Cruising the Great Lakes
I recommend buying the Ports O' Call Guides from Lakeland Boating for Erie, Huron, and Michigan. They do an excellent job of describing each port for you. Of course, you will need good charts, electronic (in your GPS and computer) and or paper. Another alternative is to join the Great Lakes Cruising Club, and buy their paper and electronic documentation. It is the source for all the commercial guides, and is more thorough in terms of piloting your boat through tight places. But that is mostly for future use, since your trip doesn't have much in the way of tight places (like the North Channel, or Thousand Islands for instance.)
Put-in-Bay is a great stop on their mooring balls, and it is right on your way to the Detroit River.
The weather this time of year is still mostly summer - that is often light winds, often from the southwest. The wind varies through the day, so you will sometimes start on the engine, and finish on the sails - or the other way around. Thunder storms are still common, especially later in the day. Getting into the next port earlier in the afternoon (not always possible, of course) and careful checking of the weather radar halp you to avoid getting caught in one.
As cooler fall weather comes, and the jet stream dips south, you will experience stronger winds, with more from the northwest.
I recommend a good check and maintenance of the engine. You will definitely have days when the lake is glassy smooth and the "iron genny" is the only way to keep moving. And you will probably need to use the engine for most of the legs against the currents in the Detroit River, Lake St. Clair, and St. Clair River. Our trip up the River was dead calm, while we had great wind on our tail coming down-stream - go figure! Be ready for maintenance overall - on a trip of this length, you will have some failures.
I'm assuming you have had experience cruising in a keel boat. If not, I recommend finding a good sailing instructor near where you are picking up your boat, and buying a day or two of his time to refresh your skills, show you how to tune your rig, practice docking, and recommend procedures and safeguards. He could do this while you are on your way if you want, and will buy him a taxi ride home from the next port. A day of such instruction was the best investment we made when we bought Lady Lillie 9 summers ago.
There are few opportunities for anchoring on your trip, (the Erie Islands, and Harbor Beach are a couple of exceptions) so you will spend many nights in marinas. (Especially with a crew of two, as I understand your plan. That is not enough for extended overnight cruising, especially if one is a novice.)
A great trip - Joanne and I plan to take your route to the North Channel, and maybe to Traverse City one day.
Fair winds, and following seas to you!
David
Lady Lillie
