Is a 260DA enough boat? Then what is?

MonacoMike

MonacoMike

Well-Known Member
Sep 15, 2009
14,721
Indiana lakes and Lake Michigan
Boat Info
2000 Cruisers 3870
8.2 Mercs
Engines
85 Sea Ray Monaco 197
260hp Alpha 1
Is a 260DA enough boat to safely and comfortably cross Lake Michigan for the weekend and get back under typical conditions?

I realize conditions and weather change rapidly and the skill of the captain can vary, but I have no idea what this boat can safely and comfortably handle.

If you were out for the weekend and as you were ready to begin your return trip a small craft advisory was issued can this boat go or are stuck you waiting it out?

At what height are the waves to much for this boat. I understand that wind direction, speed, tides, and current etc all play a role in any specific answer. This is a very general question intended to generate a continuing dialog I can learn from all of you what you feel in these types of situations.

:thumbsup:Thanks for your input in advance, MM
 
Of course it depends on the weather and where you are, but since the weather changes on the great lakes quickly I'd venture this is not a safe size at all, and doubly for someone who has to ask. Lake Michigan is not like the local fishing hole. I am on lake Huron every year, and have Kayaked on Superior. And from time to time venture out from the very sheltered island areas we go to. And it takes very little weather to scare the daylights out of me/us. I would not want to be some miles from shore when the weather whips up in any pleasure craft... not to mention 50 miles from shore! Just my opinion of course...since you're asking.
 
I wouldn't disregard a small craft advisory and then head out on an 80mi jaunt across Lake Michigan. Could be forever remembered as the boat ride from hell. Wait it out.
 
Scott, As I mentioned above, I have limited experience as we don't venture out on the open lake much, but I can't even imagine being in 6-8 foot waves with our 26' boat. That's got to be one scary ride. It's much different than being on Champlain even in the nastiest weather that we can whip up here.
 
I did 7 footers on the Atlantic from Ocean City, MD to Atlantic City, NJ solo with a 26' single sterndrive. Not fun. They boat was OK with it. I was less so.

Best regards,
Frank
 
Good advice above.

If you do decide to cross I recommend you;
- Have a float plan, check in with the person before you depart, update them in route if possible (cell phones will not work after about the first 8 miles or so and not again until you are about 8 miles from the other side – this range varies by location and service) and check in again on the other side.
- Have a EPIRB
- Have a life raft + ditch bag at the ready.

If possible, cross with other boats. You don’t need to follow each other once you reach the other side. Just cross together.

Be prepared to scrub the crossing if weather dictates.

Cross around Two Rivers (Manitowoc) Wisconsin and Ludinton Michigan. Its a much shorter crossing then by Milwaukee.
 
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I wouldn't take my 290 out if a small craft advisory had been posted (seriously, would it be worth the risk?). I don't think this would be a good idea for a 260.
 
fc3 said:
I did 7 footers on the Atlantic from Ocean City, MD to Atlantic City, NJ solo with a 26' single sterndrive. Not fun. They boat was OK with it. I was less so.

Best regards,
Frank
Click to expand...

I think this is the thing. The boat can more than likely handle more than the people. I've been in 12' seas on my 230OV and although I don't ever want to do it again, the boat did fine.

I boat in some exposed waters up in Canada and I'm sure Lake Michigan being so big can get pretty nasty. I trust the boat but don't need to pound through anything to my family and I aren't comfortable in.

The 260DA has a dedency to want to dive into waves in 3-6' sets at a lower sweed but at a 6-8knot cruise you'll be plowing into the heavier stuff but doing pretty well.
 
The boat will be fine. You'll have a cabin full of crap that has fallen and you may be a little wet but the boat will be fine. I do not make a habit of going out in large waves but i do go out in 3-5's on Lake Erie a few times a season. I have crossed twice to Leamington. Once dead calm. The second time it was a four hour ride going nice and easy with 3-5 trailing seas. The boat was fine and my wife and I had a heck of a fun time. Were young so these kind of things are thrilling.
 
Looking at the Sea Ray site, I see a 260 DA has 76 gallons of usable fuel. Racine to Suagatuck is 82 miles. I'm not sure the 260 would pass the 2/3 to 1/3 rule of thumb. Its only 56 miles at Sturgeon Bay, but with some tough waves up there I wouldn't want to risk it in other than the best of weather.
 
:smt038
All these comments have been a helpful starting point to learn about cruising boat capabilities and norms.

I would find any other detailed descriptions of voyages and conditions you found challenging or concerning and how you overcame the situation.

I exercise the same type of judgments regularly when we have to chose between launching on Lake Michigan for the day or on smaller (boring for me) inland lakes with our 197.

But having no personal experience with the 260 I wanted to get a range of opinions of its capabilities as we learn on our journey to our first cruiser.

MM
 
I have been out several times in the northern (sissy) part of the Chesapeake Bay in my 260, but the route that I was taking was less than a mile from shore the whole way. I don't think that I would do it more than 5 miles off shore unless I had no other option.

Not all SCAs are the same. Last year, I made the aforementioned trip during a SCA and got a nice following sea that pushed me an extra 5 mph for the RPMs I was running. That trip (about 36 miles) was great. We only got slammed a couple of times, and that only happened because of the cargo ship traffic confusing the waves with their wakes. I tried a shorter trip during a SCA that had the waves hitting us from the side. I turned around pretty quick once I realized that I would have had to turn a 6 mile straight line trip into a giant 20 mile V to get where I wanted to go.

Given the type of trips that you would like to do, I'd go with a 280 or larger as previously recommended.
 
I'm not advertising for the book below, but it's a pretty accurate description of what it's like to be on the great lakes, by someone who's sailed them all, as well as some other stories intertwined into the book. I purchased the book this summer while in Hessel (on Lake Huron) from a local book store.

http://www.amazon.com/Living-Great-...=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1253908002&sr=8-1

If you're really contemplating crossing in a small boat, here's a link on rough water piloting (I am not a super expert, but have been in my fair share and this looks like a collection of reasonable rules/tactics):
http://www.docksidereports.com/rough_water_seamanship_1.htm

Also, there were many good suggestions by experienced folks here.
 
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MonacoMike said:
Is a 260DA enough boat to safely and comfortably cross Lake Michigan for the weekend and get back under typical conditions?
Click to expand...

Under typical conditions, safely maybe, comfortably no.

Under atypical conditions, two words: Edmund Fitzgerald.
 
sfergson727 said:
Just to give you a taste of what the lake can do........

.TONIGHT...SOUTHWEST WINDS TO 30 KT...SHIFTING NORTHWEST AND
INCREASING TO STORM FORCE WINDS TO 50 KT OVERNIGHT.
THUNDERSTORMS IN THE EVENING...THEN SHOWERS LIKELY. SOME STORMS
MAY BE SEVERE. WAVES 6 TO 9 FT BUILDING TO 10 TO 14 FT OVERNIGHT.
.MONDAY...NORTHWEST STORM FORCE WINDS TO 55 KT. SHOWERS. WAVES 14
TO 18 FT.
.MONDAY NIGHT...NORTHWEST STORM FORCE WINDS TO 55 KT DIMINISHING
TO 50 KT. SHOWERS LIKELY. WAVES 12 TO 16 FT.
.TUESDAY...NORTHWEST GALES TO 45 KT BECOMING NORTH GALES TO 35
KT. CHANCE OF SHOWERS. WAVES 10 TO 14 FT SUBSIDING TO 7 TO 10 FT.
.TUESDAY NIGHT...NORTH WINDS TO 30 KT DIMINISHING TO 10 TO 20 KT.
CHANCE OF SHOWERS OVERNIGHT. WAVES SUBSIDING TO 5 TO 7 FT.


MID LAKE-
247 PM CDT SUN SEP 27 2009
...STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 9 PM CDT THIS EVENING THROUGH
TUESDAY AFTERNOON...
.TONIGHT...SOUTHWEST WINDS TO 30 KT...SHIFTING NORTHWEST AND
INCREASING TO STORM FORCE WINDS TO 50 KT OVERNIGHT.
THUNDERSTORMS IN THE EVENING...THEN SHOWERS LIKELY. SOME STORMS
MAY BE SEVERE. WAVES 5 TO 7 FT BUILDING TO 12 TO 16 FT OVERNIGHT.
.MONDAY...NORTHWEST STORM FORCE WINDS TO 55 KT. CHANCE OF
SHOWERS. WAVES 14 TO 18 FT.
.MONDAY NIGHT...NORTHWEST STORM FORCE WINDS TO 55 KT DIMINISHING
TO 50 KT. CHANCE OF SHOWERS. WAVES 14 TO 18 FT.
.TUESDAY...NORTHWEST GALES TO 40 KT DIMINISHING TO GALES TO 35
KT. CHANCE OF SHOWERS. WAVES 10 TO 14 FT SUBSIDING TO 7 TO 10 FT.
.TUESDAY NIGHT...NORTH WINDS TO 30 KT DIMINISHING TO 10 TO 20 KT.
CHANCE OF SHOWERS. WAVES SUBSIDING TO 5 TO 8 FT.


MICHIGAN NORTH...STORM WARNING IN EFFECT...12549 11656 11666
14776. THUNDERSTORMS THIS EVENING. SOME STORMS MAY BE SEVERE.
WAVES 6 TO 9 FT BUILDING TO 10 TO 14 FT OVERNIGHT AND TO 14 TO
18 FT MONDAY. 220609.
MICHIGAN SOUTH...STORM WARNING IN EFFECT...11540 12549 11666
14776. THUNDERSTORMS THIS EVENING. SOME STORMS MAY BE SEVERE.
WAVES 5 TO 7 FT BUILDING TO 12 TO 16 FT OVERNIGHT AND TO 14 TO
18 FT MONDAY. 220507.
Click to expand...

That makes me wish I owned a sailboat.
 
We were up on the lake for a couple days, my wife wanted to stay a couple more and I said time to go home.

Expires:200909280530;;343480
FZUS53 KMQT 272125
NSHMQT
NEARSHORE MARINE FORECAST
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MARQUETTE MI
525 PM EDT SUN SEP 27 2009
FOR WATERS WITHIN FIVE NAUTICAL MILES OF SHORE

LSZ244-245-280530-
EAGLE RIVER TO MANITOU ISLAND MI-
MANITOU ISLAND TO POINT ISABELLE MI-
525 PM EDT SUN SEP 27 2009
...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 7 PM THIS EVENING TO 2 AM
EDT MONDAY... ...GALE WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 2 AM EDT MONDAY
THROUGH TUESDAY MORNING...
.LATE THIS AFTERNOON...SOUTHWEST WINDS 10 TO 20 KNOTS. SCATTERED
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. WAVES 1 TO 3 FEET.
.TONIGHT...NORTHWEST WINDS 15 TO 20 KNOTS VEERING NORTH UP TO
30 KNOTS AFTER MIDNIGHT. FREQUENT GALE FORCE GUSTS UP TO 40
KNOTS. NUMEROUS SHOWERS. WAVES BUILDING TO 7 TO 10 FEET.
.MONDAY...NORTH GALES TO 35 KNOTS WITH GALE FORCE GUSTS UP TO 47
KNOTS. SHOWERS. WAVES BUILDING TO 17 TO 22 FEET.
.MONDAY NIGHT...NORTH GALES TO 35 KNOTS. GALE FORCE GUSTS UP TO
47 KNOTS BEFORE MIDNIGHT. SHOWERS LIKELY. WAVES BUILDING TO 20 TO
25 FEET...THEN SUBSIDING TO 15 TO 20 FEET.
.TUESDAY...NORTH WINDS UP TO 30 KNOTS WITH FREQUENT GALE FORCE
GUSTS UP TO 40 KNOTS IN THE MORNING. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS. WAVES
SUBSIDING TO 10 TO 14 FEET.
$$

Only the ships are running in this weather. As far as sailboats go I rarely see them with a sail up in any weather, they're always putting around like a guess what...a powerboat. Go figure.
 
I've crossed the lake six times. Only twice was it with my current 27, the others were with smaller boats. Yes, you can do it. Not, it is not at all comfortable or fun or safe with a smaller boat if it gets at all rough. Here is the big thing with crossing, you can't plan your return weather. I have always left with good weather, but twice it was rough when I came back. came back in 5 footers once, and 4s another time. It was no fun at all. Your current boat is just fine for making day trips to the lake, as you probably already know, but crossing the lake is a LOT different. From Saugatuck to Milwaukee was a 100 mile trip from slip to slip according to my GPS this Spring. at a 25mph cruise speed, that is almost three hours of steady boating without seeing land.

I recommend crossing with someone if you have a smaller boat.
 
Come on Scott. The Gales are starting to set in and it's almost October. This is an extreme case of what can happen on the Great Lakes.

Don't you all remember the thread a while back that said your boat can handle waves 2/3's the size of your boat. A 260 would handle those just fine.

In all seriousness your boat can cross the lake. Comfort is based on your level. Again i think the boat could handle it just fine.

sfergson727 said:
Just to give you a taste of what the lake can do........

.TONIGHT...SOUTHWEST WINDS TO 30 KT...SHIFTING NORTHWEST AND
INCREASING TO STORM FORCE WINDS TO 50 KT OVERNIGHT.
THUNDERSTORMS IN THE EVENING...THEN SHOWERS LIKELY. SOME STORMS
MAY BE SEVERE. WAVES 6 TO 9 FT BUILDING TO 10 TO 14 FT OVERNIGHT.
.MONDAY...NORTHWEST STORM FORCE WINDS TO 55 KT. SHOWERS. WAVES 14
TO 18 FT.
.MONDAY NIGHT...NORTHWEST STORM FORCE WINDS TO 55 KT DIMINISHING
TO 50 KT. SHOWERS LIKELY. WAVES 12 TO 16 FT.
.TUESDAY...NORTHWEST GALES TO 45 KT BECOMING NORTH GALES TO 35
KT. CHANCE OF SHOWERS. WAVES 10 TO 14 FT SUBSIDING TO 7 TO 10 FT.
.TUESDAY NIGHT...NORTH WINDS TO 30 KT DIMINISHING TO 10 TO 20 KT.
CHANCE OF SHOWERS OVERNIGHT. WAVES SUBSIDING TO 5 TO 7 FT.


MID LAKE-
247 PM CDT SUN SEP 27 2009
...STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 9 PM CDT THIS EVENING THROUGH
TUESDAY AFTERNOON...
.TONIGHT...SOUTHWEST WINDS TO 30 KT...SHIFTING NORTHWEST AND
INCREASING TO STORM FORCE WINDS TO 50 KT OVERNIGHT.
THUNDERSTORMS IN THE EVENING...THEN SHOWERS LIKELY. SOME STORMS
MAY BE SEVERE. WAVES 5 TO 7 FT BUILDING TO 12 TO 16 FT OVERNIGHT.
.MONDAY...NORTHWEST STORM FORCE WINDS TO 55 KT. CHANCE OF
SHOWERS. WAVES 14 TO 18 FT.
.MONDAY NIGHT...NORTHWEST STORM FORCE WINDS TO 55 KT DIMINISHING
TO 50 KT. CHANCE OF SHOWERS. WAVES 14 TO 18 FT.
.TUESDAY...NORTHWEST GALES TO 40 KT DIMINISHING TO GALES TO 35
KT. CHANCE OF SHOWERS. WAVES 10 TO 14 FT SUBSIDING TO 7 TO 10 FT.
.TUESDAY NIGHT...NORTH WINDS TO 30 KT DIMINISHING TO 10 TO 20 KT.
CHANCE OF SHOWERS. WAVES SUBSIDING TO 5 TO 8 FT.


MICHIGAN NORTH...STORM WARNING IN EFFECT...12549 11656 11666
14776. THUNDERSTORMS THIS EVENING. SOME STORMS MAY BE SEVERE.
WAVES 6 TO 9 FT BUILDING TO 10 TO 14 FT OVERNIGHT AND TO 14 TO
18 FT MONDAY. 220609.
MICHIGAN SOUTH...STORM WARNING IN EFFECT...11540 12549 11666
14776. THUNDERSTORMS THIS EVENING. SOME STORMS MAY BE SEVERE.
WAVES 5 TO 7 FT BUILDING TO 12 TO 16 FT OVERNIGHT AND TO 14 TO
18 FT MONDAY. 220507.
Click to expand...
 
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