01/01/2025
Happy New Year from the Staff at Clayton Island Tours
CLAYTON ISLAND TOURS
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- CLAYTON ISLAND TOURS
Boldt Castle & 1000 Islands tour, Rock Island Lighthouse on a Glass Bottom Boat Tour, Islands Light We are the 1000 Islands Premiere Group Tour specialist!
(271)
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39611 Chateau Lane
Clayton, NY
13624
Opening Hours
| Monday | 8am - 6:30pm |
| Tuesday | 8am - 6:30pm |
| Wednesday | 8am - 6:30pm |
| Thursday | 8am - 6:30pm |
| Friday | 9am - 6:30pm |
| Saturday | 8am - 6:30pm |
| Sunday | 8am - 6:30pm |
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Captain David Kay and Clayton Island Tours
Who would have thought that fifteen years ago David and Virginia (“Ginny”) Kay would dream of starting a boat tour business in Clayton? … it fit right in with their already established business “The Chateau Country Inn”! David, who is a ship’s Captain for “Lindbald Expeditions” on the National Geographic’s Sea Bird remarked, “As I Captain the “Sea Bird” along the West Coast of the United States and Mexico on nature cruises, I have seen some of the most beautiful places, but none compare to the beauty and nature of the 1000 Islands and the St Lawrence River.” After convincing Ginny this would be a great retirement opportunity, they opened Clayton Island Tours (“CIT”). Buying their first boat, the “Miss Clayton” with a passenger capacity of 44 and hauling the boat from Florida with their Granddaughter Sylvie, the business opened in 2005. The business was located at the Chateau at 39621 NYS Route 12 with the boat docked at the small marina behind the Inn. As all residents born and raised in Clayton, showing off the beautiful Islands in front of Clayton was the idea. David soon realized that the famous Boldt Castle was the most requested attraction, so he quickly started regular tours to the Castle and Millionaires Row. These tours circle Wellesley Island for the “1000 Islands most unique boat tour experience.”
The following year brought a move for CIT to downtown Clayton and the subsequent building of the “Island Girl”, a 57-passenger boat. The Island Girl was built with the assistance of Don Badore and his staff at DB Fabrications in Clayton NY and launched in 2007. At that time the Island Girl gave CIT a boat large enough to hold a full Motorcoach so David was able to begin marketing to motor coach companies in order to promote visits to the 1000 Islands. The Receptive/ Tour planning and Event Planning department was developed under the direction of Debbie Scholes. If you see a Motorcoach in the Clayton area you will most likely see Debbie sharing the history and beauty of our small village.
Spending six months a year as Captain on the “Sea Bird” on week-long Cruises all about nature, David still wanted to bring Nature tours to the St Lawrence River. Clayton Island Tours ran nature tours that included a stop at Grindstone Island’s Picnic Point with nature walks. When the “Night Heron”, a 48-passenger glass bottom boat became available for purchase, David knew it would fit right into the plans of showcasing the beautiful nature above and below the waters of the St Lawrence River. The tour runs twice daily with a stop at Rock Island Lighthouse, located on Rock Island, owned by the NYS Parks, it is the newest attraction in the 1000 Islands. The stop gives visitors an opportunity to view the lighthouse keeper’s cottage and, for the more adventurous, an opportunity to climb to the top of the lighthouse tower to enjoy a panoramic view of the 1000 Islands. After the regular tours are completed for the day, the doors that allow viewing through the glass bottom are dropped down and the Night Heron becomes a wonderful party boat with a licensed bar and plenty of room for food and dancing.
