Kawartha Lakes boaters use Harris Boat Works for practical Mercury recommendations grounded in real Ontario lake use, fishing, family cruising, and cottage utility, with transparent CAD pricing and no "call for price" runaround.
Last reviewed: 2026-05-24
Quick answer: Harris Boat Works serves Mercury repower customers across the Kawartha Lakes from our shop in Gores Landing on Rice Lake. We're a Mercury Platinum Dealer, family-owned since 1947. Every motor is water-tested on Rice Lake before pickup. No shipping. A full repower typically runs $11,000-$40,000 CAD. Build a quote at mercuryrepower.ca.
About this pickup area
Kawartha Lakes boaters use Harris Boat Works for practical Mercury recommendations grounded in real Ontario lake use, fishing, family cruising, and cottage utility, with transparent CAD pricing and no "call for price" runaround. Travel: within practical pickup range of Gores Landing (45–75 min). Pickup only at 5369 Harris Boat Works Rd, Gores Landing, Ontario. Sales catchment only, no mobile service, no delivery.
Key facts
- Region: Kawartha Lakes, part of the Trent-Severn Waterway
- Drive time to HBW: 45–60 min from most Kawartha towns
- Lakes served: Pigeon, Sturgeon, Cameron, Balsam, Buckhorn, Stony
- Typical full repower: $11,000–$40,000 CAD
- HBW coordinates: 44.1147, -78.2564
- Family-owned since 1947, Mercury Platinum Dealer, selling Mercury since 1965
How far is Harris Boat Works from the Kawartha Lakes?
The Kawartha chain stretches roughly from Lake Scugog in the southwest up through Sturgeon, Pigeon, Buckhorn, and Stony in the northeast. From most Kawartha towns, the drive to Gores Landing runs 45–60 minutes. Lakefield is closer to 45. Lindsay is about 60 via County Road 35 and Highway 7A. Bobcaygeon sits roughly 75 minutes north. Bridgenorth is about 40 minutes south.
Drive time is the honest tradeoff. We're not in the middle of the Kawarthas, we're one lake south, on Rice Lake. Customers who pick HBW pick us because they want a Mercury Platinum shop that's been rigging these motors since 1965, and because the water test happens on a real lake before they tow the boat home.
What Mercury motors do Kawartha Lakes boaters typically repower with?
The Kawartha chain runs the gamut. On Pigeon, Sturgeon, and Buckhorn we see a lot of pontoons and family runabouts repowering with Mercury FourStroke 90–150 HP, usually $11,000–$18,000 CAD for the motor alone. Cameron and Balsam see smaller fishing rigs running tiller FourStroke 9.9–25 HP at $2,800–$5,500 CAD. Stony Lake and the northern lakes see bigger boats, Pro XS V8 4.6L 175–225 HP at $18,000–$28,000 CAD, often with the Mercury Boost option for 25 extra horsepower on demand for 4–6 seconds.
If the old motor is a tired 2-stroke from the 1990s, the upgrade to a current Mercury FourStroke usually brings fuel efficiency gains, quieter operation, and the current Mercury Limited Warranty. Confirm the promo at quote time, Mercury changes warranty offers seasonally.
Where do Kawartha Lakes boaters launch?
Each lake in the chain has its own public access points. We don't recommend specific launches because conditions, parking, and fees change, your township or the Trent-Severn Waterway materials are the right source. What we can say is that the Trent-Severn ties the chain together, and many of our Kawartha repower customers move between lakes through the system. That's one reason Mercury Boost is a popular upgrade with pontoons that run heavy loads through lift locks and short channels.
For lakes on the south side of the chain, the drive to Gores Landing for pickup is a manageable day trip. For Bobcaygeon and Buckhorn, customers tend to combine pickup with other errands. See the Mercury repower process page for the full timeline.
How does pickup work for a Kawartha boater?
You drive to Gores Landing. We don't ship Mercury motors and we don't deliver to cottages, that's true for every repower we do, Kawartha included. The motor is installed on your boat at our shop, water-tested on Rice Lake, and ready for you to pick up. Bring the trailer, bring the boat, or drop the boat with us during quoting. Either way the boat leaves Gores Landing on its own wheels, with a Mercury that's been run through a full sea trial on the south shore.
For trade-ins, fill the form and we send a CAD figure within one business day. If you'd rather start with cost, the Mercury repower cost guide has ranges by HP and rigging scope.
What we see at HBW
Kawartha boats come to us from a dozen different lakes, and the prop call changes with every one. Chemong is shallow pontoon water, Stony runs deep, Sturgeon and Pigeon carry chop. We set the prop for the customer's home lake, not a stock recommendation.
Popular boat uses in Kawartha Lakes
- Cottage fishing boats
- Pontoons
- Utility boats
- Family runabouts
FAQ
- Are your recommendations appropriate for Kawartha lake conditions?
- Yes. We write for real Ontario lake use, Sturgeon, Pigeon, Buckhorn, Balsam, not generic brochure use.
- Do you quote in USD?
- No. All pricing is CAD only.
- Can Kawartha Lakes customers compare motors before driving down?
- Yes. Use the quote builder or the motor pages, both show live CAD pricing.
Visit Harris Boat Works
Harris Boat Works · 5369 Harris Boat Works Rd, Gores Landing, ON K0K 2E0 · Phone (905) 342-2153 · Family-owned since 1947 · Mercury Platinum Dealer, selling Mercury since 1965.
We're the repower side of Harris Boat Works, a family marina in Gores Landing serving boaters since 1947. The same techs who write your quote are the ones who rig and water-test the motor on Rice Lake.
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