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More Nostalgic Vessels


I must admit I was thrilled by the terrific response to the February article Gananoque Boat Line–Photo Memories.   The pictures of the old Gananoque Boat Line tour boats obviously evoked fond memories.  This positive feedback has encouraged me to continue to share my childhood memories, and my father, Jim King’s photographs.

I dug into the family archives and found some more great pictures of interesting and memorable boats that plied both the American and Canadian waters of the Thousand Islands in the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s. I’m sure they will be recognizable to any “Islanders” who were around during that time period.

Continuing with the tour boat theme, the first two pictures are boats from the old American Boat Line fleet. The American Adonis was a wooden double deck tour boat that cruised the Thousand Islands out of her home port of Clayton, N.Y. The Adonis, along with the other ABL boats, also made a stop in Gananoque to pick up additional passengers. There was always a spirited rivalry between the ABL and GBL ticket sellers to try and get the tourist business for their respective boat lines!

Figure 1 – American Adonis

American Adonis

The American Adonis was the first of three double-decker tour boats that sailed out of Clayton, N.Y., with a stop in Gananoque.

(circa 1965) Photo credit: Jim King

I was not able to find much historical data on the American Adonis when I was doing research for this article so if anyone has any information on this boat please share it with us.

Figure 2 - American Neptune

The newest double deck tour boat in the American Boat Line fleet was the American Neptune, an all-aluminum craft. The Neptune’s other sister ship, the American Venus, was also an aluminum double-decker. I was not able to find a lot of documentation about the Neptune, but I did discover that the Venus was designed by Sparkman & Stephens Inc. of New York. The Venus design was designated as Design # 1552. The 67-foot Venus was built by Paasch Marine Services of Erie, Pennsylvania and was launched in 1960. The Venus was designed to carry 224 passengers. Again, I would ask if there is additional information on the American Neptune or the American Venus please leave a comment.

American Neptune

The American Neptune, shown sailing under the "1000 Island Seaway Cruises" banner, was the newest of the aluminum double-decker tour boats out of Clayton N.Y.

(circa 1982) Photo credit: Jim King

Figure 3 - Miss Kingston

The next tour boat to be featured is the grand old lady of the river; the Miss Kingston.  She started her life as a Royal Canadian Navy Fairmile B coastal patrol boat in 1942. Q-096, as she was designated by the Navy, was built by Minette Shields of Bracebridge, Ontario along with several other Fairmile B’s. The Miss Kingston was purchased by Kingston Excursions Ltd. in 1960, as the Roseline, and was pressed into the tourist business shortly thereafter. She operated as a tour boat well into the 1970’s. According to the records, she was renamed Saint-Louis IV in 1980 and then La Santa Maria IV in 1985, and is still in operation as a charter cruiser in Montreal.

Miss Kingston

The Miss Kingston, built in 1942, was originally an RCN Fairmile B patrol boat.

(circa 1963) Photo Credit: Jim King

Figure 4 - Miss Kingston II

Another of the tour boats that sailed out of Kingston, the Miss Kingston II, is a bit of a mystery boat. I was not able to find any historical documentation on this vessel. I do know that she was often mistaken for one of the Gananoque Boat Line tour boats because of her sleek, triple deck design and white and red paint job.

Miss Kingston II

The Miss Kingston II was often mistaken for one of the Gananoque Boat Line's  triple deck tour boats.

(circa 1982) Photo credit: Jim King

Figure 5 - RCMP Cutknife II

One of my favourite “old time” boats on the river was MP82, the RCMP Cutknife II.

She was a stately fifty foot long wooden cruiser that was used by the RCMP for patrol work, enforcing the Canada Shipping Act and other Federal Statutes in the St. Lawrence River and Lake Ontario. The Cutknife II was built by J.J. Taylor Ltd. of Toronto in 1955 and was based in Kingston. The Cutknife II also had a 14 foot outboard tender that was pulled up on the rear deck behind the cabin and could be launched from the stern of the mother ship while she was underway. I can still remember the friendly waves from the Mounties, who were in full uniform on the boat, when you passed by and waved at them.

RCMP Cutknife II

The RCMP Cutknife II was used by the Mounties to patrol the St. Lawrence River and Lake Ontario.

(circa 1965) Photo Credit: Jim King

Figure 6 – Pathfinder

Whenever one of the Brigantine sailing boats was in the Gananoque area it was always an “event” and people flocked to the river to see it. The STV (Sail Training Vessel) Pathfinder and her sister ship the Playfair were traditionally rigged brigantine sailing ships that were operated as a youth sail training program during the summer months by Toronto Brigantine Inc. The “Brigs”, as they were known, sailed mainly in Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River and were a very impressive sight when under full sail.

The Pathfinder was designed by renowned marine architect Francis MacLachlan and was built in the Kingston Shipyards in 1963. The sailing vessel is constructed of ¼” welded steel hull plating and ½” welded steel keel plating. Her overall length is 72 feet and her beam is 15 feet. She draws 8 feet of water and has a registered tonnage of 31.6 tons. The main mast height is 54 feet and she carries over 2600 square feet of sails. The Pathfinder can cruise at 7 knots under power and between 4 and 8 knots under sail. The design hull speed of the sailing vessel is 8.2 knots.

Brigantine Pathfinder

The brigantine STV Pathfinder was used for a youth sail training program during the summer months on Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River.

(Undated Picture) Photo credit: Jim King

Figure 7 – CCGS Simcoe

For anyone who is on the river in the late fall or the early spring they will surely recognize the CCGS Simcoe, a navigational aids tender, which was primarily used in buoy placement, servicing and removal. The Simcoe was built in 1962 by the Canadian Vickers company in Montreal and was the oldest operational vessel in the Canadian Coast Guard fleet when decommissioned in 2007. She was named after John Graves Simcoe, the Lieutenant-Governor of Upper Canada from 1791 to 1796. The Simcoe, based out of Prescott, Ontario, is 179 feet in length and carried a crew of 27 sailors. She was built as a Class 2 ice-strengthened vessel and operated from the eastern portions of Lake Ontario to the Beauharnois Canal in the St. Lawrence River in Quebec. The Simcoe, powered by two diesel electric propulsion systems, had a cruising speed of 10 knots and a maximum speed of 14 knots. In addition to her work with the navigational aids, the Simcoe was also used for light ice-breaking duties in the upper St. Lawrence River and was available for Search and Rescue purposes if required.

CCG Simcoe

The CCGS Simcoe was used to place and remove navigational buoys throughout the Thousand Islands in the spring and fall.

(circa 1984) Photo Credit: Jim King

Figure 8 – Tom Thumb

The final craft that is profiled in this article is the mighty Tom Thumb, a 12 foot wooden punt built by the “King Family Boat Works” of Gananoque. Launched in 1968, the Tom Thumb soon became a fixture on the St. Lawrence as “Tommy” King and his faithful companion, Heidi, spent countless hours on the river delivering newspapers, chasing tour boats and generally having a heck of a good time! This little boat opened up a whole new world for the author and helped to instill a deep and everlasting love of the river and the Thousand Islands.

Tom Thumb

Tommy King and his dog, Heidi, showing off a brand new 9.8 hp outboard on the mighty Tom Thumb.

(circa 1971) Photo Credit: Jim King

 

By Tom King, Milton, ON.

Tom and his wife Marion have lived in Milton, Ontario for the past twenty-five years, where they both worked and raised their family of three children; Kris, Mike and Becca. Tom still has a strong attachment to the Thousand Islands, having grown up in Gananoque and being a “river rat” from a very early age. The family tries to return to the islands every summer and for the past few years have been renting a cottage on Sampson (a.k.a. Heritage) Island, just out from Gananoque.

Editor’s Note:  We ask, once again. do you have memories of these ships?  Or can you correct or add to Tom’s research?  If so, please share them with us below.

Please feel free to leave comments about this article using the form below. Comments are moderated and we do not accept comments that contain links. As per our privacy policy, your email address will not be shared and is inaccessible even to us. For general comments, please email the editor.

Comments

Brian Johnson
Comment by: Brian Johnson ( )
Left at: 9:37 PM Monday, March 14, 2011
Tom,
Let me be the first to congratulate you for sharing these treasures!!!
I well remember the 'ol Miss Kingston as I was Mate in her for a while. Your Dad's photo of this famous boat has her 'original' white wheelhouse before the newer one was added (slanted forward windows angled out and sides painted brown) as well as her smokestack taken down later. Captain Ross Carnegie was her Master for many years as swell as Capt. Herman Holmes and later Captain Brooks(no relation to Charlie).
Everyone of my generation also will remember the Cutknife II, the 'Mountie boat" as she was called.
Priceless pic of the ol American Adonis too! She was built as a MTB or PT boat as I remember.
Great memories!!!
Brian J
eric schulz
Comment by: eric schulz ( )
Left at: 8:05 AM Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Does anyone know what became of these classics.......as a youngest in the early 70's we spent may day jumping their wakes in the Raft Narrows. I also remeber Pilgrim V anybody have a pic of her? Great stuff Tom!
Mike
Comment by: Mike ( )
Left at: 9:01 AM Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Wow do I love those photo's and remember the Adonis, Venus, and Neptune!! Took several rides during the 60's an all of them. I, too, wonder what happened to them. An unconfirmed fact I got from someone in Clayton was that the Adonis was built from the hull of a WW2 PT Boat, but don't really know. I do have a short clip of her leaving the mooring one morning in the early 60's at http://home.comcast.net/~mikef32470/steelkingfan/1000islands.htm (look for the paragraph "I dug up this old home movie of the Adonis..." about half way down the page. Thank you, Tom, for these great photo's and memories!
Mike
Bob Graham
Comment by: Bob Graham ( )
Left at: 9:33 AM Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Tom, Brian, I seem to recall that Capt. Walter (Ben) Bowen from Trenton sailed the Miss Kingston for a season or two after he retired from Halco in the mid-'60s. Any word about that?

Nice article on these old vessels. And keep up the great work, Susan!

Bob
R. Manton Ennis
Comment by: R. Manton Ennis ( )
Left at: 11:21 AM Tuesday, March 15, 2011
I enjoyed seeing the Cutknife it was a familiar sight around our place on the North side of Grindstone.
Capt. Schuyler Hellings
Comment by: Capt. Schuyler Hellings ( )
Left at: 12:31 PM Tuesday, March 15, 2011
I think Capt. David Kay, owner/operator of Clayton Island Tours, was a captain on the American Boat Lines.
Mike
Comment by: Mike ( )
Left at: 12:41 PM Tuesday, March 15, 2011
With some clues from your article, I ran across this interesting info!!

http://sparkmanstephens.blogspot.com/2011/02/design-1552-american-venus.html

Mike
Deane Parkhurst
Comment by: Deane Parkhurst ( )
Left at: 1:48 PM Tuesday, March 15, 2011
I remember The American Adonis very well. At the helm of my (then) pride and joy, a 14' Wolverine Wagemaker and a 10hp Johnson outboard motor, riding the wake of larger boats was a major source of teenaged boating fun. The Adonis had a very unique wake, corkscrew would be the best way to describe it. Tricky too, as you had to get the angle just right or risk the possibility of floundering. The Wagemaker is long gone but that old Johnson remains under the basement stairs. Maybe someday I’ll see if it still fires and take the grandkids for a ride on one of our Midwest man made lakes.
Doug King
Comment by: Doug King ( )
Left at: 2:57 PM Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Tom....thanks for the memories ! I especially remember Hull # 1002 from the King Family Boat Works....and it never leaked a drop !!
Tom King
Comment by: Tom King ( )
Left at: 3:01 PM Tuesday, March 15, 2011
I was able to track down some more information on the American Neptune. She was built by the same firm that built the American Venus - Paasch Marine Services of Erie PA - in 1964. It looks like the Neptune was built from the same plans as the Venus, with a length of 64 ft and a beam of 19 feet. The American Neptune has since been renamed The Island Hopper, Miss Clayton III, and most recently, Express Shuttle. She is currently for sale in Florida for $195K
Doug King
Comment by: Doug King ( )
Left at: 4:23 PM Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Tom, thanks for the memories.....we are so glad that you are looking after Dad,s great photo collection and sharing his history of Gan and the Islands. I fondly remember the keel laying for hull 002 at the King Family Boatworks on Sydenham Street....it was a great project and the boat never leaked a drop when launched ! I just finished looking at the pictures in the February edition as well....a really nice selection !
Brian Johnson
Comment by: Brian Johnson ( )
Left at: 6:39 AM Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Bob and Tom,
Yes it was Captain Bowen on the Miss Kingston.
I think Captain Brooks may have been on the Amherst Islander instead.
I'll check with Ron Walsh as he was aboard the 'ol Miss back in the day.
Mike
Comment by: Mike ( )
Left at: 9:22 AM Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Cool !! The Neptune still exists?? Do you have a link to the sales info in Florida?

Mike
Bob Graham
Comment by: Bob Graham ( )
Left at: 10:01 AM Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Thanks, Brian. I knew Capt Bowen and his wife Helen quite well. He was a very sociable guy and a great storyteller; while with Hall he survived the torpedoing of the Mont Louis in the Caribbean during WW2. In 1961 he brought out the 730-ft Leecliffe Hall (ii) and was in command in 1964 when she was rammed and later foundered in the lower St. Lawrence. After retirement from Hall he spent a couple of summers sailing tour boats; obviously, even after a stressful career he found it hard to "swallow the anchor." A neat guy, all told.
Dave Glancie
Comment by: Dave Glancie ( )
Left at: 10:31 AM Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Great photos Tom! Thanks so much for sharing. I remember just about all these old tour boats especially the Miss Kingston as it went by our cottage every night on the way back to its base. I use to run down to the dock, jump into my 14ft cedar strip and head out to catch the wake ...ha ha ha...good times on the river! I also remember the Cutknife patrolling the river before the OPP took over those duties. I had visions of doing the same thing after I began my RCMP career.
Ted Bradford
Comment by: Ted Bradford ( )
Left at: 11:39 AM Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Again, like last month, wonderful photos of these boats. They certainly bring back many memories. It's great to hear that one of my favorites, The Miss Kingston is still in use in Montreal, plus, if I'm not mistaken, the Miss Kingston II is in service there as well. Any shots of the Lady Kingston?

Well done, keep the pics coming!!
Tom King
Comment by: Tom King ( )
Left at: 1:40 PM Wednesday, March 16, 2011
I would like to thank everyone for sharing their memories and knowledge about these lovely old boats. They are definitely special!

The website that has the information on the old "American Neptune" that is for sale can be found at http://www.boats-florida.com/boats/Commercial/1140/1964-Paasch-Marine-Express-ShuttlePassener-BoatF.html

I have been doing some more homework on the old American Adonis and have discovered that she was built in 1943 at Huckins Yacht Corp in Jacksonville Fla. Huckins was contracted by the U.S. Navy to build PT boats in that era, so it is possible that the Adonis was built off a converted PT hull. I will continue hunting for more data!

Unfortunately, I have looked through the entire archive and I can't locate a picture of either the Lady Kingston or the Pilgrim V. I'll keep looking elsewhere.

Does anyone have any leads on who built the Miss Kingston II and when she was launched?

Keep the great stuff coming!
Ted Bradford
Comment by: Ted Bradford ( )
Left at: 4:18 PM Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Tom,

The Miss Kingston II looks very similar to the Island Queen V that cruises the waters of Georgian Bay, albeit a little smaller. The Island Queen V was designed by Hargrave Naval Architects in Florida and built in Canada by Algoma Steel in 1990. Might be worth investigating.

Ted
Brian Johnson
Comment by: Brian Johnson ( )
Left at: 12:03 PM Friday, March 18, 2011
Ted and Tom
The Miss Kingston II WAS the Island Queen V from Parry Sound.
Ian Campbell and Mel Brisbin bought her to add to their fleet shortly after purchasing the Miss and Lady Kingston from Archie McClean in the late 1970's. I worked for Ian in the early 80's aboard the 'ol Miss and Miss II before joining the Wolfe Island Ferry.
I too, believe she is now in Montreal.
brian j
Jim Duck
Comment by: Jim Duck ( )
Left at: 5:08 PM Friday, March 18, 2011
Hi Tom,

There was an RCMP unit along the Detroit River in the 50's that must have been a sister ship to the Cutknife, right down to the well in the aftdeck for a launch. She was a beauty!

Jim
Ron Huck
Comment by: Ron Huck ( )
Left at: 11:47 AM Sunday, March 20, 2011
Tom and Brian:

The Miss Kingston 11 was built in Oshawa, Ontario in 1975 by the Chrisandra Aluminum Shipyards. She was designed byJack Hargraves of Foirt Lauderdale, Florida. She was the Island Queen (Ron Anderson) of Parry Sound, then to Kingston, then to Montreal as MV Montreal then to St. Catharines as the Dalhousie Princess and now is the proud Empress of Ottawa owned by my company Capiital Cruises Inc. During the winter of 2007-2008 she was moored in Rockport and given a complete refurbishing before being put into service in Ottawa in June of 2008. If iinterested they can visit our website and see her or I can forward a couple of pictures to be placed on here.

Ron
Ted Bradford
Comment by: Ted Bradford ( )
Left at: 4:21 PM Sunday, March 20, 2011
Ron, Tom and Brian,

A lot of mysteries solved and for that I love this forum. I knew I recognized the design of the ship. Good to know she is still working hard. Upon further nosing around, sadly it looks as if the old Miss Kingston isn't in Montreal as earlier stated. Her last sighting was in the Caribbean somewhere. If anyone reading this knows if she's plying the waters of Canada, please let me know.

Ted
Brian Johnson
Comment by: Brian Johnson ( )
Left at: 5:21 PM Sunday, March 20, 2011
RON
Oh my!!!!
THIS is what happens when I post comments while working the midnight shift on the ferry!
MIDNIGHT HEAD!!!
Ron, I should be taken out and SHOT!!!!
Of course I should have known better!!
I was just aboard the Empress of Ottawa with you last fall!!!
After I posted... I wondered... Now just WHERE have I seen that vessel last?
Hmmmmmm... Montreal?
I just got your message, Ron...
Now let's see if I can get the Wolfe Islander safely over and back tonight!!!!
highest regards...
(if I can be forgiven)
brian j
Tom King
Comment by: Tom King ( )
Left at: 9:26 AM Monday, March 21, 2011
Thanks to Ron, Ted and Brian for the information on the former Miss Kingston II. I was able to find data on the boat when I searched under the name of "Island Queen V". The images that I saw of the "Empress of Ottawa" show that she is aging very nicely! The latest refurbishing work was very well done!

I also came across a very interesting video of the christening and launch of the RCMP Cutknife II and her sister ship, MP 85, The Shaunavon II at the J.J Taylor boatyard in Toronto. The tag on the video says "circa 1948" but my records show that she was launched in 1955. According to the RCMP historical records there were 4 other 50 foot patrol boats built in the same era. They were MP81 Chilcoot II, MP88 Carnduff II, MP89 Tagish II, and MP96 Moosomin II. I'm not sure if all these boats were the same design as the Cutknife II or not, with the tender launch in the aft deck. The video can be found at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wyyzwUqlruE

I have been unable to find the current location of the ex-Miss Kingston. The latest information that I saw was that she had been renamed La Santa Maria IV and may still be in operation in Bermuda or the Caribbean.

Tom
Marguerite
Comment by: Marguerite ( )
Left at: 1:33 PM Monday, March 21, 2011
Just a piece of information regarding our brigantines STV Pathfinder and
the TS Playfair: still in service and coming to the Islands this September for a month!

Check out the site for more: www.torontobrigantine.org

Fair winds and following seas!
Peter Glazier
Comment by: Peter Glazier ( )
Left at: 10:33 AM Wednesday, April 6, 2011
I don't have any pictures but another couple of names from the past:
CCGS Grenville- steam predecessor to the Simcoe,based in Prescott
Ned B Henderson-a 1950's 34'[?] Chris Craft operated by the US Border Patrol.
I remember seeing both these vessels back in the 60's.
Bob Graham
Comment by: Bob Graham ( )
Left at: 3:54 PM Sunday, April 10, 2011
Yes, I remember the Grenville. Her normal base was the Dominion Lighthouse station in Prescott, and each spring she made a pass up the river about a week before navigation opened. I always enjoyed seeing her pass Brockville as it told me that spring had arrived!
eric schulz
Comment by: eric schulz ( )
Left at: 7:01 PM Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Anybody know what happened to Pilgrim V and who built her? I believe she was based out of AlexBay. She was a beautiful wood boat.
Tom King
Comment by: Tom King ( )
Left at: 10:01 PM Tuesday, April 12, 2011
I don't want to spill the beans Eric, but keep an eye out for the April issue of Thousand Islands Life, coming to a computer near you soon! ;-)
Lawrence Edgley
Comment by: Lawrence Edgley ( )
Left at: 12:04 AM Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Tom your pictures of tour boats of the past brought back lot of memories being a deckhand for the Rockport Boat Line in 1950 era. I remember the American Adonis. and one of her Captains Capt. Bob Koenet from Clayton N.Y. What I remember the most about the Adonis was the wake she made as there was'nt a speed limit for commercial tour boats as there is now. The uncle Sam V111 was the original Pilgrim V of the Pilgrim Boat Line operated from the upper dock in Alexandria Bay Captained by Ross Russell. This boat was designed by my uncle Clifford Hunt from Rocport and he over saw the building of this boat if I remember correctly in Alexandria Bay.
eric schulz
Comment by: eric schulz ( )
Left at: 9:16 AM Tuesday, April 19, 2011
She was a beautiful boat, excellent lines and green cabin top. There is a post card of her for sale if you check the web. Being an avid half hull modeller I would love to get some line drawings of these old tour boats........any body have any ideas where they could be had?
Tom King
Comment by: Tom King ( )
Left at: 9:49 AM Tuesday, April 19, 2011
There is a picture of Uncle Sam VIII (a.k.a. Pilgrim V) posted in the article "Tom King's Internet Research" in the April issue of Thousand Islands Life.
eric schulz
Comment by: eric schulz ( )
Left at: 9:52 AM Tuesday, April 19, 2011
I have a mystery to solve! I remember as a young lad in the mid 60's there used to be an abandoned hulk of a tour boat pulled up on a very small island just east of Benson's Rift [1/2 way to bridge]and very close to Hill Island. Anybody have any knowledge of her? Great old stories and photo's....
Susie Smith
Comment by: Susie Smith
Left at: 12:03 PM Tuesday, April 19, 2011
In answer to the question above, it was the SS Riverside and deliberately scuttled on the border between the United States and Canada, by its owners. The ship was built in Buffalo in 1892. In 1904 she was brought to the Thousand Islands and used as an excursion steamer plying the river between Ogdensburg, Alexandria Bay and Thousand Islands Park. The tour boat and excursion business was highly profitable until the First World War then tourism in the Thousand Islands began to decline.
Because the ship was old, in need of repair and the tour boat business was failing, the owners decided to sink the ship on the boundary line in front of their property on Wellesley Island. There were numerous legal liens on the ship originating in Canada and the United States, and sinking her on the borderline meant no one had a legal claim. It lay as a ruined hulk for 34 years before the Canadian and American officials finally arranged for it removal in 1967. (From St. Lawrence Islands National Park Historic Resource Inventory by S.W. Smith, 1982.)
eric schulz
Comment by: eric schulz ( )
Left at: 12:19 PM Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Is this the same boat I'm thinking of? This one was pulled ashore on a sloping rock shoreline [facing Constance Island] on a very small island very close to Hill Island [50'-100']It certainly was gone around 1967. BTW your book is a splendid piece of work! Remember the wood cruiser Bacardi burned at the Constance dock and her remains ended up on the south shore of Huckleberry. They remainded there for quite a period of time.I think it was in the mid to late 60's also
Susie Smith
Comment by: Susie Smith
Left at: 12:36 PM Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Eric, And I thought I was so smart. Now I am not so sure about the one you meant. Perhaps someone else will have the right answer. (Thanks for the comment about my First Summer People book!) Susie
mike
Comment by: mike ( )
Left at: 3:03 PM Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Eric - Line drawings... I don't know if this helps but I was asking around about the American Boat Line tour boats of the 1960s and believe there are some archive drawings available for purchase from a university archive (they say "lines 3/4 1959"). They should be of the Neptune or Venus. I can give you the contact info if you like. Also, if you have any photos of your half hull boat models of the 1000 Islands region they would be neat to see!
eric schulz
Comment by: eric schulz ( )
Left at: 9:31 AM Thursday, April 21, 2011
Mike yes that would be great. I would be interesting to get plans/lines of some Snider/Uncle Sam/Paul/Spray tours boats. Venus and Neptune hold a special place in my heart, especially seeing them coming up from behind at full speed with those HUGE wakes. A half hull or two of these would be terrific. I haven't completed half hulls of 1000 islands boats persay, but I think my fav's are my 12m America's cup yachts. I can forward to your email if your like schulze@royallepage.ca.
jean hanford
Comment by: jean hanford ( )
Left at: 7:34 PM Thursday, April 21, 2011
I bought an old photo of what looks like a double deck white steamboat with two tall smokestacks. Between the smokestacks are what look like the letters MQ. It appears to be a photo from the 60's maybe. It's in color but very bland in appearance. I so want to figure out what boat this is. It's entitled "at the levee" and it looks like its tied down in dock. It has nice railing around the entire boat and the stairs on the tops meet down at the bottom deck. The lower deck looks to say "Arkansas II". I'm researching it online but can't find anything that helps me.
eric schulz
Comment by: eric schulz ( )
Left at: 10:41 AM Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Hi Folks, I hate to floga dead horse here.......I'm going to start a half hull model of the American Venus. I will be getting some drawings from either Sparkman Stephens or Bowling Green University archives. Any pictures of the Neptune or Venus would be very helpful, especially if they were of the vessel[s] out of the water. Thanks in advance
Mike
Comment by: Mike ( )
Left at: 4:43 PM Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Hi Eric,

How's the model coming along?

Mike
Anonymous User
Comment by: Anonymous User
Left at: 10:13 AM Wednesday, March 14, 2012
http://tallshipsintoronto.wordpress.com/2012/03/14/pathfinder-in-gananoque-area-1970s/
Terry Froats
Comment by: Terry Froats ( )
Left at: 9:24 PM Monday, September 17, 2012
Hello from Kingston:
This brings back a lot of memories aboard the Miss and the Lady Kingston.In 1973 I was a deckhand and a wheelsman on the Miss Kingston and worked under Captain Ross Carnegie, Captain Ben Bowen and Captain Brooks. All great guys but I have to say Captian Bowen was one of the coolest guys I have ever met. Super nice and what a storyteller.Thanks for the memories. Any pictures of the Lady Kingston?
Cheers
Tom King
Comment by: Tom King ( )
Left at: 4:49 PM Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Hi Terry;

Thanks for the great comments on the article. A photo of the Lady Kingston can be found in the Bowling Green State University's "Historical Collections of the Great Lakes" under the name Iroquois II. The link to the site is http://ul.bgsu.edu/cgi-bin/xvsl2.cgi

Regards,

Tom

Mike
Comment by: Mike
Left at: 2:16 PM Monday, June 24, 2013
Guess what? I actually found the the old American Venus, she's been modded a lot but still running tours! I also have a lead on the Neptune and Adonis II. Feel free to email me if you're interested in the details.

mike at 1000islandssteelking dot com

Mike
Phil
Comment by: Phil
Left at: 8:10 PM Tuesday, August 11, 2015
My father was on the RCMP Cutknife II. Can't find seem to find any history on it. Was wondering if you could help me out. Thanks in advance.
Richard Jones
Comment by: Richard Jones
Left at: 3:00 PM Thursday, March 30, 2017
The Cutknife II was decommissioned from the RCMP in 1971 I believe. It returned to the Taylor yards where it was built in 55 and was converted to a Trawler Yacht . The v 12s were removed and she was repowered with Twin 300hp Cummins diesels and the Transom was rebuilt and the well decked over. It was operated in the Toronto area privately for several years until purchased by my Father Marsh Jones in summer of 1975 and cruised to Lewisport Newfoundland where it spent the following winter. The next summer it was moved to the Armdale Yacht Club in Halifax Where it resided for a couple of years while cruising the Coast of Nova Scotia. It was eventually sold to a gentleman if Newfoundland and the last I heard many years ago It was in a state of poor repair. I would love to know if she is still around today.
Karolyn Massey
Comment by: Karolyn Massey
Left at: 9:28 AM Thursday, August 24, 2017
Eric Shulz
I have a mystery to solve! I remember as a young lad in the mid 60's there used to be an abandoned hulk of a tour boat pulled up on a very small island just east of Benson's Rift [1/2 way to bridge]and very close to Hill Island. Anybody have any knowledge of her? Great old stories and photo's....

In response to this query, may I suggest you contact Len Stratford, Hill Island and ask him about this boat. If I recall correctly, it may have belonged to a member of his family.
Comment by: " Hill " Gaudon
Left at: 8:18 PM Wednesday, December 27, 2017
i was a crew member on the R C M P Cutknife 11 working out of Kingston 1959....One of the greatest postings ever....loved the Thousand Islands area and the people I was in contacted with....Reminds me of the Gulf Islands on the West Coact near Victoria where I live....