Am I crazy? Lake Michigan crossing
- Thread starter Project_Mayhem
- Start date
The fine print on this map is important. The coverage is based on a person in an open boat with a handheld radio, i.e., "1 watt of output transmitted from two meters above the water surface." A boat with a masthead antenna transmitting at 25 watts will have greater coverage.
Also note the CG antennas are high and much more sensitive than the antennas on our boats, resulting in better coverage.
Preparation starts with the vessel for which you want to make this epic journey, you must check and recheck all that will keep you afloat and moving toward your destination, then comes your understanding of how to get from point A and point B and if well planned it would be any point in between. I am sure you can read a road map, but, you need to be familiar with reading a chart really not difficult at all. Our maiden voyage took us from Muskegon to Port Huron some 500 miles of lake Michigan and Huron, each day began with understanding of our port of destination, weather and checks of the boat prior to shoving off, twice during our passage we elected to stay put in safe harbor as the weather was predicted to be more than we thought we could handle. Key I guess is understanding your level of experience over the predicted conditions, remember Lake Michigan in the spring is to say the least cold, like minutes of survival cold.
I would recommend a few things: A chart of the area you plan to sail in. You may be able to see land, but the depth info can also be helpful. A compass, in case the visibility poops out. A nice inexpensive GPS chart plotter like the Garmin GPS Map 78, Handheld VHF like a ICom M25, and last but not least a device to hold the steering or tiller. Doesnt have to be anything electronic. Just some way to hold the rudder for a few minutes. It will get really old if you have to hold the steering the entire way. Do you have to have all that to do it?- No. But if things get dicey, they can make things so much easier.
jssailem
SBO Weather and Forecasting Forum Jim & John
- Oct 22, 2014
- 22,819
I wish this boat came with a trailer and am looking for one at a reasonable price. It'll cut winter storage in half. I almost bought a POS Balboa 26 for it's trailer. The plan was to partially strip it, sell the parts and donate the boat. The trailer had non-adjustable (welded) bunk supports and I couldnt find an organization that wanted the boat. It looked sailable to me
Thanks for the VHF coverage map @Scott B. I have a 25 watt radio with mast head antenna as well as a 3 watt handheld. AIS is highly desirable but we'll see how much time and money I have left after marina fees and boat repairs. I do plan on picking up a radar reflector. The boat is currently configured to work with an older autopilot that was included with it. I plan on replacing that with my Simrad TP-10 at some point.
Thank you @shemandr for steering this thread towards navigation. We got some fantastic advice on the subject from everyone. I plan on using an iPad (my bimini should help with visibility in the sun) as my primary navigation device. My cell phone, ancient handheld GPS and paper charts will be used as a backup.
@tallyho Thank you for the invitation. I may just take you up on it. Michigan City is a cool little town with plenty of options for boaters. My boat is on the hard at Trail Creek marina
@agprice22 You brought up some great points that I didn't think of. Are charts the best/only source of information about various marinas and whatnot?
Thanks for the VHF coverage map @Scott B. I have a 25 watt radio with mast head antenna as well as a 3 watt handheld. AIS is highly desirable but we'll see how much time and money I have left after marina fees and boat repairs. I do plan on picking up a radar reflector. The boat is currently configured to work with an older autopilot that was included with it. I plan on replacing that with my Simrad TP-10 at some point.
Thank you @shemandr for steering this thread towards navigation. We got some fantastic advice on the subject from everyone. I plan on using an iPad (my bimini should help with visibility in the sun) as my primary navigation device. My cell phone, ancient handheld GPS and paper charts will be used as a backup.
@tallyho Thank you for the invitation. I may just take you up on it. Michigan City is a cool little town with plenty of options for boaters. My boat is on the hard at Trail Creek marina
@agprice22 You brought up some great points that I didn't think of. Are charts the best/only source of information about various marinas and whatnot?
OMG, this guy wants to make a 30NM near-shore trip on Lake Michigan and you guys are bringing things like the Fastnet disaster? 95% of this being a success will be a day of decent weather + common sense. That fact that he's asking for the other 5% tells me he'll be fine.
Here's my take on the other 5%:
Watch the 3-day forecast for a day of decent breeze, less that 15 knots.
Don't go in more than say 8 if the direction is between North to Southeast
Ready the night before. Review latest forecast. If good, leave EARLY.
Get a good pair of binoculars
Make sure your boat has a good working accurate compass
Have a chart of the area on board, you can get them at the link below
Get a Navigation app or device you can learn and learn to trust for what it is. An AID.
A good book? 'The Weekend Navigator' is pretty darn good.
Remember that navigating/piloting is done with your eyes and your brain. Everything else is an aid.
Charts:
http://www.charts.noaa.gov/ChartCatalog/GreatLakes.html
book:
https://www.amazon.com/Weekend-Navigator-2nd-Robert-Sweet/dp/0071759964
Here's my take on the other 5%:
Watch the 3-day forecast for a day of decent breeze, less that 15 knots.
Don't go in more than say 8 if the direction is between North to Southeast
Ready the night before. Review latest forecast. If good, leave EARLY.
Get a good pair of binoculars
Make sure your boat has a good working accurate compass
Have a chart of the area on board, you can get them at the link below
Get a Navigation app or device you can learn and learn to trust for what it is. An AID.
A good book? 'The Weekend Navigator' is pretty darn good.
Remember that navigating/piloting is done with your eyes and your brain. Everything else is an aid.
Charts:
http://www.charts.noaa.gov/ChartCatalog/GreatLakes.html
book:
https://www.amazon.com/Weekend-Navigator-2nd-Robert-Sweet/dp/0071759964
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Good advice, Clay. I've raced the J/24 on Lake Michigan when the wind had been howling out of the North all night long. It's like a long bathtub and, believe me, the waves in that bathtub get pretty steep at the South end in those conditions. It was brutal!
Once again, thank you for your advice @Jackdaw. It is much appreciated.
I take it the waves build up in these conditions?
I have what I think are an OK pair of binoculars. They're well built with coated glass lenses and no stabilization of any type (I'm assuming better ones have this feature?). I don't know much beyond that.
Re waves, yes. The lake is shallow in that area, and the very long fetch of open water from the north allows short steep waves to build. Its is really more of a comfort issue unless they get really bad.
A good pair of sturdy 7x50 binocs will serve you well. Forget stabilization for now. but if buying new, having a pair with bearing compass built in is a HUGE plus. But OK without the compass. Better ones with have a better Light Transmission Efficiency percentage... good ones around 90%. Great ones higher, lesser ones lower.
I'm with @Jackdaw on this. It is a longish trip at 30 NM and if it is the first trip of this length it can be a little anxiety producing, but it is not crossing an ocean or being offshore for days at a time. In a few years with more experience a trip like this will be a quick weekend getaway.
Have basic navigation gear, i.e., a compass. A GPS would be nice, but not essential.
Have communication gear, i.e., a fixed mount VHF
Make sure the boat is in good shape.
Carry an extra few gallons of gas.
Carry enough food and water for the day's outing, a few sandwiches with bottled water and/or soda will do.
Bring plenty of sunscreen.
And finally bring enough cold beer for the celebratory drinks when you arrive at your destination.
Have basic navigation gear, i.e., a compass. A GPS would be nice, but not essential.
Have communication gear, i.e., a fixed mount VHF
Make sure the boat is in good shape.
Carry an extra few gallons of gas.
Carry enough food and water for the day's outing, a few sandwiches with bottled water and/or soda will do.
Bring plenty of sunscreen.
And finally bring enough cold beer for the celebratory drinks when you arrive at your destination.
I much prefer 8 x 40 Have used those for years. Anything over 8 power jumps around way too much on a small boat. I h ave some 16 x 50's here at the house- you have to steady yourself against something to use them. at least my shaky hands need that
As mentioned previously, it can be COLD in the spring. That's probably the biggest danger you face. I move my boat from Bay City to Traverse City in late May each year. Even if the air is mild, the water temps at that time of year will usually be below 40*F. When I have crew, I always tell them to bring winter gear. (Some don't believe me so I've started carrying extra winter gear on board.) If I'm singlehanding, I always wear my harness. Last thing I want to do is go overboard. (And I also carry an immersion suit just in case.)
Good to hear you have a tillerpilot. Being stuck at the helm for 10 or 11 hours is grueling. Self-steering also allows you to leave the tiller to attend to other things -- from using the head to dealing with sails. As a backup, you may want to consider taking parts for sheet to tiller steering. In the late 1970s and early 1980s I cruised Lakes Huron and Michigan extensively using sheet to tiller steering. Works well for the type of trip you're contemplating (assuming you're sailing).
Before leaving, get coordinates for safe harbors along the way and plug them into whatever nav app you are using as waypoints. If you have to bail, they are ready at hand.
If you're not familiar with your destination port, try to find a view of the entrance from the water so have a better idea of what you're looking for. Several posters have stressed the importance of leaving early. You really want to arrive at your destination before dark.
Good to hear you have a tillerpilot. Being stuck at the helm for 10 or 11 hours is grueling. Self-steering also allows you to leave the tiller to attend to other things -- from using the head to dealing with sails. As a backup, you may want to consider taking parts for sheet to tiller steering. In the late 1970s and early 1980s I cruised Lakes Huron and Michigan extensively using sheet to tiller steering. Works well for the type of trip you're contemplating (assuming you're sailing).
Before leaving, get coordinates for safe harbors along the way and plug them into whatever nav app you are using as waypoints. If you have to bail, they are ready at hand.
If you're not familiar with your destination port, try to find a view of the entrance from the water so have a better idea of what you're looking for. Several posters have stressed the importance of leaving early. You really want to arrive at your destination before dark.