Hello 1000 Islands fans! My name is Mike and I love the 1000 Islands, especially around the Clayton, NY area. This site is intended to bring you some historical information about Calumet Island Marina in the 1960’s and the Steel King line of boats that came out of the Grafton Boat Works in Grafton, IL (because… my father’s boat was a Steel King and he kept it at Calumet Island Marina!)
I also like to cover historical and current information related to the 1000 Islands and the St Lawrence Seaway.
I hope you enjoy visiting this site, and feel free to join the conversation!
Twitter (@1000islandsboat)
YouTube Channel – 1000islandssteelking
Mike
I have a Steelking Boat located in Grafton Illinois.
Would like to send you pics to post.
It is for sale
Hi,
Thanks for writing! I’d really love to see the pictures and if you have a sales page online it would be good to view that as well.
Mike
mike@1000islandssteelking.com
Hi Mike. Just wanted to let you know that the Calumet Island reunion is still on for August 1, about 10 am to 4 pm. We’ll be on Calumet for that. And I think just about everybody will be in town for a day or two around that. I’ll be at Bertrand’s (spelling?) in Clayton July 31 and Aug 1. Somehow our communications last winter fell apart, but you’d be welcome!
Hi Scott,
Thank you so much for letting me know. The date is past now… I had a reservation at the Harbor Hotel in Clayton but hadn’t heard from anyone so had to cancel it, plus I had some conflicts. I sure hope you all had a wonderful time! Would love to hear your thoughts on the place – I thought it was so familiar when I went there about 15 years ago, little had changed and what did was pretty obvious after a decade of visiting every week as kids!
Take care,
Mike
Wish I had know about a reunion, I cherish my memories of my time on Calumet in the ‘60s? Best place to grow up
Hi Dee – Mike here, thanks so much for the comment, I agree it was such a wonderful place to spend the growing up summers! Our family boat was near the yellow boat house, where was your boat?
Mike
Hello Mike, I am a fan of your site specially on the boats of AMERICAN BOAT LINE. I use to sit at the dock as a kid in Gananoque and watch these boats along with our Gan boats the Miss Gananaoque and the Thousand Islanders.
I have come across some new pictures of the Neptune Adonis 2 and Miss Gananoque I would like to pass on to you. Reply to my email and I can forward them on to you for your site.
Again great site, brings back memories.
Peter
Hi Peter,
Thanks for you comment! Yeah, that’s a pretty special place and those tour boats are still etched in the memories! My father took us to Gananoque several times over the summers, a cool voyage from Clayton and back. We took the round trip tours a few times, too.
I’d really love to see those photos. Thank you for reading the articles and glad you enjoy the site!
Mike
Hi Mike…….Peter Blackwood here. We were on calumet from 1960 thru 1970, also in a 26ft steel hulled boat which was on the ‘main dock’ from about 1964 thru 1970 (along with the Armstrongs)
just wondering how old you were back then….trying to jog my memory!
cheers
Hi Peter, I tried sending an email to you with answers to your questions, did you receive it? Great to hear from you! Mikw