Spend a Week at Binnacle Island

Binnacle Island is located in the pristine Canadian Thousand Islands just south of the mid-channel marker at the end of the Bateau Channel and Canadian North Channel or 44 °18.08 N and 076 °11.37 W. Owned by the Syracuse Sail & Power Squadron, Binnacle Island is available for weekly use, for a specified donation, (Saturday to Saturday) during the summer seasons.

 

Syracuse Sail & Power Squadron members have first choice but must make their request by February 15th, after that date any USPS or CPS member in good standing is eligible to request the use of the island on a first come—first serve basis.  If there is a conflict with a request, whoever has the most merit marks is given precedence.

 

In the cottage, there are 2 bedrooms, one with a double bed and one with two twins, 1.5 baths, and a full kitchen with two screened in porches that offer panoramic views of the area. In the kitchen you will find a coffee maker, toaster, microwave oven, and a stove with an oven. Paper towels, toilet paper, dish soap, plates, dishes, silverware and a variety of cooking utensils and pots and pans are supplied. Plan to bring your own bedding for the bedrooms and your own towels. The water from the faucets comes directly from the river and is NOT drinkable. There are several 3 gallon jugs for drinking water on the porch off the west side of the kitchen. The main cabin bathroom includes a shower with hot water. If you need more sleeping space, an additional bedroom, “The Murray Suite”, is available for use at $15.00 per night on the lower level. It is next door to the lower level bathroom. Members are responsible to remove all of their trash and left-over provisions from the island upon leaving. Water jugs should be re-filled in town and left on the island for the next members to use the island.

 

A user of Binnacle is entitled to one dock space. Additional dockage is available for $15.00 to $20.00 per night. At this time there are 2 usable docks at the island. We are in the process of reconstructing the 60 ft. dock that was lost in March of 2005 in a late winter storm. It is planned to have 48 ft. of that dock restored sometime during the 2010 season.

 

Members of the USPS or CPS who are in good standing can use the island to stop by or stay overnight, even if someone else is occupying the cottage, but there are some rules to follow.  One dock space is reserved for the occupying member. If the cottage is occupied, please confine your activities to the dock and lower head unless invited to the upper deck or cottage. The overnight dockage fee is $15.00 for boats up to and including 30 ft., and $20.00 for boats 31 ft. and over. The Dock Log is located next to the door of the pump house. If you stay for part of the day, you are requested to make a donation to help defray the maintenance, power and holding tank pump-out costs. Power is available for dockers and is located in the pump house, 4 ground fault receptacles. There is also running water at the dock that uses river water. This is good for washing your boat. Boaters may use the Murray Suite (lower bedroom) at the rate of $15.00 per night if not being used by other members. Please check first. There is a lower head and a wonderful outdoor shower that is available to the boaters that stay at the dock. Dockers are responsible to remove all of their trash from the island. 

 

If you are coming off Lake Ontario heading into the American channel, use the Wolf Island cut (Quebec head) into 40 acres to Aubrey Island (flasher marker/orange day marker).  When you pass through Aubrey and Mermaid Islands, Binnacle will be directly ahead. It is a gray cabin with red trim.  There is docking on the east end of the island. US citizens must check in with Canadian customs before docking at Binnacle. The closest check-in point is at Gananoque, a mile east on the North Channel.  When visiting the Gananoque town marina, you can dock at the P.U.C. docks (on the right as you enter); customs phone booth is on the right side of the building at the corner or go to the main dock and the phone is on the wall of the marina office.  Phone numbers are posted at both phones. Take a pencil and pad. They will give you an 8 or 10 digit number.

 

If you want to get to Binnacle Island from Kingston, head east to the Spectacles. You can either head to 40 acres or straight into the Bateau Channel. Binnacle is just south of mid-channel marker at the end of the Bateau Channel and Canadian North Channel.

 

If you are interested in the use of Binnacle Island during the summer season, contact Jim Scherzi at jim@scherzi.com or 315-682-6929. Reservation forms can be found In The Erie Wanderer and on the Syracuse Sail and Power Squadron's web site, http://www.usps.org/lc/syracuse/images/reservation.pdf

 

Binnacle Island Weather Station http://www.wunderground.com/personal-weather-station/dashboard?ID=IONTARIO1009

 

Binnacle Island Web Cam is Online! http://clients.scherzisystems.com:9999/binnacle