Lake Ontario Rally highlights local history
By Eric Sunstrum, Rear Commodore, GLCC Region 35
Photo credits: Wes Micket, Evelyn Michaud and Bernie Coyne
Weather forecasters were predicting wet weather and gloomy skies, but as has been the case many times this summer, they were mercifully wrong for the GLCC Lake Ontario Rally.
The result: Attendees enjoyed a relatively dry weekend Aug. 16-18 at the Clayton Municipal Marina in Clayton, NY (SLR 51) hosted by Eric and Cynthia Sunstrum.
The town of Clayton has a long maritime history. It was founded as a major lumber and shipbuilding center. Over the weekend, the group got a sense of this history. People also made new acquaintances and caught up with old friends.
Friday started with a meet-and-greet that included snacks and drinks at the marina. The food was delicious, but everyone saved a little room for a group dinner at a local restaurant later that evening.
The next day, the group stepped back in time with a guided tour of the Antique Boat Museum. The museum showcases the rich boating history of the St. Lawrence River, with everything from dugout canoes to classic racing boats on display.
The highlight of the tour was a detailed look at the 106-foot houseboat La Duchesse built for New York millionaire hotelier George Boldt in 1906 and later sold to the McNally family (Rand McNally) of Chicago.
The traditional Gadget Hour then showcased everyone’s “must have” item that they absolutely need to make their on board life more enjoyable. Phone cameras got lots of use documenting what may end up under someone’s Christmas tree this year. To finish off the night, the group headed to a nearby pub for dinner.
On Sunday, the group took a guided river tour of the area that featured Boldt Castle on Heart Island, just north of Alexandria Bay. In 1900, George Boldt had a vision to build this lavish gift to his wife, Louise, in the style of the Rhineland castles of his family homeland.
Work came to an abrupt stop in 1904 when Louise died and the project was abandoned. In the 1970s, the Thousand Islands Bridge Authority bought the property. It is renovating the building to match George Boldt’s vision.
The long-predicted rain finally came later, but not until everyone was safely inside the castle marveling at the ongoing restoration work there.
Dock out for most was delayed until Tuesday due to gusty winds on Monday. But once everyone got going, plans for next year’s event were already being discussed.
Stay tuned for details on Lake Ontario Rally 2025.
