Lake Erie Islands. Kelleys island and Put-In-Bay

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Lake Erie Islands. Kelleys island and Put-In-Bay

Postby Beach4824 » Sat Jul 25, 2020 4:54 am

Has anyone taken their Daysailer to the Erie islands? If so, How was it? Places to Visit? Things to look out for? Planning on going in Sept. Camp and launch boat. I hear that Lake Erie can be notorious for Pop up storms and rough seas. Will try to avoid that by checking weather everyday and will not launch if theres any indication of bad weather.
Any advice on equipment needed? I will be buying a hand held VHF radio. flares and air horn. If I were to encounter Bad weather what would be my course of action? I plan on taking down sails and throwing out the anchor and just riding out storm.
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Re: Lake Erie Islands. Kelleys island and Put-In-Bay

Postby Shagbark » Thu Jul 30, 2020 6:27 pm

I have not but I think I remember someone posting on this site that the water can get pretty choppy with all the traffic. Maybe in September things have calmed down. I would certainly have at least one set of reef points in the main along with a jib down-haul; you don't want to send someone on the foredeck in chop miles from shore if the winds pick up unexpectantly.
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Re: Lake Erie Islands. Kelleys island and Put-In-Bay

Postby Beach4824 » Sat Aug 01, 2020 8:48 pm

Thanks so much for your post. from what i here outside this forum with other boats can be choppy. i hear there inconsiderate of sailboats and give you a huge wake getting past you coming out of a channel then firing up and give you waves and give to waves on your bow.
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Re: Lake Erie Islands. Kelleys island and Put-In-Bay

Postby rrcrazy » Fri Mar 12, 2021 4:36 pm

Sorry for the delay in putting some info out there for you! We held the Daysailer Nationals in Put-In-Bay a few years ago. It is a good place to sail...once you get there! Easiest is to take the ferry over with your vehicle and boat and launch from there. You can launch off the South Bass Island State Park Ramp, or right in Put-In-Bay at the Municipal Ramp. Another option is the ferry to Middle Bass Island. The Marina Ramp there puts you in a quiet place, then you head through the channel to Put-In-Bay itself.

If you camp at SBI SP, there isn't any overnight mooring, it's just reflecting the boat each day. Only problem is the park faces west. There's no real break from the wind, so the lake kicks up there. It's pretty exposed from all sides.

If you are on your own, you might want to get a motor for your boat. It makes maneuvering easier, especially if you lose the wind.

The Bay itself is great for sailing. I've had lots of fun in my San Juan. The DS should handle it just fine.

The waves from the big boats make things tricky, especially on Saturdays and Sundays. A lot of the boats come in through the Bay at a high rate of speed from the east and don't care about much of anyone else.

Let us know what you decided to do!
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Re: Lake Erie Islands. Kelleys island and Put-In-Bay

Postby cygtoad » Sat Sep 09, 2023 10:33 pm

I know this is a pretty old post, but I am going to reply anyway. I grew up sailing on Lake Erie about a hundred miles east of Put-In-Bay. I have never been more at peace, or as terrified for my life, as I have been sailing Lake Erie. Lake Erie can be awesome and it can be treacherous. One minute you can be crying for air, five minutes later; your mast is in the water and you are frantically looking to un-cleat the halyards. It really all depends upon the weather you encounter. Lake Erie is difficult to forecast and can surprise you.

Compared the other Great Lakes, Lake Erie is a puddle. It is only 210 feet deep in it's deepest point, by comparison Superior is 1,300 feet deep. Because of this, when weather crosses the lake, there is not much volume to excite, so unlike the ocean where weather comes in gradually developing swells, Lake Erie quickly develops a chop. Kick a 55 gallon barrel full of water and you will see the surface develop some ripples (that is the Ocean). Lake Erie is a sand pail with an inch of water. Give it the very same kick and the difference is pretty dramatic.

The chop that develops is very short in frequency and is notorious for swamping small boats. I had a Kirby 23 keelboat (think Sonar with a larger cabin) when I sailed there. I loved that boat. I used to take her out in questionable weather because I was young and stupid. I took a wild jibe in chop and found myself literally floating in the cockpit, as if I were in a hot tub. My best friend and crewmate was terrified. Lucky for us, the companionway hatch was closed and the boat is equipped with two very generous scuppers and a self bailing cockpit. The cockpit was emptied in about a minute's time, as we were still underway. It truly was incredible, and we were surprised both by the event and the boat's reaction. I was very happy to be in that boat that day.

While I don't have much experience with Daysailers (I just bought a DS1), I wouldn't hesitate to take her out onto Lake Erie. However, I would watch the weather closely. A DS1 would be a riskier proposition than a DS2 with it's self-bailing cockpit and better flotation. Ideally you would want the companionway to be closed off to water intrusion with a hatch like the modern Cape Cod Built Daysailer.

I think you might be able to get away with a trip to the islands in any Daysailer in fair weather, but I wouldn't go crossing Lake Erie, I wasn't even stupid enough to do it in my 20's in my Kirby. It is just too risky. Keep in mind there are many times more shipwrecks at the bottom of Lake Erie than there are in the Bermuda Triangle.
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