Location

An Ideal Location

Latitude:  44° 14.4’ N         Longitude:  76° 36.2’ W  

A Boating Paradise

Collins Bay Marina is located in Kingston and The Thousand Islands — an ideal boating location with a tremendous range of opportunities on the water:

  • Some of the world’s greatest freshwater sailing in the open waters of Lake Ontario.
  • Protected boating in Collins Bay or behind the shelter of Amherst or Wolfe Islands.
  • Quiet and peaceful anchorages in hidden coves and bays for gunk holing.
  • An abundance of Island National Parks
  • The awesome racing conditions that brought the sailing contests of the Olympic Summer Games to Kingston.
  • A cruiser’s paradise with easy access to the protected waters of the picturesque Bay of Quinte, or the “Rum Run” to the beautiful bays of upstate New York.
  • A jumping-off point to the Erie Canal and the lure of cruising southern waters.
  • World-class freshwater fishing for salmon, trout, pickerel, and bass.
  • Over 20 wreck sites for excellent scuba diving.
  • Cruise past magnificent Fort Henry and into the St. Lawrence River and the world-famous Thousand Islands to explore the seemingly endless Canadian and American National Parks.
  • Interesting anchorages like the Brothers Islands or protected bays of Amherst Island, less than an hour away.

A Magnet for Boaters

Collins Bay is on the northeastern tip of Lake Ontario as it flows into the St Lawrence River in the very heart of Lake Ontario’s most glorious cruising area.

Only about half of our seasonal customers live in Kingston and the surrounding area. The balance is attracted to Eastern Lake Ontario from the waters of the Ottawa and St. Lawrence rivers and, with its proximity to the Thousand Islands and the Bay of Quinte, it draws folks from as far west as Toronto and Hamilton who see the trip east as an escape to a gentler time and place.



An Easy Commute from Ottawa, Montreal or Toronto

Arriving by Land …

We are an easy drive from Ottawa (190 km), Toronto (260 km), Montreal (290 km), and Syracuse, NY (130 miles).

From Highway 401, take Kingston exit #611 south onto highway 38 (Gardiners Road). Continue south for 5 km and turn right onto Highway 33 (Bath Road). After 2 km, turn left at the lights (No Frills food store) onto Coverdale Drive. Stay on Coverdale Drive for 1 km as it curves around the food store and crosses Bayridge Drive at the lights.

Arriving by Train …

Only 2 hours from Toronto! Full schedules are available at Via Rail.


The City of KingKingstonston

 

Collins Bay forms the western boundary of the City of Kingston, one of Canada’s premiere tourist centers. It is a visitor’s dream: steeped in the history of being Canada’s first capital, home to Sir John A. MacDonald, invigorated by the presence of Queen’s University and protected from invasion by Old Fort Henry. It maintains a vibrant downtown, a tourist center on the waterfront, interesting shops, and a collection of truly excellent restaurants.  

Cruising Destinations

The Thousand IslandsBoldt Castle

The St. Lawrence River, flowing in from Lake Ontario becomes in the course of a few miles, so wide and so full of islands that it was called the Lake of the 1000 Islands. To the Indians, it was known as “Manatoana” or Garden of the Great Spirit.

The Bay of Quinte

The “inland passage”  from the west via the Murray Canal is in itself a wonderful boating destination. The delights of Prince Edward county and the Loyalist townships are close at hand along with the advantages of cruising protected waters.

The “Rum Run”

The many bays of upstate New York and the destinations on the U.S. side of St. Lawrence are steeped in the history of prohibition when “entrepreneurs” from both countries plied these waters on the “trade routes” of the times. For those of us who have become somewhat less adventuresome, Collins Bay Marina is a Canada Customs check-in point for those boaters traveling between Canada and the United States. Further information is available at the Canada Customs and Immigration web site .

Lake Ontario and Beyond

Our boaters extensively cruise the Great Lakes, with most of them staying to Lake Ontario and enjoying the reciprocal privileges negotiated by the Yacht Club with 40 other clubs on the lake and in the St. Lawrence River.

The Trent Severn and Rideau Canals both enter Lake Ontario in our area and are popular cruising grounds for our boaters. Georgian Bay and the North Channel are regular destinations for some boats and we even have Lake Superior skippers in our midst.

For those cruising south, you will enjoy talking on the docks to our many patrons who have made the trip, coming to one of our “South Seas Night” evenings, and reviewing the postcards from current and former travelers.