How much fuel to cross lake Michigan? 85 miles...

[Jeep Man]

Re: How much fuel to cross lake Michigan? 85 miles...

I have fished in Lakes Ontario, Erie, and Huron.I wouldn't dare cross any of the Great Lakes in a boat that size unless suicide was the goal. Even close to shore I've gone from dead calm to 6 ft swells in less than an hour. In a smaller boat there is no way to get back in safely.

 

[Bigprairie1]

Re: How much fuel to cross lake Michigan? 85 miles...

Obviously no offshore guys here. Otherwise running 85 miles from dock to dock would seem like a short day at the office

Making that trip in a 18-19? foot may not be ideal but certainly very possible to do safely if you have the fuel capacity.

There are a lot of the big freighter captains who dread crossing the great lakes and feel relieved when they finally clear the St. Lawrence and hit open water. The great lakes in November can make the North Atlantic look like a cake walk.
They are a completely different and vicious ball of wax than what most folks know.
BP

 

[nitrorocket]

Re: How much fuel to cross lake Michigan? 85 miles...

Maybe Ill scratch the idea, Ive been on alot of lakes, never Michigan though. Sounds to risky...

Thanks a ton guys!!

 

[RotaryRacer]

Re: How much fuel to cross lake Michigan? 85 miles...

Maybe Ill scratch the idea, Ive been on alot of lakes, never Michigan though. Sounds to risky...

Thanks a ton guys!!

You can certainly go out on Lake Michigan in a boat in the 18-21' range. In fact on good weather days it is one of the most fun things to do. The concern is attempting to cross over the full width. Staying within a couple of miles of your home port or where you lauch from is a good practice.

 

[tic]

Re: How much fuel to cross lake Michigan? 85 miles...

Wow, thanks for the education everyone.. I cross lake Erie all the time.... . I'm a corporate pilot and do a lot of trips from Harrisburg PA. to Toronto Pearson, Hamilton and or Kitchener Ontario.. I'm usually descending or climbing over lake Erie so I'm relatively low and have a pretty good view. Takes about 5 min. to cross the lake LOL. We have a Glastron GS-259 pocket cruiser and I have often thought about trailering it up to lake Erie and crossing the lake with it over to the Canadian side. Wife was agreeable to this endeavor and it just looked like a fun thing to do.. I guess it's a bad idea. We are relatively new to boating (second season with the pocket cruiser and a little 16' runabout before for a few years) Most of our boating is on Raystown lake. I had no idea crossing Erie would be that dangerous.

 

[windsors03cobra]

Re: How much fuel to cross lake Michigan? 85 miles...

I will be out on Michigan tommarow morning, staying close to shore and enjoying the new found warm weather, suppose to be 80.
Greetings from the south by the way and cruising along the shore is a whole new perspective and you will see things you never knew were there, kinda interesting.

I would like to check out the Milwaukee River this summer.

 

[bhammer]

Re: How much fuel to cross lake Michigan? 85 miles...

I'm a corporate pilot and do a lot of trips from Harrisburg PA. to Toronto Pearson, Hamilton and or Kitchener Ontario..

Hey Tic, if you get to KDAL, or one of the other local airports, give me a shout. I always like to meet fellow boaters and aviation professionals. I have a 2000 and Challenger 300 I take care of at DAL.

 

[bekosh]

Re: How much fuel to cross lake Michigan? 85 miles...

Wow, thanks for the education everyone.. I cross lake Erie all the time.... . I'm a corporate pilot and do a lot of trips from Harrisburg PA. to Toronto Pearson, Hamilton and or Kitchener Ontario.. I'm usually descending or climbing over lake Erie so I'm relatively low and have a pretty good view. Takes about 5 min. to cross the lake LOL. We have a Glastron GS-259 pocket cruiser and I have often thought about trailering it up to lake Erie and crossing the lake with it over to the Canadian side. Wife was agreeable to this endeavor and it just looked like a fun thing to do.. I guess it's a bad idea. We are relatively new to boating (second season with the pocket cruiser and a little 16' runabout before for a few years) Most of our boating is on Raystown lake. I had no idea crossing Erie would be that dangerous.

Compared to crossing Lake Michigan, I would actually say that's a very doable trip. For Ex. Erie PA to Fort Dover Canada is a total of about 45 miles and only about the first 25 or so is really open water compared to 85 miles of all open water.

You could start with shorter trips along the US shore to get a feel for what the water conditions are under different forecasts. 15mph wind from the South will have a very different effect on the seas than the same wind from the North West.

Maybe find or put together a group to make the trip with, safty in numbers. Other wise just be aware of the weather forecast, make sure you have all your safty gear, including a VHF radio and be willing to take your time and layover if necessary to ensure a safe voyage.

I will be out on Michigan tommarow morning, staying close to shore and enjoying the new found warm weather, suppose to be 80.
Greetings from the south by the way and cruising along the shore is a whole new perspective and you will see things you never knew were there, kinda interesting.

I would like to check out the Milwaukee River this summer.

Lucky you. I have to wait till Sat before I get to head out on Winnebago.
Racine to Milwaukee is about 23 miles. A nice easy run if the weather is nice. Be sure to take the time for a cruise through McKinley marina. A lot of very nice boats docked there. You can also check out Discovery World/Pier Wisconsin & the Dennis Sulivan. You can dock for free right at the pier.
http://www.discoveryworld.org/

There are some nice restaurants on the river, my favorite would be The Milwaukee Ale House. The fried Mac-n-Cheese and the Chicken Pot Pie are excellent and they have a great selection of beers brewed right in the building. Or try the house Root Beer, also brewed right there, if that's more your thing.

 

[dingbat]

Re: How much fuel to cross lake Michigan? 85 miles...

Obviously you have not spent time on this lake. Unlike the oceans, lake Michigan can change in a heartbeat and there is nothing you can do at that point but make peace with your maker.

When was the last time you seen a tornado come out of nowhere on the ocean? Seriously, you simply can not compare the lake to any other body of water, although a lot of dead sailors thought they could...

So what your saying is that the weather is so variable and dangerous that you can not risk heading out for 3 hours?

Waterspout are quite common around here actually. In fact, two in the last 3 years.

http://www.usatoday.com/weather/wspwhere.htm

 

[Backyardhockey]

Re: How much fuel to cross lake Michigan? 85 miles...

The deal is, considering that it's 330 miles long, Lake Michigan can be thought of as two lakes. I've crossed it a couple of times both lengthwise and widthwise. You can have a Summer day where it is scorching hot in the Southern end and it's on the verge of snowing in the North. There is very little land between Lake Superior and Northern Lake Mich. Superior is always ice cold and it has a great influence on weather in the Northern part of Lake Mich. Not always in the forcast BTW! Ait temps in August can be in the 40's. When a Canadian cold front hits the hot, humid stuff from the South, look out. Might be big waves, 15', in one part and flat elsewhere. Not often, maybe a few times a year. And except for the Southern tip, we are talking about cold water.

Ted Turner brought his America Cup boat here years back to do the Mackinac race. Made "pond" comments pre-race. Took it all back, and then some, post-race.

 

[windsors03cobra]

Re: How much fuel to cross lake Michigan? 85 miles...

The weather sure does change alot. I like the seasons and abundance of "stuff" around the great lakes and the midwest. Mostly a nice place to live.
I see a little chop out there today, little wind blowing. Hope its real nice tomorrow.

Bekosh: thanks for the tip on Discovery world, can a person a tie up a boat on the Milwaukee river while the dine or partake ?
I was out on Michigan last Saturday as well, cruised up to the Oak Creek power plant, t'was a pretty nice day till late afternoon.

 

[bekosh]

Re: How much fuel to cross lake Michigan? 85 miles...

Bekosh: thanks for the tip on Discovery world, can a person a tie up a boat on the Milwaukee river while the dine or partake ?
I was out on Michigan last Saturday as well, cruised up to the Oak Creek power plant, t'was a pretty nice day till late afternoon.

There are 2-3 restaurants that have their own docks, Milwaukee Ale House, Rip Tide and one other further up stream near Old World Third St.

There are also public landings spaced along the downtown stretch of the river and docks at Pere Marquette Park with plenty of dining within a 1-2 block walk.

If you click the 'My Google Map' link below my sig picture, then zoom in on Milwaukee, I have Rip Tide & Milwaukee Ale house marked. And if you look at the satilite view along the river from about Clybourn north to State St, those half circle things sticking out from the side of the river are the public landings.

 

[mphy98]

Re: How much fuel to cross lake Michigan? 85 miles...

Other than when I was in the service and a few years in Tampa FL, I have lived by the big pond my whole life. I realize that it was a different pond but do you remember the EDMUND FITZGERALD. It was a huge ship. That lake can turn mean in a heartbeat. My grandfather was a commercial fisherman up by Escanaba MI, and I went out with him as a young boy many times, and there were many times I think even he was a little scared. My advise, do not do it. This lake is no lady she is a witch.

 

[windsors03cobra]

Re: How much fuel to cross lake Michigan? 85 miles...

I remember watching a film about the Fitz at the Wisconsin Maritime Museum in my younger years, and every time I hear that Gordon Lightfoot song I get goose pimples.

 

[Dick Sorensen]

Re: How much fuel to cross lake Michigan? 85 miles...

Everything said and the points made above are correct, yet ....... you can cross any body of water, in most any conditions, if you and your boat are prepared properly. 100 years ago we didn't have boats that had all the stuff they have today, yet commerce still took place between Muskegon, Mi and Milwaukee, Wi. If your young enough, if you plan accordingly, if you watch the weather and if you have a 'bail out plan'.... go for it! I crossed Lake Michigan in a 26 foot open wooden boat at the age of 16 with a bunch of other young sea scouts. No radio, no gps, no backup motor, no cell phones, just a compass and a tiller bar. So if you want to do it....go for it!

 

[windsors03cobra]

Re: How much fuel to cross lake Michigan? 85 miles...

Jeez **** you still in Milwaukee ?

 

[IVAZ]

Re: How much fuel to cross lake Michigan? 85 miles...

There is an old saying in the mid-west. If you don't like the weather, hang around 10 minutes, it'll change.

I think most states use the same saying as that one. We definately hear it here.

I was not aware a lake could get that rough. I have googled the great lakes today and all staments above seem to be true.
This is not a great video but it captures what everybody is saying.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E36iGZL7QxA&feature=related

 

[Expidia]

Re: How much fuel to cross lake Michigan? 85 miles...

This one's better and a true story too!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpZLGbvIzx0

What get's me is when people ask these questions . . . If you want to kill yourself go right ahead. But why take anyone else with you.

No one thinks when they attempt a dumb stunt like crossing any major body of water in a small boat about the the lives of the Coast Guard brave souls that have to fly out in helicopters and other search boats looking for you in your overturned boat. How they risk their lives for you! When a copter goes down searching for you . . . What about their Spouses and kids now having to deal with their lost parent.

I really hate reading about the rescuers losing their lives each year searching for lost boats that went out ill equipped.

People should be required to file a signed an itinerary before they leave that says if you get in trouble "no one is going to come risk their lives looking for you".

Just my take on these dumb stunts

 

[bowman316]

Re: How much fuel to cross lake Michigan? 85 miles...

they figured that the fitzgerald was bobbing up and down in the sea, maybe 60 ft seas. And the stern, (where the pilot house was) was going under waves, and comming back up.
Then it took one last wave, and never came back up, the ship just kept going down, sinking stern first.
Imagine that feeling if your in the wheel house, expecting to come back up, and then water pressure just bursting your windows out.
Sad story.

 

[Tim Frank]

Re: How much fuel to cross lake Michigan? 85 miles...

Other than when I was in the service and a few years in Tampa FL, I have lived by the big pond my whole life. I realize that it was a different pond but do you remember the EDMUND FITZGERALD. It was a huge ship. That lake can turn mean in a heartbeat. My grandfather was a commercial fisherman up by Escanaba MI, and I went out with him as a young boy many times, and there were many times I think even he was a little scared. My advise, do not do it. This lake is no lady she is a witch.

That's a slightly different tack, just a bit north.
The Edmund Fitzgerald went down in Lake Superior, not Michigan. As bad as Michigan can get, Superior is just one quantum level nastier.

Interesting thread. Thirty plus folks acknowledging how unpredictable the Great Lakes are, only one cowboy doing the "you're wimps, watch me" thing.

Reminds me of the old aviation sobriquet,,,"we have old pilots, and some bold pilots, but we don't have old, bold pilots."