Guide to Houseboating in the 1000 Islands

Guide to Houseboating in the 1000 Islands

Index 1. Introduction p. 3 2. Before you go p. 4 3. At the dock p. 7 4. Setting off p. 8 5. Navigating p. 9 6. About the markers p. 10 7. Choosing a destination p. 11 8. Fishing p. 15 9. Swimming p. 16 10. What if no room to dock? p. 17 11. How to dock p. 18 12. When to dock for night p. 19 13. What s for dinner? p. 20 14. Bedding down p. 21 15. Conclusion p. 22 2

Introduction There are few places on earth where housboating can offer such variety, tranquility and excitement as the 1000 Islands. As the name suggests, there are plenty of places to explore and a variety of spots to settle in for the night or even a day or two. The following Guide is intended to provide houseboaters with tips, suggestions and even the odd secret or two on getting the most from your 1000 Island houseboat vacation. 3

Before you go As for any trip, planning is everything. Think of the vacations you may have taken across the continent or across the ocean. Arriving to find you forgot something can chew into vacation time while you try to remedy your oversight. So make a list. Below you will see the required list, the recommended list and the list Carolyn and I check off before each trip. (And there have been many.) You can also download a list here. Houseboat Holidays supplies much of what you need: sheets, blankets and pillows, pots and pans, can openers, corkscrew, almost any cooking utensil you could need and of course, the chart (map) and guide to the 1000 Islands area. Each boat also has an inverter so you can charge your smart phone, laptop or tablet as well as plug in a portable music player. Houseboat Holidays supplies all the safety equipment. First aid kit, fire extinguishers and life jackets for adults and every child size. But there are things you are required to bring: Towels and facecloths Dishwashing soap Personal soaps and toiletries Food and beverages 4

Before you go con t And here are things you may want to bring: Flashlight (strong recommend) Cooler or ice chest (they supply one but you may want an extra) Battery-operated radio/music player Binoculars Fishing gear Scuba/snorkel gear Kayak(great for exploring when you anchor or tie up to a mooring can you can rent one from Houseboat Holidays. ) A passport if you re planning to enter the U.S. (Check U.S. custom s website for up-to-date requirements 5

Before you go con t Here is our list. It has some extra comfort items: Steak Knives Pillows (we like our down pillows and comforter) Duvet and fitted sheet Candles Adapters & chargers Dish towels and rags Towels including hand towel and bathmat Soap dish and personal toiletries Bathing suits Sun cream, bug spray Hats, scarf, gloves Music speakers Passports Kleenex toilet paper and paper towels, napkins, foil, plastic wrap Wine glasses Coolers Ice block Bodum coffee maker with coffee Good knife, wooden spoon, serving spoon Toothbrushes and charger Flash light Rope Condiments including salsa, hot sauce, mustard and maple syrup Camera Obviously, we are a bit OCD when it comes to planning our houseboat trips on the 1000 islands. If you LOVE coffee, a bodum is a good suggestion. 6

At the dock Take your time. Stow all your clothing, food and accessories so that when you set off, you can all enjoy the scenery rather than someone being too busy putting things away to see the natural beauty that surrounds you. And stowing things is prudent on a boat. If you hit some waves or wake from a passing boat, you don t loose items flying all over the cabin. Take your time going through the instructions you ll be given. And don t hesitate to ask questions. No doubt you will anxious to set sail but a couple of extra minutes reviewing everything about how the boat operates and what you should be aware of could prove very worthwhile later in your trip. Note the prop: A Houseboat Holiday crew member will show you that the prop has no dents or damage. With all the variation in water depths, if you re not paying attention or don t know where you are, you could end up with a prop strike. There is a charge for repairs so you ll want to avoid dinging the prop. But it does happen. This writer has been renting their houseboats since 1994, sometimes several times in the season, and has had prop strikes. It s not the end of the world but it would be better if you brought the prop back looking the way it did when you left. That s one reason why navigation is so important. More on that later. 7

Setting off At the dock, one of Houseboat Holidays crew members with take you through the operations of your boat and make certain you are comfortable before you set off. If you feel it s needed, a crew member will go with you and guide you on the way out the channel. They ll be followed by a runabout that will take him or her back, once you are set up and on your way. Tip: When setting the power settings, take the boat to full throttle and then back it off. You ll save on gas consumption and there is little difference in your speed. At full throttle, you re really just trading gas for noise. If you are using the Navionics app (see Navigating the waterways for information on this handy app), you should see your speed of about 4 knots, depending on other you are going up river or down. 8

Navigating the waterways There is a rule of thumb in navigation whether you are captaining a ship or piloting an aircraft: know where you are all times. Doing that is a simple matter of keeping your eye on the chart (map) in relation to your position. This is especially important in the 1000 Islands because looking ahead, an island can blend into the background and appear to be part of the mainland or another island. There are many navigational equipment options if you want something that tracks your position on a digital moving map. There is an exceptional, affordable app available for iphones, Android phones and tablets. It is called Navionics and it makes an incredible difference to your houseboat experience. It gives you the depths of the water you are in and is accurate to within a few feet. There are shoals in the 1000 Islands which can prevent a straight line approach when navigating. A good example is the forty acre shoal west of Thwartway Island. With an app like Navionics, you can safely go through narrow channels where you have the depth to avoid a prop strike. Some of these narrow channels would be challenging to do through dead reckoning (just following your position by eye sight and your chart). Having access to other channels, you can take more scenic routes and explore the islands out of the channel markers. 9

About the markers There are a few different kinds of markers or buoys. The main ones are red and green. To stay in a channel, you want to have a red marker to your left or port side of boat and the green to your right or starboard when you are going downstream (east) and have the red marker on your starboard side and the green on your port side when travelling upstream or west. Tip: Want a trick to remembering which is port and which is starboard? Left and Port have the same number of letters. Markers that have green and red stripes indicate an intersection of two channels. You ll see one when you leave the Houseboat Holidays marina, travelling on the Bateaux Channel until you reach the main river just past Howe Island. If you re travelling with children, have them be the look out for markers. Every marker has a number. It is usually a letter and number, such as H22. If you do find yourself wondering where you are, each of the markers is identified on your chart. Get the number of a marker in the water and then locate yourself on the map. Did I mention the Navionics app? The marker you want to recognize is the white marker with an orange diamond marking. This indicates a rock. Best to give these a wide berth. 10 If you see a white marker or buoy with a red flag on top, this indicates divers below and you are required to remain at least 100 feet away from it.

Choosing a destination OK, so you re off! Where to? Well, you have lots of options. If you started late in the day and want to get to an island quickly, there are three National Park islands right where the Bateaux Channel intersects with the main river. They are Mermaid, Aubrey and Beaurivage. If you got a good start around noon and want to get further along you can get to Camelot or Endymion in about an hour and a half. Both these islands have both docks and mooring cans and are very popular among people who know the Thousand Islands well. You will find the national park islands differ in their usage and access. The most heavily used island is Beaurivage and Leek or Thwartway (this island goes by two names) is the least accessible having only mooring cans and a small ramp for a dingy, zodiac or kayak. Many say that Camelot and Endymion are the prettiest islands. The following are a couple of possible routes and destinations for you. 11

Choosing a destination (con t) To Boldt Castle via The Wolfe Island Cut and Clayton (This is the long route to Boldt Castle taking about 6 hours) Leaving the marina, you will head into the Bateau Channel. Turn left, heading east. You ll be passing the Howe Island ferry. It s a cable ferry so you want to pass well behind it. Up ahead you ll see channel markers. The markers that are both red and green mark an intersection of two channels. You ll see one after you pass the ferry. Heading southeast, you ll pass the green marker, JH 1. Keep it on your left. Go between Aubrey and Mermaid Islands, two islands in the Thousand Islands National Park. This will take you into open water (if it s quite windy, you may want to choose a different route due to high waves). In the open water, look for the markers, e.g, H34 (red). You will enter the Wolfe Island Cut around marker PV8 and follow the markers down to PV2. This will take you in the main shipping lane. Watch for freighters and Lakers. Go east to Clayton, New York. There is a US Customs phone reporting station by the public dock. Just look for the big red building (the Thousand Islands Inn) on the shoreline when you head in. The US Customs dock is just to the right of that. 12

Choosing a destination (con t) Once you have cleared Customs, you should take a look around the town. It has been named one of the coolest small towns in America. How cool is that? Love cheese? River Rat Cheese is a must. Clayton is also home to the Antique Boat Museum, also must-see while you re there. And if you think your houseboat is big, be sure to visit George Boldt s houseboat. It s part of the museum. To Boldt Castle via the Lake Fleet islands and Eastern Grindstone Island Follow out along the Bateau channel as above. When you pass the Howe Island ferry and reach the intersection marker, turn left heading east past the red marker J16. Beaurivage is on your right. This is an ideal place to stop for the night if you re planning an early morning return to the marina. (Mermaid and Aubrey are also good.) Follow the channel markers toward Gananoque, passing McDonald Island on your right. After green marker J8, turn right heading south. Stay in the channel with the red markers on your right, passing the house that s as big as the island it sits on. 13

Choosing a destination (con t) Take in the beauty of Thwartway Island After marker J17 and past Hay Island turn left heading southeast. Pass between Huckleberry Island and Little Huckleberry Island. Tuck in close to Little Huckleberry Island and continue southeast. The large island ahead of you is Thwartway (Leek) Island. On the southwest side of the island are mooring cans. This is a beautiful and quiet spot to stop for the night. No generators are allowed so you have an undisturbed stay. (Remember that your houseboat appliances are powered by propane so no generators are necessary.) There are no docks on the island. If you have a canoe or dingy, you can get ashore at the little landing in the bay. It s a great island to explore. If you continue east you ll pick up the markers and the beginning of the Lake Fleet islands. Here you ll find two of the prettiest islands in the Thousand Islands National Park: Camelot Island (appropriately named) and Endymion Island (also appropriately named if you re up on your Greek mythology.) You can find other suggested routes on our website. 14

Fishing Some of the world s best fishing is found in these waters whether you re looking for Carp, Walleye or Muskie. You ll need a fishing license to fish in the Canadian waters. For Canadian residents, you can apply here and for non-residents, apply here. Check for fishing dates and restrictions at Ontario s website. We know where the fish bite and our personal guide can direct you to promising spots. 15

Swimming No summer water vacation is complete without swimming. And with a boat to jump off, you can choose to swim practically anywhere. Of course, since the St. Lawrence is a flowing river, the water is often cooler than a cottage lake. But there is one particular spot where the water is warm and the swimming is great. It is in a large sandy bay on the west of Thwartway or Leek Island. The water is shallow so the water warms up quickly but it is not too shallow to prevent you from taking your boat in there. Just try to stay in the middle of the bay. There are a couple of submerged, unmarked rocks on the north side of the bay. Go in very slowly, bring your boat to a stop using reverse, drop anchor and hit the water! 16

What if there is no room at the dock? If you re out on the river in peak times, such as the long weekends in the summer, you might find the docks and mooring cans fully occupied. That is when you will have to find a spot to anchor and there are plenty of places where you can do that. You ll see on your chart, several spots have been identified with the hand-drawn anchor icons. You should check the weather and watch which way the wind will be blowing. It usually blows from the west so you ll want to anchor somewhere protected from the wind. Even with two anchors down, it is possible for the wind to make your boat drift and you want to avoid that. Tip: A great place to anchor is around Sugar Island just northeast of Camelot and Endymion. There is a small sheltered bay on the north side of the island and another one on the south side. Remember that this is a private island owned the American Canoe Association and only its members are allowed on the island. But you can anchor there. 17

How to dock a houseboat Whenever possible, dock into the wind. If you dock with the wind at your back, it can easily blow you in further than you planned to go. Remember that boats don t have brakes so you want to slow down as you approach. Set yourself up pointing to the spot where you want to dock. Since the houseboats are controlled by an outboard motor, as you cut power, you lose the ability to turn and when the motor is in neutral, you can t turn. So getting yourself set up early makes docking easier. Watch our video on docking a houseboat to see what we mean. 18

When to plan to dock or moor for the night. During the busy summer months, it seems that boaters set off to their next destination around noon. That means that spaces will free up and many people grab a spot as soon as they can. If you re planning on exploring an island and want to relax on the dock or at a mooring can, you should think of tying up around midday. But what if you want to cruise and enjoy the scenery? You may want to plan on anchoring as we discussed above. But there is another option. Recently, Parks Canada designated a spot on Gordon Island reserved for commercial vessels. So you qualify because these are commercial boats. The space is reserved for the Rockport Lines in the afternoon so check ahead of time to get their schedule. 19

What s for dinner? Be sure to plan your meals before you go and make sure you bring whatever spices, herbs and condiments you ll want for each of the meals. The boats have excellent propane powered refrigerators with ample space for several days worth of meals. That is one of the great things about these boats. Everything is powered either by battery or propane so you don t have a noisy generator to disrupt the peace and quiet of the islands. In fact, on some islands, running a generator is prohibited. You will have your choice of cooking on the outside BBQ or inside on the propane stove so be sure to have at least some meals suitable for BBQ cooking. You will find a couple of recipe ideas on our website. 20

Bedding down for the night You ve had a full day, cruising the river, taking in the sights and perhaps relaxing on a dock and it s getting time to settle in for the night. There are two bunks on your boat and two double beds (unless you have the Big Blue that sleeps 10). One double bed is made from the settee in the forward cabin. There is a board behind the back cushion and you lift up the cushions, put the board in place, use the cushions as your mattress and there you have a bed. The other double bed is made from the table. You lift the table, remove the pole that supports the table and the table top hinges down between the two table bench seats and there you go. Turn off the lights, settle and let the sound of the water lapping on the boat s pontoons lull you to sleep. 21

Conclusion A Houseboat Holiday vacation on the 1000 Islands (or Rideau Canal) is a vacation like no other. No wonder over half the people who rent from us come back again, year after year. We ve had some customers who have been coming to us for over 20 years. What are you waiting for? Book your boat now! And enjoy! 22