My Lake George Story

When the family decided to sell our 24-foot fiberglass I/O Cuddy and buy a wooden lapstrake cruiser I had no idea I would be embarking on a charter boat odyssey. The wife grew up on Lake George and their family boat was a 24-foot Chris-Craft Sea Skiff. A fabulous inboard soft top cruiser. Our new family boat was a 1971 Lyman Soft-Top Sleeper, very similar at 26 feet with a Chrysler 318 engine.

It didn’t take long to recognize the reality of our new boat, it needs a lot of work ($). It just so happens that I saw an article in The Post Star newspaper about David and Diane, the couple that started Diamond Point Boat Tours in order to keep their pontoon boat on Lake George. This requires that you get your vessel inspected and certified by New York State. Then you can operate your Public Vessel as a Boat Tour business with a permit from the Lake George Park Commission. My epiphany, I need to turn this personal Liability into a business Asset. Love is on Lake George Cruises, LLC is born! This was 2013. Jump ahead, in 2025 the Lyman will again be a personal Liability… yikes!

If you have visited Lake George or read some of the great books about the lake you already know about The Queen of American Lakes! The crystal clean water, the stunning scenery and the nooks and crannies of 170+ miles of shoreline and 170+ islands. People who encounter Lake George have the full spectrum of experiences. What I understood from my long introduction to Lake George was that to really see and know Lake George you must be out on the water, visit the islands, skirt the ever changing shoreline and commune with her beauty, all 32 miles. To be complete you must swim in Lake George, off the boat in a small bay, in the North Basin. For 12 seasons I had the perfect Retirement Gig. I took locals, media, visitors, couples, families, friends, campers, lovers, and pets out on the waters of Lake George. And the experience is different onboard a classic wooden lake cruiser! It was satisfying and FUN.

Lake George does not disappoint, I enjoyed just being the facilitator. I got to meet a lot of wonderful people from interesting places. My goal was to get first time visitors to fall in love with Lake George and return! I was unique in the market and was a favorite for family celebrations and couples. Sunsets, dock & dine, and picnics. I had many proposals onboard, all really fun, all different, and no one said No. Engagement photo shoots, bridal parties, groomsmen, wedding transportation and B&G photo shoots. I actually had a couple of Wedding Ceremonies onboard! It is special when a couple gets engaged onboard, has a wedding day photo shoot and a couple of years later is onboard with a child for a family cruise. Emotional.  

Lake George is also Memory Lane. Folks return to the lake after lengthy periods of time and I got to help them reconnect and reminisce. My favorite was a nice lady in her 60’s who traveled by herself from Texas. She had not been to the lake since she was 6 years old. She had an old photo of herself with her father and their dog on an island in the Narrows. She was on a mission to find that site. We were both very happy we found it.