Lake St. Clair Buddies
 

Just bought a 33' Formula and looking for some other boats out there to hang with, also trying to see the best place o keep it, thinking Macray because its closer to home.

welcome, im out there every weekend

Welcome Formula16. Macray is a nice marina, also Miller marina, which is down toward the nautical mile. The owner Chip Miller is on here all the time and I believe offers discounts to OSO members.

My wife and I are also out on St. Clair pretty much every weekend. We usually stay at metro beach.

personally i recommend Miller's. i stayed there last year for a weekend and wont hesitate to go back. the rates are great and the customer service is outstanding. Chip was on vacation but his mother is one of the nicest ladies i've ever met. It was labor day weekend and they were slow and she gave us her cell # and home # and told us if we needed anything at all to just give her a call and she would be right there. not many will do that for customers!

I boat week-days. Monday-Thursday. I spend a lot of time on St. Clair. If you are new to the lake get charts and get to know it. Stay in the channels in the rivers. I put in north of Metro Beach. Put-in-Bay is a favorite run or up the St. Clair River into Lake Huron. I also like to cross the lake to the Thames River. Not many people go over there and you can sometimes find good water if the lake is acting up. If you are a week-day boater let me know. It's crazy on week-ends.

Only down fall about millers marina is they frown on sex in the bathroom facilities... Lmao. On a serious note. Chips mom is a great lady and goes the extra mile to earn your business. If you don't want to float slip it they do a thing where they store it in their huge barn on your trailer, u call and say your coming and they have it out for u when u get there ready to drop in. Don't quote me but I think its around 5-600$/season.

Lmfao! I think it was $600 for my old 26' barge.

Ive looked at the nautical mile but on a good day its 40 mins, and coming from work during the week is even worse.

Welcome to the Lake and congrats on the Formula. Well see you out there!

Welcome! You will make LSC friends quick, just post on here and there's always people rafting up together. I mostly head straight for the moot and tie up but hope to do more running around this year with some of the other go-fast crowd.

NAS-T didn't realize your were from Rochester. Ran with you guys for a bit a few years back in the Boyne run, I was driving the green batboat. Nice looking classic cat, cig looks great too!

I'm out every weekend and during the week sometimes. Look me up...

Come say hi if you see me. My boat looks like PPJ's but 5 feet shorter and blue (I didn't know I was buying a mini-me to put on the lake, what are the odds w/ so few PP's out there!:party-smiley-004:)

http://i881.photobucket.com/albums/a...k/IMGP0067.jpg

Great looking boat .

Nice one Rick! If this chit ever melts we can get them together...

Thanks!

If you're doing jobbie I wouldn't mind tying up w/ someone who values their stuff and away from the crowd if I can make it.

I dont usually do Jobbie but always have the day off and on the water...

If you're in Harrison Twp you should look into Beacon Cove Marina. Their prices are good, and the they have a good crowd there. Not to mention that the Lake St. Clair race usually uses Beacon Cove for their launch site, and as a marina member you get free access to everything, including the pits.

I have a few things that I could complain about regarding the BCM, but they're all minor, and I will likely be there again this year.

I'm at Beacon Cove but not positive I'm staying....

I feel I'm a $ sign to them, no relationship really after being there a few years or feeling like the customer is ever right. Also when the races are there you can't use your boat really, I don't like to lose a weekend. And if you do want to use it in the times they'll put it in, your guests all have to pay to go out on your boat (that you pay a ton to keep there) because they need wristbands!

I'm at Beacon also, If there are any complaints they are minor and all the plus's would out weigh them.

Check out Hideaway Harbor, talk to Dawn. The customer service is 100X better than Beacon. I do not reccomend Beacon to anyone!

What are you seeing outa this boat in terms of top speed?

Jason, you might be right about Hideway being a better overall Marina than the Beacon but the main reason I use Beacon Cove is they have a great ramp for larger boats. I've heard that Miller Marine has increased the size of their ramp. This in the future might be another option for me.

Hey, Hope all is good with you guys! I'm still over at Sundog. Cant beat the price and she sits inside:drink:

Btw I did stop at Miller. Real nice place! Chip wasn't there but I did walk around a little. Hope to see you out on the water soon.

Just under 70 gps w 2 people and half tankish (150 gallon tank). I think I need to lab the prop to get it over the hump of 70.....

Rack storage there, or on a trailer?

I should check into some other places. I wish Miller's had rack storage.

What rpm's that at?

We need to get you running a box & shorty!!!

Millers had Rack Storage back when we stayed there ( 10 years ago for 3 years ) Plus you can stay on the boat in the courtesy wells overnight if you want !. They would rack our 268 Sundancer back then, it was pretty big.

Now we just tow the OE Cat out to to wherever we want to go ........ ;)

Hey Jerry, how've you been? I'm more than ready to get out on the water. That nephew of yours got the boat ready:drink:

Nick,

Nephew not doing much work on the boat this Winter. I did have the Motors redone and putting in a new Dash. I was down at Kustom Marine today and everything is going good. Boat should be done by the lst of May if not sooner.

As you are I'm looking forward to Skater Fest, I think I will be at Metro all weekend LONG.

Me too. Binoculars are ready. Haha I'll be perched right on the wall watching them parade in and out. Maybe we can hook up and run down to Belle Isle or something on Saturday, I think they're headed south from what I've read.

You see, here's the part where everyone wants to kill me haha.....the tach only works intermittently so I don't know actually.:party-smiley-004:

I like the prop I have for getting on plane and cruising, but I'm positive I'm not getting the most out of the top end. Haven't really gotten the desire to change it out yet for some reason. I keep telling myself I'll do it after I redo the tach, which to me then means I need to do all the gauges......

I need to do something.... but just bought this so my cash is flying out the door fixin her up haha.

http://i881.photobucket.com/albums/a...402_114531.jpg

Was this guy looking for rack storage? Or a well I knid of know more about the rack storage on lake st. clair than I care to admit:party-smiley-004::lolhit:

I can't disagree with you there. IMO the hi-lo drivers are dickheads and act like they're doing you a favor putting your boat in the water. They're supposed to allow you access to your boat and the lake until October 15th and in my three years there they've never stayed open that long. I know that most people don't want to boat after mid-September anyhow, but last year we had some nice days around October 5th-10th on three separate occasions I had a crew come down to the marina to go out on the boat and no one was around to put it in the water and by October 10th there were shrink wrapped boats on blocks in front of where they generally put it in at. They don't want you to leave it shored up with more than 1/4 tank of gas, but they shut you down and don't let you run out your old gas for the final two weeks of the season.

I really don't care for BCM, but they're $1000 cheaper for my boat than any other marina for yearly rack storage. I really don't want to pay Macray x$3,700 or Hideaway $3,200 for the season to keep my boat there. I found a spot with a hoist (which I would prefer) for around the same money (actually a little less), but it is a much further drive. I'm just trying to figure out if I want that hassel, and I DO like that my boat is kept indoors in the winter time.

I'll add... Before I kept my boat there I was really concerned about night time use when its locked up. I was told by the main person in charge BEFORE I gave them my money that I could call ahead and they would put my boat in before they went home for the evening. AFTER giving them my money I was told that I had to be there, there was no call service, and that they had no idea what I was talking about....

Why anymore I get EVERYTHING in writing and have it signed. Then it's someone's ass on the line.

That sums it about up!

Sometimes they are friendly, other times it's a hassle for them to put in. I typically tip them too and sometimes wonder why....

I've seen them go out of their way to help other guys pull in alone, but basically never get off the lift for me so I don't get it. It's hit or miss or something. Overall the lift guys are way nicer than Karen, once she has your money anyways.

What about hideaway right next door, isn't it cheaper?

I must have been thinking of Landsend or something, at the end of S. River Rd. They quoted me $3,200. I thought the marina next door had an open air rack storage building that leaves the transom of the boat exposed, but I could be wrong. If I went that route and they do expose the transom, I would have to get a new cover. Mine has shrunk over the years and the snaps on the transom don't want to stretch that far anymore. I would consider going over there though.

That said, it is kind of a ***** to get turned around in there for me. I would more or less have to back down the entire marina, or hope that they have an empty well. They get a good wind/current down their main entrance/exit, and the turn at the end is kind of rough in my 32'. Not to mention, they seem to have a lot of drunken rowdy people over there. I am mad enough to shop around though, and I'd love to find a new place to go just to give BCM a big FU.



I don't know what the deal is with the BCM hi-lo drivers. I always give them extra money when I buy ice, I'm always really cool with them. I always tell them "when you get a minute," "I'm in no hurry," and I try to give them a heads up when I'm going to be doing something like adjusting my timing or waiting on one final passenger or something that would cause me to sit in at the dock and take up space, and ask to be put in the chitty end spot. Still they complain and moan. They also have a fit and act like they're waiting all day for me to get passengers and whatnot off of my boat as SOON as I pull in, but I will see other people pull in and sit there, or be splashed and sit there, and they won't say anything to them. They definitely play favorites, and its not money related (at least not small money/tip related). The short blond guy is my favorite, the other two can kiss my azz.

At the end of the day I think I'm just not BCMs crowd. My people are super respectful, and I've never had a problem there, but BCM seems to love family boaters w/ kids, and old people that rarely use their boats. I'm out 3-4 days a week. I think they get sick of servicing me.

so i cant find anyone to do rack storage on a 33ft boat over there (limit is 32ft from the places i called). Does anyone know of storage areas that i could park the boat and trailer in, for a fair price thats close to the DNR launch (south river road). I wouldnt have any issue leaving my boat on the trailer down there, instead of pulling the boat back and forth all the time.
If anyone knows of a rack storage that will handle a 33ft boat, or a storage yard could you let me know thanks.

There is a place down river that does it. I know they can handle a 35' Cig. I looked at one that was rack stored. Macray may be able to handle 33' as well. BCM has a large yard, I'm sure Karen would allow you to leave your boat in the yard and use BCM's launch for a fee. They have a pretty decent ramp.