Marina Advice

Scott T-Bird · Dec 20, 2022

@duck21 did a similar trip but in reverse direction. You can read about his experience and he might give you some insight on the diesel situation. I can't imagine that it isn't readily available along the entire route.

South Lake Michigan to the Apostle Islands

Hello! We just purchased a new (to us) Hunter 376. The boat is currently in Benton Harbor on the south east side of Lake Michigan. Our sailing grounds are in/around the Apostle Islands near Bayfield, WI (we have a slip in Washburn). We're planning on sailing/motoring the boat around late...

forums.sailboatowners.com

JRacer · Dec 20, 2022

Could always lash diesel jugs on deck. This is what we looked like when we delivered this boat from GA to BVI. Full tanks plus the jugs. Had the same on the starboard side. Lashed a 2X6 between the stanchions and lashed the jugs to the 2X6. Once we drained down the onboard tanks to some degree, we added from the jugs until onboard was again full. That also gave us a burn rate knowing the number of hours we had run the diesel.

quadrille38 · Dec 20, 2022

Timm R Oday25 said:
It's early inthe winter season I realize . I've already been looking at a longterm "retirement " boat . I've found one that really seems like it would be perfect .
It's located in the Apostle Islands . While that is a beautiful place to spend all summer ,the reality is that I'd use it much more if I brought it closer to home.
I'd keep it at a marina in Milwaukee . Most of the marinass on the southern side of Lake Superior don't list if the have diesel fuel.
How does one be sure beforehand ?
Has anyone locked through Sault Ste Marie ?

Join the Great Lakes Cruising Club. They publish harbor reports on every harbor in the Great Lakes System. These reports contain information on each harbor, specifics on navigation markings and how to enter, marinas and anchoring opportunities, services (including fuel) that are available. The guides are well worth the membership cost.

duck21 · Dec 21, 2022

Hi!

Indeed, we did the opposite(ish) trip back in 2021--we left from Benton Harbor on Lake Michigan and motored/sailed up and around to the Apostles (Washburn, WI, where we are currently based).

As we crossed Lake Superior we did the following (presumably you could do the opposite):

Sault Ste Marie (stayed in the Kemp Marina)
Whitefish State Dock (harbor of refuge, no services)
Munising (stayed in the marina))
Marquette (stayed in the Cinder Pond Marina)
Houghton (stayed in the marina)
Stockton Island (anchored)
Washburn

Diesel was available at all marinas.

We were against the wind for the entire trip, so we almost exclusively motored.

We carried 25 gallons of diesel in gerry cans tied to the deck as well. We never got to a point where we were worried about refueling due to low fuel, but we tried to keep tanks above 1/2 full in case there was any crud in the tank (I'd siphon fuel in while we were motoring). In fact, I brought along 3 sets of fuel filters and ended up going through all three as our tank does have some muck that was stirred up when water got choppy, so we both refueled the boat and gerry cans at each stop.

If you're interested in more info on our trip and the planning I did in preparation feel free to reach out--I'd be glad to share details/info (I think its possible to direct message on this forum--if not, or if its easier, I'm also happy to share to the entire thread).

In our case we purchased the boat in February, made a couple of trips from Saint Paul to Michigan to get things/the boat prepped, then left right after Memorial day, so we had about three months to plan and prep. We had previously owned a Catalina 30 which we sailed around the Apostles, this was our first big trip of any sort, so it was a fun (if not adventurous) experience.

Doug

duck21 · Dec 21, 2022

Oh--locking through--it was actually quite easy/straight forward.

We went through at around 0700. A quick call on the radio to coordinate entry (there is a sign that confirms, but I believe we hailed on channel 9 or 16). They'll toss over long lines, so there was no need to prep your own lines while locking through. We hung fenders and had multiple boat hooks (one person stood up front and the other at the stern) which we used to hold the boat off the wall (as I understand it the water flows in/out of the center, so locking DOWN may not require pushing off as the emptying water may pull you toward the middle, but not bad to have just in case).

Once we were level with the lake they opened the doors, and off we went!

Doug

Sailor Sue · Dec 21, 2022

We've locked through both ways in 3 different boats in the past. It's pretty much as duck21 described it. (If you lock down in a Catalina 25 with an outboard you might NOT want to let a big-ass tour boat go by to enter the lock first - their wake almost put us on top of the lock wall!)

In terms of fuel consumption, we've had 4 different Yanmar diesels in boats - a single, a double, and 2 different 3 cylinder models. In general terms each engine burned a quart an hour per cylinder. That, and the size of your fuel tank, might give you some idea of your cruising range.

Parsons · Dec 21, 2022

BTW: if you decide to use jerry cans on the deck, the shaker siphon will be your best friend. I've seen so many inexperienced boaters trying to heft a 40 lb jug on a shifting deck, when they could setup a siphon in 10 seconds and just sit there. The $15 shaker siphon will pay for itself in ibuprofen.

jon hansen · Dec 21, 2022

been through the soo locks hundreds and hundreds of times. you call, they contact you, you don't call, they will contact you, they have men on the dock to assist, it's easy. it's federal land. it's a huge key to our national security. you will be escorted the whole way.

fender boards outside your fenders is the only way to go for yachts. like 8 fenders and 4 fender boards on the tie up side. just fenders in any lock system is a poor approach

jon hansen · Dec 21, 2022

don't have all those fenders? burlap bags full of straw with a fender board will work fine. pitch at the end of your trip.

jaysweet · Dec 21, 2022

Timm R Oday25 said:
It's early inthe winter season I realize . I've already been looking at a longterm "retirement " boat . I've found one that really seems like it would be perfect .
It's located in the Apostle Islands . While that is a beautiful place to spend all summer ,the reality is that I'd use it much more if I brought it closer to home.
I'd keep it at a marina in Milwaukee . Most of the marinass on the southern side of Lake Superior don't list if the have diesel fuel.
How does one be sure beforehand ?
Has anyone locked through Sault Ste Marie ?

Sorry, my friend. You had me at Apostle Islands. (And retirement.) We chartered there in 2021. First time in the area, and my wife and I have been talking about retiring up there ever since... It's the dream.

Captain Larry-DH · Dec 21, 2022

jaysweet said:
Sorry, my friend. You had me at Apostle Islands. (And retirement.) We chartered there in 2021. First time in the area, and my wife and I have been talking about retiring up there ever since... It's the dream.

Retirement dream? I’ve never had the pleasure to go there but it must be wonderful.

I don’t think I’d like to be there year round.

Apostle islands, WI 10-Day Weather Forecast - The Weather Channel | Weather.com

Be prepared with the most accurate 10-day forecast for Apostle islands, WI with highs, lows, chance of precipitation from The Weather Channel and Weather.com

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jon hansen · Dec 21, 2022

jon hansen · Dec 21, 2022

higgs · Dec 26, 2022

You don't say how many gallons your tank hold. Diesel is usually not a problem. I would recommend a side trip into the North Channel, which you will have to hit its eastern edge anyways on your way to Milwaukee. It is truly a world class cruising ground. Plenty of diesel there. What type of boat are you buying?