Help me decide where to go for a week of great boating!
03-29-2012, 02:47 PM
#31
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That lake looks BEAUTIFUL. We will have to look into that for sure.
You read my mind
Looks like we have a lot of decision making to do. Thanks for all the great ideas, and please keep them coming. I'm thinking Northern MI and Chesapeake are probably the front runners. LOTO would be cool, but It's just too damn far for this trip. Someday.
Sam: If we don't make Buffalo, you should join us at the islands this year. You don't even need a boat... we'll make room
I think some of the Boyne guys are planning on coming down sometime this summer too. We should time it so that the out of town OSO guys are all here on the same weekend... could be a really good time 
You read my mind
Looks like we have a lot of decision making to do. Thanks for all the great ideas, and please keep them coming. I'm thinking Northern MI and Chesapeake are probably the front runners. LOTO would be cool, but It's just too damn far for this trip. Someday.
Sam: If we don't make Buffalo, you should join us at the islands this year. You don't even need a boat... we'll make room
I think some of the Boyne guys are planning on coming down sometime this summer too. We should time it so that the out of town OSO guys are all here on the same weekend... could be a really good time 
03-29-2012, 04:05 PM
#32
Registered
My house w/your gas card 
I've done:
Detroit River, Way cool, big fun!
Georgian Bay, God's country and w/water and scenery you'll not see anywhere else. Can spend days in there and never see another boat! Pick and island and tie up and it's yours!
Mackinaw Island, great trip gorgeous scenery.
As a kid I used to go w/the folks on 3 wk trips (by boat) every Summer from Sandusky to Lake Huron. One yr we'd do the US side and go to Mackinaw and the next the Canadian side.
The Canadian trips taught me to love the Canadian people, their culture and their country.
The marina's/stops on those trips were/are on my A list of best places by boat of all time.
Spent my adult life to this point trying to replicate them and so far, no good.
My last few yrs in Ohio I tried several times to make that trip. Always thought it'd be a hoot in a good running boat compared to the old man's 13 mph cruisers.
Closest I ever came was screwing up and letting a group from Columbus follow me up and starting the trip w/me. Made it as far as Leamington (for the 10th time) when the lake turned and they were stranded there. I could have made it out/west to the river and then north but they couldn't head south/home. I felt responsible and gave up my trip to watch over them.
Coached them ahead of time on what to do/learn/prepare and they did none of it.
Never again!
I've done:
Detroit River, Way cool, big fun!
Georgian Bay, God's country and w/water and scenery you'll not see anywhere else. Can spend days in there and never see another boat! Pick and island and tie up and it's yours!
Mackinaw Island, great trip gorgeous scenery.
As a kid I used to go w/the folks on 3 wk trips (by boat) every Summer from Sandusky to Lake Huron. One yr we'd do the US side and go to Mackinaw and the next the Canadian side.
The Canadian trips taught me to love the Canadian people, their culture and their country.
The marina's/stops on those trips were/are on my A list of best places by boat of all time.
Spent my adult life to this point trying to replicate them and so far, no good.
My last few yrs in Ohio I tried several times to make that trip. Always thought it'd be a hoot in a good running boat compared to the old man's 13 mph cruisers.
Closest I ever came was screwing up and letting a group from Columbus follow me up and starting the trip w/me. Made it as far as Leamington (for the 10th time) when the lake turned and they were stranded there. I could have made it out/west to the river and then north but they couldn't head south/home. I felt responsible and gave up my trip to watch over them.
Coached them ahead of time on what to do/learn/prepare and they did none of it.
Never again!
03-29-2012, 06:26 PM
#34
Registered
I read this this am and thought about it all day while working I know we talked about it on the boats last week at the lake too.(Thats cool to say for a yankee in March) Thinking about where I've gone and wanna go, the michigan waters are on my short list of to do's. I just have a hard time pointing north before August...
Consider this. You can be on Lake Norman in 6-7 hours. Cool lake with lots to see and do but, Marinas aren't so much geared towards transients (correct me locals if I'm wrong) but there is one very cool little motel on the water for about 50 bucks a night with a great tiki bar and restraunt. Very nice docks tucked back in a cove under "Slanting Bridge Rd". You could spend the week there cheaper than many nice marinas too. There is a weeks worth of "to do's" there if you run up river and down to the damn.
But... you spend a night or two there then drive 3 hrs to Charleston Harbor and do a day/night there at the party cove/restraunts. Then pick a marina/destination from there like Beaufort (big cruising community nice facilities) put 50 miles of pretty salt water under your hull spend the night on the boat with the "cruisers". Next day relax and motor slowly north in the ditch back to Charleston to spend your fifth night. (switch as needed for weather cond) Then take a cab downtown for dinner on the roof of this very cool seafood place overlooking the main drag.
Sixth morning, pull out and drive 3hrs back to L Norman to flush the salt out and chill out for lunch on/in the fresh water. (nice island beaches) Spend the last night in the lake Norman Motel showered and big beds. Easy drive home on the 7th. 3 nights hotel and 3 on the boat.
That's my suggestion and I'm stickin to it for June. I met your wife and think she'll like it.
Besides, late July is St Clair races and late August is the Loto Shootout trip you gadda do
Load up
I know we talked about it on the boats last week at the lake too.(Thats cool to say for a yankee in March) Thinking about where I've gone and wanna go, the michigan waters are on my short list of to do's. I just have a hard time pointing north before August...Consider this. You can be on Lake Norman in 6-7 hours. Cool lake with lots to see and do but, Marinas aren't so much geared towards transients (correct me locals if I'm wrong) but there is one very cool little motel on the water for about 50 bucks a night with a great tiki bar and restraunt. Very nice docks tucked back in a cove under "Slanting Bridge Rd". You could spend the week there cheaper than many nice marinas too. There is a weeks worth of "to do's" there if you run up river and down to the damn.
But... you spend a night or two there then drive 3 hrs to Charleston Harbor and do a day/night there at the party cove/restraunts. Then pick a marina/destination from there like Beaufort (big cruising community nice facilities) put 50 miles of pretty salt water under your hull spend the night on the boat with the "cruisers". Next day relax and motor slowly north in the ditch back to Charleston to spend your fifth night. (switch as needed for weather cond) Then take a cab downtown for dinner on the roof of this very cool seafood place overlooking the main drag.
Sixth morning, pull out and drive 3hrs back to L Norman to flush the salt out and chill out for lunch on/in the fresh water. (nice island beaches) Spend the last night in the lake Norman Motel showered and big beds. Easy drive home on the 7th. 3 nights hotel and 3 on the boat.
That's my suggestion and I'm stickin to it for June. I met your wife and think she'll like it.
Besides, late July is St Clair races and late August is the Loto Shootout trip you gadda do
Load up
Last edited by Underdog88; 03-29-2012 at 06:53 PM.
03-29-2012, 07:32 PM
#36
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Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Grand Rapids, MI
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Traverse City! Clinch Marina is super nice, private shower rooms seperate from the restroom, and you can walk anywhere you want, downtown is only 1 block! Paved walking/biking/rollor blade trail, volley ball courts, and SUPER CLEAR water, sand bottom with 30ft clarity!
Options for destinations for a day of boating
Power island....8 miles
Old Mission point lighthouse........18 miles
Suttons bay.....20 miles
Northport......25 miles
Elk Rapids.....25 miles
East Bay.......25 miles
Charlevoix.....50 miles
Plus much more....North and South Manitou islands, Beaver Island, Bay harbor, Harbor springs, Petoskey, Torch Lake, Sleeping bear sand dunes, etc etc!
Kristy and I take the summers off and spend every nice day on the cruiser, baja, jet skis, so look us up and we will show you around!!!!!! 231-534-5060
Options for destinations for a day of boating
Power island....8 miles
Old Mission point lighthouse........18 miles
Suttons bay.....20 miles
Northport......25 miles
Elk Rapids.....25 miles
East Bay.......25 miles
Charlevoix.....50 miles
Plus much more....North and South Manitou islands, Beaver Island, Bay harbor, Harbor springs, Petoskey, Torch Lake, Sleeping bear sand dunes, etc etc!
Kristy and I take the summers off and spend every nice day on the cruiser, baja, jet skis, so look us up and we will show you around!!!!!! 231-534-5060
03-29-2012, 07:47 PM
#37
Registered
iTrader: (1)
Traverse City! Clinch Marina is super nice, private shower rooms seperate from the restroom, and you can walk anywhere you want, downtown is only 1 block! Paved walking/biking/rollor blade trail, volley ball courts, and SUPER CLEAR water, sand bottom with 30ft clarity!
Options for destinations for a day of boating
Power island....8 miles
Old Mission point lighthouse........18 miles
Suttons bay.....20 miles
Northport......25 miles
Elk Rapids.....25 miles
East Bay.......25 miles
Charlevoix.....50 miles
Plus much more....North and South Manitou islands, Beaver Island, Bay harbor, Harbor springs, Petoskey, Torch Lake, Sleeping bear sand dunes, etc etc!
Kristy and I take the summers off and spend every nice day on the cruiser, baja, jet skis, so look us up and we will show you around!!!!!! 231-534-5060
Options for destinations for a day of boating
Power island....8 miles
Old Mission point lighthouse........18 miles
Suttons bay.....20 miles
Northport......25 miles
Elk Rapids.....25 miles
East Bay.......25 miles
Charlevoix.....50 miles
Plus much more....North and South Manitou islands, Beaver Island, Bay harbor, Harbor springs, Petoskey, Torch Lake, Sleeping bear sand dunes, etc etc!
Kristy and I take the summers off and spend every nice day on the cruiser, baja, jet skis, so look us up and we will show you around!!!!!! 231-534-5060
03-30-2012, 07:51 AM
#40
Registered
iTrader: (6)
I plan to do #3 this summer (Charlevoix to Mackinac Island).
#5 would be cool to and you could go to Toronto.
I regularly run the Rivers and Lake St. Clair. Make sure you study the charts and stay in the channels. That is some really fun boating. We go to PIB a lot on week-days and the Lake Huron shore has plenty of interesting harbors.
#5 would be cool to and you could go to Toronto.
I regularly run the Rivers and Lake St. Clair. Make sure you study the charts and stay in the channels. That is some really fun boating. We go to PIB a lot on week-days and the Lake Huron shore has plenty of interesting harbors.
Last edited by thirdchildhood; 03-30-2012 at 07:55 AM.
