Lake Michigan Sailors

[sailorkoop]

I'm new to sailing and just purchased a 1984 25.5 Hunter. We will be sailing out of Charlevoix, Mi. After i begin to feel comfortable in the new boat, i'd like to take a weekend trip to Beaver Island, which is 33 miles out into Lake Michigan. My question is how long do you think it would take? I understand weather and wind will be the determining factor but assume light air. I'd also like to know if you think this boat is big enough to take out that far in Lake Michigan. (I'm not into challenging my skills or taking unecessary risks just yet!)Our sailing will be mostly on Lake Charlevoix with day trips to other costal ports such as Harbor Springs, Petosky, Bay Harbor, etc.

Your comments will be greatly appreciated!

Sailorkoop!

 

[kenkindy1]

Hello Sailorkoop,

The 25.5 is a sturdy little boat and running from Charlevoix to Beaver Island shouldn't be an issue. Round to 35 miles, 5 mph as an underestimate of speed to keep up (start the motor if you aren't making 5mph) and you should be there in 7 hours.

Search this site for Boat Babe for some great photos of 25.5 upgrades and trip reports.

 

[cephius (Dave)]

Welcome Sailorkoop,

I recommend having enough fuel, with reserve, to do the full trip under motor. The goal is to sail as much as possible, of course. (Most cruisers won't tell the truth about how much time they motor/sail to make schedules)

To do this, you'll need to learn your fuel consumption rate. Pay attention to usage as you work up your skills.

 

[Ken Honeycutt]

Shouldn't be a problem. Main thing is to keep an eye on the weather. Pick a day where there aren't any storms predicted for 24 hrs. to give yourself time to get back to a safe harbor in case of equipment failure (signing up for TowboatUSA insurance would be a good idea). Make sure your radio is in good working order and carry a spare or two. You'll probably be out of sight of land for awhile which can be disconcerting to your crew if they've never been in that situation (know this from experience). We also started carrying a McMurdo fastfind. Depending on the skills of your crew you might consider a harness and tether in case you have to do any foredeck work such as untangling sheets, furling lines, sails, etc. in Lake Michigan chop (been there done that).

Here's a good site for Lake Michigan winds, we use it a lot and the forecasts are usually pretty accurate.
http://www.sailflow.com/windandwhere.iws?regionID=142&regionProductID=29&timeOffset=0

 

[David in Sandusky]

Enjoy the trip!

We use 4 knots for planning on our '77 h27. In fact, we average around 4.4 knots. We don't mind going slower in lulls. Of course, we have averaged over 6 knots a few times - what fun!

The 25.5 is a great boat for the Great Lakes. It will take care of you while you are learning. I agree about taking care of the weather reports. We find the weather radar to be a big help in understanding where storm lines are and how they are moving.

 

[sailorkoop]

Great information. Thanks a lot for your comments! This is really a great website for someone like me. I've spent hours here reading and learning from others in hopes of limiting my mistakes as i learn to sail. Best of luck to you all!!!

Sailorkoop......

PS....I'm sure to be here a lot in the future!

 

[Ed Schenck]

You are in good hands here. Kind of like "Allstate" for sailors.

I still remember my first trip across Lake Erie, about 45 miles. It was a slow slog over on placid waters. Piece of cake I thought. After a great long weekend with several members of my marina it was time to go home. There was about a 15 knot north(offshore) breeze when we left. Friends were alongside in their newer H26, my wife and I in our big, heavy H37C. The wind increased and so did the waves. We were surfing off the tops over nine knots. My friends, more experienced and confident, were all smiles in their much smaller boat. So there it is, experience and confidence wins out. The boat will handle it. Ten years later weather is still main concern on the Great Lakes or anywhere else.