Area guide · The Big Canoe

The Chi-Cheemaun: how to get on the big canoe

Chi-Cheemaun means big canoe in Ojibwe, and for everyone who lives up here the first horn of the year is the actual start of summer. It is also a working ship on a working schedule, which is the part visitors underestimate. Here is the season, the booking, the check-in and the cheapest way to enjoy the crossing.

Updated August 20264 minute read

Written by the hosts at Casolena Lakehouse for our guests. Now public for anyone visiting Tobermory.

The MS Chi-Cheemaun alongside her Tobermory berth with the bow door raised, TRAVEL IN GOOD SPIRITS and Indigenous artwork along the white hull, divers in the water in the foreground
Alongside in Tobermory with the bow up. The motto is painted on the hull and the crew mean it.

What the crossing actually is

The Chi-Cheemaun runs between Tobermory and South Baymouth on Manitoulin Island, and the sailing takes about 1 hour 45 minutes across open Georgian Bay. Driving the same distance around the bay costs the better part of a day, so for anyone heading north this is transport rather than an attraction. For everyone else it is the best 2 hours on the water the peninsula sells.

There is Indigenous art and interpretation on board, a cafeteria, indoor seating for the weather and a lot of deck. On a clear crossing you get islands, lighthouses and water that stays turquoise further out than seems reasonable.

The Chi-Cheemaun at her berth across Little Tub Harbour in morning light, with cobble bottom visible through clear water
Waiting for the morning sailing. You can see the harbour bottom from the promenade
The Chi-Cheemaun seen across the water through cedar branches from the limestone shore
She is visible from most of the village, which is useful when you are running late

The season and the schedule

The ferry sails from spring to mid-fall and then stops entirely. Plenty of Tobermory runs on the same calendar, which is why the village empties out when she does. Our winter guide covers what is left after that.

  • The 2026 season runs May 1 to October 18, split into 3 periods: spring from May 1 to June 18, peak summer from June 19 to September 7 and fall from September 8 to October 18.
  • Peak summer carries the most departures. Spring and fall thin out to fewer crossings, with a couple of extra Friday evening sailings added.
  • Off-peak fares apply outside the peak window, which is a real saving in June and September for exactly the same crossing.
  • Both terminals now charge a daily parking fee, new for 2026. Budget for it if you are leaving a car behind and walking on.
  • Confirm the times yourself. The official schedule is the only version that is current.
Little Tub Harbour from above with rental kayaks on the dock and the Chi-Cheemaun at the terminal with her bow door open
Bow door open, loading. The terminal sits at the head of Little Tub
The marina wall along Little Tub Harbour lined with boats and a Canadian flag, the ferry at the far end
The walk from the village to the terminal is about 5 minutes of this

Booking, and the part that catches people out

  • Reserve, and reserve early. Summer sailings sell out, weekends first, and a vehicle space is not something you can improvise on the day.
  • Walk-on passengers should reserve too. It is cheap and it removes the only real risk.
  • Fares depend on the vehicle. Car, RV and trailer are all priced differently, and there are discounts for children, seniors and groups.
  • Everyone checks in 1 hour before departure, drivers and walk-ons alike. This is the rule everybody underestimates and the reason this guide exists. Loading a ship is not the same as boarding a bus.
  • You cannot get back to your car mid-crossing. Take the jacket, the camera, the book and the snacks with you when you leave it.

The walk-on round trip, which is the local move

You do not have to be going to Manitoulin. Walking on for a return sailing is the cheapest way to spend 3 and a half hours on Georgian Bay, and it is the thing we suggest to anyone who looks at the price of a boat tour and hesitates. You get the same water, a deck to stand on and a cafeteria, and South Baymouth is a pleasant hour to walk around before you turn back.

The evening sailing out of Tobermory is the one to aim for if the forecast is clear. Watch for the occasional dinner cruise or stargazing sailing too. Those sell out fast, so set yourself a reminder.

Or just watch her, which is what the locals do

You do not have to sail to enjoy her. Watching the Chi-Cheemaun come and go is a long standing habit up here, and there are benches on the upper street above the terminal with a clear view down onto the ramp. People sit there through the whole thing, the cars coming off and the next queue going on. Bring a coffee.

Benches and flower planters on the upper street above the Chi-Cheemaun terminal, looking out over the water
The benches on the upper street, above the loading ramp

What to bring aboard

  • A layer more than the forecast. The breeze across open water in July is cold, and the deck is where you want to be.
  • Binoculars, for the islands and the lighthouses on the way over.
  • Snacks if you are particular. There is food on board and we still tend to pack our own.
  • Motion sickness tablets if you are prone. It is a big ship and it is also open water, and the 2 facts do not cancel out.

If you are not crossing

You can enjoy the ship without buying a ticket. She is berthed in Little Tub Harbour between sailings and visible from the whole promenade, and you can time a coffee around the arrival. If it is boats you are after more generally, the Flowerpot Island tour boats leave from the same harbour and the Big Tub wrecks are 5 minutes away by car.

The photos on this page come from 2 days in late August, which is peak season and looks it.

Schedules, fares and parking charges are set by Ontario Ferries and change year to year. Confirm on the official MS Chi-Cheemaun schedule before you travel. Trust them over any blog, ours included.

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