The Beat

Celebration in Village of Fairport Unveils Newly Completed Infrastructure Improvements

 Amenities Along the Erie Canal Include Liftbridge Lane West and Pedestrian Promenade

 200th Anniversary of Canal Opening in Fairport also Commemorated

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced the opening of the 2022 navigation season along the 524-mile New York State Canal system, kicking off the 198th consecutive opening of the waterway and celebrating the ongoing bicentennial of the Erie Canal's construction and completion, which spanned from 1817 to 1825. As part of the kickoff of the new boating season, the New York Power Authority, New York State Canal Corporation, and the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, joined officials in the Village of Fairport, Monroe County to unveil the completion of recent infrastructure improvement projects along the Erie Canal.

Waterford, N.Y. -- The Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor and the New York State Canal Corporation, through the Reimagine the Canals initiative, are pleased to announce that 38 non-profit organizations and municipalities will receive grants in 2022 totaling $259,300. The grants will support 11 tourism infrastructure and amenity improvements and 27 events along the NYS Canal System. The grants range from $500 to $24,000 and will leverage an estimated $1.2 million in additional support.

Waterford, NY- The Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor is celebrating National Plan For Vacation Day on January 25 with the release of seven new multiday itineraries that make it easy to plan a trip along the New York State Canal System and Canalway Trail. The itineraries feature cycling, paddling, and sightseeing options with plenty of opportunities for visitors to enjoy regional foods and beverages. Information about accessibility is included to make it easier for people of all abilities to experience the canals.

Clayton, New York (August 20, 2021) – The Antique Boat Museum (ABM), North America’s premier freshwater boating museum based in Clayton, NY, in collaboration with the Antique & Classic Boat Society (ACBS) is pleased to announce the details of the upcoming jointly hosted Symposium to be held October 1-3 at the Museum.

The weekend-long Symposium is for people with a passion for boating and building boats, boat owners, and everyone in between.  This year’s Symposium offers sessions on flipping boats for bottom work, vacuum bagging, rebuilding a Scripps 302, and finishing Mosquito, a project boat for the last couple of Symposiums.

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.