Great Lakes Dilemma

[Korn 100]

Hello All, I’m new to the community and wish you all calm seas. We are currently considering buying a Lagoon 38 for using in Lake Michigan and through my due diligence I’m discovering that wide beam boats are very hard to find a marina slip for and travel lifts only go to 16’ beam. This could be a deal breaker for a multi hull vessel in this area. Does anyone with experience with this situation and have any thoughts. TIA Jim

[Mike OReilly]

I spent many years plying the Canadian Great Lakes. In all my time, I think I saw perhaps a 1/2 dozen catamarans, and those were the smaller versions like PDQs or Geminis. I think the reason larger ones are few is as you've discovered; that it's hard to find marinas that can accommodate them.

[rslifkin]

There aren't a lot of cats in the great lakes. There's been an FP Lipari 41 at our marina for a few months. They've got a couple of spots that can accommodate that beam. They can't haul it though, as it's too wide for the lift pit (about 17' max here). So it'll be staying in the water this winter.

I did see a 40 foot trimaran hauled at the yacht club next door today. They brought in a crane to haul it, so it wouldn't be a particularly cheap haulout, but it can be done given appropriate facilities layout to get a crane in place.

[Korn 100]

Thank you. Yes, marina space is pretty much non existent. It caught me off guard.

[Shrew]

Options are:

Rent a 60 foot slip

Find a T dock (typically only one per dock)

Rent two slips (provided there aren't pilings or finger piers between slips (which is very common).

Rent a mooring.

[Adelie]

Welcome to CruisersForum!

I would suggest updating your profile with your general location and your boat make & model or “Looking” in the "Boat" category. This info shows up under your UserName in every post in the web view. Many questions are boat and/or location dependent and having these tidbits under your UserName saves answering those questions repeatedly. If you need help setting up your profile then click on this link: https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums...ml#post3308797

I would happily help more if the link above is not enough.