Unfriendliness at Rockport

[sharkboy]

Sorry to keep this thread going but i would like to clarify a few items. I'm new to this so please bear with me. The Rockport boatramp is Federal property enough said, the only ones who have the right to post a sign on that post is the federal gov. I believe this all started over divers continuously being harrassed over diving from the ramp. Rockport is a very scenic town with a beautiful wall dive that is accessible from shore and hopefully this will all blow over with time.

 

[pufferfish]

Sorry to keep this thread going but i would like to clarify a few items. I'm new to this so please bear with me. The Rockport boatramp is Federal property enough said, the only ones who have the right to post a sign on that post is the federal gov. I believe this all started over divers continuously being harrassed over diving from the ramp. Rockport is a very scenic town with a beautiful wall dive that is accessible from shore and hopefully this will all blow over with time.

Welcome to the board Sharkboy and thanks for the info. Some of us who are divers and have property nearby see access to Rockport as a local issue and appreciate these facts.

 

[Huff-n-Puff]

Someone mentioned in all the hubbub of Rockport that the new marine regulations that Transport Canada is implementing, will affect scuba diving in Rockport. I've been in touch with the security folks from TC and they say no, it only affects ports that deal with Great Lakes and Ocean going vessels. It does not effect places like Rockport that have a boat ramp for recreational purposes. It will have an effect on vessels carrying over 12 passengers and or crossing or being near the US border. But as too diving next to the boat tour dock, it's just the usual, be safe, stay clear.

 

[Mark Janusz]

well im sorry that you were treated that way and i can relate but at the same time its the owners right to do what he chooses as well..if thats the way he is ..oh well.. hes not going to change because us divers want him to.i dont blame you for boycotting him either ..thats your choice..im sure he wont care though because hes already shown that he doesnt care about divers period.but it goes both ways as well..i have seen divers who are exremely rude to others and that they think they know it all as well and if they dont get what they want theey are worse....all kinds of people in this world i guess..and groundhog how do you know it wasnt divers?it could have been or maybe not we dont know we werent there..remember though its his property and he can do what he wants..he or anyone else dont have to cater to us thats the bottom line..we just will have to find somewhere else to dive and not be around those kind of people i guess..im sure tht there are those that will reply ..well we spend money there so they should accomadate us ..well it doesnt work that way by the way that he treats divers..im sure that he doesnt give a hoot what you think..

Hi,
I was going through some messages related to doing business with the Boathouse Tavern. This seems like a complicated issue. We operate Caiger's Resort which is about 1 mile East of Rockport and over the past two years we have had the pleasure of catering to quite a few Dive Groups. Out of the hundreds of divers we only had one bad experience - and the solution was simple - that person is not welcomed any more!

At this point we have five Dive Boats at our docks and the concerns about diving having a negative impact on the rest of our business have disapeared. Divers seem to respect the other guests need for a relaxing visit and other guests respect the divers. So far so good!

As to the services we offer, our primary revenue is the rooms, we do have a restaurant and offer full breakfast and dinner. Our dinners are a little different than regular restaurants since we have a lot of people on a meal plan so our menu changes daily (five items offered as a full dinner), We usually charge one price (all inclusive) for our dinners and I think we are competitave to Kelsey's and I personaly think our food is better. We charge $5/ car for parking for non guests ($10 for vans) - however this fee can be aplied to breakfast or dinner. The reason for the fee is we are in the same position as the Boathouse and since we have a holding tank the use of bathrooms costs us money. All in all we welcome divers and if anyone has any concerns about the area I would be more than happy to present it to the proper authorities. Hope to continue the great relationship - Mark

As to dining in the area: The Lighthouse Gas Bar offers good and reasonably priced lunch items, the restaurant in Ivy Lea Smuggler's Inn offers great lunch, little more expensive but worth it, the Chip Wagon in Mallorytown is usually good (it changed ownership a few times so it's up and down). In Gananoque the MacNeils Landing offers good food and friendly staff. Finally we are debating about offering a lunch service at Caiger's if there is enough demand - have a great diving season!

 

[knives]

Thanks for the info Mark.....Your place sounds great ...I will encourage my family and friends to visit your establishment...making people feel welcome is the best PR there is....See you this summer!

 

[Groundhog246]

Welcome Mark, hope you continue to hang around. Well stated. All in all divers are just regular people, with a particular past time. Except for the activity itself, we're no different than golfers, boaters, birders, etc. Some who don't dive view it as an "extreme sport", but at the recreational level it's not. And between and after dives, we just want to relax and chill like pretty much any other group. And unlike some "sports" alcohol is not involved before or during the "activity" and generally in moderation after if at all. The majority of divers are also quite environmentally conscious (although there's always that one or two that just drop garbage wherever). So while there's always one or two (dare I say younger) divers who may cause a disturbance, they are a very small minority.

Blaming bad behaviour by those few divers who exist on them being "divers" and reacting as such is like blaming the actions of a few street racers in Hondas on them driving Hondas and treating all Honda owners as bad drivers (or pick any other make).

I look forward to dropping in at Cragers at some point. Do you maintian a web site with contact info, etc?

 

[wetbehindtheear]

I've had the pleasure of diving out of Caigers once last summer - arrived in time to have breakfast before the dive, so parking was free. Nice place to dive from - people were pleasant, good docks, clean washrooms, and the food was good. I'll be going back.

 

[artw]

Is there any place to shore dive around Caigers?

 

[Under Michael]

Welcome to the board Mark. I look forward to stopping in to Caiger's Resort the next time I'm visiting Rockport. I think you'll find that most divers are a great group of people. Looking forward to checking out your place soon. Cheers,
UM

 

[Dive Source]

Is there any place to shore dive around Caigers?

Not that I have seen, it's pretty shallow off their dock, but it's a quick run by boat to the Kingshorn.

Their food is very good and the staff have been nice every time that I have been there.