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 spring/early summer (maybe leaving around Memorial day). We have a few months, but no time like a cold February to plan a sailing adventure!
Most of our sailing experience has been on a Catalina 30 around southern Lake Superior. We're comfortable with anchoring out a few nights at a time, but will plan on staying in some marinas as well. We hope to make the trip over the course of a couple of weeks (we'll have to balance remote work on the boat with the travel, although we have some flexibility), but we're open to some exploring as well.
My questions: what should we know about sailing up the east side of Lake Michigan, through the North Channel/Saint Mary's River, and along the south side of Superior between Sault Ste Marie and he Keweenaw peninsula? Any "can't miss" places? Any places we should avoid? Any tips/tricks about late May/early June sailing conditions on Lake Michigan/south Lake Superior (aside from the need to bundle up--we're very familiar with the chilly Spring conditions on the Great Lakes)?
The boat does have a full draft (draws 6.5 feet, according to the official documentation). Will we have any issues in the various harbors/marinas along the way?
Look forward to hearing recommendations!
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 spring/early summer (maybe leaving around Memorial day). We have a few months, but no time like a cold February to plan a sailing adventure!
Most of our sailing experience has been on a Catalina 30 around southern Lake Superior. We're comfortable with anchoring out a few nights at a time, but will plan on staying in some marinas as well. We hope to make the trip over the course of a couple of weeks (we'll have to balance remote work on the boat with the travel, although we have some flexibility), but we're open to some exploring as well.
My questions: what should we know about sailing up the east side of Lake Michigan, through the North Channel/Saint Mary's River, and along the south side of Superior between Sault Ste Marie and he Keweenaw peninsula? Any "can't miss" places? Any places we should avoid? Any tips/tricks about late May/early June sailing conditions on Lake Michigan/south Lake Superior (aside from the need to bundle up--we're very familiar with the chilly Spring conditions on the Great Lakes)?
The boat does have a full draft (draws 6.5 feet, according to the official documentation). Will we have any issues in the various harbors/marinas along the way?
Look forward to hearing recommendations!