Lake George Tiki Boats to Disappear and Be Replaced

You've probably seen the tiki boats in Lake George Village. They have tiki canopies and take you around the lake. Well, they're gone now!

If you enjoyed boating around the lake in one of the tiki boats, I have some good news and some bad news for you. The Post Star is reporting that the eye-catching tiki boats aren't coming back this season but that's because they're changing. They have artist renderings on their website.

The owner of the local Tiki Tours is evolving the business and getting bigger. Instead of tiki boats, you may start seeing tiki barges on the lake. Instead of the circular boats, the barges will be a 30-by-10 foot pontoon with a 12-foot high canopy.

There will still be a bar on board where tiki boaters can bring their own drinks and it will hold 16 people which is 10 more than the smaller tiki boats. The best chance, though, comes in the form of the bathroom. If you've been on the tiki boats before, you may remember the bathrooms being a port-o-john with a curtain. The new barge will have a bathroom with a holding tank!

Tiki Tours is just awaiting approval from the U.S. Coast Guard and the state Parks Department. They're hoping to be open for the 2019 season but it's not guaranteed since it's based on approval.