook out idea guy post if he wants lol if he bails on the idea, we got 70' of docks at our cottage so well host it if he doesn't! i think were all super excited about this summer!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=siO1kKDjN_Y

This link takes you to very well video of our boating area ....just in case some of you Lake Erie boaters want to come this way .....

Few more months and we will be back on the water. It can't come fast enough....

mike thats a great video! Hucks is a great marina and great folks!!!

That's were I got my introduction to the 1000 islands by renting a houseboat from Huck`s in 1972.....that caused my to continue to come back year after year ...speaking about Lake Erie have any of you folks even been to Put-in bay Ohio quite a party town. We trailer to Leamington ON then 31 miles across Lake Erie but you need to pick the right weather, that lake is like no other the chop comes at you in all direction, no rollers like lake Ontario and Huron ....

any of you island boaters want to run down to tickfaw poker run may 4-7 ??! were planning on going and would love another truck and boat running down with us

Hey Phil..I checked that Tickfaw 200 out that's quite a location and event. Hope you guys have a great time, it would be nice to be in the south in May still can be cool up here. I am thinking about doing the Bay of Quinte poker run and rendezvous in July this year which runs out Belleville Ontario which is about 40 miles west of Kingston .Both the Ottawa river ( Hawkesbury) and Bay of Quinte events have the rendezvous side of the poker run which is good for me only having a 29 foot 65-70 mph boat.....The registration fee for Quinte is 250 and the Ottawa river is higher at 450 ........Anyone else interested ?

that could be fun! when is the date for that

The dates for Bay of Quinte poker run and rendezvous is July 29-30 and the one in Rockland is July 1-2 .. both are advertised on the Poker Runs America website also the other poker run rendezvous that I have mentioned before in Sarina is July 9th. Its not going to be the same weekend as the International Power Boat Festival Aug 13-14 like it was last year....I would be great to get a group of TI boaters to go to one or all the events .....

I see ABay is the host town for the July Poker Run now since the venue that they had in mind in Clayton is book for other events ....That's good it will the towns bars and hotels a good shot of well needed cash ...

im sure it wont hardly make a blimp on their radars... what, the last years they had idk 15 boats?? clayton had potential but Its probably the same old abay run.

what is the international powerboat festival?? sounds cool!

http://www.oparacing.org/race5.html
Its OPA sanction races in the St Clair River with festival events and music on both sides of the river Port Huron and Sarnia....The charity poker run that we went in last year and will attend again this year has move the July 9 which is actually better for us ...

the link I attached is for last year this years date is August 12-13-14

isnt that buffalo PR?

Yes you are correct ...I wont be in Sarnia or Buffalo on that Aug 12-13 weekend....going camping with my kids and grandkids well not really camping they have motorhomes and 30 ft trailers which is just fine with me ..too old for the tent thing ...tried to get them to meet somewhere in NY state because my daughter and her family is in Mass ...NY has some beautiful parks ...but we are somewhere in Ontario.... Do you do the Buffalo Run ?

My boat hangs all year in Cape Vincent.

Ken

Where in the Cape are you? We are just outside of town about a mile East of the launch. What colors does your donzi have?