What pickup options are available?
We offer three pickup types, each suited to a different situation:
Dock pickup
We bring our trailer to your property or a nearby access point, haul your boat out of the water, load it, and transport it to storage. This works well for cottages with a ramp or low dock where a trailer can be backed in. For deeper docks or properties without trailer access, we use a public boat ramp nearby and you bring the boat over by water (or we arrange a driver).
Marina pickup
If your boat is at a marina slip for the season, we coordinate directly with the marina for haul-out. Many marinas in Muskoka have existing haul-out infrastructure; we pick up the boat after their crane or travel lift pulls it, load it on our trailer, and bring it to our facility. We have working relationships with several marinas in the area.
Driveway pickup
If your boat is already on a trailer at your cottage or home, this is the simplest option. We hook up to your trailer (or load your boat onto ours), transport it to storage, and return both trailer and boat in spring. Lowest-cost pickup option since there is no haul-out involved.
Boat ramp service
If your cottage does not have trailer access and you prefer not to use marina haul-out, we can meet you at a public boat ramp. You bring the boat over on the water, we load it at the ramp and take it from there. Public ramps are available on most major Muskoka lakes.
How does the pickup process work, step by step?
- Book online or by phone. Tell us your boat's make, length, and location. We confirm your zone and assigned route date.
- Pre-pickup confirmation. A few days before pickup, we send a confirmation with your appointment window and any site prep needed (drain plug out, bimini folded, antenna removed, etc.).
- Pickup day. We arrive in the window, walk around the boat together to note existing condition, complete an intake form, and load the boat. You sign off; we photograph everything.
- Transport and wrap. We bring the boat to our facility, apply shrink wrap (if booked), and park it in your assigned storage bay.
- Confirmation sent. You get a confirmation with your storage bay number and condition report photos.
- Spring booking. We contact you in March to schedule your spring return date. Same process in reverse.
What does pickup cost?
Pickup is priced by how we reach the boat, not by how far away you are and not by boat size. Each price below is a round trip: it covers the October haul-out and the spring return together, so there is no second invoice in May.
| Pickup method | What it means | Round trip (fall + spring) |
|---|---|---|
| Self drop-off | You bring the boat to us and collect it in spring | Free |
| Public ramp | You meet us at a public launch ramp | $245 |
| Driveway | We collect the boat on its trailer from your property | $295 |
| Cottage dock | We come to your dock, load onto our trailer, and haul | $445 |
Those are the whole price. There is no mileage fee and no distance surcharge anywhere we serve. For boats over 28 feet, or for long-haul transport outside Muskoka, contact us for a quote. See our full pricing page to build your exact package.
Pay-in-full discount: Pay in full by card at booking and your winter storage is 25% off. The discount is on storage only: pickup and return, winterization, shrink wrapping and commissioning are always at the regular price. A 25% deposit holds your spot with the balance due at pickup, but does not carry a discount.
Do I need to be present for pickup?
We strongly prefer you or an authorized person to be present for the first pickup. Walking the boat together -- noting any existing dings, cracks, or issues -- protects both of us. We photograph the condition on arrival; you sign the intake sheet confirming the condition is accurately noted.
If you cannot be present, contact us in advance. A property manager, neighbor, or family member can stand in. We will not accept a boat without someone present to sign off on the condition, so if no one is available on the scheduled date, we will reschedule for your next route day.
Which lakes and areas do you service for pickup?
We run scheduled pickup routes across Muskoka through October and into November:
- Within about 35 minutes of Huntsville: Huntsville area lakes (Fairy Lake, Lake Vernon, Peninsula Lake), Lake Muskoka east shore, Bracebridge area, Port Sydney, Baysville, Port Carling area
- About 35 to 60 minutes out: Lake Rosseau, Lake Joseph, Lake Muskoka west shore, Gravenhurst, Bala, Windermere, Rosseau, Dorset, MacTier
Drive time affects which route day you land on, not what you pay. Pickup is the same published price across the whole service area.
If your location is not listed, contact us. We cover most of Muskoka and can often fit outlying locations into an existing route day.
How far in advance do I need to book?
Book by September 15 for a guaranteed October pickup date. That gives us enough lead time to build routes efficiently and place you on the right route day. After September 15 we are still taking boats and still running routes, we simply place you on the next day that has room rather than the day you picked.
Spring return bookings are managed separately. We contact all storage customers in March to schedule return dates by zone. Customers with early bookings get first pick of spring dates.
What if my cottage is not closing until late October?
Not a problem. We run pickup routes through November for late-season cottage closers. Just tell us your target dates when you book and we will place you on the appropriate route. November pickups are more weather-dependent than October runs, so a one-to-two day flexibility window helps.