Butson Boats Ltd. is renowned for its quality craftsmanship in wooden boat building and restoration. Whether constructing a new gentleman’s racer or rowing skiff, doing minor repairs, or a complete restoration, their skilled craftsman take pride in every project they undertake.

  And it shows. A visit to their shop in Port Carling reveals antique wooden boats in various stages of restoration, as well as new Butson boats under construction. In operation since June, 1981 Butson Boats started in a portion of the old Greavette Boat plant. They have expanded and moved several times since then to keep up with demand.

  Butson’s boat building history goes way back, to 1839. The family was even then involved with building sloops, schooners and Brigantine in Fowey Harbor in Cornwall, England. In 1905 Cecil Butson came to Kenora, Ontario, Canada to build pleasure craft. At the start of World War I Cecil Butson, being a Government Indentured shipwright, went to Collingwood shipyard to do war boats.

  After the war he traveled to Penetanguishene, Ontario to once again build pleasure craft for two major yards. The Butson family grew by 7; 5 boys and 2 girls. Three of the boys continued the wooden boat heritage with Father and sons working for Gidley, Grews, Ditchburn, Greavette and Dukes. Ron Butson, the youngest of the three and his son Tim, joined forces at Greavette Boats. When Greavette’s discontinued operations Ron and Tim started Butson Boats in June of 1981.

  Butson Boats restoration work is painstakingly detailed. After a thorough inspection of the antique wooden boat the restoration process begins. Through each step of the process, from ribs to planking, fittings to interior, every piece is hand crafted to exact replication. The finest materials available are used, and after hand sanding to the finest detail, the craft is ready for final finishing. The end result is a beautifully restored antique wooden boat ready for the show.

  Butson Boats also builds it’s own version the Sports Runabout from the 1930’s. Ron Butson designed his own 19' Gentleman Racer, making some modifications to accommodate a modern day V8 engine and perform properly under this power.

  Butson Boats also builds two types of rowing skiffs in three lengths: a 17' cedar strip rowing skiff and a fibreglass rowing skiff, a 15' cedar lapstrake St. Lawrence rowing skiff (Ladies), and a 18' cedar lapstrake St. Lawrence rowing skiffs. Each of these skiffs have won awards in their various classes at shows in the U.S. and Canada.

  Open year round and proud to tour people through their shop and provide maintenance information to interested wooden boat-owners, Butson also runs a small brokerage business that provides a selection of used classic wooden boats. 

  For more information on Butson Boats contact them at (705) 765-3186, e-mail butson@muskoka.com or visit their website at www.muskoka.com/butsonboats