The Saint Lawrence Skiffs of Grenell Island
by: Larry Asam
The Saint Lawrence skiffs that are seen rowing around Grenell Island have a story all their own.
Over the years, their numbers have diminished and now the McElfresh family has the only antique skiff (circa 1890's) remaining on the island.
Michelle McElfresh Argento is most often seen (if you are awake early enough) rowing the family's skiff between 5:00 and 7:00 am on her “Zen adventures.” According to family lore, the McElfresh skiff goes back four generations to Alice Pratt (Gary McElfresh's great-grandaunt) who had it made for her daughters. The boat was probably built on Grenell by Eldrige G. Robins or his son Brainard, both of whom were well known boat builders at the time. Eldridge may be best known for building the locally famous boat, That's Her.
Michelle McElfresh Argento on an early morning row. [© Larry Asam]; Lynn McElfresh in an early 1900's costume that is reminiscent of characters in her Thousand Islands book series. [© Larry Asam]
Lucia Kempton continues her family's rowing tradition with a fiberglass Saint Lawrence Skiff. They named her Molly Brown for her rugged seaworthiness.
Lucia Kempton takes the Molly Brown around Pullman Island off Grenell's south east end. [© Larry Asam]
Chris Polhamus' skiff was built by Harry Johannson – Chris' Dad – and was launched in 2012. A family friend had bought plans and the wood but never got started. So Harry took over on what turned out to be a two year building project. Now it has a prime spot on their dock ready to go.
Chris Polhamus rowing past Long Rock just off the head of Grenell Island. [© Larry Asam]
And then along came Stu – Dr. Stuart Clough that is – a retired chemistry professor from the University of Richmond and a past president of the Thousand Islands Chapter of the Antique and Classic Boat Society. He is making a huge contribution to traditional boating via his contemporary skiff-building projects. His Stu-Built Saint Lawrence Skiffs, or Grenell Island Skiffs as he calls them, are taking hold.
Currently, he has three folks waiting patiently for their skiffs to be built. Stu's family has been part of the Grenell Island community in the Thousand Islands for generations. His interest in boat building started when he helped his father build a boat that is still in use to this day. Now Stu builds skiffs during the winter months at his home in Richmond, VA. When summer comes around, he can be found rowing with his family and friends here on the River.
Stu built his first skiff, a 17 footer, in 1992. Most of his skiffs were built from offsets of “Annie,” a 17'8” St. Lawrence Skiff built in Clayton, NY, by A. Bain and Co. around 1895. The plans were purchased from Clayton's Antique Boat Museum. His first skiff was a lapstrake (overlapping planks). For subsequent boats he used a cedar strip building technique that makes for a smooth, light-weight hull.
In May 2025, Stu's daughter Inga suggested that they test his latest skiff (#4) by rowing around Manhattan. That seemed logical (in Inga's mind) since it was on their way from Virginia to the Thousand Islands. So with local guidance, they set off on a nine hour row, timing the excursion so that they were always rowing with the currents and tides.
Stu's most recent Skiff (#5) was built for Katie Dubon and is named The Miss Katie D. The project started with a cedar log from Stu's Grenell Island property. The log provided most of the wood for the boat.
The Miss Katie D being built in Stu's Richmond shop. [© Stu Clough]
Katie Dubon rowing her new skiff from Fishers Landing over to Grenell on a perfect day in May 2026. [© Larry Asam]
While rowing is popular in the Thousand Islands, Stu's skiff's have inspired a Saint Lawrence Skiff revival on Grenell Island. These boats are beautiful, light, and strong. We see them regularly and they are enjoyed by all ages.
Recently, on a July evening, all five of the "Stu-Built Skiffs" gathered for a row around Grenell Island. It was great fun to see them all together for the first time, an occasion that also marked Stu's 83rd birthday.
We all eagerly await additions to this fantastic fleet of skiffs!
By Larry Asam
Larry Asam has lived in and around Stowe, VT, since 1974, where he taught skiing, then spent several winters at Snowbird, UT, continuing to teach skiing. In the 1990s, he started photographing Vermont weddings. 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. Since 2014, Larry and his wife, Kym, have been part of the Grenell Island community. He is also the current vice president for the Thousand Islands Chapter of the Antique and Classic Boat Society. His photo gallery can be viewed at www.RiverGloss.com. Larry can reached at Larry@LarryAsam.com for those who have questions about their submitted photos. And, TI Life thanks Larry for accepting to be a judge for our TI Life 2025 December Photo Contest (Can hardly wait for '26!).
