Western Lake Erie

Feb 19, 2008
292
Catalina Capri 18 ann arbor
Hi All,

Any experience here with Western Lake Erie, specifically from Michigan‘s coast to the islands?

It’s < 30 nm from Monroe MI to Middle Bass Island, and that seems like a reasonable adventure.

One of my concerns would be traffic. I had my boat in Lake St. Clair last summer. That would be the perfect place to sail a small boat, except for the 50’ motor yachts blasting around at 40mph. If there wasn’t enough wind to drive through the wakes you just bob up and down like a cork! Of course weekdays were better than weekends. Saturday before noon I could usually sail.
 

Lazy1

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Aug 23, 2019
173
Catalina 22 13425 A driveway in Pittsburgh
If you are on fecalbook there is a group called Lake Erie Boaters, a majority of the members are power boaters from the Detroit to Cleveland areas and there is a lot of talk about weekend trips to the islands. It has convinced me that I should feel lucky that I'm further east.
 
May 25, 2012
4,333
john alden caravelle 42 sturgeon bay, wis
western lake erie and the islands are a hoot. have sailed it my whole life. it's a great lake. all the good and bad are real. have fun
 
May 25, 2012
4,333
john alden caravelle 42 sturgeon bay, wis
you are correct, lake st clair like around mac island has non stop boat wakes. it is less on western lake erie.
 
Feb 19, 2008
292
Catalina Capri 18 ann arbor
@jon hansen
it certainly was an interesting summer. like I said, weekdays and early mornings were for me. Saturday afternoon it’s a freeway, and I have a horse and buggy.
 

BrianH

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Feb 14, 2005
102
Hunter 44 LaSalle, MI
At last, a destination I can comment on!!

I have sailed on Western Lake Erie since 1983 or so. I have made the trip from Monroe (Toledo Beach Marine) to Put-In-Bay countless times with no problem. The only real issue you might have is with the fishing boats. They sometimes will get on a line almost boat to boat with no way to get through. It doesn't take a lot of effort though to avoid them. Oh and watch for the ferry when you are getting into PIB. It can sneak up on you quickly if you aren't paying attention.

Lake Erie is excellent for sailing!! After cutting my teeth dinghy sailing on inland lakes, I still remember one of my first trips on my dad's new to him 1963 Cal 30. We sailed from TBM for 4 hours on a single tack, turned around and sailed back again on a single tack. I was glorious especially since I was used to tacking every 3-5 minutes on the inland lakes.

Finally, your 18 foot boat, might be a little small to get too far off shore in Lake Erie. You have to keep an sharp eye on the weather!! The storms pop up fast and waves can run to 4-6 foot and more. I have been out several time with waves breaking over the bow and even in a 44 foot boat it can be uncomfortable. Half way from Monroe to PIB is West Sister Island, and is the only land you will encounter in your trip so at times you will be 7 miles from the nearest shore. (And West Sister is a national wildlife refuge and is off limits to people.)

A lot of trailerable boats I have seen will launch out of the Port Clinton or Sandusky area. A lot shorter sail if PIB is your destination.
 
Feb 19, 2008
292
Catalina Capri 18 ann arbor
@BrianH I had considered that.

The 38 Miles from Monroe seems like an epic journey, but probably more than I want to take on.
My boat hits 6kts pretty easily, but my car does 65 when trailering - so driving longer and sailing less makes sense to me.
I'm not sure how much of the epic journey I want to shave off, but there are boat launches all around the Ohio coast.
 
Feb 19, 2008
292
Catalina Capri 18 ann arbor
@BrianH
This post was from a year ago, and I still haven't tried Lake Erie, but I'm considering getting a non-trailerable boat and looking for a place to berth it. Most of my favorite sailing grounds are 4 or 5 hours from my house, and although it might be cool to have a boat in a marina in DeTour Village, I think I'd sail more often if the boat were an hour from my house.

Where do you sail out of? What Marina would you recommend?

This is all hypothetical at this point - but when I'm not sailing, my two favorite things are working on my sailboat and dreaming of sailing, So I might drive south and check out marinas in the next couple of weeks.

Thanks -

John
 
Nov 21, 2007
631
Beneteau Oceanis 34 Kingston, WA
@BrianH
This post was from a year ago, and I still haven't tried Lake Erie, but I'm considering getting a non-trailerable boat and looking for a place to berth it. Most of my favorite sailing grounds are 4 or 5 hours from my house, and although it might be cool to have a boat in a marina in DeTour Village, I think I'd sail more often if the boat were an hour from my house.

Where do you sail out of? What Marina would you recommend?

This is all hypothetical at this point - but when I'm not sailing, my two favorite things are working on my sailboat and dreaming of sailing, So I might drive south and check out marinas in the next couple of weeks.

Thanks -

John
I’ve been watching your other thread as well, this sounds like a really good solution for you! Long before my wife and I started sailing, we lived in the Chicago area, where most people with sailboats are probably more than an hour away. We know several people where we now live who commute that far, or more, to their boat. There are plenty of people who live within shouting distance of the Puget Sound, yet commute for HOURS to get to fresh water and hot temperatures in central Washington for their boating fun... whatever floats your boat…. A shorter, non-towing, commute makes sense to me!

Before my wife and I bought our first boat, we booked a charter several hours north of where we lived, just to see if we would like it… DUH! You might try checking in to charters, sailing clubs, or classes that might be available on western Lake Erie, just to try it out. It might still be possible to get something booked for this season, and then you’ll have the luxury of time to plan your next tack…
 
Jul 26, 2022
18
Catalina 24 Olney Springs
@BrianH I had considered that.

The 38 Miles from Monroe seems like an epic journey, but probably more than I want to take on.
My boat hits 6kts pretty easily, but my car does 65 when trailering - so driving longer and sailing less makes sense to me.
I'm not sure how much of the epic journey I want to shave off, but there are boat launches all around the Ohio coast.
Sounds like you would be happier in an RV and not sailing. Sailing is about the trip, not so much the destination.
 

BrianH

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Feb 14, 2005
102
Hunter 44 LaSalle, MI

BrianH

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Feb 14, 2005
102
Hunter 44 LaSalle, MI
N.C.Y.C. Lasalle, Mi
I am pretty sure you need to be a member there. It is right next door to Toledo Beach Marina though and they have plenty of slips available.
Sounds like you would be happier in an RV and not sailing. Sailing is about the trip, not so much the destination.
I said something similar to a stink boater when I got my 1st sailboat. This was before I even had a name for it. I told the stink boater that it's not in the destination, it's in the journey. Right then it hit me, the sailboat's name would be The Journey. The next one after that was The Journey Continues...
 
Feb 19, 2008
292
Catalina Capri 18 ann arbor
Sounds like you would be happier in an RV and not sailing. Sailing is about the trip, not so much the destination.
Ive been sailing more than 20 years. No, I wouldn’t be happier in an RV, but thank you for your smugness.

I have plenty of respect for Lake Erie, and 38 miles from shore in an 18 ft boat doesn’t seem like the best idea.

It’s a well made, capable boat. I just think it was built for a little bit more protected water. I’m sure it’s capable of making the trip, just not sure it’s for me.
 
Last edited:
Jun 8, 2004
265
Hunter 49 60803 Lake Erie
John
Some where above some one suggested to try chartering so you can test western Lake Erie. If you are interested in that call TJ at Harbor North in Huron Ohio 800 - 451-7245 he can set you up. I've sailed western Lake Erie for 25+ years and find it a great place to sail. There are places where power boats can be overwhelming such as approaching Put in Bay and or the rut in the water on the weekends between Sandusky Bay and PIB but the reality is there is plenty of space on the lake for everybody. I dock in Sandusky Battery Park and go to PIB I just don't follow the straight line rut. (hell the wind direction won't let me most of the time even if I wanted). Don't be afraid of a drive to the lake; I've driven 2.5 hours from the Columbus area for years ever weekend and have never gotten tired of the drive (at this point it's just around the corner and up the street). Good luck on deciding what you next move is.
 
Feb 19, 2008
292
Catalina Capri 18 ann arbor
@tkwhalen The drive from Columbus to Toledo is a pretty nice drive. My daughter just became a Buckeye.
Some of my neighbors (check my location) said, "I would never let my kid go to that school." I said, "they said "fully funded PhD program" and I said, "GO BUCKS!."

I'd be pretty dang nervous chartering a 30 footer. I've been sailing a couple decades, but almost all on boats between 11 and 18'. My ASA classes were on 30 foot boats. Those were a long time ago! I wonder if I could schedule a lesson and a charter in the same weekend?

A Question for you - much of Western Lake Erie (Toledo area, or the Michigan Coast at least) seems super shallow. It looks like you'd have to motor out in a channel for a long time before you could raise sail - is that right?
 

BrianH

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Feb 14, 2005
102
Hunter 44 LaSalle, MI
A Question for you - much of Western Lake Erie (Toledo area, or the Michigan Coast at least) seems super shallow. It looks like you'd have to motor out in a channel for a long time before you could raise sail - is that right?
I sailed out of Toledo Beach Marina and have raised my sails a few hundred yards out of the marina. There are shallow areas for sure but most of the western end of Lake Erie is at least 12-15 feet deep.