Bessy B Built 1926
by Nancy Howchin
Bessy B is named after her original owner Elizabeth Bowling, a teacher who started coming to Kahshe Lake in 1918. It was her pride and joy running up and down Kahshe Lake.
I do question sometimes how well it ran as most old photo's show Miss Bowling holding a specially made long paddle, sitting graciously and not going anywhere. She, a spinster, had many years coddling it and then Bessy B was given to Ruth Dundas, who bought the old Bowling cottage. It sat up on specially made horses and had its own little boat house. Every year Ruth's son Brian, varnished it religiously whether it needed it or not. It sat for years in the boat house, as Ruth, the keeper saw over it.
Ruth and my father, Vic Stringer were special friends and they would talk about the great little boat and how wonderful it would be to get the Dippy back into the water again. Many people came to see it, but my husband Dennis, being Vic's son-in-law and an engineer, was the man. He worked on Bessy B starting in 1982 and by 1985 we gave a relaunching party right on Miss Bowling's dock. Its yellow cypress wood gleamed as it motored guests in period costumes around Kahshe Lake . It was quoted as being 1 of the top 10 Dispros because of the number of original parts. Even its original floor boards make the Dispro approximately 95% original.
In August, 1986, when Bessy B turned 60 years old, she was taken out of Kahshe Lake for the first time. She toured up the Indian River to Port Carling. Here she passed by the original piers where the Disappearing Propeller Boat Company once stood. The month she turned 60, August, 1986, she was at the exact same spot where she had her beginning. Her new life has been exciting. She has been on Kahshe Lake, Lake Muskoka, Lake Ontario, and many regattas on different lakes. Her best trip was probably on a misery trip up to the North Channel and on to Killarney carrying 4 campers. Bessy B is again young!
Who knows what her future is. Who knows what happens in the lives of boats. Only the Shadow knows!
Photos by Steve Moretti
