Lake Mich Tour via Boat

[mikewint]

withdrawn

 

[vikingBerserker]

Man, those are beautiful.

 

[Aaron Brooks Wolters]

WOW! I like the last shot Mike. It lets you know in a subtle way that the lakes can be very dangerous.

 

[mikewint]

thank you both so much I spend as much time as possible on her. gets expensive, about 1mile per gallon is excellent milage much less if i push her
Don't know what you know about the lake (Michigan) it is more dangerous than the ocean. waves 30 - 40 foot can come up in 15 minutes as they bounce from shore to shore they intensify. Huge storms can literally come from nowhere and the big ship do not give way. Mines 54ft but its a toy on the lake. radar, gps, chart plotter, sonar but i seldom go out of sight of land. when i first got it, i figured i was the titanic, we went to Door county Wis for a week and came home on Sat. weather forecast was for rain squalls and 5 -10 ft waves, no problem right. Thought we were going to die several hundred times as the boat almost swamped. another lesson learned the HARD WAY

 

[Wildcat]

I've flown over Lake Michigan and was totally blown away at the size of the thing, thought we were heading out over the ocean! Haven't got anything like that down here.

 

[Gnomey]

Good shots!

 

[mikewint]

Thanks guys, i'm still having a problem getting all pics the same size to post. i use different cameras and they have different pixels which is not a problem for 4X6 prints but ends up strangely when i post.

 

[pbfoot]

I've flown over Lake Michigan and was totally blown away at the size of the thing, thought we were heading out over the ocean! Haven't got anything like that down here.

And the best thing is its fresh water

 

[mikewint]

Which makes things a lot simpler. the boat has a 200 gal fresh water tank but i also carry a ceramic/silver water purifier system so i can take drinking water from the lake at any time i need too, and the heads take lake water directly for flushing

 

[pbfoot]

Which makes things a lot simpler. the boat has a 200 gal fresh water tank but i also carry a ceramic/silver water purifier system so i can take drinking water from the lake at any time i need too, and the heads take lake water directly for flushing

just way better for swimming IMHO , my boat is beached just to pricey for me to operate

 

[evangilder]

Nice shots, Mike. I grew up in Wisconsin and remember how dangerous the great lakes can be.

 

[mikewint]

Leadfoot, boy, you aren't kidding the Meridian takes 700 gal of diesel and at cruising speed the twin Cummins use about 35 gal per hour.
but even at the dock not moving it costs

 

[mikewint]

Evan, i love Door county. i try to get there at least once in the fall. i cruise the Mich and Green Bay sides of the penninsula for about two weeks and dock at several places like Egg harbor. After my near death experience I have a lot more respect for 10ft waves and wind. we went over on her beam ends more than once

 

[T Bolt]

Great pictures Mike! I liked you description of the dangers of the Lake. I only live about 2 miles inshore on the north side and my son keeps asking me why we don't take my 16' wooden ski boat out on the lake. I have him read this!! I stick to the Illinois River. You get caught in a squall and the waves are 1" at the most and the shore is only a few hundred yards away. We should start a Post Your Boat thread.

 

[pbfoot]

Leadfoot, boy, you aren't kidding the Meridian takes 700 gal of diesel and at cruising speed the twin Cummins use about 35 gal per hour.
but even at the dock not moving it costs

check the current out here this the head of Niagara River right at Lake Erie

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DqL9n2d9REg

 

[mikewint]

T Bolt, thanks, it was your pics that got me started. I really love the lake and the boat. it's specatacular at night, no land or lights just a flat horizon and all those stars. I made ure the boat has radar which gives me about 50mi radius, the gps and chartplotter pin me down to a couple of meters. at full throttle i can do 35 knots so i usually stay within 10 mi of shore. I have gone into the chicago river and into the Illinois. Hit a da*m log and bent a prop. Limping to a Marina cost me the shaft. $6000 and 3 weeks taught me to stay off the river. I know have forward-looking sonar which gives me a pic about 150 ft from the bow. I like the Post your Boat idea
Leadfoot, that is really cool it's hard to believe the boat was making no headway into that current. i'm not a river guy after the bent prop

 

[Night Fighter Nut]

Those are some wonderful shots Mike.

 

[mikewint]

Thanks NFN, the boat has an auto pilot so I can actually set a course, turn it on, and go sit on deck. There is even a remote control with about a 100 ft range that allows me to maneuver the boat while i stand on the dock.

 

[pbfoot]

jeez for that much money you could buy a warbird trainer, is the airshow thet have in Chicago over the lake like Toronto or Cleveland

 

[mikewint]

yes it is and the lake is about as crowded as the beach and parking lots. all the day sailors in their small outboard motor boats zipping in and out trying to get 10ft closer. Then at night the fireworks. well worth all the hassle