Catchacoma Marina
4178 County Road 507 K0L 1J0 Buckhorn, ON, Canada

WE ARE OFFICIALLY CLOSED FOR THE SEASON It is fair to say that this year has been somewhat challenging both with a global pandemic impacting our marina operations as well as a new manager navigating uncharted territories. It impacted when we could open, how we could open, inventory levels, customer service to name just a few elements of marina life. As manager Jeff has moved on, we thank him for his efforts during this unprecedented season. Thanks to the tireless efforts of b...oth staff and volunteers, boats are now winterized, marina docks pulled, and customer docks harboured. The marina is officially closed now until next season. Dave Curtis and Mike Turner oversaw this year close with the dedicated efforts of Ryan, Chevy, Melissa, Brian, Drew & Aaron. We are in good position and already looking forward to next season’s opening. Thank you. More good news is that we are pleased to announce that we have secured the services of a new marina manager who will begin February 1, 2021. As the new manager is currently winding down their current business to be able to focus exclusively on our marina operations starting this spring, we will share more specific details early in January. Thank you in advance for your understanding. One last item, for those who have their boats stored at the marina, a reminder to have proper insurance coverage in place for your vessels as they are not covered by the marina policy. Regards Your friendly Catchacoma Marina Board of Directors

BUOYS ARE OUT OF THE WATER CAUTION....the buoys have been removed today. There are no traffic or hazard markers on the lake or the narrows. Please make sure to navigate with care when out on the water. Thanks to the Catchacoma Cottagers Association and theiR dedicated team of volunteers who went out on this cool morning to complete this important job. You guys ROCK!!!... If you missed out on supporting the Catchacoma Cottagers Association this year you still can do that at https://catchacomalake.com/product/donations/

Accident on 507 between Flynns and Mississauga. Traffic stopped both ways.

OMG-COTTAGE-SEASON-IS-COMING-TO-AN-END UPDATE We trust everyone is looking forward to the Thanksgiving weekend. The early weather forecast is looking favourable! A few updates as we usher in the weekend: Marina hours:... Daily 8am 5pm, closed Wednesdays, until the end of October LCBO hours: Sunday October 11th - Closed for the season Customer Dock Storage For those customers who have the marina store their docks, we can start this process after the Thanksgiving weekend. Please email [email protected] to arrange. Boats Out Just a friendly reminder that all inboard and/or stern drives must be turned over to the marina by Tuesday October 13th as they are more susceptible to freezing. All remaining boats need to be delivered to the marina no later than Sunday October 18th. Again, please email [email protected] to arrange. Finally, please be mindful that this weekend will be busy at the marina- your patience and understanding in the store, on the docks and in the parking areas is appreciated. Have a safe long weekend!

As boating season draws to a close here is a message for people with boats docked and/or stored at the marina. Please provide two weeks written notice to the manager to accommodate requests for removal. Send your notice to [email protected]. Please drop off your boat at the marina or make it available for pick-up as soon as possible. Boats with inboard and/or stern drives are more susceptible to freezing so please turn over to the marina by Tuesday October... 13th. All remaining boats need to be out of the water by no later than Sunday October 18th. The marina will not be held responsible for any damage to boats not turned over to the marina by these deadlines. This "boats out" policy applies both to members and non-members. To those of you planning to spend Thanksgiving at the cottage we wish you a fun-filled weekend. We have lots to be thankful for.

A section of Catchacoma’s east shoreline along with Bottle Creek and a glimpse of Bottle L and Sucker L. Thanks Dave Curtis, for sharing.

This photo of the marina, nestled among the fall colours and nudging beautiful Catchacoma Lake is a sight to behold. Thanks Kevin Hoare for the photo contribution.

A quiet Saturday morning at the marina. Photo by Tayrn Darby.

A MESSAGE FROM MANAGER JEFF As we enter the last long weekend of summer we turn our thoughts to cooler days and fall colours. Here at the marina we will begin preparations for dock and boat storage and cottage winterizing. Our boat and motor winterizing supplies have been delivered and we are ready to service your watercraft. With the hours of sunlight getting shorter, store and LCBO hours will be reduced. Following Labour Day the store will be open daily 8-5. The LCBO will b...e open 10-5. Thank you for your cooperation. Jeff, marina manager

Come and visit our store to check out the new LCBO outlet and some new products we’re bringing to our lake community.

Our current hours

Our selection of LCBO products is growing. Along with popular wines and spirits we will feature excellent local craft beer to give our customers something new to try and support other cottage country businesses. Some of these products you may not be able to find anywhere else so come check us out!

A beautiful week to be at the lake. Thanks Dave Curtis for the contribution.

Aren't we fortunate to be Canadians and what a better place to appreciate Canada than in the Kawartha Highlands. Rob B took this fabulous photo on Canada Day 2019 on Catchacoma Lake.

Boshkung beer is now available at the Marina Convenience Outlet.

Saturday sunset over Baldwin Bay. Thanks, Rob B for sharing.

If you're not on the lake, here is your Catchacoma fix for this week. Thanks, Dave Curtis, for sharing.

So, thanks to the coronavirus it looks like one of the great Catchacoma traditions will fall by the wayside this year - the serving of personal ice cream cones at the marina. I can hide out at home for a couple months without a care, but no ice cream cones at the marina? Now that's a step too far. But never fear, all is not lost. Kawartha Ice Cream by the tub will be available in a coneucopia of flavours. And as for the seven winners of the Ice Cream Ice Out Challenge, well, they have the pleasure of walking out of the marina store with two free tubs to enjoy back at the cottage. I guess life in the age of covid isn't so bad after all ~ Rick

The marina today. Can you see your boat? Thanks, Gord, for sharing.

The marina is now fully operational. We offer full service gas, propane and store services with the exception of ice cream scooping, although ice cream by the tub is available. Boats-in requests have been met. Hours are 9am - 5pm.

Social distancing on Bottle Creek yesterday. Thanks, Caroline Ladouceur for sharing.

Well, the long weekend is upon us and the good news is that marinas in Ontario are allowed to open to the public beginning tomorrow. With that being said Catchacoma marina will be open with limited services and hours. The services being provided will include gas, water, some propane, and boat launching. The store will not be open this weekend and parking will be limited as there are still boats in the yard. Marina hours will be reduced to 9am to 4pm. I know everybody is anxio...us to get the 2020 season underway but when you arrive we ask that social distancing protocol be applied. This includes areas such as gas docks, parking lots and boat docks. This will ensure the safety of the staff and yourself. Beginning Tuesday, May 19th we will begin to stock the store (ice, wood, groceries, etc). We should be fully operational by Friday, May 22nd with extended hours. We are now accepting "boats in" requests. Please keep in mind that since we are starting the season later than normal there will be a waiting list. We do still ask for 2 weeks written notice ( email me at [email protected]) with a specific date for pick up. That's all for now. Have a safe and happy weekend. Jeff Fice, Marina Manager

The marina is still closed but man do those docks look good. Thanks for the photos, Jeff.

Further to Doug Ford's announcement today: Marinas may begin preparations for the recreational boating season by servicing boats and other watercraft and placing boats in the water, but not open to the public. Boats and watercraft must be secured to a dock in the marina until public access is allowed. This means that docks will start going in on Monday when staff will be available. Jeff will be sending out a notice about reserving launch dates.

Some good news for a change. You can read Cottage Life's May issue for free at https://cottagelife.zinioapps.com/shop. But more exciting, Doug Ford has just announced that marinas....can gear up to open later. I'm sure we'll hear soon as to what that actually means. In the meantime let's refrain from bothering Jeff about questions regarding boat launching.

https://apple.news/AP0PbPLDxReaxJRo6F5vGAw

MESSAGE FROM THE MARINA MANAGER As you are all well aware this year has presented some big challenges and the marine industry is no different. As of right now Catchacoma Marina is to be closed to the public until May 13th as per the government non-essential services list. As we understand this order it means no boats or docks in the water until this time, or such time as the order is lifted. Once the order is lifted (May 13th as of now) our normal boats in policy will a...pply. The policy requires a minimum 2 weeks written notice to be received by the marina with the request for the boat(s) to be readied. The request should have a specific date where possible. With that being said people must understand that the volume of boats the marina can prep/handle at any time may be limited by such factors as staffing, weather, timing or other issues that may arise (such as social distancing). The marina will also not launch any boats or take requests if your account is not up to date (i.e. winter storage fees outstanding etc..). Again, with the challenges of social distancing we may need to limit access to the marina. This could include such things as limiting the number of cars arriving to pick up their boats, limiting the number of boats at the gas docks, limiting the number of people in the store at any one time or even setting defined pick up times. We do request that customers avoid the workshop area and direct any questions or concerns to the Manager. We understand these are difficult times for everyone but we ask that you be patient with staff as we will do or best to satisfy everyone’s requests in a timely and safe manner. If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact me at [email protected] or 705-772-0695. Stay safe, Stay healthy. Jeff Fice

CONGRATULATIONS Hannah O’Brien, Lee Franklin, Laura Restivo, Katie Coones-Ronan, Sally Ufkes and Alysha Giles for winning the Ice Cream Ice Out Challenge. Just walk up to the marina store anytime from Canada Day to Labour Day with 6 friends to get your free ice cream cones. Thanks to David Curtis for agreeing to sponsor this year's Ice Cream Challenge. I have to admit though that I blew it. The Board has a policy to not invite commercial sponsorships. So in the future the marina will go back to sponsoring the Ice Cream Challenge. My apologies ~ Rick

THE ICE IS OUT!

Ice Out Update Baldwin Bay went out yesterday, but there are still areas that are inaccessible, particularly in the north end of the lake. Six people have their fingers crossed that today's the day but there are a whole lot more who are sending cold vibes to cottage country. The temperature is currently below zero so who know what will happen?

Still waiting...

IT'S CLOSE! If the ice goes out today, congratulations to Doug Pickles and Jordan Pind. If tomorrow, congratulations to Logan Hill.

A fire ban is in effect. The intent is to protect people and communities from the risk of preventable human-caused fires and to ensure that the province’s emergency response system remains strong during the COVID-19 outbreak.

CUSTOMERS & FRIENDS OF CATCHACOMA MARINA We hope that you and your family are doing well in these difficult and challenging times. In this time of great uncertainty, there is one thing we are sure of, this is not the start to cottage season we were all looking forward to. In response to current COVID-19 outbreak, Catchacoma Marina is closed to the public at least until April 18th when new government regulations are published.... The health and safety of our staff, members, and customers is paramount. As such, customers with boats in storage are advised that boat launching will be delayed this season depending on the public health requirements. As a reminder boat launching will follow marina standard practice following Ice Out notice and two weeks advance email request for your boat in date. We will work hard to launch customer’s boats only when it is possible to do so safely; please expect delays. We are very optimistic and looking forward to resuming more normal operations a little later in the season. We will provide you with updates as we work our way through this. Thank you for your understanding during these difficult times. Be careful, be safe! Catchacoma Marina

Just as we’re all excited about the impending ice out, this goes and happens. Taken this morning by marina manager Jeff.

We're getting SO close. This was taken yesterday at the entrance to Baldwin Bay looking east.

Maybe it won't be two weeks after all until the ice is out. Maybe not even a week. I don't know why I even bother making predictions. The winning Ice Cream Challenge date is still wide open ~ Rick

Aww rats, more bad news. According to regulations released yesterday by the Ontario government, marinas are allowed to remain open but only to the extent that is necessary to enable individuals to access their primary place of residence. Well, we can always dream - here is a photo from happier times of Rob B's two sons paddling up Bottle Creek in a canoe rented from the marina ~ Rick

As much as the puddle at the boat launch ramp stirs excitement in any cottager, we still have maybe a couple of weeks before Catchacoma Lake will be fully ice free. And then how many months before the stay-out-of-cottage-country advisory ends? The traditional May 24 cottage opening may have to be abandoned but can we hope for Canada Day?

ICE OUT ICE CREAM CHALLENGE Almost 100 people participated in the 2020 Ice Out Ice Cream Challenge. Now all we have to do is wait...for weeks - UGH! Not that we're sitting around at home with nothing to do until April. All I can say is they better not add going to the cottage to the list of banned activities. APRIL PREDICTIONS If the ice goes out April 17 there will be 13 very happy people and if each of them can find 6 friends, that makes 91 happy people. Let's hope tha...t social distancing is no longer a thing in the heat of the summer. If you participated but you don't see your name below please leave a comment - I might have missed you ~ Rick APRIL 1 Guinness Chien, Erin Beevor, 8 Benita Ings, 10 Doug Pickles, Jordan Pind 11 Logan Hill, 12 Cathy Verge, Pam Pind, 13 David Conway, Taina Kanerva, Becki Bouskill, Christopher Witkowski, Robin Christofferson-Johnson, Lawson Hill, Ken Bestard, 14 Hannah O’Brien, Lee Franklin, Laura Restivo, Katie Coones-Ronan, Sally Ufkes, Alysha Giles, 15 Cathy Vernon, Tori Kirton, Tania Wilson, Judi Coyle, Sawyer Hill, Tanya Wilson, Sarah Mortimer, Kim Hume, Leslie Brown, 16 Kimberly Inkster, Tom Waller, Bobby Bouskill, Ian Hazell, Jennifer Brown-Bannon, Logan De Groot, 17 Valerie Pitt, Kevin Pind, Murray Kidd, Jackie Luscombe, Sandi Walters, Chrissy Baksi, Karen O’Donnell-Hackerr, Connie Couling, Brad Davis, William B Bors, Bob Winters, Tom Tamblyn, Allaine Nordin, 18 Sherri Galler, Robert Winters, AngelaDavid Pind, Ted Spence, Kaathy Shears, Becki Bouskill, Glen Sheppard 19 Sue Cole, Jeff Doan, Kayla Michelle, Laura Witkowski, Pat Wade, Amanda Taylor, Tori Mulvale, Erin McClenaghan Christina Wilson, 20 Diana Simmonds, Jasmine Sager, Sarah Jennings-Kuntz, Marcus Schlechta, David Harrison, Denise Irvine, Alyssa Bohaychuk-Warren 21 Sherry Higgins, Tyler Cuppy, Ruth Bestard, Lisa Gray, Andrea D Woodbeck, Joe Natale, Tom Andrews, Lisa Rout 22 Marni Johnson, Scott Luscombe, Lynda Pickles, Katie Anne, Kristaps Roze, Maureen Beatty 23 Liz Winters, Sharon Lees, Alex Galler, Andrea Magoffin, Margaret Fryer, 24 Jeremy Dyck, Lyndsey Higgins, 25 Robyn Sheridan, Ben Reynolds, 26 Rach Ann, Carol Milburn, 28 Amy Lou

ICE OUT ICE CREAM CHALLENGE It's that time of year again. Make your ice out prediction here by midnight, Tuesday, March 17. Ice Out Day is declared the first day that a boat can reach every cottage on Catchacoma Lake. Note that smaller neighbouring lakes might be ice free a day or more earlier. People who accurately predict Ice Out Day will have the pleasure of walking up to the marina any day from Canada Day to Labour Day to receive 7 Kawartha Dairy ice cream cones for fre...e - this will definitely give you hero status with 6 people... if only temporarily. Real estate agent and Catchacoma cottager Dave Curtis will sponsor 7 winners (7 for 7) this year and the marina will put in for the remainder. Last year there were 10 winners which was an all time high. To enter, just comment below with your date. Only one submission per person, of course. Last year the ice went out April 27. Don't take my word for it but I have a feeling it will go out earlier this year. May the best ice cream lovers win ~ Rick See more

https://www.facebook.com/events/3467850843288735/

What better place to observe the crazy bright Snow Moon than at the cottage. Dave Curtis took this stunning photo at 7pm using night settings.

Caroline Ladouceur enters Baldwin Bay after a glorious day at the cottage.