Lake Erie - Need Help

[fishheadbarandgrill]

I've got a family reunion in Boone, NC this July and thought I'd keep driving north with my 26M in tow and give Lake Erie a shot. I would be heading north through Akron so I'd need a good destination in that general area. Does anyone have a suggestion with regard to a sail plan for about 4-5 days.

Thanks,
Bob

[pokerrick1]

Get off at Cleveland (maybe Erie, PA) - - - sail to Buffalo - - - have a Roast Beef on Kimmelweck - - - fly home

Rick

[Crikey]

Port Dover on the Canadian side has a mad bash every Friday 13th, and there's one in July this year. If your not riding a Harley - at least dress like you do.
Actually quite a fun day and the little marina is right downtown.
Ross

[fishheadbarandgrill]

I'm thinking the Lake Erie Islands... puting in at Catawba. Think I need to steer clear of Canadian waters with my composting head.

Bob

[Tomfoolery]

Think I need to steer clear of Canadian waters with my composting head.

I think you're right.

No suggestions for Lake Erie, but on Lake Ontario there's the Thousand Islands. My prime destination this coming season, but trailered there to get more island hopping time, and less endless downwind sailing time (like two days worth just to get there from here).

[Crikey]

I'm thinking the Lake Erie Islands... puting in at Catawba. Think I need to steer clear of Canadian waters with my composting head.

Bob

Could be a floating weapon of mass destruction
You taught us well...

I'll have to check into this myself. I would eventually like one of these on my own boat. If no-go, I'm going to vote for the 'Green' party next election.
R.

[Seapup]

No suggestions for Lake Erie, but on Lake Ontario there's the Thousand Islands.

That is a beautiful area in the summer. I went to school in Oswego and the family has a camp near Alexandria Bay we go to every summer. I am debating taking the X when we go this summer, but the gas to drag it there and back is as much as a slip here all summer.

Do you have another reason to head up that far north or just want to get away from saltwater for awile?Thats a long roadtrip for just a few days and while lake Erie is beautiful, it can get also real nasty in a hurry.

If I were planning a few days with the family I would stay a lot closer and use the extra driving days on the water. There are several smaller lakes on the VA/NC border like Smith and Kerr. You can easily spend a few days at each. We spent a week at Kerr last year and had a blast. It has 850 miles of natural undeveloped shoreline (state property) and perfect for beaching and spending the night, especially if weather gets bad. It is almost all protected coves. We had no trouble finding a new secluded area to beach each night. There are two nice Va state parks and about a dozen army corps of engineer parks on the water if you want to stop and take advantage of their facilities. We beached at a state park one evening to use the pool/showers and on the way out were invited to an astronomy program at the park which we thoroughly enjoyed. We plan on doing at least one week again there this summer.

[fishheadbarandgrill]

The Great Lakes are on the bucket list is the reason for the trip. I'm almost half way there by the time I'm at the family reunion. I trailered to Key West last summer so I'm not shy about a little road trip. I grew up sailing Kerr lake so I'm up for a change. I'm going to give myself a good 5 days on the water. The thousand Islands appear to be out of my Rachel for this trip.

Bob

[briggs]

I've not done the Erie Islands yet myself, but that's where you want to go. A lot of people from our club go there. I can get specifics for you if you want. Let me know.

Briggs

[fishheadbarandgrill]

Briggs,
Some local knowledge would be great!

Bob

[Ivan Awfulitch]

The islands are a great place to spend a few days. Since you're staying out of Canada, I'll leave Pelee Island and Point Pelee out of the picture. You have the 2 Ohio islands, with Put-in-Bay the busiest (and party) island, and Kellys Island (a much slower pace, but quite relaxing). Lots of mooring and transient dockage available at both locations as well as on Catawba. You also have a short sail to Sandusky with some nice restaurant/bars and of course Cedar Point if you're into coasters. Simply sail to the marina at Cedar point, dock, and walk right to the park. Plus if you head a bit further east, there's Huron which has the new turning basin harbor and dockage. They have all sorts of activities and concerts there over the summer. Plus, this is the kick-off for the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812, and they'll have all types of activities planned. Note that Friday and Saturdays are very busy on both islands, but they're not bad on weekdays. Plus if you find yourself with huge seas and can't sail, there are 2 ferry services to each island from Port Clinton/Catawba, 1 jet passenger and 1 auto that run to waves of about 15 foot.

On the mainland, there are things to do in the Port Clinton/Marblehead area, as well as Lakeside which is billed as the Chataqua of Lake Erie. If you're trailering, there's a great boat launch with lots of parking on SR 53 (free run by Erie County) on Catawba Island (a drive on island) that launches you into West Harbor. It's very well protected and easy to navigate in/out. Plus, when you launch you're several miles out into the lake, with the 2 main islands less than 5 miles from you. We keep our Mac slipped at one of the many Catawba marinas. Let me know if you have any questions and I'll see if I can help you out.

You can try these links for more information.
http://www.shoresandislands.com/
http://www.kelleysisland.com/
http://www.putinbay.com/
http://visitputinbay.com/pib/
A good way to check wind conditions on the west end of the lake
http://www.sailflow.com/windandwhere.iw ... SiteID=849
Just in case you change your mind about Canada
http://www.pelee.org/i?page=home

[fishheadbarandgrill]

Thanks Ivan. Great stuff. Can I leave my truck and trailer at your suggested launch point on Catawba Island for 5 days with no worries?

Bob

[Ivan Awfulitch]

Thanks Ivan. Great stuff. Can I leave my truck and trailer at your suggested launch point on Catawba Island for 5 days with no worries?

Bob

Unless they have changed policy this year, shouldn't be a problem. If they have, there are many places around that you can leave a vehicle and trailer on the island and it's very safe. I'm sure that you could contact them for info.

West Harbor Public Launch Ramp
1955 N.E. Catawba Road
419-797-4308

Another ramp is at the state park on the west side of the island. It is directly on the lake, and can be quite rough when the winds are from the west/northwest.
Catawba Island State Park
Off W. Catawba Road, located 8 miles northeast of Port Clinton
419-797-4530

In Marblehead (a few miles east of Catawba) you have these ramps:
Dempsey's Access
County Road 136 (Bayshore Rd) at County Road 140 (Hartshorn Road) (into Sandusky Bay rather than Lake Erie)

These 2 launch into East Harbor:
East Harbor State Park
off Route 163, near route 269 junction
419-734-4424

Mazurik Boat Launch
North Shore Blvd, eight miles east of Port Clinton off Route 163

Another interesting concept is taking the car and trailer across to Kellys Island on the boat and launching there. This way you're about 6 miles into the lake and minutes from the nightlife when you start. The have several nice marinas and some very nice bed and breakfasts there (Water's Edge is the best) that my wife loves to visit.
Kelleys Island State Park Launch Ramp
Division St.
Kelleys Island OH 43438
419.746.2546
419.734.4424
ohiostateparks.org

By the way, I'm on the north side of Akron, and the islands are about 1 1/2 hours from here via the Ohio Turnpike and Route 2. Stop in Sandusky for gas on the way (about 15 miles before you reach the islands) as it's a whole lot cheaper.

There are many other things to do in the area (including several water parks if you have any kids, and a Kalahari resort), and lots of nightlife on both islands for the big kids. Let me know if I can help with any other information.

[briggs]

Looks like Ivan has you covered pretty well. Talking with some of the guys at the club tonight, the islands are where you want to go, but you might want to look into Vermillion, Huron and Port Clinton while you're up here. I'm sure you'll have a great time!

Briggs

[robbarnes1965]

I'm thinking the Lake Erie Islands... puting in at Catawba. Think I need to steer clear of Canadian waters with my composting head.

Bob

Could be a floating weapon of mass destruction
You taught us well...

I'll have to check into this myself. I would eventually like one of these on my own boat. If no-go, I'm going to vote for the 'Green' party next election.
R.

Forget the green party, I just saw one in a Mac X where a couple liveaboard year-round in the Florida Keys. It had zero smell - unlike the chemical heads on the 41ft Morgan I just stayed on for the last 8 days. They go weeks without having to empty it and even that is done with a garbage bag at worst. They claim it doesn't smell much worse than dirt and I believe it. I am so sold on it. Theirs was an AirHead.