Wanda III Returns to Lake Muskoka
The most luxurious steam yacht from Muskoka’s Golden Age is gracing its lakes once more in modern fashion.
The Wanda III, commissioned by Mrs. Margaret Eaton, widow of Canadian business tycoon, Mr. Timothy Eaton of Eaton’s department stores, was the third in a long line of Wandas owned by the Eaton family.
Wanda III’s predecessors met their ends in different ways. The Wanda was sold by Timothy Eaton after losing a race and was renamed “Tegami.” The Tegami was later scrapped.
The Wanda II burned down in a boathouse fire at the Eaton family estate, Ravenscrag, in 1914, and the third Wanda that we know today was built eight years after the passing of Mr. Eaton (1834-1907) and rests in her own boathouse in the Muskoka Discovery Centre.
Touring Wanda III
John Miller, President of the Muskoka Discovery Centre in Gravenhurst, Ontario Canada, gave me a tour of the Wanda III before she set sail to serve the public and a rare glimpse into a vessel that has witnessed so much history and been lovingly restored since MDC’s acquisition of the Wanda III in 1993.
Wanda III Crafted in Toronto by Polson Iron Works
Wanda III was built in Toronto by Polson Iron Works in 1915, measuring 94’ long, affording Mrs. Eaton a spacious refuge to entertain her guests, including invitation-only tea parties and musical performances on-board.
The fastest yacht of her size, Wanda III’s top speed was 24 miles per hour, a marvel at the time. Wanda III was the Eatons’ chosen means of transportation to their summer home.
This photo of the original engine is on display in the Muskoka Discovery Centre. As you can see, I’ve made a cameo appearance in the reflection!
Eaton Family Estate in Muskoka
Built in the 1800s, the Eaton family’s estate, Ravenscrag, was located near modern-day Windermere in Rosseau. The estate included a large cottage and boathouse.
The Eatons would leave Toronto by train to arrive in Gravenhurst at the original docks where a line of aluminum boathouses now stand.
After boarding, the Eatons would travel two hours by water from Muskoka Bay to their retreat in Rosseau.
While 24 miles per hour may sound slow today, in the early 20th century, the speed was breathtakingly fast for a steam yacht.
A Love Letter to Timothy
Mrs. Eaton desired to own a fast yacht, nay, the fastest there was.
Tom Rose, Operations Manager and Curator, Muskoka Discovery Centre, surmises that the astonishing speed achievable by the Wanda III was Margaret Eaton’s nod or ‘love letter’ to her husband, Timothy, who loved to race ahead to the locks in Port Carling and be the first to enter Rosseau’s gates through the locks, avoiding long waits to get to their beloved Ravenscrag.
Waiting one’s turn in a long line of boats at the Port Carling locks after an already long trip starting off in Toronto was exhausting, and avoiding such delays was desirable to say the least.
Why So Many Wandas?
When asked why all the Eatons’ yachts were called Wanda, John told me that no one knows, not even the Eaton family!
One could speculate that the name has a family connection or is a tribute of some sort, but that would be well documented somewhere, so that’s likely not the case.
Another hypothesis could be that the meaning of the name Wanda is significant. At the time, the name was popular and had a romantic sort of feel that exuded royalty.
Whatever the case, the origin of the naming of successive family yachts remains a mystery.
A Floating Palace on Lake Rosseau
Aboard the Wanda III, Mrs. Eaton enjoyed the serenity of her own salon where she would receive guests, and be able to ‘ring’ for service using a diamond shaped button, be it tea or refreshments.
Decorum on Wanda III
Alcohol and smoking were not permitted on board per the Eaton family’s values. The yacht was also used as transportation for the family to attend church, events, and the grand estates of friends.
While the vessel was Mrs. Eaton’s private yacht, her son Lord John Craig Eaton and his wife Lady Florence Eaton, were stewards of the Wanda III in Mrs. Eaton’s later years.
A socialite and philanthropist, Lady Flora was fond of using the Wanda III as part of the summer social season in Muskoka.
Following the family’s years at Ravenscrag, Lord and Lady Eaton summered at their estate, Kybar, a property developed for the next generation of the Eaton family.
The Sale of Wanda III to C.O. Shaw
Wanda III remained on Lake Rosseau and was owned by Margaret Eaton until approximately 1935 when it was sold to Charles Orlando Shaw (C.O. Shaw for short), who had her transported overland from Lake Rosseau to Lake of Bays so that he could ferry customers of his Bigwin Inn around the lake.
Legend has it that the yacht was sold by the Eatons due to personal heartbreak and a desire to not board the Wanda III again.
Lady Eaton’s Mercy Ship
Lady Eaton used the Wanda III to sail a young Rosseau girl desperately ill with appendicitis on a mercy voyage. It would take hours to get to the hospital in Bracebridge from where they were.
Though the fastest vessel of her size in Muskoka, Wanda III wasn’t fast enough. The young girl died on the way and many believe it was this tragedy that led to the sale of the Wanda III.
After confirming with curator Tom Rose in Wanda III’s archives (with copies of communications to do with the negotiation of the sale), everything on board the vessel was included in the sale to C.O. Shaw of Bigwin with the exception of the Wanda III emblazoned china and some personal gifts and affects that may have been left on the yacht.
Wanda III & Muskoka Discovery Centre
After 65 years of being used for both private and commercial purposes, the Muskoka Discovery Centre acquired the Wanda III in 1993 and launched her in 1998.
When meeting Chief Engineer, Chris Wylie in passing after my tour, he just beams as he describes the Wanda III. You can tell this is a very special yacht worked on by a team of very special people expert in their fields.
Painstaking restoration of woodwork and a labor of love have brought the iconic yacht to where it is now, ready to sail, not with steam in present-day Muskoka, but in 2025 as a fully electric passenger vessel.
Wanda’s mahogany is a sight to behold!
I toured the upper and lower decks, impressed by the beautiful wooden staircase as it winds down to dining areas.
Dining Area on Wanda III
Steps on the Stern
There is a second set of steps closer to the stern that are quite narrow and steep. It is easier to ascend them than to descend them! I needed to walk sideways down those steps.
Wanda III China Fit for a Queen
The Muskoka Discovery Centre has some china from the Wanda II and also the Wanda III on display.
On a guided tour of the archives, I was able to look at these beautiful pieces of china outside a display case and take these photos for your amusement.
While these pieces are going nowhere fast (you can’t purchase them), I hope the allure of tea parties aboard the Wanda III may precipitate another run of custom china bearing her name.
Electrifying Wanda III
According to a special editorial feature in the magazine, Muskoka Reflections, dubbed ‘Steam to Green, the Wanda Electrification Project,’ “blends heritage preservation with an environmental theme.”
The article goes on to say that the Wanda III is now “the largest heritage vessel to be converted to electric in North America and the third-oldest electrified vessel in the world still in service.”
Passage on the Wanda III
The Wanda III carries thirty passengers and five crew, for a total of thirty-five souls on board.
I can already imagine The Blue Willow Tea Shop catering tea parties and the music of live musicians in period costume performing on Wanda III’s aft deck, can’t you?
Whether or not that comes to pass, I don’t know, but wouldn’t it be lovely to travel back in time in a way to enjoy the simpler pleasures of life on the lake, Muskoka style.
Muskoka Steamships & Discovery Centre Fleet
The Muskoka Steamships and Discovery Centre fleet for 2025 includes the electrified Wenonah II and shortly, the electrified Wanda III.
The RMS Segwun, which turned 100 this year under her present name, underwent significant repairs in July and August 2025 and is now back on the beautiful waters of Muskoka.
The ship, originally built in 1887 as the SS Nipissing, was later rebuilt and renamed the RMS Segwun in 1925.
A fun fact about RMS Segwun: She is North America’s oldest operating steam-powered vessel and the world’s only remaining steam-powered Royal Mail Ship.
We were out on a family boating trip on August 21, 2025, when I noticed one of the ships out on the water around dinner time, and most clearly, billows of smoke in the air.
Could it be? Was it she?
Yes, it was!
Never in my life have I been happier to see a plume of smoke as when I saw the great ship making its way across the open waters of Lake Muskoka in late August. Her reedy whistle signals the return of a bygone era, taking her rightful place on the lakes.
The undisputed queen of the Muskoka lakes sails again, with the entire year dedicated to celebrating her 100th anniversary.
Additional Reading on Wanda III
For more in-depth reading, I’ve linked to an article by Muskoka historian J. Patrick Boyer who wrote a comprehensive history of the Wanda III for the publication Unique Muskoka titled, “Wanda III and Muskoka Discovery Centre, Sail into a New Era of Sustainable Heritage” (PDF).
If you want to sail on the Wanda III, as many people have done so already this summer, keep your eyes out for future cruises in 2026.
Booking Tickets for the Wanda III
Return to this article on Lake.com for more details or visit RealMuskoka.com for future sailing dates and ticket sales.
