Boats and boating didn’t mean much to either of us until August 2011, when we took a week’s vacation in The Thousand Islands, renting a cabin at The Ivy Lea Club, and adding a three-day rental of a pontoon boat in which we could explore the Islands (albeit in a rather amateurish fashion).
That week, we saw so many happy, tanned and sunglass-wearing people leaping ashore from their boats, tying up, laughing and singing, it suddenly seemed like a good idea to buy a boat. So we went to a delightful small marina close by – The Landing at Ivy Lea – and a friendly boater, Rick, introduced us to Dwayne, who was up for selling his 1988 Chris Craft Classic 260.
A few weeks later, after some hasty but illuminating research, and examining two more of the same model at other marinas, we bought this very boat, and the slip that came with it for the rest of the season at The Landing at Ivy Lea, and began learning how to drive the thing.
We also renamed the boat, from “#1 Slackers” to SCOUSE (familiar to anyone who knows anything about English names, this one referring to anything or anyone from Liverpool). In the process, we discovered an even earlier name painted on the transom (that’s the proper name for the back of the boat. We were obviously quick learners)…
For the rest of the summer we thoroughly enjoyed The Landing and the Islands and our time with our newfound friends there, going down every Friday evening– a three and a half hour drive – and setting out on the Saturday morning to cruise the mighty St Lawrence and dock overnight at the islands in the St Lawrence Park such as Beau Rivage, West Grenadier, Mermaid, Aubrey, Endymion, Camelot, Adelaide and all the others. We began to think of them as “our” islands – and every one of them had a millionaire’s view. (They are nestled in amongst often expensive cottages on their own private islands).
Sometimes, Stephen would even use the boat as his office…
All too soon Fall arrived, and we learned where boats go in winter, and how they’re tucked away for their long winter’s nap – they’re shrink-wrapped.
