For the Love of Antique "Woody" Boats
For the Love of Antique "Woody" Boats
By Buzz of the Orient
When I was in my early teens my parents would take me on their summer vacations to a resort in Gravenhurst, on Muskoka Lake in central Ontario. It was called The Gateway, and it was a kind of poor mans copy of the big summer resorts in the Catskills, like Grossingers or The Concorde. Interestingly, The Gateway had previously been used as a prison camp for WW 2 German officers, and still had at least one watchtower standing, and some barbed wire here and there. For sure no Great Escape tunnels could be dug through the granite rock base common in that area. Some of my most memorable passing of age experiences were there, the most memorable being in the back seat of my fathers 1952 Hudson Hornet. The Muskoka Lakes were famous for their antique woody boats, although in those days they weren't so antique. I fell in love with those boats, although I never did (or could afford to) own one.
The cottages on the Muskoka lakes were accessed by small steamships called the Sagamo and the Segwun for many years until roads were built. Here is a Wiki description:
"RMS Segwun is the oldest operating steam driven vessel in North America, built in 1887 to cruise the Muskoka Lakes in the District of Muskoka, Ontario Canada, a resort area with many lakes and rivers. Early in the 20th century Muskoka was poorly served by roads. Vacationers were transported to lodges, or private cottages, via a fleet of steamships, including the Segwun.
Most of these vessels on the Muskoka Lakes were broken up or lost to fire, when roads were built. The Segwun, and the fleet's former flagship, the RMS Sagamo, the last two remaining vessels in service, were retired in 1958 and Segwun spent decades moored at the Town Dock in Gravenhurst.
Gravenhurst was the birthplace of a Canadian who achieved great fame, not in Canada, but in China. Dr. Norman Bethune's name (the Chinese pronounce it by-tchuen) is known by virtually every Chinese student. There are streets, hospitals and medical schools named after him in China, and statues erected in his memory in many cities. He was the subject of an essay written by Chairman Mao in his Little Red Book, wherein Mao grieved upon his death. Bethune had gone to the front lines during the Japanese incursion and set up mini-hospitals, taught others medical procedures and performed countless operations saving the lives of many Chinese soldiers and civilians, while his own life was constantly in danger. However, I digress, so back to boats.
My favourites were the rounded Greavette boats. I had the privilege of having a Minett descendant as a client, and spent many hours with him talking about his grandfather's boat-building company. The long, narrow, wooden boats were always a fascination for me. In fact there are still similar boats used by the Toronto Harbour police. They are very expensive toys to purchase, maintain and run, but there are some pretty rich people with summer homes on the Muskoka group of lakes. As well, on those lakes there are many million dollar cottages, and quite a few Americans own summer homes there (which will explain why some of the boat pictures I have included have American flags). Goldie Hawn and her companion Kurt Russell have a summer mansion on one of the lakes.
Although I am getting pretty old now, and some of my dreams are most likely unattainable, if I were ever to win the big lottery, I would buy one of those Muskoka lakes cottages and at least one of those beautiful, graceful, antique wooden boats. They hold regattas of those boats there, and I think if I were at one I would feel like a kid in a candy store. Here are a number of photos of the types of boats of which I speak.
The Segwun Steamship
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1948 Shepherd
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1935 Greavette 23 ft
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Minett-Shields Black Beauty
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1936 Ditchburn
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1955 Shepherd
1949 Chris Craft 22 ft
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1921 Ditchburn 21 ft
1955 Chris Craft Cobra - very rare
1932 Ditchburn 23 ft
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1929 MInett-Shields 38 ft
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1947 Greavette 24 ft
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This is an article, with a few slight changes, that I posted on NT 9 years ago, resurrected.
And it appears that it might just as well have stayed there.
Some beautiful watercraft but I'm afraid I could never afford one ! Sad !!!!!
Nor could I. It isn't just the cost to purchase, the maintenance cost would be astronomical.
Nice article, nice photos.
Thank you about my article, but the photos are from the internet, not my photos. I was writing about a little bit of my life - sorry that so few got to see it.