Great Lakes Cruising Guide Recommendations

[Rorzech]

Always carry two CO detectors and extra batteries. There's no need for anyone to die of CO this day and age. I had a cast iron wood stove in my boat in Thunder Bay and some times I even burned BBQ briquettes. I'm still here. The rule is 1 sq in of ventilation per 1000 BTU and you'll be fine. I'll put my money on the CO detectors. Ha Ha

[Rhwins]

It's pretty obvious that Great Lakes sailors are an enthusiastic bunch; and for good reason.

You can trailer your boat to Little Current, Ontario and have the North Channel at your fingertips. It is the best fresh water sailing anywhere.

A close second is north-east Lake Michigan from the Grand Traverse Bay area and north. Again, accessible to trailing. I think the east shores of the lakes are better for ports and wind. The west shores have better protection from big waves but fewer anchorages.

I haven't tried it but the Trent Severn Canal between Lake Ontario and Georgian Bay has an excellent reputation.

Lake St. Clair is pretty nice too. The St. Clair River is as nice as (or better than, IMHO) the Thousand Islands of the St. Lawrence Seaway.

[liquidice]

Wave height evidence from NOAA nearshore marine forecast.

Neither bfs nor alternative facts. I’ve been on this lake a short few seasons but I can say that this absolutely happens more than a couple times each year.

[hamburking]

Originally Posted by liquidice

Wave height evidence from NOAA nearshore marine forecast.Attachment 158895

Neither bfs nor alternative facts. I’ve been on this lake a short few seasons but I can say that this absolutely happens more than a couple times each year.

Its true. I've been out on Lake Ontario lots of times when the waves were very big. Ocean big. We get steep waves here, and not so much swell. And we get plenty of wind too. Its been blowing a gale most days here for the last few weeks. Last time I checked the forecast, 5-8 metre waves were expected. You can check realtime too:

https://weather.gc.ca/marine/forecas...1&siteID=08203

https://kingstonyachtclub.com/index.cfm?PageURL=weather

[Nicholson58]

Originally Posted by Zugbug99

Hi Great Lakes Sailors!

I just bought a boat today on the hard for the winter at St. Clair Shores, Michigan. It is a Nor'sea 27 and has a trailer in case I want to take her to launch in Wisconsin or another area.

I will be new to the lakes. Most of my sailing has been costal Southern California. I would like to start making plans to sail the Great Lakes next year. I am told most boats are launched in April.
I am currently working on Midway Island 28.12.7N 177.21.6W until Feb 2018 so I have a lot of free time to read.
We have very slow internet here. Download speeds a blistering 0.08Mb at 0300am when the other island residents are asleep. Slower when everyone is awake checking email.

Is there a hard paper cruising guide I could order from Amazon, or elsewhere to have shipped out and start making plans that is recommended.

Thank you to all who respond!

I left our Ports Book with my daughter in Cincinnati. We are on our way back to Trinidad. There is also a Lake Michigan chart book. Send me a PM.

[Rhwins]

Originally Posted by liquidice

Wave height evidence from NOAA nearshore marine forecast.Attachment 158895

Neither bfs nor alternative facts. I’ve been on this lake a short few seasons but I can say that this absolutely happens more than a couple times each year.

Most of the summer, prevailing winds come from the west; they shift toward coming from the north in the fall; I think for this date, I would stay in port!

I have found that the waves in the Great Lakes are steeper, shorter frequency than here in South Calif.

[Arsydian]

Originally Posted by 30yearslater

Well count me among the crazy since I'm in by mid April on Ontario. Dress for the occasion as it is brutally cold but the wind is steady and the clear cold air is bracing. There is a lesser known saying among Lakers that goes, "If you wait for good weather you will never go." Enjoy and welcome to one of the world's most amazing cruising grounds.

I'm crazy too. I reside in northern Indiana. Looking at a 30' Catalina in Bayfield Wisconsin, if I make the purchase my plan is to sail the boat down to Michigan City. Very little experience, a true adventure, crazy ? Maybe...

[Arsydian]

I like your story. I'm planning a similar trip.
Congratulations on your journey.

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by Arsydian

I'm crazy too. I reside in northern Indiana. Looking at a 30' Catalina in Bayfield Wisconsin, if I make the purchase my plan is to sail the boat down to Michigan City. Very little experience, a true adventure, crazy ? Maybe...

Bayfield is on Lake Superior. Superior is an inland sea. It is not to be taken lightly. A journey down to Michigan City is going to be close to a 600 to 1000 nm journey, depending on how you do it. This is no small journey, by any standard.

Lake Superior is cold. Ice sometimes lingers into June, so check the conditions. I’ve sailed from Bayfield to Thunder Bay in mid-May. It was cold, but beautiful. A lot will depend on the weather you get. But it will be very cold.

I would not recommend any inexperienced cruiser take on this journey on their own. Find someone who’s got a few nautical miles under their belt, and especially someone with experience with cold water cruising.

[liquidice]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

Bayfield is on Lake Superior. Superior is an inland sea. It is not to be taken lightly. A journey down to Michigan City is going to be close to a 600 to 1000 nm journey, depending on how you do it. This is no small journey, by any standard.



Lake Superior is cold. Ice sometimes lingers into June, so check the conditions. I’ve sailed from Bayfield to Thunder Bay in mid-May. It was cold, but beautiful. A lot will depend on the weather you get. But it will be very cold.



I would not recommend any inexperienced cruiser take on this journey on their own. Find someone who’s got a few nautical miles under their belt, and especially someone with experience with cold water cruising.

You should listen. Going overboard is easier than you think. It’s fatiguing to sail, especially when you first start on a new boat. At minimum a shakedown cruise of 40 nm or so would be a good idea, preferably with the PO aboard. You might also follow Mike O’s advice and find an experienced crew member to help. You might find one on the ‘crew wanted ‘ forum.

It might be a great adventure, but please read this thread first, from the beginning.

A new adventure begins.
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...d.php?t=204961


Gitchigumee, as Superior was named before the French came, demands respect. When you’re tired, cold, unsure of exactly where you are, and something goes wrong unexpectedly, the stage is set for real problems. I respect and share your desire for adventure; I think most of the forum does. But when you’re looking from the other side, a shoreline you have always known becomes unfamiliar and breakwaters confusing and hard to navigate, and no one wants to see you get hurt. I started using this forum a little AFTER I bought my sailboat; researching solutions to problems kept funneling me to the forum, so I joined. I learned much and more. There is wisdom here, you should heed it. Even idle talk of an ill planned, reckless journey can get a strong response. The above thread is one reason why. Sailing is uniquely unregulated in America. Aviation is the only parallel to come to mind, and that’s changed. There’s literally nothing stopping people from performing the actions described in the thread. No ‘drivers ed’ no certification, no licensing to speak of, you just get a boat and go. For it to stay that way, situations like the one in the thread have to happen less, not more.

Be safe!

[BlindCat812]

Try www.WaterwayGuide.com
They have a good book for the Great Lakes. Covers all the possible harbors with great data, and charts.I have found this to be a very useful book.
We just purchased a boat in Lake Erie, and want to sail it back to Waukegan IL.
Looking for advice from someone who has come North through the Detroit River and St Clair river?

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, BlindCat.

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by BlindCat812

Try www.WaterwayGuide.com
They have a good book for the Great Lakes. Covers all the possible harbors with great data, and charts.I have found this to be a very useful book.
We just purchased a boat in Lake Erie, and want to sail it back to Waukegan IL.
Looking for advice from someone who has come North through the Detroit River and St Clair river?

Yes, good site and good cruising guides (disclosure: I work for them ).

I’ve done the reverse trip BC, going north to south through the St. Clair/Lake St. Clair/Detroit Rivers. Pretty easy journey. Depth can be an issue for deep-draught boats. At six-feet I found we were limited in the number of marinas we could get into, but five or less would be no problem. Anchorages were not hard to find.

Your main challenge might be that you are going against the current, which could easily be 2-3 knots. We saw ~5 knots at the start of the St. Clair River as it left Lake Huron.