Marina Review for Frankfort Municipal Marina

Reviewed by: Mark Dawes on May 4, 2023
LOA: 42'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 5

Not a rated review but useful information. So the 5 stars is not indicative of past experience.

On 5/4/23 spoke with the Frankfort Town Hall looking for a reservation as the marina hadn't opened for business yet.

According to the town hall the marina rents slips on a first-come-first-served basis. Slips are rented on the day of the visit, not in advance.

This is key for those who make reservations in advance.

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Marina Review for Clayton Harbor Municipal Marina

Reviewed by: Mark Dawes on May 1, 2023
LOA: 42'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 4

We stayed at the Clayton Municipal Marina 9/16-9/18, 2023. The area is drop dead gorgeous. The marina itself is new but basic: floating docks, power, water bathroom/showers/coin-op laundry. Small office building staffed with relatively inexperienced folks. But, this isn't a conventional full service marina with fuel and maintenance services ... it's a hotel for boaters.

What amplifies the stop is the quaint beauty of Clayton itself. Between Alexandria Bay and Clayton, Clayton is the prettier environment. The close accessibility of town and its pubs and shops makes the stay easy and the presence of the Antique Boat Museum make the stop memorable. Visitors can also access tour boats for a visit through the Thousand Islands sites.

We fell in love with the area.

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Marina Review for Oswego Marina

Reviewed by: Mark Dawes on May 1, 2023
LOA: 42'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 3

The Oswego marina is just beyond lock O8 on the Oswego canal as it empties into Lake Ontario. The vista from the lock to the marina is beautiful. The marina itself is old and the docks and finger piers are well worn and tend to wobble. There are also a couple concrete walls thatch handle various sized transient boats.

The marina has the equipment to step masts for sailboats which is a nice feature and often used.

The staff was one woman who was gracious and helpful.

Restaurants are in the city of Oswego which is a 15 min walk across the canal. There is an interesting fort just adjacent to the marina.

Restroom and shower facilities on the north side of ht marina are old and worn. Can't speak to the facilities on the south side.

It's hard to penalize the marina because those there are doing their best to make the experience pleasant. We stopped 9/16 and 9/19, so it was late in the season and the area had clearly shifted into the fall mode and away from boating.

The town of Oswego near the canal is old and tired and in need of new energy and revitalization.

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Lock comment on Lock 36: Kirkfield

Comment by: Mark Dawes on Apr 26, 2023
LOA: 42'
Draft: 3.5'

Spoke with the harbormaster at Big Chute Marina on 4/25/23. He shared concerns that the Kirkfield Lift Lock may open late. Apparently one of the lock doors malfunctioned at the end of the 2022 season. The lock is ready for the replacement door/door parts, but they haven't been delivered yet. He spoke highly of the maintenance crew's diligence and commitment to opening on time. However, this one would benefit from a double check.

• WG Editor Comment:
  

  The Parks Canada website states that repairs are underway there is no mention of a delay in navigation season opening.

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Marina Review for Delaware City Marina

Reviewed by: Mark Dawes on Jan 26, 2023
LOA: 42'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 5

Docking at this marina definitely requires contact with the staff while still in Delaware Bay and careful maneuvering on the way in. Other posts have more detail.

The marina staff is a lot of fun. Handling the boat on the way in I got a kick out of the banter with the marina owner/harbormaster and appreciated the help from the dock hands. The captains meeting was invaluable and resulted in us changing our next 2 days travel plans to avoid areas of the intracoastal waterway that had become too shallow.

The "piesta de resistance" was the Christmas card from the marina. It's the only one I've ever gotten!

(The town is showing its age, but it doesn't lack for character.)

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Marina Review for Ess-Kay Yards Inc.

Reviewed by: Mark Dawes on Jan 26, 2023
LOA: 42'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 5

Other reviews cover the facility and mention how wonderful Kim, Evan and their staff is. This is an above-and-beyond-the-call-of-duty marina. Evan was dogged at not only winterizing the boat but calling and suggesting an upgrade that would simplify the process. Jack, while young, is a seasoned repair and maintenance man and does much the same, ie, look for the simple improvement that can make life on your boat easier and more enjoyable.

Folks, happiness in this endeavor is important. The staff at Ess-Kay are on that vibe with you. My advice take advantage of that whenever you can ... and give a little back.

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Marina Review for Washington Marine LLC

Reviewed by: Mark Dawes on Aug 31, 2022
LOA: 42'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 5

Washington Marine is one of the best marine service and repair businesses on the Ohio River. I've used Greg Keorl's services for 14 years and and seen extraordinary results time-after-time.

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