Help me decide where to go for a week of great boating!
 

My wife and I are trying to decide where to spend our vacation the last week in June. We will be spending the week on the boat and want to go somewhere we have never been, but also somewhere where there are plenty of things to do and see on the water. A marina / marinas with clean bathrooms / showers is also important to her ;)

I'm not afraid to put miles on the boat, so we are thinking about traveling around wherever we do go. Trying to stay within an 8-9 hour tow max from Columbus, OH.

We would also love to meet some other like minded boaters along the way.

Some of my ideas:

1.) Launch in Sandusky, head up the Detroit river to LSC, maybe even continue all the way to Lake Huron. The islands are our home territory, but I have never ventured to Detroit.

2.) Lake Norman

3.) Lake Charlevoix with a run up to Mackinac Island.

4.) Georgian Bay

5.) Buffalo / Niagara Falls / Lake Ontario / Toronto

6.) Upper Chesapeake Bay

So what do you guys think? Open to any and all suggestions :ernaehrung004:

1000 Islands.
Little over 9 hours but worth the trip.

Another suggestion:
Check out Smith Mountain Lake in SW Virginia.

We have a poker run coming up in May.
www.smlba.com
and
www.smlpba.com

It's a beautiful lake, and not too far from Ohio. Do a map/directions to Moneta, VA.
http://www.marinerslanding.com/ and www.bernardslanding.com are two great properties.

I know that Jobbie Nonner is going on The weekend of June 22nd to 24th. On lake St Clair. If you would like to meet up with like minded boaters check out www.lakestclairrun.com

It's not completely out of the question, but certainly the very edge of my towing window.

I had completely forgotten about SML! Spent some time there as a kid. Cool place!


Sounds like fun!

Charlevoix Baby!!! look me up!!! U can go 2 Mac, TC, Leland, all over!!!! Gorgeous waters!!!! good luck Tracy

It's where i'll most likely be so if you decide your going there, drop a line.

The places Brian listed are great if your staying at their condo but unfortunately most marina's are not setup well for transient visitors staying on their boat versus their condos.

http://www.crazyhorsemarina.com I think they offer transient power, etc. and the bath/showers are hit or miss. It's where we are, and the wife is satisfied with that aspect 50% of the time:rolleyes:

I don't know about the others offering power,

http://www.baysidemarinasml.com/ Clean facilities and nicely run place run by a good guy named Dale. They might offer transient shore power hookups.

http://www.crystalshoresmarinaresort.com/ decent bar/rest on premises as well as clean bathroom facilities

http://www.halesfordharbour.com/ I think under reno with new docks completed and a new restaurant now open. A buddy just moved his 50 ft houseboat there this week.

If you decide to do Buffalo/Niagara, you can either trailer from lake Erie to Lake Ontario, but the locks do take about 14 hours to cross between the lakes, so that will eat up and entire day. I would suggest Thousand Islands

I vote for #3 and go to Torch Lake at least one day!

I would go with either the Upper Chesapeake or 1000 Islands.
They are two of the best boating spots in the world with plenty of places to stay, visit, eat and drink at.

Chesapeake wins hands down for most boater friendly locations and activities.

1000 Islands is one of the most spectacular places to see by water with plenty of places to stay and things to do.

I missed the staying on the boat part on the first read. My bad.

Andre, what about Shoreline? Or whatever it may be named now? Transient friendly?

All great choices. NW Michigan is fantastic with lots of places to see and things to do. Traverse City, Charlevoix and Mackinaw Island all have very nice public marinas, plus you can do Torch Lake, Lake Charleviox, Burt Lake, or Mullet Lake if you want. Higgins Lake is a beautiful lake to see if you have time and is on the way. You could do Jobbie on your way back through, LSC run is a lot of fun. Thousand Islands sounds awesome as well, have always wanted to be able to make a trip there.

Shoreline is now the Bay Side Marina I mentioned above. Run by Dale Runyon http://www.baysidemarinasml.com/ Not sure but he's a reasonable guy and i'd expect try to accommodate ya.

at some point we are going to boat northern Mich, the pics I see guys post make it look well worth, 1000 is sposed to be great, lots a rocks, stay in the channel, I too would like to boat Sandusky/PIB, should you come to Buffalo let me know, I promise to make sure you enjoy! however i strongly recommend coming for our Poker run in Aug, then you can show me the boat:daz:

Sam

LOTO.....enough said

You got the best Summer boating on the planet right here in the backyard! (sandusky) If you wanna Boat you can make Mac and back in a week. If you Stop and pose in D-town these boys will lock you down and you won't make it past LSC Have Fun Be safe! No fun run this year? Last sat in the month? Rich

Poker Run on Chesapeake that weekend:
https://www.facebook.com/events/191107037657400/

Turbo , have you ever thought about a trip to Raystown Lake in central Pa. ?? The mountains drop straight into the lake on all sides and our shores are uninhabited because the dam is a government owned flood control project . It is very common to see all manner of wildlife including deer , turkey , bear and the occasional uninhibited tipsy female on the weekends . We have a couple transient friendly marina's with great food and clean showers . Please bring it up on the web and have a look . A couple of us here on OSO boat there and would love to see a fellow performance boater on the water as we are in the minority here . Lake Raystown Resort marina is very close to me and i would be more than happy to show you around . As a matter of fact i would like to make a personal invitation to all you nutcases here .....calling all HOTBOATS....:evilb:

+1. ALWAYS somewhere to go and something to do. TONS of water and shoreline, big cities (Baltimore, etc.) and small towns (Havre de Grace, etc.) plus a gigantic native population of go-fast boaters.

The used boat shopping is exceptionally good as well. :evilb:

I'm gonna take you up on that that is on one of my hitlist, just because of the scenery, we have a lake like that nearbye, Allegheny reservoir awesome! nothing but you and what mother nature offers

You got it my friend , pm me when your gonna be here .

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:drink:

Not much beats Georgian bay, Parry sound, 30,000 islands, north channel.

That lake looks BEAUTIFUL. We will have to look into that for sure.

You read my mind :grinser010:


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 :evilb:

You won't find a nicer 38 Formula than Chuck's!

I am a bit biased but would suggest Naragansett Bay, Rhode Island...It has the best of all worlds. Rough ocean riding, calm bay like conditions, awesome scenery, and tons of places to go....

1. Potter's Cove (hang out and barbecue)
2. Newport (mansions, shopping, clubs, bars, food, etc)
3. Block Island (shopping, clubs, bars, food, etc)
4. Bristol (historic town)
5. Providence
6. Battleship cove (near mt hope bridge)
7. Warwick (historical setting)
8. Jamestown
9. Endless beaches (Scarborough, Naragansett, Newport Beach Club, etc)

Ozarks !!!

Both these are on my futre boating list, but the 11-12 hour tow is a little more than I would like... Someday :drink:

Just from the pictures I have seen, that's the truth!

Ok Artie I am going to say you need to come up and check out the water we have up here and the people too. As was said Traverse City is a really cool boating destination and a cool town in the evening with tone to do. Second would be Torch Lake. Ranked in the top ten of the most beautiful lakes in the world by National Geographic mag! Then up to lake charlevoix and the towns of Boyne City, Charlevoix, Harbor springs, Petosky and Bay harbor. i cant even describe how cool bay harbor is and the homes are amazing! People like Oprah and madonna have places there. If you do make it up this way Most likely myself, Blue Oval, Wrinkleface and a bunch of others would always like to show you around. Thats my .02

There is.... but that FB page DOES NOT have correct info! :cool:

would love too, we do CP every year, hoping to bring the boat one of these years thou

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!

Just go to Destin with us. Remember you have to be back for the barge party the last Saturday in June.

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

Wait Gary that's about when you guys should be up here:hijack:

Tough to beat the Traverse area. Lots of great day trips and great night life. Lots of great little towns along the northern shoreline and some great island destinations. It's on my short list this year. Hit Torch on your way up or way home....or both. The gatherings on the sand bar there are a blast and the lake itself is just plain beautiful.

Thats not too far from me.. I`m gonna have to look you up !:thankyouthankyou:

Sounds great! ANYTIME!

Absolutely LOTO. There's just soooo much to do there. My favorite boating destination hands down.

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.