We are going from Sandusky Bay to the North Channel next summer. I've been considering the trip from Sandusky Harbor Marina to Point Edward, a marina north of Sarnia, and our first stop on Lake Huron. That's about 113 nautical miles (nm.) Once we leave Lake Erie, we will be bucking currents from 1 to 3 knots in the Detroit River, Lake St. Clair, and the St. Clair River. A normal leg would be around 40nm, but 30 seems more manageable against the current.
Here is a rough picture of the route:
If we make a long first day across Lake Erie, we could anchor north of Bois Blanc (Bob-Lo for us Americans) Island the first night (46nm). Then we would go about 40nm to a marina on Harsen's Island near the mouth of the St' Clair River. This is a long day, but the current is lower in Lake St. Clair during the second half of the leg. I'm not sure which marina we would stay at. The options include Tashmoo, Schneider, or Idle Hour Yacht Club. From there, Point Edward marina ia a reasonable 30 nm.
If we take most of a day to pack our boats, then another plan looks even better. We could sail in the afternoon or evening to Put-in-Bay, a familiar 20 nm. Then, we could make it to the Wyandotte Yacht Club, south of Detroit (34nm). Then the trip to Hansen's Island is a reasonable 31nm. A few years ago, the Foster men (Jack, David, Matt, & Craig) made a similar trip from Wyandotte to the Clinton River in Mount Clemens. That day we really bucked the current with our old engine. The new 1GM10 will drive us at least a knot faster. It doesn't sound like much, but when we were hugging the shore to stay out of the current, we were still only making 2.5 knots over ground. making 3.5 knots instead is a big advantage!
The more I think about it, the more the Put-in-Bay alternative sounds better. We will be on vacation, after all! So we will talk it over with the Nilssons who will be going with us in Gelan Gar, their Hunter 30. The fun thing about cruising is that we can figure out what we want to do when we see the weather on the day in question. A strong SW wind for a couple of days would make the whole trip pretty easy!
And we are longing to see the swan rookery in the East Branch of the Detroit River, as we think about all the distances and times!
Here is a rough picture of the route:
If we make a long first day across Lake Erie, we could anchor north of Bois Blanc (Bob-Lo for us Americans) Island the first night (46nm). Then we would go about 40nm to a marina on Harsen's Island near the mouth of the St' Clair River. This is a long day, but the current is lower in Lake St. Clair during the second half of the leg. I'm not sure which marina we would stay at. The options include Tashmoo, Schneider, or Idle Hour Yacht Club. From there, Point Edward marina ia a reasonable 30 nm.
If we take most of a day to pack our boats, then another plan looks even better. We could sail in the afternoon or evening to Put-in-Bay, a familiar 20 nm. Then, we could make it to the Wyandotte Yacht Club, south of Detroit (34nm). Then the trip to Hansen's Island is a reasonable 31nm. A few years ago, the Foster men (Jack, David, Matt, & Craig) made a similar trip from Wyandotte to the Clinton River in Mount Clemens. That day we really bucked the current with our old engine. The new 1GM10 will drive us at least a knot faster. It doesn't sound like much, but when we were hugging the shore to stay out of the current, we were still only making 2.5 knots over ground. making 3.5 knots instead is a big advantage!
The more I think about it, the more the Put-in-Bay alternative sounds better. We will be on vacation, after all! So we will talk it over with the Nilssons who will be going with us in Gelan Gar, their Hunter 30. The fun thing about cruising is that we can figure out what we want to do when we see the weather on the day in question. A strong SW wind for a couple of days would make the whole trip pretty easy!
And we are longing to see the swan rookery in the East Branch of the Detroit River, as we think about all the distances and times!
