A. Visitor and fuel dock. Main office is at the start of the dock.
B. Restaurant and bar, The Upper Deck
C. Washroom, for marina guests only, requires key code.
D. Yorkbay Mechanical Services

You can learn more about the marina as well as access their online reservation form through their website: http://torontoislandmarina.com

Daily rate was $2.25/ft per night with discounts for weekly or monthly stays. Includes water and 30 amp service.

Arriving for the first time

We found it easier to just call them on the phone, 416-203-1055 to let them know you are coming in. They will ask you to dock at the Fuel dock and come in and complete the paperwork before assigning you a slip.

As you are coming in, keep an eye out for the ferry, it arrives on a regular schedule and docks just to the right of the fuel dock. Be careful as you enter or leave the harbour, this ferry comes in fast!

Here’s a view of the visitor’s dock, the fuel dock is behind the ice machine on the left.

We moved from the visitor dock to our assigned slip and it felt like the Catalina is a boat of choice around here. We had two in front of us, and another off our port side.

Facilities

The facilities were decent, the washrooms were in this one central building. Inside was painted cinder blocks and fairly clean but had a mildew smell. And showers were open concept with little privacy.

Definitely check out the bar! It had a great mix of boaters, tourists and locals. We spent a few hours and dollars there while we visited! Keep an eye on the little birds, they like to sneak up on you.

While we were there we took advantage of the laundry facilities, corner store and also was able to get help with some engine trouble we were having. The gasket on our oil filter had sprung a leak. The local shop, Yorkbay Mechanical Services, had the right filter in stock and even lent me a oil filter wrench so I could change it over myself.

There is also a really nice looking Albacore sailing school.

A nicely setup boat they use for teaching students the various components, along with a very famous name.

Around the marina

There’s an interesting laid back vibe, almost hippy like, around the marina. All the locals have setup social spots around the docks with lawn chairs circled around a table or home made tiki bars setup at various spots. It was a bit scattered and unorganized but funky and welcoming.

You will be able to find all sorts of forgotten items around the marina.

The true ambiance of the marina can only be felt at night time. Most of the tourists from Toronto have taken the last ferry home and the friendly locals will all come out to enjoy the peace and quiet of the night.

It becomes magical as there are fairy lights everywhere lighting up the paths and picnic benches around the marina.

The locals

Everyone we met in the marina was friendly and happy. It was a great vibe. We had the sailors in the boat next to us pop up and join us in singing happy birthday to our son. And remember that oil filter issue I had? The mechanic was on the other side of the marina and I had to go back and forth a few times to get things figured out. Another local saw me walking and called over to me and said “hey, take my bike, it will be much faster”. Thank you random stranger! He was right, it was much faster!

Toronto Island Park

We walked over the park and rented a quad bicycle car for a few hours to explore. There’s a lot to do and see on the island. Some of the things I liked the most were:

  • Bicycle cars – kids didn’t want to be caught riding one, but their attitude changed quickly after we started passing other bicycles. It was great initiation to the island, we were able to quickly cover a lot of ground to learn more about what was on the island.
  • Pier and beach – wasn’t a fan of the thumpy bass music but interesting place to visit and also went for a swim near the pier early one morning and it was beautiful.
  • Maze – there was a fun, and free, hedge maze North-West of the pier. Some of us got lost in it, and others quickly found the exit. We all had fun, just got a bit crowded at one point as I think a school bus showed up with 20-40 kids.
  • Running – woke up early and ran to the airport and back. Definitely do this before the ferries start showing up!