Raquette Lake Navigation Co Inc

Specialties

We’re known for our food, service, hospitality, story and the breathtaki scenery we sail by every cruise. We’ve been cruising since 1991 so we must be doing something right!

Raquette Lake Navigation, aboard the vessel W.W. Durant, offers a variety of cruises June through October including lunch, traditional dinner, intimate dining, Sunday Brunch, scenic excursions and moonlights with live entertainment. Special event cruises are planned each season including wine and beer pairing and tasting, comedy, murder mystery and themed parties. The WW Durant is available for private charter for weddings as well as company parties, reunions, any celebration wanting private and exclusive use of the vessel. Raquette Lake Navigation loves groups and buses. Group and tour operator rates, itinerary planning and flexible scheduling, along with our reputation for delicious food and attention to detail, all encourage groups to include a cruise on the Durant in their travel plans.

History

Established in 1989.

Captain Pohl, along with 3 of his employees, built the vessel over a 2 year period, using a set of plans drawn up by a marine architect. The hull was fabricated by a ship-​building yard in Michigan and shipped to Raquette Lake on 2 flatbeds. A certified welder was hired to weld the 2 hull halves together (required by our insurance co). Capt Pohl did the rest of the welding from the water line up as well as all the carpentry, while the plumbing and wiring was done by Garry Hazen and the engines were installed by Bill Cooley. Don Bird also assisted with the project. The boat was launched May 29, 1991. A family-​owned and operated business, son Jim, a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, has been executive chef for 10 years. Daughter Rachel joins the management team as beverage manager, bar tender and special events coordinator. Dean does 99% of the piloting and maintenance. Donna is daily operations manager and assumes the role of major domo.

Meet the Business Owner

Donna P.

Business Owner

Grew up in Syracuse, NY. Spanish/​International Relationships major at Beloit College in Wisconsin, including a year abroad in Madrid, Spain. Masters from Syracuse U. Stay-​at-​home Mom for 13 years having babies, nursing, raising little ones. Various teaching jobs including French & Spanish in Boonville, Reading in North Creek and Readg/​Writg/​Arithmetic/​Studies Skills/​Gifted & Talented at Long Lake. Earning a living here in Raquette Lake has always been a family affair. We’ve all worked at various jobs. Dean & I are entrepreneurs at heart, always looking for the next opportunity to bring in income. We’ve attempted a variety of ventures over our 40+ years here, including log lean-​to kits, floating docks, garbage pick-​up, barging, custom home building, logging, rentals, real estate development, catering/​food service/​floating restaurant, innkeeper/​hotel manager, general contracting, septic systems, heavy equipment, trucking. Some have been failures. Some have been successful.

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