Sunset Cruises - Captain Randy Potts
I would not have believed if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes! One day last spring I drove to Bracebridge to meet Captain Randy Potts. Randy owns Sunset Cruises and the M.V. Idyllwood. The Idyllwood is a 40 foot 1920’s era yacht that was faithfully restored by Randy. He has the photographs and memories to prove it! It took Potts several years to complete the restoration, but the end result is a boat that any owner would be proud of! The Idyllwood, under the capable hands of Captain Randy cruises the Muskoka Lakes. Don’t let his youthful looks deceive you, he has been a licensed Captain for over 20 years and has been at the helm of some mighty impressive ships, including the famous R.M.S. Segwun.

The Idyllwood accommodates 12 guests in refined luxury. When I traveled all the way to Bracebridge, I did want to see the M.V. Idyllwood, but, frankly I was more interested in Randy’s latest restoration project, the Peerless II. For 49 years the Peerless II roamed the Muskoka Lakes delivering gasoline and home heating fuel to the cottagers and residents of the lakes. In 1994 the Peerless II was taken out of service and sold to become a private vessel. Then in September of 2003, Captain Randy Potts and Sunset Cruises purchased the Peerless II. You would have thought that Potts’ experiences of restoring the Idyllwood would have made him think twice about taking on a project of this magnitude, but obviously that was not the case!

So here I was, standing on the bare deck of the Peerless II, as Randy described what he had already done, what was left to do and what it was going to be like when he was finished. Back on the Idyllwood, Randy showed me photographs of the restoration so far. As I said before, I couldn’t believe my own eyes! The work that had been done was incredible, and to think Randy was working alone during most of the restoration!
At that point last year, Randy had hoped that the restorations would be far enough along in the fall of 2009 that he would be able to take the restored Peerless II on its maiden voyage. However, time and circumstances have delayed the launch date. The fall of 2010 is now the planned launch target. I have already registered my name as a passenger on the maiden cruise. It should be quite the experience! If you like cruising the Muskoka Lakes and want to be part of history, I would suggest you put your name on the waiting list! I am sure space will be limited!

In the meantime, the summer is now upon us and the M.V. Idyllwood and its Captain, Randy Potts, are ready to go! So, if you want to see and learn more about Muskoka and the Muskoka Lakes, don’t miss a cruise on the Idyllwood! Randy knows more stories about the lakes then anyone I know and he is glad to share them with his passengers! Rain or shine, cool or warm, the Idyllwood is equipped to handle all climates! Well, perhaps not ice or snow! Find out more about Captain Randy, his boats and the 2009 cruising schedule by visiting the Sunset Cruises website at http://www.sunsetcruises.ca.