Grace and Speed

 Last Thursday I was at a meeting in Gravenhurst which took place in the Grace and Speed Heritage Boat Museum. And what a place that is! 


Brian was there the following weekend,
for the Dispro Boat Owners Association (he being a Dippy owner)  As an aside, the Dispro was a Disappearing Propellor vessel, designed to slide safely over sunken logs, and therefore ideal for the northern lakes that were frequently choked with logs from the log drives.  Brian inherited Paul's old beauty, and has been spending a seeming eternity carefully restoring it. Slow work, and only happens when other matters aren't clamouring for his time.  On the other hand, our Dippy is unique (we belive) in that is the only one we have ever seen with a bullet hole in it.  Evidently used by someone who got impatient waiting for the fish to bite...

When you are up north, this is one of the spots that really needs to be on your bucket list for Muskoka.   The sheer beauty of these vessels, so perfectly restored and gleaming under the layers of varnish, really do bring to life a more elegant and slower paced era. 




I was delighted to find this little "nod" to Bigwin Inn at the Centre -- not being part of the big-3 connected lakes that are plyed by the steamships of Real Muskoka (Rosseau, Muskoka and Joe), Lake of Bays has been a bit under-represented.  The Lake of Bays Heritage Advisory Committee was able to provide them with a section of the curved railing from the Bigwin Inn Rotunda after it was demolished.  The likes of Queen Juliana of the Netherlands, Diefenbaker, Carole Lombard, Clarke Gable, H.G. Wells, Hemingway and the Rockefellers all summered at Bigwin, and all leaned over this railing in the Rotunda. You can truly put a hand on history here.


The history of the iconic boats built in Muskoka: the Ditchburns and Greavettes is all stored here, next to the Dispros and the Canoe works... and of course, the Steamships.

Next door the lake steamers R.M.S. Segwun and R.M.S. Wenonah will soon be out on the waters of the lakes taking people on memorable sight-seeing, dinner cruises, Pirate adventures (yes, really) and Noah's Ark voyages.  Real Muskoka has been named among Canada's Top Attractions for many years, and still holds pride of place.

It's well worth the visit.