By Anna Edwards
This summer, a new boat tour company has made its way onto the waters of the Seneca River and Onondaga Lake. Syracuse Boat Tours allows locals and visitors to gain an appreciation for the Syracuse area and the beauty that it has to offer.
Annette Peters, the company’s owner, lived on the Seneca River for years and enjoyed taking her friends out to boat on both the river and Onondaga Lake. She noticed how blown away they were by the beauty of the water, especially the lake.
“When I would take people out there it was like they had never been there before. They were always kind of slack-jawed and just in awe of how pretty the city looked from that view,” said Annette. “It made me start thinking, ‘We should be doing this. People should be enjoying this lake.’” She started working on her idea a few years ago and opened her company in July.
Syracuse Boat Tours holds regular themed cruises on a 22-person boat and offers many experiences for different audiences. Rides include sunset cruises, beer and popcorn tours, wine tasting, bourbon tasting and cocktail cruises. There are Tiki Bar Tuesdays, a Historical Lake Cruise, and even a Swiftie Cruise where guests can sing along to their favorite Taylor Swift songs and enjoy a themed cocktail. There are also family tours that appeal to all ages.
All tours are captained by U.S. Coast Guard Master Captains. Annette says that each cruise is special, and everyone has a good time. “Hanging out on the boat, having a cocktail, good music … It’s fun,” she said.
Customers get to build the experience that they want on their tour. They can pick their music and their overall environment. There are some tours where participants want to hang out and belt out songs as a group and others where they choose to keep things more private. “It’s really the experience that people want. They kind of pick their own thing,” Annette said. “It’s kind of like running a party. It’s about making sure everybody has a good experience.”
Most tours last 90 minutes, with some lasting an hour. The company is open to letting customers set the tone and schedules tours depending on customer wants. “I will go out as many times as people will book,” Annette said. “We’re just going to experiment to see what works and what people are interested in.”
The boat is also used for special events in which groups can rent out the entire boat for whatever kind of ride they are looking for. It has hosted corporate charters, birthday parties, baby showers, anniversary parties and church groups. “It’s kind of a perfect little intimate party venue,” Annette said.
People come from all over to experience the tour. It’s a great place to bring guests from out of town or for locals to gain a new appreciation for what is right in front of them. Annette loves the energetic environment on the boat and the feeling of happiness everyone expresses. “I wonder why I didn’t do this years ago,” she said.
Annette has been involved in all aspects of the tours, from being the company’s owner to being the bartender during the boat rides. “I am having a blast. I am having as much fun as the passengers are,” she said.
After spending most of her career in human resources and marketing, Annette was ready for a big change. She always felt a pull to do something adventurous, and it finally felt like the right time. “I just had this bug, you know? I just wanted to do something really fun,” she said.
Annette says that the business has been a good fit for her because she has been able to use strengths from her past employment. She has management experience from her work in human resources and marketing experience from her time as the vice president of marketing for Advanced Media NY. She is a people person and loves to meet new customers on her boat. “I think it pulls everything I’ve done in my career together,” she said. “I love it all. I love the marketing side of it, I love running the business, I love being on the boat.”
As the owner of the company, it is Annette’s job to keep the business side of the company running, but also to do the on-site work. She has many of the same tasks each day, but also must be ready to deal with issues that come up, just like any small business owner. “I buy ice, I stock the bar, I help dock the boat, I schedule things, I reschedule things, I do it all. I order the liquor and the food, make sure the boat is clean and maintain the grounds,” she said.
Midlakes Navigation, run by the Wiles family, had previously given boat tours in this location. When they sold their company in 2019, the dock went vacant. No one was giving boat tours on Onondaga Lake or the Seneca River. “It just seemed like a big void,” Annette said. She started doing research after the spot opened and is thankful for the advice that she received from the Wiles family along the way.
As fall approaches, there will be new tour opportunities to fit the season, including apple cider tours with local treats and hard cider and leaf peaking tours where people can admire the foliage. Tours will go and will be held on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays in the fall.
Editor’s note: To learn more about Syracuse Boat Tours or to book an excursion, visit https://syracuseboattours.com.
