Hey everyone- just a quick hello from the LCMF today here at the waterfront in Burlington. The weather is fantastic and the crowd is much larger than yesterday, so all is shaping up to be a great day.

Check out our video update below and stay tuned for more that will be coming out as the day goes on.

- The Burlington Boatyard Crew

It’s 7:30pm and the sky is clear after a brief shower that kept us under the tent for a while. Now we are about to transition into the events of the evening which include some live music and great food over at the beer and wine tent. The view is amazing now, without a cloud over the lake and the many different boats going by are making for some great pictures.

We are still going strong here at the BBY table, with the crowd growing as work lets out and the weekend kicks off. We just spoke with one of the maritime patrons that spent a good five minutes checking out the pictures in the Burlington Boatyard Anglers set in our Flickr album. Needless to say, they were very impressed by the great catches out there, and to be honest, it’s getting hard to keep from running down to the water and throwing out a line!

Well, thanks for checking back in with us, and we hope to put up another post or two before Day 1 is out.

- The Burlington Boatyard Crew

Guy Mitrano (CEO), Jimmy Farah (CCO) and Nick Cifuentes (CTO) from Burlington Boatyard saying hello, live from the 2008 Lake Champlain Maritime Festival.  The crew started early this morning, setting up and awaiting for the masses.  Although, a few clouds are lingering around, the weather has turned out quite favorable and all the festivities are in full gear.

The Burlington Boatyard crew will be here all weekend, keeping you up to date on all the action down here on the waterfront in Burlington.  So, take advantage of those summer office hours and come on down! Stay tuned, throughout the day, for continuing coverage of the 2008 Lake Champlain Maritime Festival!

- The Burlington Boatyard Crew

If you’re looking to make plans for this weekend that involve great entertainment and educational activities for you and the family, then come on down to the Burlington Waterfront for the Lake Champlain Maritime Festival! Burlington Boatyard will be a sponsor sharing in the great atmosphere and list of activities due to set sail Friday through Sunday.

“Stroll along the shores from venue to venue, view the Classic Boats. Watch long boat, canoe, kayak races and Dragon Boat demonstrations.  Experience boat building, sample local fare, enjoy music and bring the children for hands on exhibits that will serve to entertain as well as educate. Take a walking or bike tour, or a train ride.”

This weekend Guy, Jimmy and a few other BBY members plan on being front and center to meet with all those who want to come by and check out our display, shoot the breeze about boating and, more importantly, get a chance to meet all those interested in celebrating Lake Champlain.

And if you are unable to make it out, we will keep you updated with write-ups, pictures and possibly even videos as we will be doing live blog feeds from the LCMF over the three days. So be sure to check back here for the latest going on at the waterfront!

For more information about the 2008 Lake Champlain Maritime Festival and a complete schedule of events and bands that are performing, then visit the LCMF site or call (802) 482-3313 for details.

See you at the Lake!

- Jimmy & Guy

When you think about summer, you may think of sitting on a random beach, soaking up some of the last rays of the exhausted sun, maybe a few drinks…don’t we all wish we were there!?  Well, others might prefer heading out to a vacation home on or near the water, enjoying some fishing with their peers or just relaxing on a boat.

However, if you have haven’t spent too much time on a boat, there are a few things you might want to consider before you go out and take the plunge to buy your perfect yacht, cabin cruiser, bass boat or even canoe.

Kayaks, canoes, or small rowboats can be a great ‘starter kit’ to get yourself acquainted with the water.  Many new kayaks, sit-on-top and sit-inside kayaks, can even be mounted to hold fishing rods for a fun trip out in search of the “big one”.  The same goes for canoes and rowboats, which are great for carrying a bit more gear than just yourself and a fishing pole, such as picnic baskets and a few more friends and family.

Another fun type of boat you may want to try is small sailboat. These boats are fun and easy to use for first-time sailors. It’s a good idea to take a few sailing lessons before diving into one of these commitments, but in the end, they are a boatload of fun!

And of course, if you feel any of the above options are just not your kind of ‘starter-kit’, then jump right into the water with a motorboat!  With a motorboat, you have a lot more work to do when ensuring you find the ‘right’ one that suits your needs and preferences. There are fast two seater speed boats, roomy pontoons for entertaining, cabin cuddys for those overnight trips you may venture out on – so do your proper research! It may be wise too, to get an idea of what you are looking for, and then consulting the help of a local marina or dealership to explain further options, as well as give you a very real idea of what you are getting into with the maintenance, storage, and so on.

For more information on specific boats:
Read this article from the NYT

Here’s a heads-up to any boaters on Lake Champlain unlucky enough to require towing or salvage services. Captain Randy LaValley and myself are two of the few Coast Guard sanctioned Captains that provide assistance towing on Lake Champlain. We can be reached at (518) 578-9273, 24 hours a day. In fairness I mention John Mott, a fellow Captain and one of our competitors, who is also endorsed and provides Tow Boat US services out of Rouses Point. There is also another Captain at Essex Marina who is approved by the Coast Guard. There may be others that I am not aware of. Last year there was a Sea-Tow business on the Vermont side but I’m told that Captain went out of business. I wonder why? Surely there is enough of a need to sustain a few Captains offering these types of services, even in spite of the high gas prices, luke-warm economy and rainy weather. The Coast Guard claims on its website that they respond to between 200 and 300 rescue and salvage calls on Lake Champlain per boating season!

When it comes to towing and salvage, only Coast Guard approved Captains are playing by the rules! The Code Of Federal Regulations mandates that towers and salvors on Federal waters like Lake Champlain be Coast Guard approved Merchant Marine Officers with at least an Assistance Towing Endorsement. When the season began we met with the Coast Guard, the New York State Police Marine Patrol and the Clinton County Marine Patrol to assure them that we were fully trained, sanctioned and equipped to provide rescue and salvage on a 24 hour, 7 day per week schedule. We have the utmost faith in these and other law enforcement agencies to assure that the Captains they refer distressed boaters to be Coast Guard licensed and assistance towing endorsed.

There are however reports getting back to us that some towing services are laughing in the face of the law and operating without Coast Guard credentials. We have no way of knowing for sure how these spurious tow operators were referred to distressed boaters. Perhaps the boaters in need were simply customers who called for assistance from their home marina port.  It is legal to tow another vessel for free as a “Good Samaritan”. The truth is there are only a few marinas on Lake Champlain with Coast Guard Captains towing for them. The marinas are actually doing it illegally, especially if they are charging distressed boaters for the tow or salvage. In fact we have been shown photos of illegal tows (one was a tandem tow) and have heard from some boaters who claim that marinas providing tow services did not have the necessary qualifications. A few marinas are even towing without proper day shapes or towing lights, much less a license or towing endorsement. They may not even know that these lights and navigation aids are requirements! If an accident occurs while these unlicensed operators are towing or salvaging vessels there will surely be some interesting consequences.

We are trying to work in cooperation with all rescue and law enforcement agencies on Lake Champlain. Ultimately, it is not in our interest to name names or be whistle-blowers. It is certainly an awkward position to be in. We have jumped through the hoops and over the hurdles to be Coast Guard trained, approved and endorsed. We also pay for costly insurance to do these rescues. It’s really up to the distressed boater to specifically request a Coast Guard approved Captain with an Assistance Towing Endorsement; otherwise, they need not pay for the service. If they suspect fraud they should report the incident to the Coast Guard. I wish you all safe boating and may you never need our services. But if you do, you can be confident that you are in the hands of Coast Guard trained and sanctioned Captains who will do everything in their power to treat you fairly and protect your investment.

-Captain Mickey Maynard

Walleye anglers, I caught my fourth marble eye of the season on Sunday August 3rd. It was a seven-pound, five-ounce specimen caught on a crayfish crankbait while targeting smallmouth bass off Point Au Roche. It’s a real shame that we no longer have the walleye fishery we once had on Champlain. What happened to the good old days when walleye were stocked by the train-car-load off the railroad bridge at the mouth of the Saranac River? Loss of spawning habitat due to sedimentation and a significant decrease in stocking programs have led to the diminishing of the former burgeoning fishery. Many anglers comment to me that something should be done to improve the walleye fishery. I agree! Many feel there is far too much attention and money spent on lake trout. I like the lake trout fishing, but isn’t there some middle ground? Wouldn’t a healthy walleye fishery be a useful tool for fisheries managers to control the booming populations of alewives? Walleye are certainly more resistant to lamprey. The walleye fishery has continually declined over the past 30 years to the point that catching one is a rare event indeed. Albeit, when you do catch one it’s often four pounds or better. I’ve caught fish over 9 pounds and heard of some up to 12 or more. It seems like this lake could be an outstanding walleye fishing resource. The fishery shows a glimmer of hope on the southern end of the lake and in the Inland Sea. Hats off to the Lake Champlain Walleye Association for their efforts to restore the fishery and protect the few walleye that are out there.

-Captain Mickey Maynard

In the photo below Kyle Mayette, a Plattsburgh native, shows off a dandy walleye he caught in the Saranac River in late May, 2008.

Greetings Burlington Boatyard Visitors,

I would like to extend a warm welcome to each and every one of you. I hope you find this Lake Champlain Captain’s blog entertaining and enlightening. Like many of you, I have long been a passionate advocate for Lake Champlain. Through this medium I hope to continue a proactive tendency, not only by offering commentary, assistance and advice, but also by stirring your thoughts, opinions and enthusiasm for the resource.

I look forward to offering weekly commentary on a wide variety of Lake Champlain issues. At times I might cover topics as simple as the ABCs of boater’s safety. Or, I may delve into more comprehensive subjects like invasive species, from alewives to zebra mussels. I may even humbly throw in a fishing tip or two. Subjects will sometimes be expressed in a lighthearted manner, and at other times I may appear as angry or irritated as a junkyard dog. As is the nature of interesting blogs, I expect that some of my reflections and observations will occasionally be controversial and even at times, somewhat opinionated, but I will always be prepared to qualify more technical information with sources or references. When you do not see eye-to-eye with me, I trust we can respectfully agree to differ.

I am honored to have this opportunity to speak directly to you, the stakeholders of Lake Champlain. May we unite to protect Lake Champlain and the rights of sincere, conscientious mariners and anglers. Lake Champlain is the beloved jewel in our backyards. It is here for all to share. We must remind ourselves that we are not its possessors but rather its guardians until we pass it on to subsequent generations. Let’s all keep drifting toward the cause of stewardship, fishing for a better future and sailing away to brighter horizons.

In The Lake Champlain Bonds,
Captain Mickey Maynard