After a busy season that saw passenger volumes significantly increase, Owen Sound Transportation Company is preparing for the Fall repositioning cruise for the Chi-Cheemaun.
The last full day of service for the ferry is scheduled for October 15th, with the repositioning cruise to the Owen Sound Harbour set for Monday the 16th.
OSTC President and CEO Carl Kuhnke says that the cruise to Owen Sound is already sold out, without any announcements being made.
“We had over 300 people on a waiting list from the spring repositioning cruise from Owen Sound to Tobermory that said ‘please contact us first because if we didn’t make the spring, we want to make the fall [cruise].'”
Those fortunate enough to have a ticket will be able to enjoy the 4.5-hour cruise from Tobermory to Owen Sound, complete with a five-star buffet lunch, and entertainment from local musicians.
He says that they’ll also be holding a fundraiser for the Georgian Riding Association for Challenged Equestrians, also known as GRACE, and representatives from GRACE will be on board to provide information to the guests.
“We’ll have about a dozen individuals from GRACE on the ship coming down, and they’ll have an information booth,” says Kuhnke. “It’s a great organization for us to work with.”
Once the Chi-Cheemaun is docked in Owen Sound, crews will be working through the winter to complete repairs and upgrades on the 50-year-old vessel.
“We have to be certified by Transport Canada every five years to sail — from a hull standpoint, it’s in perfect condition,” he says about the work to be done.
Since the outside of the ship is typically in good shape, that means they do most of the work on the inside.
He says that the work never ends, but at least on a yearly basis, they can rotate what gets updated.
From a passenger comfort standpoint, one year may be the floors, another might see a change in carpeting, and another year may see the furniture updated.
Kuhnke says that they’re always upgrading kitchen equipment on board.
Even the ship’s equipment, such as navigation, needs to be upgraded from time to time, but they reserve that for the winter.
One feature that started as a pilot project that will be rolled out next year will include the use of Starlink, so that guests may use their wireless devices without having to deal with dead zones during their time aboard.
Since the Chi-Cheemaun is celebrating its 50th sailing season next year, some special events are planned for passengers, some of which can’t be announced yet.
But Kuhnke says “We’re planning a number of special events next year, most of which we haven’t finalized a lot of them, but there will be a return to dinner cruises, and other special events in addition to the two repositioning cruises that we will be doing.”