Tuesday July 1, 2025 Clayton NY to Cedar Island Anchorage 23 miles and 3.5 hours
Heading out the Thousand Islands...partly through an area we visited while looping, but then getting into new territory. We had about 7 new loopers at the marina for the last two days and looks like most are heading out with us today. About half were stopping at Boldt Castle where we visited and anchored for July 4th back in 2019. You can read about it here if interested.
On the Water with As You Wish
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Passing Boldt Castle. Boat harbor entrance on left, children's play fort at water's edge and the castle in the background. |
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More renovation in progress - never ending task with a 120 year old castle |
The other half of the loopers headed up to Singer Castle with us. The day started off with a heavy haze and 10-15mph SW winds at our back. Only downside to the haziness was it didn't provide quite the picturesque vistas you normally have while going by the islands.
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Picturesque lighthouses all along the river |
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Thousand Islands tour boat bearing down on us through the haze |
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Thousand Island International bridge - connects US and Canada |
Relatively short cruise, so we opted to stop about half-way up in Alexandria Bay for a pump out and to top off the tanks with "cheap" US diesel before crossing into Canada. We did our big fill-up back in Brewerton so just another 100 gallons today.
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2025 picture |
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2019 picture when looping. Great Lakes were all well above normal levels |
Made it to Singer castle and circled the island then over to Cedar Island and anchor set by 1:30. We'll take the dingy over and tour Singer Castle tomorrow.
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Sun setting behind Cedar Island anchorage |
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Journey for July 1, 2025 |
Wednesday July 2nd - still at anchor.
Beautiful sunny morning to start the day. A bit warmer getting up into the 80's. Beautiful clear water, but at just 67 degrees too cold for me to jump in! Today's activity is dropping the dingy and heading over to tour Singer Castle. They open at 10 and if you get there before the tour boats at 11 you pretty much get a private tour. Unlike Boldt castle where you wander at your leisure, 45-minute guided tours are done here to match the coming and going of the tour boats. Unfortunately for us, that makes for a quick pass through with little time for really exploring and enjoying the sense of place, history, construction, etc.
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Singer Castle viewed from the river. Small boathouse at front |
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Big Boathouse on backside of island is undergoing renovation. Also housed the power plant, water pumps, etc. |
While both Boldt and Singer castles were being built at the same time, the two castles are distinctly different. Boldt was never completed, and NY State has been slowly renovating it for 45 years bringing it up to the looks and grandeur of what it would have been if completed. Singer Castle was completed in 1905 and lived in by Bourne family members until 1961.
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A winding walkway would take guests up to the front entrance with this imposing view of the main tower. |
Frederick Bourne was the sixth Director and President of the Singer Sewing Machine Company. Got that position at age 38 and made his fortune. His use of the installment plan to make sewing machines a household item fueled the company's growth during his tenure. He hung around with the likes of the Rockerfellers, Vanderbilts, Astors, and Morgans. Had a passion for fast Mercedes cars and yachts. Was a Commodore of the NY Yacht club and belonged to the exclusive Jeckyl Island Club. Built a massive estate on the South Shore of Long Island as his primary family residence completed in 1897. Indian Neck Hall had 110 rooms, 75,000 sq. ft and was situated on 1000 acres. The architect was Ernest Flagg who was also commissioned to design the "hunting lodge" on Bournes's recently acquired island on the St. Lawrence. Flagg's design was inspired by a castle in Scotland described in Sir Walter Scott's 1826 book 'Woodstock' which he had been reading. A medieval stonework design with dungeons, tunnels, and secret passages. Built over just two years in 1903-1905 at a cost of $500,000. Five stories tall with just 28 rooms forces you to meander about inside.