Sailing Across Lake Michigan

[Garymadhatter]

Originally Posted by zedpassway

If you are the kind of person for whom Good Luck follows you everywhere, then I suppose you could make the crossing without an issue. However, if you know Murphy of Murphy's Law by his first name(its Ed, BTW), then you need to prepare for the worst possible situation. And in preparing for the worst possible situation, a little bit of paranoia is worthwhile.

Assume that you expect good weather with a good breeze. Suppose the weather suddenly changes and it gets a lot worse, with 35 knot winds and 5-7 foot seas. Are you prepared to deal with 10 hours of that. Suppose your 20 hour trip turns into a 48 hour trip, do you have the clothing, food, water for that? Suppose the wind dies, and you have to motor and then your motor goes south on you for no other reason than it didn't tell you it was time for its annual vacation, can you deal with that? Will you have the equipment to be able to call the USCG FROM 40 miles out? Suppose the fog rolls in and you can't see 10 feet in front of you and you hear the fog horn of a freighter nearby. Suppose a freak accident throws one of you out of the boat in 50 degree water, do you have a winch for the other person to drag you back into the boat? In 50 degree water for 10 minutes, you will not be able to climb back in yourself, hyperthermic with heavy wet clothes, since you are a retired person, not a Navy Seal. You will have hyperthermia at that point and the other person will need to drive. Can the other person run your boat? Suppose a piece of wood holes your boat out in the middle, what will you do?

Any time you are sailing in a place where there is no easy help, you need to be prepared for the worst things that can happen, and not assume that it will be easy. And that could be in a Bay where almost no ONE sails, and the only towing service is the USCG 20 miles away.

Murphy follows me wherever I go. I've had to call the USCG for help in a situation which should have been a total piece of cake simply sailing a measly six miles from launch to my mooring. It taught me that I need to prepare for a cascading set of worst case scenarios(which was what happened), and not assume that just because it looks like it could be easy, that it will be. The water doesn't like you or care about you. And the temperature of the water wants to kill you if you fall in or or the boat sinks.

Sailing is all about "Be prepared" not "Have a blast". If you are prepared for nearly anything, then my experience shows me that nothing will happen, or at least nothing that you haven't prepared for. And being prepared for anything is really all about having a blast.

Take the harbor hopping route. Your post doesn't show that you are remotely: PREPARED FOR ANYTHING!

Thanks for your very frank advice. I am not taking this voyage lightly...otherwise I would not be soliciting opinions. I do have a working radio, life raft, and have subscribed to Sea Tow. I also plan to get a radar reflector device.

[earthmover]

Leave at night, arrive by day. Plenty of liquids (coffee, tea, smoothies,fuel as in gas or diesel), the odd snack, granola bars, chips. 3 crew minimum, prefer 4. Have fun. Recite poetry under the clouds, stars. Shakespeare. Buy everybody a real good brefkast once you arrive. You will remember this for the rest of their lives.

[30West]

I grew up on the lake here, grew up working and playing on boats. I live a mile from Lake Michigan, boat is slipped next to the channel. The wind dies at night here, pretty reliably. Often it comes out of the east as the sun rises. Or it gusts to 40 knots, unpredictably. If you aren't committed to one day, you should be able to find a night and day with good weather, not sure about favorable winds.

You will probably be motoring a lot if you come across at night. Figure out your fuel usage to motor across, and add half of that for reserves. If you do sail across at night, do you have enough battery to run radio and lights all night, and still have power to start? Borrow a portable jump start box just in case.

How are you navigating? Navionics is $50, works great on an iPad with GPS. Again you'll need to ensure you can keep it charged. You can use it for a week or so for free.

[Garymadhatter]

Originally Posted by earthmover

Leave at night, arrive by day. Plenty of liquids (coffee, tea, smoothies,fuel as in gas or diesel), the odd snack, granola bars, chips. 3 crew minimum, prefer 4. Have fun. Recite poetry under the clouds, stars. Shakespeare. Buy everybody a real good brefkast once you arrive. You will remember this for the rest of their lives.

I prefer Longfellow but everybody is different!

[Garymadhatter]

Originally Posted by 30West

I grew up on the lake here, grew up working and playing on boats. I live a mile from Lake Michigan, boat is slipped next to the channel. The wind dies at night here, pretty reliably. Often it comes out of the east as the sun rises. Or it gusts to 40 knots, unpredictably. If you aren't committed to one day, you should be able to find a night and day with good weather, not sure about favorable winds.

You will probably be motoring a lot if you come across at night. Figure out your fuel usage to motor across, and add half of that for reserves. If you do sail across at night, do you have enough battery to run radio and lights all night, and still have power to start? Borrow a portable jump start box just in case.

How are you navigating? Navionics is $50, works great on an iPad with GPS. Again you'll need to ensure you can keep it charged. You can use it for a week or so for free.

I'm going to use Navionics with my iPad. I am also planning to borrow a friend's EPIRB just in case. Thanks.

[Garymadhatter]

Originally Posted by Enrique100

Forgot to mention - since you asked about getting crew back. If you have crew and you can somehow get them to Bangor, MI (about 10 miles from South Haven) there's Amtrak back to Chicago and you can even get all the way to Racine area with the train. Super cheap. Otherwise you'd need to drive.

Yes, I think Amtrak is a good option.

[Mike OReilly]

I’m the last person to downplay the power of the Great Lakes, but there’s no need to go overboard with this crossing either. If you pick your weather window well, and don’t get too much bad luck, in all likelihood it will be a fun, easy sail. If your boat is in good shape, and so are you, then unless you do something really silly, the odds are well in your favour for a nice run.

EPIRB, liferaft, sea-tow, more than two crew… if it makes you feel better you can get them. But these are certainly not needed on a crossing like this. Warm clothes, warm food, a radar reflector (although they’ve been shown to be of questionable value), radio, charts, compass, and a good weather window are the things you need.

I’d leave late morning to make sure I had lots of time to get across. Not sure what your boat will reliably do, but if it is 4 knots (as I suspect), then 80nm/4 knots = 20 hrs. Whatever speed you decide to use, time your departure so you arrive in the morning, that way you minimize your risk of arriving in the dark (it’s far easier to slow down than to speed up).

[hamburking]

Originally Posted by Garymadhatter

The 16 hp diesel ought to do the trick if needed. If the day we pick has no wind at all, I may have to motor all the way. That's certainly OK but I wonder if my 19 gallon tank is sufficient to do it or if an auxiliary can would be in order.

Knowing and calculating your fuel consumption rate and range is an ongoing and interesting task for all boaters (who have an engine).

A 16hp diesel is likely 2 cylinder, not very big. I would guess you will burn around 1 litre per hour at 75% of WOT. To be safe, lets be super pessimistic and say 2 hours per gallon. That would still give you around 40 hours of motoring, or a range of about 200 miles. Unless there is some serious problem with your diesel, you should have no trouble with range.

HOWEVER....what about gunk in the fuel tank. Many old boats go for years with a slurry in the tank. Sailing on pleasant days does no harm. But the first time out in a real blow with some wave action, and the gunk gets all agitated. Next thing you know, its clogging up the fuel filter. This happened to me, its real.

So my advice would be to inspect inside the fuel tank, if possible. Otherwise, bring a few spare fuel filters, and be sure you know how to install them while underway, especially how to bleed the engine efficiently.

There is no shame in powering across on a windless day. Aside from the noise, it would be a pleasant and safe trip.

[hamburking]

Originally Posted by Garymadhatter

I'm going to use Navionics with my iPad. I am also planning to borrow a friend's EPIRB just in case. Thanks.

Navionics is great, provided you can reliably charge on your boat (test before you go). I would still bring the paper charts though. And personally, I like the old school etrex yellow. Put in a waypoint for your destination, and you are set. I crossed an ocean like that! But the best data is in your head. Study the charts. Learn the lights. Know where you are heading before you leave. If there is a swell running, and you all feel a little "mal de mer", you won't feel much like going below to figure out where you are, or even staring at a ipad screen.

Remember you will likely be out of cell service for most of your trip.

The epirb is a last resort. A working VHF would be a better resource...do you know how to call for help on 16? Personally, I like to bring a handheld vhf for safety (and spare batteries).

I'm sure you are already learning so much...thats part of the fun of sailing. Have a great trip!

http://webapp.navionics.com/#boating..._%7CjfGj%7DgpO

[Garymadhatter]

Originally Posted by hamburking

Navionics is great, provided you can reliably charge on your boat (test before you go). I would still bring the paper charts though. And personally, I like the old school etrex yellow. Put in a waypoint for your destination, and you are set. I crossed an ocean like that! But the best data is in your head. Study the charts. Learn the lights. Know where you are heading before you leave. If there is a swell running, and you all feel a little "mal de mer", you won't feel much like going below to figure out where you are, or even staring at a ipad screen.

Remember you will likely be out of cell service for most of your trip.

The epirb is a last resort. A working VHF would be a better resource...do you know how to call for help on 16? Personally, I like to bring a handheld vhf for safety (and spare batteries).

I'm sure you are already learning so much...thats part of the fun of sailing. Have a great trip!

Navionics Webapp

I took a live aboard sailing class last year with US Sailing and we practiced calling for help on channel 16. We also practiced chart plotting and I'm pretty comfortable with it. I have a hand held VHF as a back up.
I am learning a lot just from this forum! I'm excited about going. The GPS on the boat is ancient and I'm going to get a hand held one like the one in your photo.
Thanks

[Garymadhatter]

Originally Posted by hamburking

Knowing and calculating your fuel consumption rate and range is an ongoing and interesting task for all boaters (who have an engine).

A 16hp diesel is likely 2 cylinder, not very big. I would guess you will burn around 1 litre per hour at 75% of WOT. To be safe, lets be super pessimistic and say 2 hours per gallon. That would still give you around 40 hours of motoring, or a range of about 200 miles. Unless there is some serious problem with your diesel, you should have no trouble with range.

HOWEVER....what about gunk in the fuel tank. Many old boats go for years with a slurry in the tank. Sailing on pleasant days does no harm. But the first time out in a real blow with some wave action, and the gunk gets all agitated. Next thing you know, its clogging up the fuel filter. This happened to me, its real.

So my advice would be to inspect inside the fuel tank, if possible. Otherwise, bring a few spare fuel filters, and be sure you know how to install them while underway, especially how to bleed the engine efficiently.

There is no shame in powering across on a windless day. Aside from the noise, it would be a pleasant and safe trip.

When I bought the boat last year, there was corrosion in the tank discovered by the surveyor I hired. I had the marina rip out the old steel tank and replace it with a new plastic one so gunk should not be an issue. I'll be sure to get an extra fuel filter anyway.

[carlheintz]

Rognvold is correct... this passage is not to be taken lightly. You are crossing an ocean, and for most of the voyage will not be able to see a shoreline. Unless you have some navigation skills and have used a GPS you could get yourself in trouble. Also, this time of year, it is cold, and when you are really cold, it is no fun.

Those who advocate sailing at night need to remember that a novice/ intermediate sailors may not have had that experience, and it is much, much different than sailing during the daylight hours.

You should take at least one person with you. My suggestion is that you plan on leaving in the very early morning. You should arrive with some daylight left.

There is a real possibility that you could be becalmed out there. This time of year it's not uncommon for the winds to die. So you better have enough fuel to get you at least 75% of the way.

You should also be sure that your VHF radio is working, and that you have your antenna on the top of the mast. That should give you at least a 30 mile range.

IF you have the time, the very best way is to harbor hop your way over. I would strongly suggest you not just take off assuming that you'll figure it out when you get there. If you harbor hop, you can have a wonderful time, and spend a few days enjoying the fantastic coast we have.

[hamburking]

Originally Posted by Garymadhatter

I took a live aboard sailing class last year with US Sailing and we practiced calling for help on channel 16. We also practiced chart plotting and I'm pretty comfortable with it. I have a hand held VHF as a back up.
I am learning a lot just from this forum! I'm excited about going. The GPS on the boat is ancient and I'm going to get a hand held one

I'm glad to hear you have some experience. And now you get a chance to use all that stuff you learned at sailing school!

I'm also glad to hear you are getting a handheld GPS for backup. They are very reliable. The newer version of the etrex yellow is called the etrex 10, and is available at walmart for $94 usd. You can likely get a used one for cheaper. Mine are 20 years old, and work like new. For anyone who used to sail without electronics (the bad old days?), taking fixes and plotting by hand on a paper chart, these things are a modern miracle. Truly, for centuries people sailed the world staring at the sky and guessing their position. Now we know to within 1 or 2 metres, instantly, for $94.

Another nice feature of the handheld gps is that it gives you the great circle course. Not a big deal over a short distance, but a bigger deal crossing an ocean.

Since most of your trip is just wide open lake, you can likely leave your ipad/navionics OFF after a couple miles, and leave it off till you get close. The handheld GPS can keep you on course in between. That would avoid the whole charging issue. And you may find the most asked questions by your crew will be "how much farther?".

And of course you can compare the course/bearing data from navionics with the course/bearing from the gps...they should agree, right?

You are going to have a great time.

[Garymadhatter]

Originally Posted by hamburking

I'm glad to hear you have some experience. And now you get a chance to use all that stuff you learned at sailing school!

I'm also glad to hear you are getting a handheld GPS for backup. They are very reliable. The newer version of the etrex yellow is called the etrex 10, and is available at walmart for $94 usd. You can likely get a used one for cheaper. Mine are 20 years old, and work like new. For anyone who used to sail without electronics (the bad old days?), taking fixes and plotting by hand on a paper chart, these things are a modern miracle. Truly, for centuries people sailed the world staring at the sky and guessing their position. Now we know to within 1 or 2 metres, instantly, for $94.

Another nice feature of the handheld gps is that it gives you the great circle course. Not a big deal over a short distance, but a bigger deal crossing an ocean.

Since most of your trip is just wide open lake, you can likely leave your ipad/navionics OFF after a couple miles, and leave it off till you get close. The handheld GPS can keep you on course in between. That would avoid the whole charging issue. And you may find the most asked questions by your crew will be "how much farther?".

And of course you can compare the course/bearing data from navionics with the course/bearing from the gps...they should agree, right?

You are going to have a great time.

Good stuff! I'm going to get a hand held GPS for sure. Isn't technology wonderful? Thanks again.

[liquidice]

Mhg you will probably make it. You will probably be cool. But sailing somewhere for the first time is stressful, inherently risky, tiring, and usually more challenging than planned for. Figuring out where you are, exactly, can be challenging when you see the shore. When you can't, it can become impossible. Especially while you have to keep steering the boat. After crossing it would be easy to get into a situation where you see the Michigan shore and don't know whether to go N or S. It is so fatiguing after a long sail to be unsure of where the harbor is.

As posters have pointed out you were unsure if your autotiller was holding straight or keeping a heading. So do you pop it on to trim a sail or make a phone call or whatever? That alone says you should keep to within 10 miles of the shore and do the loop. Or just do a test run down to Waukegan. My launch was cancelled last week Saturday for 13' waves and gales to 30 on the nearshore forecast, and no wheedling from me was going to change their minds. I'm saying the lake has been feisty of late and you do not want to take her lightly. With the loop, there is a harbor at least every 20 miles, so you always have a plan B. Be safe you mad man and i hope to see you out there.