Ditchburn Boats: A Muskoka Legacy

This is a list of the re-construction jobs pictured in this
Ditchburn book that came out of our shop over the last
30 years.
SKOOKUM
Skookum, “Old Woman” in Ojibwa, is a restored 36-foot former hotel boat baased on Old Woman Island.
PAUSAR
The 1918 Pausar is 30 feet, 6 inches long with a narrow 5-foot,
6-inch beam, is typical of her time. Three years later this model
was wider by a foot, one plank higher and a whole lot drier
running.
PONDER
The 1930 Ponder shows some
acceleration
with
owner
Tom
Ballantyne at the helm. This vessel has
been repowered wi th a 454-cubic-inch
V-8 engine.
AREQUIPA
The 1936 Arequipa, a 22-foot triple cockpit
runabout ofers proff positive that Ditchburn
quality was still a priority of the builder. Owned
by Ian Bruce, this vessel is on Lake of Bays.
KEMAH II
The white hulled, 25-foot, 4-inch Kemah II dates to
1934. With a semi-displacement hull, she is not typical
of Ditchburn production of the period, being more
elegant and built to the highest standards of custom
work. Designed by Earle Barnes, Kemah II exhibits
many details of his style, such as the three-piece rakedback windscreen, the moulding treatment around the
“mother-in-law” seat, the wider beam, and the sloping
rear deck. Restored in 1994, Kemah II proceeded to
win many show awards including Boat of the Year at
Gravenhurst, Best in Show at Lake Tahoe, Best Launch
at Clayton and Captain’s Choice at Manotick.
STRUAN II
Straun II, an elegant 24-foot gentleman’s racer, also dates
to 1921.
THE PRINCESS
Built in 1928, The Princess is an elegant 28-foot launch owned by Lloyd and Susan Ross
ELEANOR
The 1924 Eleanor is built on a 30-foot-Vikingtype single stepped hull, with crank-operated side
windows on the foward cockpit.
LADY JEANE
“Awesome” is how most people describe the 31-foot Lady
Jeane, owned by Richard and Gayle McGraw. Built in 1930,
she is powered by an 8-cylinder Chrysler engine. The left photo
puts you in the driver’s seat, at the custom-crafted wheel.
BIRCH BARK
Launched as Birch Bark in 1935, this handsome 52-foot cruiser first sailed in Georgian Bay. Later, in Muskoka, she
was christened Jogwendi. Now at harbour in Toronto, she is owned by Gordon Russell and named Windswept III
LILY
Lily, a 23-foot runabout, also
dates to 1924. This was a
popular model with excellent
handling characteristics.