From the Muskoka Steamships & Discovery Centre:
After 22 years out of service, Wanda III has begun her new career on the Muskoka Lakes and she is now welcoming elated passengers on board for public cruises and exclusive private charters.
Built in 1915, the Wanda III was commissioned for Mrs. Timothy Eaton of the Eaton department stores. At 94-feet in length and with a 12-foot beam, Wanda III was able to cruise the Muskoka Lakes at a speed of 24 miles per hour, a speed unparalleled at the time. In August of 1996, Prime Minister Jean Chretien rededicated the Wanda III and the yacht proudly commenced sailing on the Muskoka lakes. Today, she remains the finest example of the illustrious private yacht era in Muskoka.
After five years of meticulous restoration and refurbishment, Wanda is once again gracing the Muskoka Lakes. This one of-a-kind vessel is 115 years old and the second oldest electrified steam yacht in the world!
John Miller, President of the Muskoka Steamships & Discovery Centre (MSDC), commented, “I am very proud on behalf of everyone involved and our company to see Wanda III sailing again. The past five years have been intense, challenging and an emotional roller coaster. It has taken a village of people with all kinds of skills to accomplish the electrification of Wanda III”.
Rick McGraw, a Director of MSDC, commented, “We are thrilled that we were able to save Wanda III from oblivion by electrifying her to the satisfaction of Transport Canada so she could resume her travels on the Muskoka Lakes”. Thanks to so many financial donors, large and small, Wanda III has been beautifully restored from stem to stern. With her dedicated boathouse at the Muskoka Discovery Centre, she will be protected from the elements and last indefinitely.
With gleaming brass and mahogany, passengers stepping aboard the Wanda III are invited to relive the elegance and grandeur of days past. And now, the electrified propulsion allows guests to sail in peaceful comfort as they ply the shorelines of Muskoka, just as Mrs. Eaton did over a century ago.
To experience a voyage aboard the Wanda III, offering 1 hour sightseeing cruises on Wednesday and Saturday afternoons, or to inquire about a private charter, please call 1-866-687-6667 or email [email protected].
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