Calling All Ontario Members

[Grandad]

Re: Calling All Ontario Members

Wow, nice looking boat Grandad. By the look of things I would say that the water levels have come up quite a bit. That's quite the trip from McNicol to Beckwith. I've only made it as far a Beausoleil. Such a PITA to get through lock 45.

RJ, apparently the water is up a little bit, but look at where it used to be. I tapped the bottom a few times just offshore from this lagoon as we rode the 1 metre swells. The prop has some rough edges to prove it. In this picture, the upper rock retaining wall next to the grass use to be the breakwater wall. The owner plans to re-dredge (excavate?) a channel for several hundred feet this winter at a cost of many thousands of dollars. Something like 200 dump truck loads is expected to be removed. - Grandad
http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w380/Karsh2/DSCF0685.jpg

 

[JoshOnt]

Re: Calling All Ontario Members

Year and model of boat you currently have, its length and engine size and type (or sailboats)
1965 SCott 14' 50 Hp Mercury
Your residence locality (not your street address)
Kingston
Where do you boat and when/how often?
Lake Ontario, Sydnam and Loughbour Lake
Boat is on a trailer.
What do you use your boat for: Fishing, skiing, travel, a day out with the kids?
Fishing, day out with the family
Plans & dreams for future boats and future voyages.
Want to buy a 23' bowrider and put new engine and restore the interior
Did you/do you build or rebuild your own boat?
Nah not my current one too much
Your boating history - when you started, where, what adventures you've had.
Lots of sailing and canoeing. Bit of power boat and drove an offshore powerboat once.
I started about 5 years ago.

 

[Grandad]

Re: Calling All Ontario Members

Welcome JoshOnt. I've added your info. I think there's 3 or 4 members recorded in the Kingston area. - Grandad

 

[JoshOnt]

Re: Calling All Ontario Members

Grandad any chance you could help my find them or know if they are still active?

 

[Grandad]

Re: Calling All Ontario Members

Grandad any chance you could help my find them or know if they are still active?

Hi Josh. You might try sending a private message to one of these members: eastont, littlerayray, ottawamerc, Ninjafied, swift1 or Wreck Rider. There may be others, but I may not recognize their localities or cruising areas from the information given in the pdf attachment. I suggest that you go through the list and see if any suitable member locations pop up. As long as you're logged in, you can search a member's "Profile" through the Iboats members' list to see what their latest activity is. Remember though that a lot of members may access the website without actually posting anything. Also, many are busy having fun right now and may not follow Iboats as often. A private message should get their attention through their personal email, if they have provided their email address to Iboats. - Grandad

 

[JoshOnt]

Re: Calling All Ontario Members

Thanks for the timely reply.

 

[bigdirty]

Re: Calling All Ontario Members

Hey, I'm new(ish) here, just noticed this topic.. awesome to see fellow ontarians on here! I'm actually 30 mins north of barrie, little town called Wyebridge.. (i ussualy just tell ppl 'Midland' :lol: )

Boat is a 2850 bayliner contessa, doing some major repair/resto over this winter, if all is well next spring i will be dockside at a marina in Penetanguishene Ontario. Yes, some of the best boating in the world around here, and I'm hoping to do some more 'exploring' next year..

I have been to beckwith island a LOT.. hope to spend at least a few weekends there next year.. bottom of Beausoleil on the sand bar quite a bit for day trips, up about as far as the mouth of mcray and around the top/through cog a few times. Had a 253 chris craft a few years ago, then a formula f23 (motor build, rear seats/cabin work) but only got out a few times this past summer.. before that I didnt own my own, but been out boating (mostly speed boats) with a few friends for years.

 

[Grandad]

Re: Calling All Ontario Members

Hi bigdirty. Welcome to Iboats and thanks for telling us a little about yourself. I've added your info to the attached PDF. Good luck with your project. Maybe we'll see you next year on the bay. - Grandad

 

[Grandad]

Re: Calling All Ontario Members

Hi guys. There's not been as much posting to this thread as I had hoped. Now that we're in the off-season, perhaps some of you would like to share some stories about your adventures this past season. I'm sure some Ontario members did a bit of travel with their boats both in and out of province. I can't be the only guy interested in what others are up to, so how about sharing? I've added a few member names to the attached PDF that I gleaned from various threads as I happen to notice, but I'd prefer to hear from every Ontario member a little about their boating adventures. - Grandad

 

[IslandGirlTalk]

Re: Calling All Ontario Members

I'm sure some Ontario members did a bit of travel with their boats both in and out of province. I can't be the only guy interested in what others are up to, so how about sharing?

This past summer was a pretty good one. The 1966 Starcraft Marlin didn't make it into the water again because we need to re-rivet the transom, but after being out of the water for nearly a decade, our 1961 MFG Westfield was floating again. We got the transom redone over the past winter and it is so great to have that boat back. A couple times a week we'd take it for morning cruises around Parry Sound and we'd go for sunset cruises regularly too. We also took it on a few day trips too - including a 40 mile round trip visit out to Wreck Island. We are looking to get new seats for the Westfield before next summer and we need to do some repair to the top, but other than that, it's been a fabulous boat for us this past summer.

Here's a pic of our Westfield.

1961 MFG Westfield boat by Island Girl Talk, on Flickr

These are the types of sunsets that we enjoy during our sunset cruises:

sunset boat ride by Island Girl Talk, on Flickr

Our dogs have been loving the boat too:

best friends by Island Girl Talk, on Flickr

For those of you in Georgian Bay that are looking for a boat trip, definitely check out Wreck Island. There's a great picnic area, with an area for grilling, nice docks and a nature trail. The island is home to the wreck of the Waubuno, a steamship that sank in 1880. The wreck can still be seen in the water. The island also has these crazy rocks on the nature trail.

crazy rocks at Wreck Island by Island Girl Talk, on Flickr

The other boating related item that we were involved with this summer was getting the word out about Georgian Bay's lowering water levels. We got involved with the Restore Our Water International organization and helped out with the Stop the Drop campaign too. We talked to our neighbors about the dropping water level of Georgian Bay and the upper Great Lakes, spoke at our cottage association meeting, distributed flyers, posted signs about it and created before and after low water pictures for the Stop the Drop Mayor's Challenge.

Here's one of my Stop the Drop Mayor's Challenge comparison photos - this one includes my 1966 Starcraft Marlin in the pic.

You can see some of my other low water pics here.


water level comparison - channel - Georgian Bay, Parry Sound, Ontario by Island Girl Talk, on Flickr

Here's a picture of our Restore Our Water International sign on the new shoal that is by our island. This area of land used to be completely under water and the water was deep enough that you could take a motor boat over it. In the late '80s and the '90s, our swim platform floated just a few feet away from where our sign is now.

Restore Our Water Levels sign by Island Girl Talk, on Flickr

I hope that everyone else had a good summer on the water too.

 

[wrench 3]

Re: Calling All Ontario Members

The longest trip we took last summer was to Peterborough with the grand kids. That's 130 km and 13 locks from Lake Scugog. The kids got a good work out on the lines.View attachment 218890View attachment 218891 They got to pass through the Peterborough lift lock in both diretions. We spent one night at the lower side of Burliegh Falls. We shaired moorings with a rental house boat and they let the kids use their slide. That's us in the back ground. We also met up with "Tin Man". It was a great trip all round.
BTW that was this year. The date on the camara was wrong.

 

[IslandGirlTalk]

Re: Calling All Ontario Members

Wrench 3, it looks like you had a great time! The locks look like they would be really interesting to go through.

 

[wrench 3]

Re: Calling All Ontario Members


I don't know what happened to the first two pictures on my last post. (they show up if I go to edit) So here they are again.

Yes it was a great trip. Running the canal system is always fun and you meet some great people.
We have friends in Parry Sound. He works at the coast guard base and they took us out on the smaller dinner cruise boat last summer.
We really enjoyed it. I would love to get out up there with our own boat and do some real exploring, but I can't talk the wife into letting me trailer it that far. (at least not if I want her to come along)

 

[IslandGirlTalk]

Re: Calling All Ontario Members

We have friends in Parry Sound. He works at the coast guard base and they took us out on the smaller dinner cruise boat last summer.

What a small world! The MV Chippewa (the boat you would have been on) literally goes right past our place on the dinner cruise. If you ever trailer your boat up here, I can give you some suggestions on neat places to check out.

 

[starcrazy]

Re: Calling All Ontario Members

start with what info I'd find helpful:
Year and model of boat you currently have, its length and engine size and type (or sailboats)

1978 18' Starcraft Mariner, Rebuit interior, with New 2012 115 Etec
Tilbury

Lake St. Clair, and Lake Erie, as many days that I can.
Trailer boat.

Rebuilt it for Hunting purposes and trout fishing with my dad

Take my dad up North for a week fishing trip like we used to do when I was a kid.

Possibly start looking for a 22' Starcraft Mariner and redo it. It's a bit wider, but I had to start somewhere, lol

Did you/do you build or rebuild your own boat?

Purchased boat 2 years ago to rebuild it, finally completed it in the late spring of 2013. I have been able to get out on it about 12 times this year. Any luck I will double it in the future.

All the boats I have owned were small 10' to 12' with a small outboard. Mostly duck hunting purposes.
Now I am able to do both with this set up.

 

[wrench 3]

Re: Calling All Ontario Members

What a small world! The MV Chippewa (the boat you would have been on) literally goes right past our place on the dinner cruise. If you ever trailer your boat up here, I can give you some suggestions on neat places to check out.

Thanks, if we do make plans to get the boat up there I'll be sure to send you a private message first.

 

[Grandad]

Re: Calling All Ontario Members

Wow. Thanks IslandGirlTalk. What a great post on your summer on Georgian Bay. It's been too many years since I last explored the northern shores of Georgian Bay. I know your pictures aren't from that far north, but the rock formations and general beauty of the entire region is evident. I'd love to go back to that area and to that era of life past. Enjoy!

Welcome starcrazy. Thanks for posting some details about yourself and your boat. I've updated the attached pdf with your info plus a little about some others that I pulled out of their posts elsewhere. - Grandad

 

[InMotion]

Re: Calling All Ontario Members

Hey Granddad,

When you get a chance, please add me to the list! We usually boat on either Georgian Bay --- Parry Sound area, or on inland lakes. We cruise or go for day trips. We also fish and ski on the inland lakes. The kids are with us! We have two boats that we generally use: The Jupiter and for this summer the Falcon. We have half a dozen other boats in the families... but these are the two that we use most often!

Here is a pic at Henry's on Georgian Bay south of Parry Sound --- with the Blue StarCraft Jupiter:


Have a great one folks!

Jim

 

[IslandGirlTalk]

Re: Calling All Ontario Members

We usually boat on either Georgian Bay --- Parry Sound area, or on inland lakes. We cruise or go for day trips. We also fish and ski on the inland lakes.

Jim, that's cool that you're still coming up to Parry Sound too. There's a few of us on the forums that are up there. Maybe we'll all have to get together for a boat trip sometime.

 

[InMotion]

Re: Calling All Ontario Members

Jim, that's cool that you're still coming up to Parry Sound too. There's a few of us on the forums that are up there. Maybe we'll all have to get together for a boat trip sometime.

Yup... 35 years and counting! Used to go up for 2 mths straight! Sounds good.... would be interesting to boat with other iboaters!

J.