Canadian ice breaker plows though Thousand Islands ice, St. Lawrence River

Ice Breaker Pierre Radisson. Photo by Jean Papke.

(Click on photo to see it enlarged).

The Canadian Ice Breaker Pierre Radisson passed by Singer Castle around 12:30 p.m. today.  While there is still 40 inch thick ice in the bays, the river is starting to slowly open up.  The St. Lawrence Seaway is scheduled to open next week but there is a lot of ice to move throughout the Great Lakes Seaway system. ---Jean Papke, Assistant to the President of Dark Island.

Close up of Pierre Radisson Ice Breaker. Source: Wikipedia.

Robert Frost - To the Thawing Wind

COME with rain, O loud Southwester!

Bring the singer, bring the nester;

Give the buried flower a dream;

Make the settled snow-bank steam;

Find the brown beneath the white;

But whate’er you do to-night,

Bathe my window, make it flow,

Melt it as the ices go;

Melt the glass and leave the sticks

Like a hermit’s crucifix;

Burst into my narrow stall;

Swing the picture on the wall;

Run the rattling pages o’er;

Scatter poems on the floor;

Turn the poet out of door.

Antique Boat Museum To Host Another Fun-Filled Camp During Spring Break

CLAYTON, New York (March 24, 2014) – The Antique Boat Museum (ABM), North America’s premier freshwater nautical museum based in Clayton, New York, announced today that it will host a Hawaiian-themed camp during the upcoming spring break April 15-17, 2014.

This two-hour craft, reading, and special activity camp will explore Hawaii over the course of three days from 9:30-11:30 a.m. for ages 4-9 years and 1:30-3:30 p.m. for tweens ages 10-14 years.  Each day will explore the culture, farming, and native boats called “Outrigger” canoes, as well as nautical activities helping to prove how life in Hawaii is not so different than life on the St. Lawrence River.

On Tuesday, April 15, guest speaker Jeff Garnsey will provide his insight on life in Hawaii, while participants will learn how to build and use a traditional war club, see different types of marine life commonly found in Hawaii and discover how they are different than River marine life.

Then, on Wednesday, April 16, participants will compare different techniques used in “Outrigger” canoes and standard canoes used in New York.  They will also build an “Outrigger” canoe model to take home.

Finally, on April 17, participants will have the opportunity to party like the traditional Hawaiians do with a Luau, featuring a twist of River-style. The day will be highlighted by dancing, games, and prizes.

Each session is $5 per child for members and $7 for non-members; with a family maximum charge of $20 per family, per day.  Register a child for all three days for just $12 for members or $17 for non-members. Children under the age of 7 must have an adult stay with them.  Pre-registration is required for all days.

For more information or to pre-register, contact Julie Broadbent at (315) 686-4104 x235 or email at jbroadbent@abm.org.

Hawaiian Outrigger Canoe Schematic (one of several types).

Located on the St. Lawrence River in the 1000 Islands, the Antique Boat Museum features a collection of over 300 antique and classic boats, among thousands of recreational boating artifacts. In August 2014, the Museum will host the 50^th annual Antique Boat Show and Auction, the longest running antique boat show in North America, during a 10-day celebration spanning August 1-10 and capped off with the Antique Raceboat Regatta. For more information please visit the Museum’s website at abm.org.

The world’s largest runabout, Pardon Me, has hit the water for the first time in years!

Pardon Me runabout, source: ABM

The Antique Boat Museum received word late last night that the team at Brooklin Boat Yard, located in Brooklin, Maine, started the engines of Pardon Me, a 48-foot runabout known as the largest in the world, in their boat shop. Yesterday afternoon it was decided to drop her in the water for a test run as well, after determining the time in the shop was successful.

The boat, built in 1948, ran great according to mechanics. The engine performed “flawlessly.”

(See videos linked on our ABM Facebook page courtesy of Brooklin Boat Yard)

She ran in the water for some time at 1000 rpm and around 22 mph. A less than 10-second full throttle run made 51 mph at 2550 rpm, which further proved that the boat was drawing closer to being the way it used to be.

The boat left Clayton in 2012 to have its bottom restored to allow for in-water use again. In the time since its been gone, the boat’s entire bottom and keel have been replaced, her engines have been restored, and a new rudder was installed.

Work still to be done is mostly varnish and hardware installation. She is on target to be in Clayton well before the 50^th annual Antique Boat Show this August 1-3.