Lake Michigan Boating....

[Yaj Yak]

Unless you have no plans of sleeping on your boat I would suggest something with a larger cabin. Its very nice "camping" on the boat especially if you live far from the harbor. You also want something large enough that you feel comfortable taking it on a trips like those. Lake Michigan isnt exempt from flooding either. Lake levels are at record highs right now, and sometimes you will see flooding depending on what direction the wind is going. If you are looking at a Chicago Harbor take note that at Diversey its probably only half full right now. You are limited because of bridge clearance going in and out of the harbor because of high water levels. Don't quote me but I think you only have 8 or 9ft of clearance right now. Because of this the bigger boats cannot get in or out and moved to other harbors. If you get a larger boat with a radar arch 31st harbor might be your only available option.

Keep it as in which harbor in the city? Are there clearance restrictions on Lake Michigan? I would even entertain a slip on the river. I’m more worried about getting the right size boat.

[MENTION=16]PANDA[/MENTION] talks about bridge clearance issues in this post.

and yeah, that's why i was asking which harbor- cuz if this is an issue- that'd be a pickle.

 

[MrMezger996]

yeah i mean, that right there is why i wouldn't love an open bow

Well my thought is a 31’ open bow like a Chap/Formula sit way higher out of the water then my 25’ now. My boat is a perfect chain boat. But I am going to expand my search to Cuddy Cabins like you suggested.

 

[MrMezger996]

[MENTION=16]PANDA[/MENTION] talks about bridge clearance issues in this post.



and yeah, that's why i was asking which harbor- cuz if this is an issue- that'd be a pickle.

Crap missed his post, great info from [MENTION=16]PANDA[/MENTION]. Wouldn’t have thought was an issue

 

[Yaj Yak]

i agree your boat is a perfect chain boat- what im getting at though is like my formula- even though similar sized to your boat- the cabin can fully lock out water-tight to any wave if it were to come over the boat & into the cockpit...


then past that some boats have drain systems in them where the water that goes into cockpit- never hits the bilge. cobalt/formula/chaparral, and plenty of others will likely have that setup.

 

[MrMezger996]

i agree your boat is a perfect chain boat- what im getting at though is like my formula- even though similar sized to your boat- the cabin can fully lock out water-tight to any wave if it were to come over the boat & into the cockpit...


then past that some boats have drain systems in them where the water that goes into cockpit- never hits the bilge. cobalt/formula/chaparral, and plenty of others will likely have that setup.

Yea and your boat probably weights 1500lbs more so would handle rougher waters. So maybe a 31’ ish Cuddy would be fine. I was checking slip fees at 31st, Montros and Diversy and are around 4500-4700 which seems insane!! But it’s less then I’m paying for trailer and boat slip now

 

[PANDA]

Oh I totally understand that, should have clarified. If there are 4-6’ rollers I’m staying in. I had my boat on LM twice. One was for the river run with FOTF and weather was amazing and so calm so my boat did amazing. The last time I was out there for air and water show and in the morning it was calm, after the show the waves picked up from all the traffic. My boat was getting beat to shit, I was actually taking waves over and into my open bow and I was pretty nervous.

Dude the air and water show is a absolute shit fest. But those kinda waves from boat traffic can happen on any given weekend. Waves can get much bigger with W, SW, and S winds.

 

[Yaj Yak]

i actually think what he's talking about wasn't boat traffic- my buddy went waukegan to a & w show last year and on his way back to waukegan basically quit boating for teh next 4 weeks afterwards because the winds blew up

 

[PANDA]

Yea and your boat probably weights 1500lbs more so would handle rougher waters. So maybe a 31’ ish Cuddy would be fine. I was checking slip fees at 31st, Montros and Diversy and are around 4500-4700 which seems insane!! But it’s less then I’m paying for trailer and boat slip now

Don't forget to add in the Chicago non-resident tax they want to fuck you for. Also slip over charges if your boat might be 3 inches longer than the slip you are parked in. Alot of crime this year also in the Chicago harbors if you can handle being away from the city and the playpen I would look north. You get alot better harbors for less money.

 

[Yaj Yak]

you're already used to driving to antioch from where you're at cobraski- why not cruise to racine or kenosha?

 

[Yaj Yak]

https://www.chicagoharbors.info/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Availability-Chart-20190802.pdf

 

[rdsnake]

Stupid question. Do the boats with bathroom and showers have a gray tank for used waste and what not? Where does that get emptied? Does the harbor have a system for emptying it?

 

[MrMezger996]

Don't forget to add in the Chicago non-resident tax they want to fuck you for. Also slip over charges if your boat might be 3 inches longer than the slip you are parked in. Alot of crime this year also in the Chicago harbors if you can handle being away from the city and the playpen I would look north. You get alot better harbors for less money.

Yea I saw the 20% tax for non resident. What other options are there besides Winthrop Harbor.

 

[MrMezger996]

you're already used to driving to antioch from where you're at cobraski- why not cruise to racine or kenosha?

Mainly because where we would want to be boating is around the city, mainly views and river.

 

[Yaj Yak]

https://spmarina.net/

https://reefpointmarina.org/

Gaslight Pointe Marina

 

[Yaj Yak]

https://www.pughmarina.com/

 

[MrMezger996]

Wow those are really nice!!

 

[Yaj Yak]

https://minneapolis.craigslist.org/ank/boa/d/wabasha-formula-400-ss/6939529844.html

dont be a pussy.

 

[MrMezger996]

https://minneapolis.craigslist.org/ank/boa/d/wabasha-formula-400-ss/6939529844.html

dont be a pussy.

Oh man!! Twin Blues!! At least I have the truck to tow it, just not the deep pockets

 

[PANDA]

Stupid question. Do the boats with bathroom and showers have a gray tank for used waste and what not? Where does that get emptied? Does the harbor have a system for emptying it?

You need to pump out the waste. My boat had a dump as well as most others id assume but its illigal to dump waste in the great lakes. Not sure about other harbors but Chicago makes you prove it is sealed off so waste cannot be dumped. Harbors have pump outs you can bring your boat to.

 

[Yaj Yak]

here's my big pond rig.

fuckin' send it.


https://minneapolis.craigslist.org/hnp/boa/d/herbster-r27-ranger-tug/6941444792.html

 

[Spivitz]

All I can add is i have a decent amount of time boating on Lake Michigan trying to bust my lil Sea Ray in half. We nick named her the lil boat that can.


Just be safe out there, it's The Sea (years ago an old, 80 Yo, fisherman corrected me when I referred to it as Lake Michigan.... He said "No son, it's The Sea" then he fell off his bar stool piss drunk.
Ahhhhhhhhhhh, memories

 

[Outlaw]

30’ is good enough for nice days on Lake Michigan. I’m out of Winthrop Harbor, 40 miles from Milwaukee, 42 from Navy Pier, 8 from Kenosha, 16 from Racine and 8 from Waukegan. All are nice harbors with places to eat. Kenosha has a nice sandbar/ beach behind the break wall. I agree with the opinion that an open bow is not a great idea. Done plenty of poker runs leaving in 1’ seas to Milwaukee and home a few hours later in 4-6’s. Paying attention to your weather radar is key.

 

[MrMezger996]

Well now have to sell boat and trailer, start shopping.

 

[OffshoreDrilling]

I have been tossing around the idea of moving my boating adventures from the Chain O’ Lakes to Lake Michigan. Now in order to do so I will have to make some changes. My main reasons for possible move would have to be with the flooding/shallow issues constantly effecting the chain. I would end up selling my current boat and travel trailer and would be looking into a larger open bow around 29’-31’. Crown line, Chaparral, Monterey to name a few that have caught my eye. I would like to be able to take trips to say Michigan City, Milwaukee or depending on my comfort level possibly to Michigan. I would like to know what you feel would be required in a boat to do that. I know [MENTION=111]OffshoreDrilling[/MENTION] has or had his boat on Lake Michigan.

Anything 25’+ is perfectly fine out there. There’s days it gets straight nasty on the lake obviously but no one is going out on those. Michigan City is an easy trip from chicago and so is new buffalo. MKE is a bit longer of a hike, 90ish miles. Gas is the big hold back for doing those trips all the time. It’s tough to swallow the cost of 70-100 gallons of fuel round trip.

Being at the harbor is totally different downtown too. EVERYONE is around on the weekends hanging out and it’s just a fun community.

If you haven’t been out there much, I’d suggest getting a transient slip for a long weekend. Do the fireworks Saturday night at navy pier, take a run over to boater’s beach in portage, spend a day in the playpen, dock in the river for dinner. That’ll give you a good idea what it’s like down there.

 

[1quick]

My dads in reefpoint it’s super nice and pretty cheap compared to Chicago harbors, also if you buy a new boat and keep it in Wisconsin you pay Wisconsin sales tax on your new boat, his is a 27ish cutwater pretty similar to that ranger tug he’s somewhere in Canada with it right now on his was back to Lake Michigan, talked to him a couple days ago he said he was anchored for a couple days due to conditions weather/water