Muskoka’s hottest ride is this restored 1915 yacht

Muskoka residents and cottagers are partying like it’s 1915. After more than 20 years off the water, a 110-year-old yacht once owned by the Eatons is once again cruising around Lake Muskoka after a $2-million restoration.

The Wanda III was commissioned by the founder of Eaton’s department store, Timothy Eaton, and his wife, Margaret, in 1915. It cost $34,500 to build at the time, which amounts to nearly $1 million today.

The ship was built as a showy pleasure craft to whisk the Eatons from the train station in Gravenhurst to their cottage on Lake Rosseau and for hosting high teas and social events on the water. One of the fastest ships in the area at the time, it had a top speed of 39 kilometres per hour—not quite impressive today but pretty good for a time before the invention of sliced bread.

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The boat traded hands a number of times after the Eatons sold it and was eventually donated to the Muskoka Steamships and Discovery Centre, a non-profit museum in Gravenhurst, where it was retired in 2003 after a boiler failure broke its original steam engine. Since then, the museum has raised more than $2 million in grants and private donations to restore the ship, bringing this piece of cottage-country history back to life. After six years of work, the Wanda III is now restored to its former glory and is touring Lake Muskoka once again, powered by a brand new electric system to replace its old steam locomotion.

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While the majority of the funds went toward switching to green power and building a new boathouse in Gravenhurst to house the ship, it also got a makeover: the interior and hull were updated, and the mahogany woodwork got a fresh coat of lacquer.

“We thought that it would be such a shame for a beautiful boat like this to not operate and just be a static display,” says John Miller, president of the Muskoka Steamships and Discovery Centre. “We’ve really tried to ensure that we’re prepared for anything going forward with Wanda and that we can operate her and protect her so she can sail for decades.”

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The Wanda III will be running for ticketed cruises and private charters all summer. For $65 a head, the hour-long cruises will pick up passengers from the Muskoka Wharf, just like in the Eaton days, and head out into Lake Muskoka for a jaunt and some cottage gawking.

But, for true luxury, the private charters are where it’s at: with room for 30 people, the Wanda is a picturesque place for an intimate private event. The ship is equipped with a fully licensed bar, and catering can be arranged on board—Miller says hors d’oeuvres and finger sandwiches are a popular option. The Wanda can be booked for weddings, high teas or even as an elegant lift to a resort restaurant—all for those looking to live it up Eaton style.