SS Bigwin

History

Canada
Name	SS Bigwin
Owner	James Kuhn & G. J. Gibson (1910-1924) Huntsville & Lake of Bays Navigation Co. (1924-1945) Bigwin Boat Livery Co. (1945-1960) Bigwin Inn Resort (1960-1970) Lake of Bays Marine Museum (2002)
Operator	Lake of Bays Marine Museum
Port of registry	Canada
Ordered	1909
Builder	Polson Iron Works, Toronto
Laid down	1909
Launched	1910
Completed	1910
In service	1910-1970 2013-present
Out of service	1970-2012
Identification	Official number: 126835
Fate	Partially sunk 1970-1991, raised 1992 and restored 2002-2013
Status	In service as of 2013
General characteristics ^[1]
Tonnage	41.5 GT 24.64 NT
Length	66 ft (20 m)
Beam	11 ft 8 in (3.56 m)
Depth	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Decks	1
Propulsion	Polson triple expansion steam engine (1910) General Motors 115 bhp (86 kW) diesel engine (1956)
Capacity	32

SS Bigwin is a small steamship ferry that plies the waters of Lake of Bays in Muskoka area of Ontario, Canada.^[2]

History

The ship was built by Polson Iron Works of Toronto as a private boat^[3] for an American owner James Kuhn in 1910 as a yacht and named for his wife as Ella Mary.^[4] It was later sold to several owners (1924, 1945 and 1960) to serve as a ferry boat and renamed Bigwin after Bigwin Inn and Chief John Bigwin. In her last years of service, she shuttled customers to Bigwin Inn until it was abandoned and submerged in a slip next to Bigwin Inn from 1970s to 1991.^[5]

Recovery and restoration

After interested parties took notice of the ship, it was finally raised from the waters in 1991, and was stored on land for a few years until restoration began in 2002 and completed in 2013.^[6]

As cruise ship

Once restored to service, Bigwin provides cruises near Dorset, Ontario during a July and August sailing period (restricted due to navigation laws).^[7]

References

Notes

^ "Polson Iron Works ships built 1910, Shuniah, Trillium, Bigwin". polsonironworks.ca. 2014. Retrieved 2 June 2014.
^ "The Bigwin | Bringing it back to life". Retrieved 2021-07-06.
^ Terry, Marijane. "A Link to the Past" (PDF). www.loba.ca.
^ "Bigwin Steamship • Dorset Ontario Directory Of Tourism Attractions, Resort Accommodations, Community Events & Business Resources - Dorset Community Planning". Dorset Ontario Directory Of Tourism Attractions, Resort Accommodations, Community Events & Business Resources - Dorset Community Planning. Retrieved 2021-07-06.
^ "History of the SS Bigwin". ssbigwin.com. 2014. Retrieved 2 June 2014.
^ Daubs, Katie (14 June 2013). "SS Bigwin returns to Lake of Bays". Toronto Star. Retrieved 2 June 2014.
^ "Sailing the SS Bigwin". ssbigwin.com. 2014. Retrieved 2 June 2014.