George Waters noticed a problem at his Trent River cottage, south of Campbellford, Ont. On a short log lying along the water’s surface, turtles would stack on top of one another to sunbathe. George was concerned that, with no other sunning spots nearby, the critters didn’t have enough room to catch the rays, so he set to work building a spacious turtle raft.
A retired electronic technologist, George likes to build things. He repurposed the cedar from an old deck to make a 2‘-by-4‘ platform, and he added ramps on either side: the first, a plank attached with hinges, and the second, built like a short staircase. “The first ramp was too narrow for big turtles,” he says. “So I made the second one wider, about 16 inches.”
Decks, Docks, and Gazebos: Building a floating diving raft
To make the raft float, George bought a 2“-thick sheet of rigid foam insulation cut to fit the underside. He secured it to the frame with some 2x4s, and then attached a 20-lb anchor to keep the raft in place.
The raft has exceeded expectations—“I’ve seen more than 20 turtles at once,” says George. “The herons like the raft too.” Even with all that space, the reptiles still form piles, up to three turtles high, to sun themselves. It takes a day or two for them to notice the raft each spring. “Usually, one brave turtle—often a small one—will climb up, and the rest follow.”
Wild Profile: Meet the Blanding’s turtle
Turtles can’t regulate their body temperature, so they bask to warm up and keep their limbs agile. They stack when space is limited or to get better exposure to the sun. Although they seem to enjoy having room to bask, it’s even more beneficial to keep your shoreline natural, says Sue Carstairs, the executive and medical director of the Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre. Leave trees where they land or wash ashore. “Logs at the shoreline provide great natural platforms that turtles can use.”
Last year, George couldn’t get his canoe out of the boatshed to launch the raft, so it sat on the shore for most of the summer. Even then, the turtles found it, almost like they’ve come to expect it from their human helper. As for building more or expanding the current raft, George has no plans, but his other DIY projects keep him busy. Although, at the age of 73, he admits that his “construction days are almost over. I’ve built what I need.” And what the turtles needed too.
This article was originally published in the Early Spring 2026 issue of Cottage Life.
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