Tag Archives: Port Carling

Lake Muskoka, Lake Rosseau, Muskoka News, Port Carling

Muskoka Steamships: A Journey Through History and Maintenance at the Port Carling Lock

19 October 2023 Lenore Inniss

Muskoka, Ontario, is known for its breathtaking landscapes, pristine lakes, and a rich history of leisurely exploration. One iconic feature of Muskoka is the Muskoka Steamships, which include the Wenonah II and the RMS Segwun. These vintage vessels have been sailing the Muskoka Lakes for generations, offering a unique and timeless experience for both residents and visitors.

The RMS Segwun dry docked at the large lock in Port Carling, Muskoka Lakes, Ontario. October 19, 2023.

But have you ever wondered why these charming steamships periodically dry dock at the Port Carling lock? In this blog post, we’ll dive into the fascinating world of Muskoka Steamships, their significance, and the essential Transport Canada mandated maintenance and inspection that takes place at this strategic location.

Muskoka Steamships: A Legacy of Elegance

The Wenonah II and RMS Segwun are more than just boats; they are floating pieces of history. The RMS Segwun, for instance, was built in 1887, making it one of the oldest operating steamships in North America. These vessels offer an authentic glimpse into Muskoka’s past and provide an unforgettable experience to those who step aboard.

The Importance of the Port Carling Lock

To ensure the safety and longevity of these cherished vessels, Transport Canada mandates regular maintenance and inspection. The Port Carling lock, located on James Bartleman Island, where Lake Muskoka meets Lake Rosseau and connects to Lake Joseph, stands as the only place that can accommodate their specific needs. This strategic location serves as the indispensable hub for servicing and maintaining the Muskoka Steamships. This process should be completed around November 7th.

This also provides a great opportunity for inspection and maintenance of the large lock!

Port Carling Small Lock – Standing By!

During the ~ month long closure of the large lock, the small self-serve lock is still operational to allow passage between Lake Rosseau and Lake Muskoka.

A Rare Opportunity to Witness the Steamships Out of Water

The dry docking process at the Port Carling lock provides a remarkable and rare opportunity for enthusiasts and curious onlookers to witness these historic steamships out of the water. It’s a chance to see the intricate details of these vessels, which are typically hidden beneath the surface, and gain a deeper appreciation for their craftsmanship.

You can see a video of the RMS Segwun dry docked at the Port Carling Lock on our instagram.

Transport Canada Mandated Maintenance

The mandated maintenance and inspection processes are critical to ensuring the safety and functionality of these historic vessels. They include checks on the steam engines, hull, and other essential components. These activities are conducted with the utmost care and expertise to preserve the charm and reliability of the steamships.

The Muskoka Steamships, Wenonah II and RMS Segwun, are living pieces of history that offer a timeless and elegant experience on the Muskoka Lakes. The Port Carling lock plays a vital role in preserving these iconic vessels by providing the only location that can accommodate their specific needs for Transport Canada mandated maintenance and inspection. As they continue to navigate the beautiful waters of Muskoka, the legacy of the steamships lives on, enchanting new generations with a taste of the past.

The iconic Port Carling Wall, located diagonally across the intersection from the Port Carling Lock.

So, the next time you see the Muskoka Steamships cruising on Lake Muskoka, Lake Rosseau, or Lake Joseph, you’ll have a deeper appreciation for the care and maintenance that keeps these pieces of history afloat. Hopefully you had the chance to see them out of the water during the dry docking process, but if not don’t forget to check out our instagram for a closer look!

RMS Segwun at the Port Carling Lock.

Nov. 6, 2023 – Dry docking complete at the Port Carling Lock!

Uncategorized

Kindness is the New Black

9 April 2020 Catharine Inniss

Greetings Fellow Humans,

I hope that you are all doing well, and coping with self isolation. These are certainly trying times for all of us. We are are all in the same situation with different circumstances. Some of us are coping well and some of us are finding self isolation very challenging, and most of us are somewhere in the middle, with good days and bad days, good hours and challenging hours.

I am continuing my theme of kindness for April. I say that kindness is the new black, and everyone needs to choose to wear it. Kindness applied to yourself first, will contribute to your strength and resolve. Self care will spill over onto others, and afford you the ability to help those around you.

Start with the outward display of kindness – taking good care of yourself. A routine is recommended by experts and will give you some structure to your day. Some days you will just be in survival mode, some days you will actually feel like you are accomplishing something.

Reach out to your friends and clients. Share your positive energy. And when you need some positive energy, reach out! A phone call checking in on clients and expecting nothing in return will help them and make you feel good. Do all the good deeds you can, from the safety of your own home.

Life is definitely not normal now, but that doesn’t mean that we cannot be grateful for the good things that we do have, and reach out when we need help. Please call me if there is anything I can do for you. We are all in this together.

Catharine Inniss 705 801 2304
Lakelands Association of REALTORS® Board of Directors, President 2020

Listing

NOW SOLD! Cottage in Muskoka For Sale. Income waterfront.

23 July 2014 cottageinmuskoka

We have a waterfront listing in Port Carling – on Mirror Lake at the top of Lake Muskoka. This cottage in Muskoka property comes with a 3 bedroom home, a small cottage, and a waterfront building with 3, 1 Bedroom rental units and long-term tenants.

The property features a lovely historic home in downtown Port Carling, on Mirror Lake. This home was built in 1916 and ~~pulled across Mirror Lake in the winter of 1928~~ – well that’s the story as we heard it. But, here’s a fascinating update on the history of the house thanks to a book given to us by our friend Ian Turnbull of Port Carling.

From Indian River Tales, Compiled by: Anne Duke Judd (ISBN 0-9698716-4-3):
The Moving of Heart’s Content

The old Heart’s Content was built around 1916 at Indian point. In early spring, around 1928 it was put onto two scows, using horses and the high water to help.
Cribwork on the scows kept it level at the old elevation; the scows were borrowed from one of the lumber companies, and Alan Dixon was in charge of the operation.
One scow sprang a leak, and since there was no electrical power at the point, it had to be hand pumped all night. Art Duke and others took turns keeping the pump going.

The next day they set off across the river, but about halfway across Mirror Lake, the steering mechanism on the Vedette broke, and she had to be taken up to Port for repairs. The wind blew the skows and house down to Arcadia point. The center timber caught on trees along the river bank and pulled out – fortunately, the two outside timbers stayed secure and the house remained level.

A second time, the men attach the scows to the Vedette, and pulled their cargo close to its new site on the eastern shore. But because the boat could not tow it from the front, the lines had to be untied while the Vedette manoeuvered to the stern to push it in.

Again, the house got away, the wind blowing it ashore at Schreibers’. By the time it was securely tied at the proper place on the shore, daylight was gone. There was electricity on this side, but it was not very reliable then, so the electric pump was left running overnight.

The next morning, Heart’s Content was moved ashore, and lowered – one crib timber at a time – onto its site at the bottom of Silver Creek Hill.

Here it remained the home of Arthur and ‘Did’ Duke (nee Elizabeth McCulley) and their sons Thomas and Reay until 1948, when the couples retirement home was built. The sign still identifies that home, now the residence of Rev. Tom Duke and his wife Charlotte.

Tom’s main memory of the house moving is the disappointment he felt that having to go to school, and missed the excitement of the move.

Muskoka cottages for sale — Photo of Heart’s Content on scows with cribwork and the Vendette.

Walk from the property to restaurants, shopping, locks, museum. Three bedrooms, two full baths provide plenty of room.

Guest cottage in Muskoka and 3 unit apartment building. — Cottage and 3 unit apartment building.

Three unit apartment at the water allows for extra income. Each unit has one bedroom, one bath. Cabin and storage shed round out the picture. Views are lovely, and this popular location just makes it all the more appealing. Let us know when you’d like to come and see it.

View out into Mirror Lake from cottage in Muskoka. — View of docks and out into Mirror Lake.

You’ll find more details in the listing here, and I just added a virtual tour below.

cottage life, Lake Joseph, Lake Muskoka, Lake of Bays, Lake Rosseau, Muskoka Activities, Muskoka cottage life, Muskoka Lakes, owning a cottage, water

Muskoka Lakes Association – Ministry of Natural Resources – Muskoka Parry Sound Flood Warning update

26 April 2014 cottageinmuskoka

The Muskoka Lakes Association just sent the following update which includes a detailed report from the Ministry of Natural Resources.
Specific current levels are indicated for the following lakes: Tea Lake, Kawagama Lake, Lake of Bays, Wood Lake, Fox Lake, Mary Lake, Lake Rosseau, Lake Joseph, Lake Muskoka, Go Home Lake, Perry Lake, Doe Lake, Bernard Lake, Cecebe Lake, Ahmic Lake, Forest Lake, Dollars Lake, Crane Lake, Otter Lake and Oastler Lake.
Plus the current status of the river flows for the Big East, North Muskoka, South Muskoka, Oxtongue, Black, North Magnetawan, South Magnetawan, Magnetawan, Moon River, Musquash River and the Shawanaga River.

Here’s the message from the MLA and the linked .pdf below it.

To: steve@cottageinmuskoka.ca:

As promised, the MLA continues to monitor water levels throughout our catchment area.
The attached freshet update, issued yesterday afternoon, details current watershed conditions throughout Muskoka/Parry Sound.
We encourage you to review the attached document, which provides significant detail, and to take action to protect property if your residence is located in one of the affected areas.

Muskoka Lakes Association

2546_MNR_Update_-_Parry_Sound_Muskoka_-_April_25_2014

Algae, Muskoka Activities, Muskoka cottage life, Port Carling, Stewardship, Volunteer, water, water quality

Muskoka and Global: Environmental Good News Stories.

20 September 2013 cottageinmuskoka

Did you know that Gravenhurst Bay in Lake Muskoka is 4 to 5 times cleaner than it was 1970?
Did you know that everyone alive in the 70’s had toxic levels of lead in their blood?
Did you know that Muskoka has only half as many acid lakes as it once did?
Well, how about this then: if it wasn’t for the life in lakes, we would all be blind, deaf , stupid and dead.

: To be blunt; we would all be blind, deaf , stupid and dead if it wasn’t for the life in lakes.

From the Muskoka Watershed Council Lecture Series I have just finished editing and have just posted this video on the Muskoka Watershed Council’s YouTube page.
Dr. Norman Yan, an extremely engaging speaker, revisits some past environmental successes, what we have learned and the steps we need to take to solve today’s environmental problems.

Learn how the reduction of phosphorus resulted in a clean up in Gravenhurst Bay while the International Joint Commission was still debating whether its carbon or phosphorus that spikes algal growth? This local Muskoka cleanup helped convince the world that phosphorus is the cause of cultural eutrophication. This phenomena is of increasing concern as population grows and the climate heats up; after all, we learned from this lecture, that algae really love heat.

: Current photo of lake in China where people swim in an algal bloom.

Revisit the change to unleaded gas which got the toxic levels of lead out of our blood. Dr. Yan also discusses the many benefits of the ban on DDT, as well as the immediate benefits of the recent Ontario ban of cosmetic pesticides and herbicides. Also be sure not to miss houses disappearing from view as the Sudbury environment improves over 40 years!

Buying a cottage, cottage for sale, cottage life, Lake Muskoka, Listing, Muskoka Activities, Muskoka Properties, Uncategorized

Classic Muskoka Cottage & Boathouse; View From Above

14 August 2012 cottageinmuskoka

We have a magnificent property listed at Pine Point on Lake Muskoka.

The key feature about this property is the land itself; the rare privacy afforded by 895 feet of Lake Muskoka frontage on this beautifully level point. Nevertheless, the buildings, specifically the boathouse, has found its way into a number of classic Muskoka books.

As an iconic Muskoka boathouse, the boathouse at Pine Point doesn’t dominate the scenery; it plays an important supporting role.

Standing resolute to the winter cold and winds.

We wanted to feature all of it somehow; the boathouse, cottage and the truly wonderful property itself in our own way. So, up in a battery powered remote-controlled helicopter went a carefully mounted digital camera, and softly(whew) down it came with the following pictures on its memory card:

… beautiful!

Buying a cottage, cottage for sale, home for sale, Lake Muskoka, Muskoka Properties, Uncategorized

NOW SOLD! Serene Pine Point, Lake Muskoka

19 May 2012 cottageinmuskoka

We are very excited, and justly proud to be able to offer such a rare Muskoka property.

There is no question that the majority of people we take to see Muskoka properties spend 80% of the time inspecting inside the buildings and 20% on the property. This doesn’t seem right. Although lots of us do it this way, we should spend most of the time wandering the property.

Ahhh, but so many properties are not really wanderable; they have nicely built decks and stairs, to take us from the cottage to the waterfront to the boathouse because they are often steep. The perfect cottage properties were developed many decades ago.

On this property the superb architecture of the cottage and boathouse, although beautiful, are secondary to the level point, cooling in Lake Muskoka, comprised of almost 900 feet of waterfront.

A simple path, not stairs, wends its way to the boathouse.

Once you have satisfied yourself that the property itself is incomparable, then it’s always nice to have buildings like these.

Lake Muskoka, dotted island views from cottage

Additional details are here.

Listing, Muskoka Properties

Excellent Port Carling Real Estate Investment – now even better

4 December 2011 cottageinmuskoka

We mentioned a terrific potential investment in a listed Muskoka property on the main street of Port Carling in this post. There’s also more info here.
Originally built in 1922, then rebuilt/added to in the 70’s, with a reasonable amount of work this will be a magnificent Port Carling home – steps to the locks and public beach.

This 3 bedroom home on a large stately lot has just been reduced to $189,900.00!

Listing, property

Port Carling. Work to be done, but strong investment potential.

25 October 2011 cottageinmuskoka

Right on the main street of Port Carling, we have a listing that is worthy of your attention, but is also in need of attention: maintenance and some repairs. There does not appear to be anything major to be done, and some renovations have already been completed.

So here for a listed price of only $209,000.00 is an opportunity to create a large home on a big, beautiful lot in a great location in downtown Port Carling. It’s just steps to the Indian River, or the locks, shopping and dining. If you have construction/renovation/restoration skills, this is an opportunity to build equity quickly.

cottageinmuskoka blog