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Some Times I Miss Ohio/Lake Erie and then....

Old 06-05-2012, 07:58 AM
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Still kicking this morning:

http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/station_page.php?station=45005
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Old 06-05-2012, 08:42 AM
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Good....back to bed I go.
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Old 06-05-2012, 11:05 AM
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Originally Posted by glassdave
yep, i always leave flex time and also pre arrange an out for my girlfriend if need be. I am ok with risking myself and my boat but will not risk others. The morning trick i learned long ago as a kid growing up on the lake. Couple years ago we took a stab at running to Kellys from Toledo (50 miles) and didnt even make our harbor light in 20-30mph northeast headwinds (yeah . . . what the hell was i thinking lol). Ended up heading back into the marina for the night and i already was planning a morning assault as i knew the next day would be the same but there would be a small window of opportunity at daybreak when the temp starts to turn around (thats the trick). I had a couple other boats that wanted to head out that day with us but they were dragging azz so i went out for a recon run and the wind had switched to southeast which protects the run a bit. Waves were quartering nicely and i could run comfortably in the 40's so i said "screw you guys . . . I'm outta here and we headed for the islands. Funny parts is we ran great right up until we hit the cut between the islands where the Miller ferry passes at the tip of Marblehead. Went from 2-3's to like 5-7's and super close and steep. We dropped down to a plow at idle speed and it took us longer to get the last five miles from Marblehead the Kellys then it did to get from Toledo to there. I was in my ScarabIII and it was so steep that the nose of my boat would dip into a wave and water would stream down the tip of my boat and when the stern came up it did the weirdest thing i have ever encountered, as the boat settled back in the water the props would pull air back down with them and they would cavitate until i put it in neutral and let them catch again. Scared the crap out of me first couple times because it acted like i blew both couplers and in that water i did not want to be a drift. Made it to Kellys and my phone rang it was the guy that was organizing the event i was going out for telling me everything was put off to the next day and if i could make it then that would be great. I said "see ya when ya get here" he said "huh?" cuz he knows i dont trailer to the islands. I said yeah we just got here and are getting our first brandy Alexanders at The Pump lol, we made it the fifty miles from Toledo and he could not make it the five miles from Cedar Point but truth be told that pass over there is probably the worst in all of lake Erie. Other funny thing is the only other boat there from our group was another ScarabIII from Toledo.

Did one spring commisoning trip w/a buddy on my old 28' Marinette. Dry docked the boat in West Harbor and docked it at Bay Point in Sandusy Bay. Promised my buddy a day of fishing for his effort. Closed down all the bars in Port Clinton Friday night then on the water day break Saturday for fishing. This was the 1st weekend in April.
The day started OK w/mid 60's and 1' - 2's around the islands. Few hrs later it was very low 40's, 20 MPH wind and 3' - 5's and my buddy was yaching over the rail.
On our way to back West Harbor to drop him at his truck it started snowing Wind was so bad I could barely get him to the dock safely and not until he went down hard on the now snow covered decks. He left to meet me at Bay Point while I ran the boat around.
By the time I got back out to open water it was now blowing 30+, snowing like hell, and rolling 5' - 7's straight out of the north which meant a beam sea for me and my 28' flat bottom, open express. Boat was rolling so hard it was impossible to stay in the helm seat, you had to stand up and wedge yourself between the seat/helm. Was now snowing so hard I had near zero visibility (no GPS in that boat) and I figured out I could only see through the windshield on every 3 stroke of the wipers.
I was hugging very close to the rock covered shore line so I didn't get lost (knowing there was no one there to come and get my dumb ass) when on one of the clear wiper strokes I see fish nets dead ahead! Thought I was done then.
They were running N. - S. so my choice was turning north and heading straight into the weather for who knows how far, then a following sea back south on the other side (off season net laws are very lax in the US and worse in Canada) or head towards the rocks knowing they stop just before shore which is what I did. I was passing within probably 50 yds of rocks the size of VW Beetles. I passed 3 sets of nets in that 5 or so mile trip! Boat was rolling so hard that one prop would free wheel while the boat was on it's side on each wave.
Finally made it to Bay Point and it's narrow ass (right DD?), curving, rock lined entrance, now w/a 7' following sea. Only time I was ever scared in that boat was that time entering that harbor.
Came to the entrance, lined it up, fire walled the sticks and held on. As the boat climbed the leading wave I had ZERO visiblity and knew for sure it was going to bow steer me into the rocks!! Held my breath and didn't change course (knew I lined it up straight) till getting to the crest of that wave where I could see and was dead nuts in the middle of the channel!
Came under the harbor bridge to see my buddy watching from his truck w/eyes open wide and a white face. He later admitted being more scared than I was. He had been following me and watching from the shore line.
Our plan was to crank the cabin heater and stay one more night w/our chores now behind us. At dock I opend the cabin doors to see all of the windows had slid open, the curtains were all soaked w/water pouring off of them, had so much water in the bilge that the floor boards in the cabin were floating! That boat only had one bilge pump which was forward (low spot at rest) and I knew on the way there that all the water I was taking over the side/bow was in the back of the hull w/no pump.
I used to keep a ships log in that boat and my buddy wrote that story in it and signed off by writing, "Yep, Summer's Here!".
I still have that log book.
Always wanted to cross paths sometime w/a fellow Erie boater to swap stories
Yeah, I miss that lake

Last edited by Twin O/B Sonic; 06-05-2012 at 11:15 AM.
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Old 06-05-2012, 11:26 AM
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Yes it was still kicking! We left the PIB docks at about 8:45 after picking 5,000 mayflies out of the cockpit. RAn about 30 across the lake it was pretty nasty out there and mostly following seas.... Got to the Livingston at 9:40 where (unaware at the time) we picked up a US Boarder Service helicopter. It followed us all the way in. I noticed it in the air next to us in Wyandotte. It stayed pretty close to us as we pulled into the Wyandotte yacht club. Once we got to the launch in the back there were two boarder patrol trucks waiting for us... Apparently they picked us up in Canadian waters..... Anyway, not much hassel though... They did ask if I would allow their dog on board, so I said sure.. I was so ram tired I didn't care, besides I don't think I had much choice.... Anyway boat is back on trailer, I am back to work.

Got to love Lake Erie... Every time we say never again, yet we do.
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Old 06-06-2012, 09:22 AM
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Originally Posted by Twin O/B Sonic
Did one spring commisoning trip w/a buddy on my old 28' Marinette. Dry docked the boat in West Harbor and docked it at Bay Point in Sandusy Bay. Promised my buddy a day of fishing for his effort. Closed down all the bars in Port Clinton Friday night then on the water day break Saturday for fishing. This was the 1st weekend in April.
The day started OK w/mid 60's and 1' - 2's around the islands. Few hrs later it was very low 40's, 20 MPH wind and 3' - 5's and my buddy was yaching over the rail.
On our way to back West Harbor to drop him at his truck it started snowing Wind was so bad I could barely get him to the dock safely and not until he went down hard on the now snow covered decks. He left to meet me at Bay Point while I ran the boat around.
By the time I got back out to open water it was now blowing 30+, snowing like hell, and rolling 5' - 7's straight out of the north which meant a beam sea for me and my 28' flat bottom, open express. Boat was rolling so hard it was impossible to stay in the helm seat, you had to stand up and wedge yourself between the seat/helm. Was now snowing so hard I had near zero visibility (no GPS in that boat) and I figured out I could only see through the windshield on every 3 stroke of the wipers.
I was hugging very close to the rock covered shore line so I didn't get lost (knowing there was no one there to come and get my dumb ass) when on one of the clear wiper strokes I see fish nets dead ahead! Thought I was done then.
They were running N. - S. so my choice was turning north and heading straight into the weather for who knows how far, then a following sea back south on the other side (off season net laws are very lax in the US and worse in Canada) or head towards the rocks knowing they stop just before shore which is what I did. I was passing within probably 50 yds of rocks the size of VW Beetles. I passed 3 sets of nets in that 5 or so mile trip! Boat was rolling so hard that one prop would free wheel while the boat was on it's side on each wave.
Finally made it to Bay Point and it's narrow ass (right DD?), curving, rock lined entrance, now w/a 7' following sea. Only time I was ever scared in that boat was that time entering that harbor.
Came to the entrance, lined it up, fire walled the sticks and held on. As the boat climbed the leading wave I had ZERO visiblity and knew for sure it was going to bow steer me into the rocks!! Held my breath and didn't change course (knew I lined it up straight) till getting to the crest of that wave where I could see and was dead nuts in the middle of the channel!
Came under the harbor bridge to see my buddy watching from his truck w/eyes open wide and a white face. He later admitted being more scared than I was. He had been following me and watching from the shore line.
Our plan was to crank the cabin heater and stay one more night w/our chores now behind us. At dock I opend the cabin doors to see all of the windows had slid open, the curtains were all soaked w/water pouring off of them, had so much water in the bilge that the floor boards in the cabin were floating! That boat only had one bilge pump which was forward (low spot at rest) and I knew on the way there that all the water I was taking over the side/bow was in the back of the hull w/no pump.
I used to keep a ships log in that boat and my buddy wrote that story in it and signed off by writing, "Yep, Summer's Here!".
I still have that log book.
Always wanted to cross paths sometime w/a fellow Erie boater to swap stories
Yeah, I miss that lake
nother great tale of Lake Erie lol. Yeah that sounds intense, worst part about nets here is once you see one of the marker flags you have to find the others quickly and determine the lead and tail to know exactly where the net is, generally three hundred plus feet apart. Couple that with the fact that they are usually in groups of three or four plus you need to quickly determine what flags go together and what direction they are pointing. Yeah sounds intense to say the least but if you are anything like me theres a little part of you that enjoyed it.
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Old 06-06-2012, 12:24 PM
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Originally Posted by Twin O/B Sonic
Finally made it to Bay Point and it's narrow ass (right DD?), curving, rock lined entrance, now w/a 7' following sea. Only time I was ever scared in that boat was that time entering that harbor.
Great story......That entrance to the harbor gets nuts when there's a NE wind......you see that little beacon and think, aahh made it.... round the corner and the entrance looks 15 feet wide.....more that once I have been on plane to the bridge.
Hit bottom there once with the skater.

Think I'd rather take on the Boca inlet with an outgoing tide!
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Old 06-06-2012, 04:30 PM
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Originally Posted by glassdave
Yeah sounds intense to say the least but if you are anything like me theres a little part of you that enjoyed it.
Nothing will ever make you feel so alive than to put yourself in DANGER !! Great , great read please keep em' coming !! Sonic you write in such a manner as to put ones self in the boat with you . Now if i could only taste the beer , well hell i'll just go grab me one .
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Old 06-06-2012, 05:09 PM
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Here are a few pics of our approach to Cedar Point. I don't have any pics of Lovely Lake Erie on our way back. I was too busy man handeling the boat to take photos(use the links above each pic for the full sized photos. I am soooo Impressed with the picture quality from the iPhone 4S.
http://www.bradzgarage.com/velocity/IMG_0401.JPG

http://www.bradzgarage.com/velocity/IMG_0402.JPG

http://www.bradzgarage.com/velocity/IMG_0404.JPG

http://www.bradzgarage.com/velocity/IMG_0406.JPG

http://www.bradzgarage.com/velocity/IMG_0407.JPG
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Old 06-06-2012, 05:55 PM
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Originally Posted by low_psi
Here are a few pics of our approach to Cedar Point. I don't have any pics of Lovely Lake Erie on our way back. I was too busy man handeling the boat to take photos
does that bring back memories. On the pix's and the return trip, I bought a compact camcorder 15 yrs ago to try and get some shots of the lake when it was ugly and it never worked out.

You guys buy the beers, I could tell Lake Erie stories all night


Here's another one that spooked me.
Used to have a house in Vermilion (20 mls east of where these pix's were shot) and my old Sonic in a barn there. Friends from Columbus were bringing there boats up and meeting us in Huron on a Friday night. We busted ass but didn't get to the lake until after dark (living in Cols). We drove straight to the shore line to check conditions. Was cloudy w/poor visibility but lake looked OK. (I later found this to be wrong)
Made a judgement call to go for it based on it being a 10 mile straight shot along the shore line to Huron.
My mistake was that there is a portion of break wall sheltering the entrance/exit of the Vermilion River so you can't really see the lake until you're in it. (oop's)
As soon as we passed that break wall it hit the fan bad.
5' - 7's coming straight out of the north meaning a beam sea for us. I wanted to abort but the shore line just past the entrance to the river is a very shallow shoal. I was too close to shore to make my turn w/the waves (like I wanted) as I would have been too close to the shoaling. If I turned into the waves I was afraid of broaching during my turn. Only option I saw was going for it.
This was another time that really had my attention. Near zero visibility but did have a GPS in that boat so I knew I was far enough off shore even though I couldn't see it.
The spooky thing was that I couldn't see the waves coming to be able to set the boat up for them. All I ever saw, in 10 mls was the crests of the waves would glisten under the little bit of moon light that we had right before hitting the boat.
I always drove that boat standing up in rough water and I know those waves were at least 2' over my head! I've done the math w/how high that boat rides on plane, how tall the w/shield is etc.
Those were dictionary definition of big ass waves!
We made it in no problem but it really bothered me not being able to see the waves coming. I remember seeing the light on the Huron light house come into sight and I was one happy camper.
Screwed up too by having the g.f. at the time on board. She had absolute trust/faith in me but that trip shook her up. I remember getting into the harbor at Huron an no one there could believe we came in from the lake. Our friends were in absolute shock.
There's a story about that trip over on S/F written by one of those friends.

Last edited by Twin O/B Sonic; 06-06-2012 at 05:58 PM.
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Old 06-06-2012, 08:27 PM
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i dock a Cedar Point . if any oso people stop in swing buy the end of dock three and say hay im 357 and if u r staying stop down and have a beer.
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