Messing about in Boats

There are few man-made things more beautiful on the water than the classic old wooden boats.

JESTA is currently moored at Clover cottage. She has been out of the water for a while, and like all wooden boats when that happens, they need to absorb water into the wood again to make the seams tight.  While that is happening, as Stuart remarks, "She is taking on water."

And it is being regularly removed through the bilge pump.  As wood dries, it shrinks, making the seams a little leaky.

We sympathize. We once owned a classic runabout Ditchburn, Pine Bark. She is now on display at the Museum of Civilization in Ottawa, because our father Paul realized he couldn't afford to maintain her the way she demanded.

Muskoka has a rich history in classic wooden boat design and construction.  Brian has a dispro, a disappearing propeller boat, that has the distinction of having a bullet hole in the hull. No-one knows why.  These little putt-putt boats (so called because of the noise of the little engine located in the centre of the hull) were a staple on the Muskoka lakes for a long time, able to slip over logs that were left floating in the wake of the log drives without tearing off the propeller -- which would fold up inside the hull if it struck anything underwater. Built in Port Carling, from 1914 to 1926, these boats have their own society, a large fan club that keep the boats on the water.

At the Gravenhurst Wharf, the Grace and Speed Museum will also let you get up close to a constantly changing display of antique wooden boats. True classics, every one.  It's well worth the drive. Next to the Museum, the steamships S.S. Segwun and Wenonah offer daily cruises --everything from Pirates and sunsets to luncheons and short tours.

After all, there's really no better way to spend a hot summer day than messing about in boats!