The Beat

Clayton, N.Y. – The Antique Boat Museum (ABM), North America’s premier freshwater boating museum based in Clayton, New York, will host the longest, continuously running Antique Boat Show for the 57th year Friday, August 6 through Sunday, August 8.

This year’s Show builds on the reimagined show held in 2020 which returned to the modest beginnings of ABM’s early days of parades and displays. ABM is excited to welcome more boats and motors of all makes, models, and age from across the United States back to our docks and campus as we celebrate the boating legacy of the 1000 Islands! …

Long Lake, N.Y. - Long Lake Parks and Recreation has launched a Hiking and Paddling Challenge. The challenge includes a variety of hikes and paddles in the region stretching from Long Lake to Raquette Lake. There are 24 activities on the card with over 50 miles of hiking, 3 mountains, one fire tower, one Adirondack Great Camp and nine paddles enabling participants to achieve a variety of patches.

The challenge is modeled on Bingo. Participants will complete rows of five activities and there is also a choose your own adventure spot in the middle.

Former Mailboat Makes Triumphant Return

Skaneateles, N.Y. -- Before there was the Barbara S. Wiles delivering mail to summer residents along Skaneateles Lake, there was the Pat II, which plied the lake’s waters from 1956 to 1991. Now, 30 years since its last appearance, the newly renovated Pat II—one of the few all-electric passenger vessels in the country—returns to Skaneateles for the 43rd Annual Antique and Classic Boat Show. 

The show, hosted by the Finger Lakes Chapter of the Antique and Classic Boat Society and the Skaneateles Area Chamber of Commerce Foundation, runs July 23-25 in Clift Park, Hours are 3 p.m. to dusk Friday, 9 a.m. to dusk Saturday and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday. Admission is free.

Clayton, N.Y. (June 14, 2021) – The Antique Boat Museum (ABM), North America’s premier freshwater boating museum based in Clayton, NY, invites you to join them for the return of the annual 1000 Islands Concours d’Elegance on June 26th!  Returning for the tenth year in a modified format due to COVID-19, this year’s show features Sunbeams and Triumphs alongside cars of all makes and models.

Boat Tours Highlight Dozens of Archaeological Sites

Ticonderoga, NY – A tour aboard Fort Ticonderoga’s Carillon cruise boat not only provides visitors with breathtaking lake views of commanding mountains and the majestic fort, it also crosses some of the most archaeologically rich waters in North America.

This attraction at Fort Ticonderoga, a major cultural destination, museum, and National Historic Landmark located in New York’s 6-million-acre Adirondack Park, offers passengers a unique travel experience. The 75-minute narrated tours feature Ticonderoga’s epic story of one of North America’s most strategic strongholds and places the iconic fort into a larger context as part of the imperial struggle for the continent in the 18^th century.

Clayton, NY (April 27, 2021) – The Antique Boat Museum (ABM), North America’s premier freshwater boating museum based in Clayton, NY, opens for the 2021 season on Saturday, May 1 and will remain open six days a week, 9 am-5 pm, through Columbus Day.  The Museum is closed Wednesdays.  After Columbus Day, the Museum will be open weekends, 9 am-5 pm, through October 31.  The Museum Store will also open Saturday, May 1 and admission is not required to shop the Store.

Ithaca, NY – The Finger Lakes Land Trust announced the addition of the Finger Lakes Museum and Ganondagan State Historic Site to its outdoor recreation web site, GoFingerLakes.org. Go Finger Lakes is offered as a free public service to help residents and visitors discover the best locations in the region for hiking, mountain biking, kayaking, canoeing, cross-country skiing, and other outdoor activities.

Both the Finger Lakes Museum and Ganondagan State Historic Site exemplify the unique natural and cultural history of the Finger Lakes region. The Finger Lakes Museum was added to highlight a unique paddling opportunity. Visitors can launch their canoe or kayak at no charge and explore wetlands and a stretch of Sugar Creek, paddling to the open waters of Keuka Lake. A limited amount of kayaks and canoes are available to rent. The museum also offers a variety of programs and exhibits about the Finger Lakes.

Clayton, New York – The Antique Boat Museum and the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary’s Alexandria Bay Flotilla have partnered to offer remote learning opportunities through the end of 2020. More new and reimagined programming will continue to roll out in early 2021 as part of this partnership.

The final session of About Boating Safely for 2020 will be held on Google Meet from Monday, November 2 through Thursday, November 5 from 6pm-8pm. This is a more compact schedule than previous sessions of the class, lasting 2 hours per night for 4 nights rather than 1 hour a night for 8 nights.

Oswego, NY. – Did you know there is an island dedicated to a spy in Mexico, New York or that there is a World War II tug that shot down a Nazi plane now docked in Oswego’s inner harbor? The new Sailor Sam Canal to Shore Challenge program from the H. Lee White Maritime Museum in Oswego will help you answer all of these questions and many more. This program, sponsored in part by the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor and the NYS Canal Corporation seeks to take participants of all ages, in groups or as individuals, on a quest to see and learn more about the hidden history along our local waterways.

The Museum’s Sailor Sam mascot identifies 23 historic points of interest along the Oswego Canal, Oswego Harbor and Lake Ontario in a Logbook available through the Museum. Individuals, family groups, youth groups, school groups and others can purchase this special Logbook and then visit all 23 sites, learning more about the fascinating and unique stories that unfold at each site.

Public Boat Launch Access Now Available at Each of 11 Finger Lakes

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) today announced that the new boat launch site on Otisco Lake is complete and open to the public. Prior to the launch’s completion, Otisco was the only Finger Lake without a public boat launch. With this facility, boaters will have a new option to explore the region and its fishing and boating-related recreational opportunities.