The MS Chi-Cheemaun's 2026 season ended on Sunday 18 October, and the ship has gone to dry dock in Hamilton. OSTC says reservations reopen in March 2027 and that the 2027 schedule will be posted early in the year. For reference, the 2026 autumn timetable had two departures a day from Tobermory, at 8:50 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., plus 6:10 p.m. on Fridays; an adult paid $18.05, tax free.
OSTC 2026 sailing season, now closed (last sailing 18 October 2026); the table shows the 2026 autumn timetable for reference; the 2027 schedule is announced as 'coming soon' and reservations reopen in March 2027; checked 26 October 2026 Owen Sound Transportation Company – 2026 Chi-Cheemaun Sailing Schedule · 2026-10-26
The ferry season is over for 2026. The MS Chi-Cheemaun works between Tobermory and South Baymouth only from spring to autumn, and this year it sailed from 1 May to Sunday 18 October. On 19 October it sailed overnight to Owen Sound and then left for dry dock in Hamilton for mandatory inspections and maintenance; OSTC ran no fall repositioning cruise this year.
Until the 18th the autumn pattern was short and easy to remember. The ship left Tobermory at 8:50 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. and South Baymouth at 11:10 a.m. and 3:50 p.m., every day, with an evening round trip on Fridays and on Thanksgiving Monday, 12 October. The off-peak timetable is slower than the summer one: OSTC gave about two hours for the crossing in autumn, against 1 hour 45 minutes between late June and Labour Day.
The ferry belongs to the Province of Ontario, which runs it through the Owen Sound Transportation Company, a provincial agency classed as an operational enterprise; the same company operates the MV Niska 1 on the Moose River in Northern Ontario.
Two things shape the bill on the Chi-Cheemaun. First, OSTC prices the people and the vehicle separately: the vehicle rate does not include the driver or anyone else in the car, so each person adds a passenger fare. Second, transportation fares are tax free, so what you see is what you pay in Canadian dollars.
Passenger prices did not change with the season in 2026. Vehicle fares dropped in the off-peak months and were charged by height: under 8 ft 6 in counted as a passenger or low vehicle, anything taller paid the large-vehicle rate. Full payment is taken when you book. OSTC had not posted 2027 fares by 26 October 2026.
| Adult, 12 to 64 | $ 18.05 |
| Senior, 65 and over | $ 15.60 |
| Child, 5 to 11 | $ 9 |
| Infant, under 5 | Free |
| Car or low vehicle under 8 ft 6 in high, up to 20 ft | $ 38.75 |
| Each extra foot over 20 ft, low vehicle | $ 1.95 |
| Large or high vehicle, 8 ft 6 in or more, up to 20 ft | $ 83 |
| Motorcycle, no attachments | $ 20.20 |
| Motorcycle with attachments, Can-Am or ATV | $ 30.30 |
| Bicycle | $ 8.15 |
| Car or low vehicle up to 20 ft | $ 49.10 |
| Large or high vehicle up to 20 ft | $ 99.40 |
| Motorcycle, no attachments | $ 25.65 |
OSTC 2026 fares, re-read 26 October 2026; 2027 fares not yet published Owen Sound Transportation Company – MS Chi-Cheemaun Fares · 2026-10-09
The crossing joins the two halves of Highway 6. On the mainland side the highway ends at Tobermory, at the northern tip of the Bruce Peninsula, which separates Georgian Bay from the main body of Lake Huron. On the far side it picks up again at South Baymouth and crosses Manitoulin Island northward. OSTC publishes the crossing in hours, not kilometres: about two hours in spring and autumn and 1 hour 45 minutes in the peak summer timetable.
When the ferry is laid up, Manitoulin is still reachable by road, but from the north: Highway 6 crosses onto the island over the swing bridge at Little Current, which Wikipedia describes as its only land access. From southern Ontario that means driving around Georgian Bay rather than across it.
Highway 6 runs up the Bruce Peninsula and ends at the harbour in Tobermory, where the terminal sits on Eliza Street. In season, arrive early enough to clear the ticket booth an hour before the boat.
Ferry users can leave a car in the terminal lot for $10 a day or $70 a week (tax included), paid at the terminal office, with the pass on the dashboard; cars without one are towed. The Tobermory terminal number is 519-596-2510.
South Baymouth is a small village on the south shore of Manitoulin Island, in Tehkummah Township. Highway 6 resumes here and runs north across the island towards Little Current and the mainland. The same parking rates apply as in Tobermory.
Wheelchair users board through the passenger ramp and lift at both terminals; tell the ticket agent when you arrive. For questions on the day, the South Baymouth terminal answers on 705-859-3161.
OSTC requires a reservation for every passenger, on foot or in a vehicle, made at least four hours before the sailing. Reservations for 2027 open in March 2027, online or on 1-800-265-3163.
Reservation holders must check in at the ticket booth at least an hour before sail time. Changes made within four hours of departure can cost $3.00 at check-in.
RVs and camper trailers may carry at most 65 L of propane in total, in no more than two cylinders. If the capacity cannot be verified, boarding can be refused.
Until recall repairs are done, OSTC refuses the 2017–2021 Chrysler Pacifica PHEV, the 2022–2025 Jeep Grand Cherokee PHEV and the 2020–2025 Jeep Wrangler PHEV.
Cancel or rebook 48 hours or more before departure for a full refund, between 24 and 48 hours for half, and inside 24 hours for nothing.
The name means Big Canoe in Ojibway. The ship was launched in the fall of 1974, built on Georgian Bay by the Collingwood Shipyards, and retractable mezzanine ramps added a few years later raised its car deck to 150 vehicles. Its predecessor, the MS Normac, worked the same seasonal run for some thirty years.
Nothing about the 2027 season had been published on 26 October 2026. OSTC's schedule page lists the 2027 timetable as coming soon, says reservations reopen in March 2027, and its 16 October press release asks passengers to check back early next year. Until the ship returns, the road via Little Current is the way onto Manitoulin.
With the Chi-Cheemaun laid up, two smaller Ontario ferries keep working much later in the year: the Rockland–Thurso cable ferry on the Ottawa River, which runs until the ice closes the river, and the Howe Island Township ferry near Gananoque on the St. Lawrence.
Sunday 18 October 2026. The 3:50 p.m. from South Baymouth closed the season; the next day the ship sailed to Owen Sound and on to dry dock in Hamilton.
No. It sails from spring to autumn only. Manitoulin Island stays reachable by road over the Little Current swing bridge on Highway 6.
OSTC says reservations are required for every passenger, including foot passengers, at least four hours before the departure you want, with the fare paid in full when you book.
OSTC says reservations reopen in March 2027. The 2027 schedule is marked as coming soon; in 2026 the first sailing was on 1 May and bookings opened on 16 March.
The off-peak rate for a car under 8 ft 6 in high and up to 20 ft long was $38.75, and each adult aged 12 to 64 paid $18.05 on top, with no sales tax. 2027 fares have not been published.