Lake Huron Is Great
The others have covered the Customs and I68 issues well enough. Now for some of the stops. Sorry for the length of this but there are lots of places to go in the area.Canadian Side:Sarnia Bay Marina is just south of the Blue Water Bridge. It is a very nice marina and within walking distance of the downtown of Sarnia. A great stop.Bayfield is a very neat little town. The only downside is that the city docks are in the river and can be very difficult if the current is strong.The stop at Goderich is recommended. You would want to call Jan at the Maitland Valley Marina. She will take you into town, make reservations at the restaurants, and generally pamper you. Maitland Valley is found by going up the river on the north side of the breakwall, then follow the bouys. It is 52 miles from Port Huron.Further north is Kincardin. Very neat little town with a strong Scottish influence. The light house and museum are great. If you catch the Scottish festival, it is a real treat if you like bagpipes. Further north still is Port Elgin. Nice town, beautiful beach. There are some others in between that you might be able to get into, but we have a 42 footer so we are limited in where we can go.Tobermory is also very neat, but most likely you would want to trailer up the Bruce peninsula for that one.On the Michigan side:Lexington is a great stop for a shallow draft boat. You will need a cruising guide to get in safely but essentially you go west about a quarter mile south of the harbor entrance, then when you get close to the beach, you turn north and watch the depthsounder. Great stop.Harbor Beach is a good anchorage, but shallow near the marina. We have not been able to get to the marina.Port Austin is a little tricky because you HAVE to go around the lighthouse that is about 2 miles off shore and come in from the northwest(heading southeast). If you cut across, they will come out and pull you off with a tractor! Check the charts carefully for Port Austin. Further north are places such as Presque Isle. It would be a good launch site. Roger's City is north of that, also a nice area.Finally the Mackinac area is a lot of fun, especially Mackinac Island.Weather:Like any of the Great Lakes, Huron can be fickle. The prevailing winds are out of the west/north west but a noreaster can show up. We have traveled in some rough water, 3 to 5's, or 4 to 6's, and stayed in port on some rougher days. The Great Lakes tend to have a much reduced distance between wave crests which can make for a very rough ride. We have probably had to stay an extra day about 3 times in 9 years. Much of Huron is deep, over 400 feet with lots of places over 800, so you don't get the shallow water waves of Lake Erie, but it can still get rough.CHARTS:We use an electronic system but carry US and Canadian charts, Richardson's charts, a Lakeland Cruising Guide, and the GLCC books and CD. You will need decent charts at the least, and a good GPS.Most important: Have fun. It is a great cruising area.