WORDS BY ANDREW HIND

Bound by four of the Great Lakes and home to countless smaller bodies of water, it should be little surprise that Ontario is home to numerous scenic cruise experiences. Here are three that you may want to embark upon for a blissful summer day.

Sunset Cruises

Sailing from Port Carling, Peerless II prides itself on being able to go where Muskoka’s larger vessels – the famed RMS Segwun and Wenonah II – cannot. But that’s only part of the appeal.

Captain Randy Potts, who has been sailing these waters for forty years, is a font of knowledge about local history. A key part of any cruise aboard Peerless II is his informative live commentary touching upon vintage resorts, cottage estate belonging to the rich and famous, and maritime lore.

Peerless II is itself historic. Built in 1946, she spent five decades delivering gas around the lakes before she was retired in 1994, saved from an uncertain fate by Potts, and transformed into a scenic cruise boat.

There is never a bad day for a cruise aboard Peerless II, but on Father’s Day, Dads sail free with the purchase of one ticket.

Web: sunsetcruises.ca

Hornblower Niagara

Hornblower Niagara Cruise

For something completely different, embark aboard a Hornblower Niagara Cruise and venture to the base of the iconic Falls. The experience is a rush for the senses – the soaring heights of the Niagara gorge towering above you, the thunder of water as it cascades over the Falls, the chill caress of mist.

Niagara Falls consist of three falls: Bridal Veil Falls, the American Falls, and most impressive of them all, the 670m-wide Horseshoe Falls over which 8500 bathtubs worth of water pours every second. You can see all three from land, of course, but the absolute best vantage is from below aboard a Hornblower catamaran. The cruise culminates in an up-close encounter with the Horseshoe Falls – so close it almost feels as if the vessel will be consumed by the raging cascade.

You’ll wear a hooded honcho, you’ll get soaked anyways, and you’ll love every minute of it.

Web: niagaraparks.com

Island Queen

Island Queen

The Island Queen eases amidst the famed 30,000 Islands of Georgian Bay. The water is luminous, the sun bounces off the surface like diamonds, the sky above a deep blue. Little wonder the Island Queen is one of the premier attractions in Cottage Country.

The Island Queen is something of a marvel. Despite being 132 ft. long and capable of carrying 550 passengers, the ship draws less than 6 ft. of water, allowing it to effortlessly weave through the picturesque islands of windswept pine and barren granite.

You’ll pass through the Hole-in-the-Wall, an impossibly narrow channel between two islands, see the remnants of Depot Harbour, a ghost town that was once a thriving port, and learn about the island where singer Irving Berlin vacationed.

Web: islandqueencruise.com