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7. are fo rtu nat e in deed to have Bill available * * * * * ANOT H E R STEAMBOAT FOR THE M U S K O K A L AKES to tend Finances - cont'd, the T r e a s u r y for us. It was a n n o u n c e d in August that the M u s k o k a S t eamship and H i s t o r i c a l S o c i e ty, of Gr av en hu rst, owner of the restored and s u c c e s s f u l l y o p e rating p a s s e n ger steamer SEGWUN, has acquired the ven e r a b l e steam yacht WANDA III. This vessel, 94 feet long and 12 feet in the beam, was built in 1915 by P o i son Iron Works, Toronto, for the Eaton family, and she op erated from their summer home, Ravenscrag, on Lake Ross e a u in Muskoka. The c o m p o s i t e - h u l l e d W A N D A III was fitted with a triple e x p a n s i o n steam engine of the type that Po ison Iron W orks was placing in m i n e s w e e p e r s being c o n s t r u c t e d for the Royal C a n ad ia n Navy, and this m a c hinery r e p o r t e d l y gave the yacht a cruising speed of at least 20 miles per hour. W ANDA III was one of the largest and fastest steam yachts ever operated on the Mu skoka Lakes. In 1930, the Ea tons sold WANDA III to the Bigwin Inn Company, which operated the largest and finest summer hotel on the Lake of Bays. W A N D A III was moved o v e rland from the Muskoka Lakes to her new home, and then was used by Bigwin Inn for specia l cruises for its guests. Fortunately, the interior of the yacht never was a l t e r e d so she retained her fine H o n d u r a s m a h o g a n y fittings. W A N D A III did not operate during the war years, and after the decline of Bi gwin Inn in the 1950s (the hotel has been lying d e r elict now for many years), the yacht was sold. She passed through several changes of ownership and then, about 25 years ago, she was a c q uired by Mr. G. A. "Sandy" Thomson, who resto r e d the vessel and used her for private c r u ising until a few years ago. WANDA III has been re posing at Mr. Thom son's p r o p e r t y at Rat Bay, near Dwight Village, on the Lake of Bays. (Some of our T . M . H . S. me mbers may r e call that Sandy Thom s o n was an early me m b e r of our S o c i e t y and at tended many of our ea rly m e e t i n g s . ) The Mus k o k a S t e a m s h i p and Hist or ical Soci e t y intended to haul WANDA III back o v e rland to Lake Muskoka and, at the time of this writing, it had been a n t i c i p a t e d that a start on this venture might be made on S e ptember 15th. The Society's e v e n t u a l use of WANDA III will depend upo n the results of economic studies and fundraising efforts, but immediate plans, of course, in clude the re moval of the boat to Graven hurst, along wit h her own marine r a i l w a y and st eam winch, and the arranging of pro t e c t e d dryl a n d storage. U pon the o b t a i n i n g of the n e c essary funding, the S o c i e t y hopes to restore W A N D A III and then use her as a static disp l a y alo n g s i d e SEGWUN's G r a v e n hurst wharf, av a i l a b l e as a shoreside venue for small party functions. L o n g term plans are for W ANDA III to be r e t u r n e d to full o p e r a t i o n under steam, and for her to be available for limited charters and for d i s p l a y at antique boat shows ar ound the Muskoka Lakes. Rega r d l e s s of what the future ma y hold, the Mu skoka S t e a m s h i p and H i s t o r i c a l S o c i e t y is f o rtun ate to have ensured the immediate p r e s e r v a t i o n of this u nique vessel, the last local o perational survivor of her kind. C o n s i d e r i n g the succ es sf ul job that the Society, along with the M u s k o k a Lakes N a v i g a t i o n and Hotel C o m p a n y Limited, has done in preserving, r e s t o r i n g and o p e rating the beautiful SEGWUN, it is reasonable to assume that its work w i t h WANDA III will be ev ery bit as successful. The Musk o k a S t e a m s h i p and Histor ical S o c i e t y is a r e g i s t e r e d c haritable o r g a n i z a t i o n (No. 04 12973 5213), and anyone w i s h i n g to make a d o n a t i o n to "Muskoka S t e a m s h i p and H i storical Society - W ANDA III Fund" may ad d ress the S o c i e t y at 820 Bay Street, Gravenhurst, On tario PIP 1G7. Donations will be a c k n o w l e d g e d wit h an official receipt for income tax purposes. * * * * *