National Vintage Boating Day Sets Sails for August 8th.
03rd August 2020
By Tim Du Vernet
What could be more Muskoka than a casual day of vintage boating? In a sense it will be a like a Flash Mob for the water! Imagine vintage boaters from all corners of Muskoka gathering in a casual flotilla on a route through the various lakes in ALL regions of Muskoka? We know there are hundreds of wooden boats. It would make an awesome spectacle of heritage to see wooden sailboats, utilities, long deck launches and runabouts cruising together.
We know our region has a rich and lengthy history of wooden boating and it should be celebrated annually, frequently. One of the best places to catch a view of the flotilla will be from the locks in Port Carling or the various bridges that span well- used waterways. It will be a tough decision how to see it best. The community of vintage and antique boaters know each other pretty well, at least by boat if not by owner. This is one of the fun things about the boating community. The boats have spanned generations. It isn’t about the ownership, it is all about the stewardship, realizing that any particular ownership is a temporary custodianship through the ages.
So far the latest notes are Get out on the water on -Saturday, August 8 from 10:30 to 12:00 - on a lake or river near you. No registration and minimal trailering required. Vintage boats include any boat built up to and including 1991, or any wooden boat.
Here are the confirmed routes so far:
Lake Muskoka
Assemble by 10:30 a.m. on Mirror Lake just south of Port Carling on the Indian River. Guides will lead the flotilla on a gentle cruise.
Lake Rosseau
Assemble by 10:30 a.m. in the bay on the Indian River opposite Echo Point near the canoe cut. Guides will lead the flotilla on a gentle cruise.
Gloucester Pool
This slow-paced cruise will begin in Little Go Home Bay, head around into Whites Bay to the mouth of the channel to Big Chute and down the Trent System, through The Narrows into Little Lake and return via the Back Channel. Assemble by 10:30 a.m. or join along the route.
Lake of Bays
Assemble by 10:30 a.m. at the west end of the Narrows. Cruise through the Narrows toward Dorset, pass under the bridge into Little Trading Bay, then break to head for home.
Boaters who do not wish to make the journey to Little Trading Bay, could cruise the bay closer to home base.
What could be more Muskoka than a casual day of vintage boating? In a sense it will be a like a Flash Mob for the water! Imagine vintage boaters from all corners of Muskoka gathering in a casual flotilla on a route through the various lakes in ALL regions of Muskoka? We know there are hundreds of wooden boats. It would make an awesome spectacle of heritage to see wooden sailboats, utilities, long deck launches and runabouts cruising together.
We know our region has a rich and lengthy history of wooden boating and it should be celebrated annually, frequently. One of the best places to catch a view of the flotilla will be from the locks in Port Carling or the various bridges that span well- used waterways. It will be a tough decision how to see it best. The community of vintage and antique boaters know each other pretty well, at least by boat if not by owner. This is one of the fun things about the boating community. The boats have spanned generations. It isn’t about the ownership, it is all about the stewardship, realizing that any particular ownership is a temporary custodianship through the ages.
So far the latest notes are Get out on the water on -Saturday, August 8 from 10:30 to 12:00 - on a lake or river near you. No registration and minimal trailering required. Vintage boats include any boat built up to and including 1991, or any wooden boat.
Here are the confirmed routes so far:
Lake Muskoka
Assemble by 10:30 a.m. on Mirror Lake just south of Port Carling on the Indian River. Guides will lead the flotilla on a gentle cruise.
Lake Rosseau
Assemble by 10:30 a.m. in the bay on the Indian River opposite Echo Point near the canoe cut. Guides will lead the flotilla on a gentle cruise.
Gloucester Pool
This slow-paced cruise will begin in Little Go Home Bay, head around into Whites Bay to the mouth of the channel to Big Chute and down the Trent System, through The Narrows into Little Lake and return via the Back Channel. Assemble by 10:30 a.m. or join along the route.
Lake of Bays
Assemble by 10:30 a.m. at the west end of the Narrows. Cruise through the Narrows toward Dorset, pass under the bridge into Little Trading Bay, then break to head for home.
Boaters who do not wish to make the journey to Little Trading Bay, could cruise the bay closer to home base.