Anyone from Lake Superior?
 

Hi, I'm new to forum, my name is matt from Marquette Michigan. I've been lurking around the forum here for a while, kinda curious to see if anyone's from the Lake Superior area.

I just purchased my first performance boat, a 85 wellcraft nova 2 about a month ago and have been having a blast with it ever since. Boats name is Bonndage (my last name is Bonn:D )
See ya's on the water.:cool-smiley-011:

Not from up there, but have freinds that live there. We have boated up there for years and must admit it is by far the most beutiful in MI. The weather plays a big roll up there. I bet you know where this is.

Jim

very cool picture, I just was on the phone with a customer from SC and when I told him I was from MI he started talking about Lake Superior, I have never had the pleasure of boating there, the furthest I have been is the tip of the lower pen. and seeing how beautiful the water is, I can't imagine how it would be further north.

Welcome to the board.

Very interesting picture, nothing like tht around my part of Mich. How's the water temp?

Iv'e never boated up there but have always wanted to. Took a motorcycle trip to Copper Harbor last Sept. Thought I would take a dip in Superior. COLD.

Where is that?? I've thought about superior but we have never done it. Looks cool though. Where would we want to go if we were going to stay up there for say 4 or 5 days.

He must be by Pictured Rocks just East of Munising.

Bingo,
You have not seen true water until you go there. We have been to the water falls, ship wrecks and the dunes. And know where compares to it. The past 3 years we have taken groups up there in August and the water temps have been in the 70's and air temps in the 90's. This year we didnt make the trip on water. My wife had her class reunion in Norway, Yah.

Jim

NIce pic. I've yet to run to pictured rocks but will be shortly.

We were suppossed to go that way 2 weekends ago with a group but other stuff came up. We were planning to run outta marquette friday night over to munising, then spend all day saturday running up and down the pictured rocks, then come home on sunday. Good thing we didn't go, I guess the weather picked up pretty quick and everyone got stuck in munising till monday.


Been there a few times on snowmobiles but never by water, thats going to change shortly:cool-smiley-011:

A couple of pics from Marquette last week. We were just passing through heading home from northern Minnesota. Stopped for dinner and took a walk around. They're really building up the shore area there with condos and more restaurants. Looks nice these days. :cool:

Here's a few from St. Ignace (Lake Huron), near Mackinac Island, the next day. Weather was beautiful. We didn't want to go home! :D

Here are a few more from last year.

I'm getting pretty intrested in heading up here next year, does anyone have alist of or website to go to showing where marinas, hotels etc are in the area?

that does look cool....

does that water turn nasty in short notice like lake michigan?

are there any hazards to be aware of (reefs etc).

is coming by water ... then jumping onto the rocks or walking the beach considered being in the park that requires fees?

on NOAA home page.....http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2007/s2909.htm

“Lake Superior is less than six centimeters higher than its August record low of 182.97 meters which was set in 1926, and it looks as though the water levels may continue to plunge," said Cynthia Sellinger, deputy director of NOAA's Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory in Ann Arbor, Mich. "NOAA's lake level forecasts predict that there is a 15 to 20 percent probability that new monthly records will be set sometime this fall."

As of today, the level of Lake Superior was 183.028 meters. The record low level for September is 183.06 meters set in 1926. That is also the record low level for October, which was set in 1864. Records date back to 1860.

As far as marinas and hotels, Grande Marais,Munising and Marquette have them on the water. As far as hazards, buy a chart and be careful around Au Sable point. Munising is best for home port. Lots to see and do. The water is crystal clear, you will be able to see easily to 20 foot in most cases. There are lots of wrecks, caves and falls to see in the area.

Jim

As far as weather, its Superior. Do not attempt if they are talking storms, 10' - 15' seas are very common. You are not required to have passes up there, its free for all.

definatley get a chart,

Marquette is about 1 hr run from munising, and he's not joking aboiut clarity, the other day I was reading 25' on my depth finder and could see bottom with no problems.......There is the Presque Isle park which is pretty cool to run around, and the Ore boat docks are cool too. I have some pics, just need to upload them.

As for "kicking up" I spent many years on lake michigan, and superior is worse, I should see If I can dig up some pics of the last storm my boss got caught in coming back from houghton....pretty nasty pics

I know there is a couple places around the keweenaw, houghton/hancock has a marina, and I believe there is one in copper harbor. There is a small one in Big Bay but I've been told it hard to get a slip in there unless for refuge.

I've spent the last 7 years exploring the northern UP on snowmobiles and my 4wheeling rigs, seen some awesome country now its time to do it from the water:cool-smiley-011:

8-11' s were on the forecast a couple times last week.

Nice shot Jim (Post #2). Did you see any other boat traffic up there when you took this photo---of boaters wanting to see those humongus walls of rock? I wonder how often boaters go in there. Roughly, how deep was it in there when you took that shot? Thanks for the pictures---please post any others you may have. :) Mark

Hey Mark,
We ran almost 300 hundred miles the half week were there and saw maybe 10 boats besides our group. The depth below the bottom of the boat in the arch was 3.5 feet. I have dozens of photo's but I am limited to how many I can post here.

Try apostle islands area too
 

The apostle islands area: Bayfield, Washburn and Ashland Wi all have marinas as well as one in Lapointe on Madeline island. We've gone the past two years with my 24 formula and never had any trouble with big water, it stays decent in behind the islands and the water is plenty warm to swim.

You should post up the next time your putting a group together. I would be willing to tag along for a trip like that. Plus its nice to know a boat or two on Superior.

Two years ago we spent a week in August bombing around Au Train and Shelter bays and Munising / Pictured Rocks and had a blast. I need to find a way back up there soon.

One day while running out of Munising the water was so agreeable we water skied up and down Pictured Rocks - got some great pictures. Never thought we'd be water skiing right there. Water was pretty cold though.

As far as clarity - no kidding. While idling in unfamiliar waters around Au Train island I had a scare thinking I was suddenly running shallow (5 feet or less) over some big boulders. Checking the depth sounder we had 15 feet under the boat. I've heard seeing down 50 feet in some areas is not unheard of if the water stays calm and cold long enough. I believe it.

If you do go make sure you get a good weather forecast and that the boat is in sound mechanical shape and you've loaded up on safety equipment (duh).

Also learn to read the skies and know when to get off the water. Lake Superior can kill without mercy. There are few ports spread over miles of open water with few bays to take shelter in. Weather can come up so fast you could be caught out in wicked stuff and unable to make port. I was once caught in 15 footers and 80+ MPH winds in northern Lake Michigan (anyone remember the "blow of 87"?) and have a lot of respect for what these waters are capable of. Lake Superior with its long fetch and prevailing westerlies can make the other Lakes look like swimming pools.

Get charts of the waters you'll be in as well as there are shallows (sadly more now as the water levels are so low). You may need to find them locally (I couldn't find any in the GR area). The hardware store in Munising sells them.

Now, if the water levels would only start to rebound...

not shure how true it is but I heard superior is up 8" the other day.

we will betrailering to bayfield area in the 3rd week of august, then hitting up the up-houghton/tourch lake area, let me know if any interest. we have done this the last two summers in my 24' formula, single big block. You just have to be smart and watch the weather and fuel up when you can, as said before, ports are few and far between.
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