See why boaters across Ontario choose Harris Boat Works for the full breakdown of our approach. --- Why Whitby boaters drive to Harris Boat Works: about 45 minutes to Gores Landing on Rice Lake for Mercury repower and service # Mercury Dealer for Whitby: Short Drive, Long...
Quick answer: Harris Boat Works is a Mercury Marine Premier Dealer in Gores Landing on Rice Lake, approximately 45 minutes north of Whitby via Highway 401 east and Highway 115. We handle Mercury outboard sales, repowers, parts, and service. See installed pricing at mercuryrepower.ca. For engine repairs, we only service Mercury and MerCruiser.
See why boaters across Ontario choose Harris Boat Works for the full breakdown of our approach.
Whitby sits in that Durham Region sweet spot, far enough east to have cleared most of the GTA congestion, close enough to Rice Lake that a trip up here isn't a production.
At approximately 45 minutes via the 401 and Highway 115, we're within range of being your regular dealer, not just the place you went once for a big purchase.
We're not in Whitby. Harris Boat Works is in Gores Landing on Rice Lake, about 45 minutes northeast via the 401 and 115. Here's why Whitby boaters make the drive.
Why "Regular Dealer" Matters at 45 Minutes
Most GTA boaters treat their dealer relationship as transactional. Buy the motor, maybe get it serviced once, otherwise figure it out yourself.
What we see from Whitby customers who've made the trip a habit: they come up for spring commissioning, get a service issue sorted in June, do winterization in October, and store with us over winter. The boat is here most of the time, ready when they are. The relationship replaces a lot of the friction that comes from trying to coordinate service across multiple shops.
At 45 minutes, that's a realistic model. You're not driving 90 minutes each way to drop off the boat for an oil change. You're making a run that fits into a Saturday morning.
The GTA's Pricing Problem, and What We Do Instead
The call-for-quote model is standard across GTA marine dealers. You look up a motor online, find no price, call, and start a conversation you didn't fully want yet. The price emerges through the interaction, not before it.
Our quote builder at mercuryrepower.ca works the other way. Installed pricing, motor, rigging, and installation, in Canadian dollars, in about three minutes, before you talk to anyone. See the number. Decide if it makes sense. Engage us when you're ready. For Mercury pricing for every model on one page, see our published price reference.
Whitby customers who've used this tell us the thing they value most is making the trip knowing exactly what they're coming to spend, not hoping the price turns out to be reasonable.
Mercury Premier + Three Generations
Mercury Premier is the top dealer tier, parts depth, warranty authorization, technical training. We've held it for years. Harris Boat Works has been on Rice Lake since 1947, third generation. We're not running a high-volume sales floor. The model here depends on doing right by people, and Whitby's close enough that our mistakes would find their way back to us fast.
What Harris Boat Works Handles for Whitby Customers
Mercury outboard sales
2.5 HP through 600 HP. Our standard repower lineup is FourStroke and Pro XS. Verado is available on special order, and SeaPro is a commercial-duty option we bring in to order. We'll have an honest conversation about what works for your hull and how you use it.
Repower service
Full job: motor, rigging, controls, throttle and shift cables, prop selection, installation, lake test. For Whitby customers, we can realistically handle your annual service schedule, not just one-off repowers.
Mercury parts and service
Premier-tier parts depth and warranty authorization. For engine repairs, we only service Mercury and MerCruiser.
Winter storage
Outdoor winter storage with shrinkwrap. We don't offer indoor, heated, climate-controlled, summer, or year-round storage. At 45 minutes, keeping the boat at HBW through winter makes logistical sense. The boat stays close to Rice Lake, and physical service resumes when we reopen in early April.
Installed pricing online
mercuryrepower.ca, see it before you leave Whitby.
Getting to Harris Boat Works from Whitby
Route: Highway 401 east to Highway 115 north, then County Road 28 north to Gores Landing. Mostly highway, the transition from 401 to 115 is clean, and the last stretch on County Road 28 is rural driving through cottage country.
Approximate drive time: Around 45 minutes outside rush hour. From north Whitby toward Brooklin, you may get there even a bit faster. From Whitby south near the 401, it's a very manageable drive.
Address: 5369 Harris Boat Works Rd, Gores Landing, ON K0K 2E0
Phone: 905-342-2153
Service requests: hbw.wiki/service
Motor pricing: mercuryrepower.ca
How to Start
- Build a quote at mercuryrepower.ca. Know the real installed price before you leave.
- Consider whether you want an ongoing service relationship, not just a purchase. At 45 minutes, the math on using us for commissioning, service, and winterization works.
- Submit a service request at hbw.wiki/service if you're starting with a service job rather than a purchase.
- Call or text ahead: 905-342-2153. We'll have someone ready for you.
The HBW Promise
Transparent installed pricing before you leave Whitby. A service relationship that makes sense at 45 minutes. No phone-tag, no call-for-quote, no runaround.
That's the deal. Has been since 1947.
Build your quote: mercuryrepower.ca
Request service: hbw.wiki/service
Call or text: 905-342-2153
Harris Boat Works, Gores Landing on Rice Lake. Mercury Marine Premier dealer. Mercury dealer since 1965, family marina on Rice Lake since 1947.
Where Whitby Boaters Launch and Why HBW Sees Steady Volume from the Area
Whitby has a strong boating community built around Whitby Harbour Marina, city-owned with 200+ slips and a public launch. The Whitby Yacht Club anchors a strong sailing and power-boating scene; Lake Ontario shoreline here is active year-round with recreational use.
The drive to Rice Lake is 45 minutes via the 401 east and Highway 115 north. Clear midweek, weekend cottage traffic is the only friction. Tuesday-Thursday mornings are ideal for service trips.
Why some Whitby boaters consider HBW:
- Mature local boating community. Owners assessing an older Mercury or another-brand motor can use our repower cost guide to compare repair, repower, and replacement without assuming the answer in advance.
- Proximity makes it practical. 45 minutes is reasonable for a multi-thousand-dollar repower investment, closer than most central Toronto dealers once you factor in 401 traffic.
- Mercury Premier-level support. HBW offers Mercury-specific diagnostics, a documented rigging scope, current pricing, and continuity between installation and future service history. No dealer can promise a trouble-free lifespan or a particular warranty outcome.
