Article by Meghan Taylor/ Photography by Andy Zeltkans

Muskoka’s waterways are an interconnected tangle of channels used to travel the region, move supplies, transport passengers and experience the natural wonders of Muskoka. Cruising the waters is an iconic, historic activity for locals, cottagers and visitors to the area.

Once the primary mode of travel, the rivers and lakes have become a way to go back in time and relive what early settlers may have experienced. Vessels with history, like Peerless II, let passengers glimpse how life was lived in the early settlement of Muskoka and enjoy a slower pace.

“It’s a ticket to go back in time and just relax,” explains Captain Randy Potts, owner and operator of Sunset Cruises aboard Peerless II. “People are amazed to hear how life was 100 years ago.”

During cruises aboard Peerless II, local history and lore are a key element of the experience, drawing passengers deeper into the magic. Much like the larger steamship Segwun, Peerless II boasts her own history in the Muskoka region, adding to the overall feeling of stepping back in time.

“They are truly a time machine,” says Potts of old boats like Peerless II, Idyllwood and Segwun. Potts retired from captaining the Segwun in 2007 and operated his own Idyllwood until 2012. “I’ve been lucky enough to be captain of all of them.”

Peerless II was originally built in 1946 as a supply boat. In an attempt to gain position in the Muskoka gasoline market in the early 1900s, to compete with Imperial Oil Co., the British American Oil Company engaged a local businessman to perform deliveries on the water to shoreline properties. Mr. Bert Brown operated the first Peerless, formerly a private yacht known as the Ina. Outfitted with two 1,000-gallon tanks, gasoline was manually pumped from the boat to customer’s facilities.

As business increased, an order was placed with the Northern Shipbuilding yard in Bronte, Ontario in 1945 for the construction of the Peerless II to expand the British American Oil Company’s marine delivery fleet. Built entirely from steel, Peerless II had a capacity closer to 8,000 gallons.

When she was delivered in late July, both Peerless and Peerless II operated on all three of Muskoka’s larger lakes, delivering gasoline and home heating oil. Not a week goes by through the sailing season that Potts doesn’t have at least one person say, “you know, this used to deliver to my family’s cottage.”

However, within two years of arriving in Muskoka, the more modern Peerless II was managing all of the deliveries on the lakes. The smaller, wooden Peerless was sold.

Through many different captains, an acquisition by Gulf Canada in the 1960s and then Gulf Canada’s cease of operations in the 1980s, Peerless II continued to operate.

Then, Peerless II sold gasoline for independent suppliers until 1994, when she ended her 49th season and was taken out of service as a supply boat. While first sold privately, Peerless II was for sale again in 2003 when Potts purchased the boat.

Growing up in Bracebridge, Potts’ childhood home on Dill St. backed onto the Muskoka River. His very first boat was a hand-me-down from two older brothers

“I couldn’t get far with a pair of oars,” shares Potts.

It wasn’t long before he moved up to larger boats, becoming a deckhand and eventually a captain. Having been on the water, in one way or another, since the age of 12, Potts has over 50 years of experience navigating Muskoka’s lakes and rivers and over 40 years of those as a licensed captain. Potts acquired Peerless II as a birthday present for himself in 2003, with his wife Debbie’s approval, of course.

“Idyllwood was the first boat I built and we met partway through that construction,” explains Potts. “She was willing to let me take the leap of faith. She didn’t have the vision at first but she got it when she saw the finished project.”

From his life and career of working on boats and with a good idea of what would work, Potts set out to bring Peerless II back from retirement. He drydocked her briefly before she launched in 2004. She then sat idle until 2008. Over the course of four winters, Potts worked on the repairs and restoration needed for Peerless II’s makeover. The work required a specialized steel construction on the boat with, at times, up to five welders on board. In spring of 2012, Peerless II relaunched.

“It’s a piece of Muskoka history,” says Potts. “This one deserved to be saved. It was a huge undertaking and financial commitment and it hasn’t been a mistake. It would have been cheaper to buy new but it wouldn’t have had the history or the character of Peerless II.”

Potts recalls being on the phone night and day with Transport Canada to ensure the work he was completing would meet the standards necessary for the responsibility of transporting people.

“It was like making a 1946 automobile into a 2024 state-of-the-art automobile,” shares Potts. “The rules and regulations are vastly different now than back in 1946.”

The retrofit was a long process but ensured the vessel was outfitted correctly, including emergency electrics and a fire system. As the keel was laid in 1946, despite the modifications made, Peerless II is considered a 1946 boat. However, in 2012, after significant renovation and restoration, she was recertified as a brand new boat to carry people, instead of just supplies.

Restoration of the Peerless II preserves a historic watercraft, allowing locals and visitors the opportunity to see her on the water and take a cruise. As a smaller vessel, Peerless II can get to many places that larger boats simply cannot. 

“There’s enough water here for everybody to enjoy,” says Potts. “We get to see some special places on board.”

While he admits Lake Rosseau has some of his favourite places to cruise, Potts also shares his favourite spots are all similar in that they showcase “the rugged natural beauty that is Muskoka.”

Operating seven days a week during the sailing season, cruises aboard the Peerless II are slower paced than the many speedboats that now grace Muskoka’s waters. With a leisurely pace, adventures on Peerless II are about the journey, not the destination, meaning passengers have time to relax and revel in the area’s natural beauty.

“Rock, trees and the water are Muskoka’s iconic image,” shares Potts. “Rugged rock and stretches of shoreline. That’s the beauty. First time visitors often comment that it’s a spiritual place, really.”

No longer outfitted as she once was, Peerless II now delivers enjoyment to passengers, rather than gasoline and home heating oil. The opportunity to cruise Muskoka’s lakes aboard the last supply boat to operate on them keeps a piece of Muskoka history alive.

Details about the Mildred

In the July 2024 edition of Unique Muskoka, the feature “Muskoka’s Boats At Work” erroneously identified details regarding the Mildred.

The yacht Mildred was originally built in 1903 by Polson Iron Works of Toronto for Edward Rogers Wood and named for his daughter Mildred. The yacht is a twin for another Polson Iron Works vessel known as Rambler, also built 1903 in Toronto and currently in Muskoka.

She was sold to Captain Charles Wesley Archer in 1925 and operated by him until his death in 1945. The steam engine was removed and a new Mack Marine Diesel engine was installed when Mildred sold from Captain Archer’s estate to Captain Ralph McPherson in 1946. The original steam engine from Mildred was restored by the late Roy Davies Sr., of Bracebridge Machine and is on display at Muskoka Discovery Centre in Gravenhurst.

Captain McPherson operated Mildred as a cruise boat, starting in 1946. Mildred suffered a major fire in July of 1961 on the Muskoka River while on a cruise with passengers onboard. All passengers made it off the burning ship safely but Mildred was seriously damaged. She was rebuilt with a new steel superstructure or cabin and reopened for business in 1962 and continued until the mid 1970s.

Mildred was taken over by Owen Walbridge in the late 1970s and operated for a few years as a charter yacht. She was then purchased by Martin and Gerarda Kupferschmidt in 1982 and used as a private yacht. Purchased by Captain Randy Potts in 2017, Mildred has been rebuilt to modern Transport Canada standards for a ship of her size.

Nowhere in research completed by Captain Randy Potts is there confirmation that Mildred was ever scuttled. Mildred is 121 years old this year, not in public use at present and the plans for her future are not yet defined.