South shore Lake Erie

[flagbag]

New trailer sailor with 17' O'Day Day Sailer II seeking any advice on destinations, good places to put in, safety concerns particular to Erie, etc. Have not met anyone with experience there. Home is 2 hours south of Cleveland, about 3 SEast of Sandusky so trying to plan a sailing day from afar and appreciate any advice.

 

[Ron Roman]

Sandusky Bay would be perfect for you. You could sail around Cedar Point. I think you could launch at Sandusky Sailing Club.

 

[flagbag]

Thanks Ron.. appreciate it.

 

[rgranger]

Have you found

activecaptain.com

I just checked out Sandusky on Active Captain and it had over 40 listed marinas ... many with 4 star and 5 star ratings from users.

I use active captain all the time when planning a cruise to a new place. I'll email the marina with questions about the launch ramp (don't forget to ask about over head power lines) and trailer parking....

You can also find public launch ramps on active captain.

Fair winds,

r

 

[flagbag]

That is greatest advice... as no, never heard of active captain.. surely will make trip planning and EVERYTHING go much better! Thank you... like a concierge service for sailing! Fair winds to you too!

 

[Captn TJ]

Sandusky bay would be ok for your boat. Head out of the bay and into Lake Erie only if you're sure the wind and waves will be appropriate for your boat and skill level. Advantages of Sandusky are a protected area will lots of sights such as Cedar Point. Another option would be Pt Clinton - sailing in the bay only.

 

[CapitalistSailor]

Flagbag,

There is a public boat launch on the west side of Sandusky, downtown. Look for the big coal dock; it's just east of that. Or drive along the waterfront downtown until you get to the west side of town. There is also a public boat launch on the north side of the bay at a little park, but you'd have to drive around the west side of the bay to get there. There are some tricky sandbars and shoals in the bay and entrance, especially across from Cedar Point, so please consult a chart. There is a West Marine downtown a block back from the water.

A good place to swim is on the west side of the big sandbar across from Cedar Point. Drop anchor close to shore and swim ashore. The bottom can be soft so make sure your anchor is set.

You might also want to consider Lake Pymatuning in NE Ohio along the PA border. It's a big lake, plenty big enough for a 17' boat for a weekend. Some of the reservoirs around Canton and Columbus also have sailboats up to 22', such as Atwood Lake.

 

[flagbag]

Very good suggestions.. thank you. Must say-I never heard of Lake Pymatuning and now having looked at its grand size on the map I look forward to learning more about it!