Thousand Islands Life, The Case for Slow Boats

Speedboats have their place; they cut travel time and are exciting but . . . as I have grown older, the scales have tipped more and more towards slow boats. Most of us seem to have “fast” set as our default speed setting. Why? Fuel costs jump way up and we get bounced around more. Adding to this mind set, spellcheck likes speedboats but corrects slowboats into two words. Slowboats deserve their own category. They have existed for far longer; research shows that boats have been built for 10,000 years (I'm assuming that these were slowboats).

There is something soothing about sliding through the water in a boat with a displacement hull. When rowing a St Lawrence Skiff, it often feels like you are gliding through a bowl of cream. Rivers and lakes just seem to expand when traveling in a slowboat.

L:Tricia and Steve LaBuzetta's “Mer Sea”, a French canal boat built in 1999. In this photo Mer Sea heads out into Eel Bay for a sunset cruise.. [© Larry Asam]; R: Glenn Sandiford with his old friend Gyp. [© Larry Asam]

In a photo from 2010, Jodi Lapham enjoys his Lozier launch on Lake Champlain. [© Larry Asam]

Often on an extended row, it feels as if time slows down and clocks become less important.

There is more time to be. More time to think. The rough draft of this article took form while rowing. As a new idea bubbled up, the oars stopped, and the cell phone notes page opened.

Michelle Argento, from Grenell Island, often has another experience. She finds her rhythm, her mind clears, and she savors the feeling of the warm morning sun.

Michelle Argento, rowing a St. Lawrence Skiff built in 1890. Imagine all the folks who have been in this skiff! [© Larry Asam]

15 year old Juniper Falterman (pictured here with her dog Moxie) recently completed a 20 + mile row in under six hours. She started from Grenell Is. and went around Grindstone. The slowboat was built by her grandfather, Stu Clough. [© Larry Asam]

Then, there is the sound – an engine's low rumble or the steady rhythm of the oars. In Dick and Erin Greene’s case, near silence as their electrically propelled launch moves ahead. With less distraction, conversation flows. People wave and often stop what they are doing to visit, only to be interrupted by “talking” loons.

L: Dick and Erin Greene in their electrically propelled skiff. [© Larry Asam]; M: Alison Carter, from Maple Is., silently taking in the shoreline. [© Larry Asam]; R: Myndy Woodruff's Dispro (Disappearing Propeller). These slowboats are commonly called Dippys. This Dippy currently “lives” near Saranac Lake, but is formerly from Washington Island, Clayton, NY. [© Larry Asam]

There is also time to observe our wonderful array of wildlife. An unobtrusive slowboat provides a front row seat on birds during their spring migration. Some stay and soon start tending to their families, all of which is exciting to see. One can only marvel at the sights to be seen from a slowboat.

If it’s been a while since experiencing a slowboat, give it a try, and see what happens!

By Larry Asam

Larry Asam has lived in and around Stowe, VT since 1974, and then spent several winters at Snowbird, UT, in his first career as a ski instructor. In the 1990s he started photographing Vermont weddings. Soon couples from around New England discovered his ability to catch the excitement and beauty of their wedding in photographs. By 1997, wedding photography became his full-time occupation, and this continued for almost 15 years. Now his photography is mainly focused on nature, old boats and the people he encounters. Visit www.RiverGloss.com to see a selection of recent work. Since 2014, Larry and his wife Kym have been part of the Grenell Island community; he is also the current VP for the Thousand Islands chapter of the Antique and Classic Boat Society. Be sure to see Larry's other TI Life articles here .