26th Boat show. Another great day was had by all at the new location of the boat show. O.K. it's the same spot but now its the completed Muskoka Wharf. Through all the changes that were made to the site and subsequently changes made to the show, we had a brand new look. More space to spread out the crowd meant seeing the boats at the dock you had more elbow room. More space for the Field of dreams, and more space for our venders. We had the perfect weather, sun all three days of the weekend. I think the only people to suffer a little were the dock crews who had no where to hide from the hot sun. We sure appreciated the effort. If not for the dock crews, backing in a 30 foot boat can be difficult, Thanks again for your help.
By 9:00 all was in place and the fun began going up Dock C was a treat as we were celebrating the boats of Bert Minett. Bert started building boats in Bracebridge back in 1910. The company continued until 1953 however the company name change from Minett to Minett Shields in 1925. Celebrating Minett peaked interest and we had many boats from Lake Rousseau that have never been at the show. In fact there were over 110 boats this year.
By 10:00am the boats in motion stated to rev up the engines and the crowd. Scott in his 1960 Hacker design Falcon took off at great speeds with 3 passengers. Michael in his own home built hacker took off with his family. Two beautiful boats to see at speed. For fans of speedy boats it only got better. Little Miss Canada, Impish, Miss Kokamotion and Omega were all outstanding to see speeding along the bay. Not to be out done were the smaller outboards and bigger launches. Not loud or fast but by mid afternoon an incredible site to see these majestic boats glide on by the docks.
After a full day of boat gazing and a trip to the flea market for parts, we headed over to the new and completed Grace and Speed Heritage centre. This facility was the location of our post show dinner. The centre celebrates the beginnings of life on the water in Muskoka. The main areas are hotels, steamships and boat builders, with state of the art equipment to show it all off, it's impressive. As well, there is space in the boat house for 20 in water boats that rotate through out the year. What a great spot to end the show.
By Sunday morning it was time to go boating. Those not familiar with the lake got in their boats for a guided tour to the brunch in Port Carling. We Started at the Wharf and meandered up the lake showing off many historical locations. We all so got a treat when we stopped a Les Rues place for a tour of his boat house and cottage. We had some coffee and muffins with a great view of the lake. But the tour was far from over and brunch was waiting. It was hard to get the tour going as Les made us so welcome and with the relaxed atmosphere having a chat with our fellow boaters was hard to stop. We continued up the lake noting points of interest to Port, a great ride was had by all.
Next year we celebrate the outboards. All of your favorite launches will all so be there so come out, bring your boat and participate in a great event that celebrates our heritage. See more photos in the photo section.
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