Planning a trip from Lake Erie to lake Michigan

M

mrtopgun

Member
May 25, 2011
117
Catwaba Island
Boat Info
Wasn't Me
1999 Sea Ray 340 Sundancer
V- drives 7.4MPI
6500 Watts of Rockford Fosgate Power
Engines
7.4 MPI with V-drives
Ok before I get yelled at I searched the forums looking for this topic.
I would like to leave Put in Bay and arrive in Lake MI.

So Lake Erie to Lake St Clair then to St clair river. Then from river to Lake Huron then around to Lake MI. Ok My main question is Time? Miles? And is it
nice trip in the summer to Chicago? How much fuel does it take? I would like to get there asap. I really dont want to sight see. Just want to get to Chicago.
 
Probably 600 miles give or take. Great trip around the mitten with a lot of great port cities to visit. With your boat I'd think at least 700 gals. Gas in Michigan is higher than in Ohio by about 15%.

No offense, but this is a site seeing trip by boat. If you want to get there fast take a bus and save about $3000.

Scott


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
 
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Just a VERY rough estimation via Google earth you are at 700 miles ONE WAY. That's 23 hours of driving, IF you can average 30mph. You better leave A LOT of extra days for bad weather and rest, as Lake Mich/Huron are no joke. Just like western Lake Erie the lake can kick your ass with constant 4-8 footers with a strong & steady enough wind.

IMO it'd be a pretty big waste to just fly around the state and not do any sight-seeing. The western coast of Michigan is one of the most picturesque areas, with sand dunes hundreds of feet tall and crystal blue water.

If I were to assume you get about 1.5 mpg then you;d be spending about $5000 in gas for the round trip. Again, thats assuming calm seas and 30mph cruising. Definitely not a given.

That's a trip you should take MONTHS to plan, and have LOTS of backup plans. I wouldnt try to do it in anything less than 3 weeks total. I'm just a newbie boater, so take my opinion for what its worth, but I'd say at least talk to someone in your area that has done the trip already, and see what they say.
 
I was told 8 hrs at 25 from cleveland to port huron.If you pm gofirstclass he has a mileage chart he can email you for the great lakes from port to port.
 
If you search through the Great Lakes forum section, Brutus C Paws did a Racine to Mackinaw trip this past summer and he provided his time and fuel calculations as well as a bit of a travelogue. This might help you with your t planning. Another member posted a spreadsheet that provided mileage points between various ports on Lake Michigan and maybe ports further east. I believe it was also posted in the Great Lakes section.
 
Here is another mileage calculator, for Lake Michigan only though (nautical miles). http://www.gosail.com/LkMiPlan.php
Do not under estimate the time it will take you. There can be numerous days you will be unable to travel due to waves. And you will not be traveling at your normal calm water speeds most days even when you can travel. Post number three has it right....a lot of fuel for a quick trip. Do it some time when you can take your time and enjoy the ports along the way.
 
I ran from Harrison Township on lake st Clair to New Buffalo, MI in 6 day on a 56 Hatteras.

Lake Huron is a MOTHER. We had 4-8' waves our first day after the st Clair river, second day we had to duck in from harrisville to Alpena since it was just too rough to keep going and sat that day out. The next day we ran from Alpena to Mac City in 4-5's. Mac city to Frankfort pounding through greys reef passage in 5-7's, and then Frankfort to grand haven and grand haven to New Buffalo.

We could have run longer each day but we were just beat from the weather and autopilot was useless. We were running 12 mph most days since it was the only comfortable speed even though we had 85,000 lbs under us.

I'd imagine if you had perfect conditions in your boat with fuel stops (which would be plentiful) you would be looking at 5 days best case.

If you're in a time crunch, I'd plan to be leaving the boat somewhere and come back to get it. Between Lake Michigan and Lake Huron there are simply days you just cannot travel.


This video is deceiving, our pulpit is 8.5' above the waterline. We stuffed it quite a few times.


But you may have days like this.
 
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When are you planning this trip? April/May is different from July/August. Are you relocating your boat or coming back. We can make Port Huron from Sandusky in 7-8 hours on the first day north then we slow down and port hop up Lake Huron. We try to limit travel to 100 miles per day but have ran 200 to stay ahead of weather. Lake Huron is longer than it appears on the charts, kind of like driving through California from north to south. Good luck and Enjoy! Bill.
 
Sum Escape said:
Here is another mileage calculator, for Lake Michigan only though (nautical miles). http://www.gosail.com/LkMiPlan.phpDo not under estimate the time it will take you. There can be numerous days you will be unable to travel due to waves. And you will not be traveling at your normal calm water speeds most days even when you can travel. Post number three has it right....a lot of fuel for a quick trip. Do it some time when you can take your time and enjoy the ports along the way.
Click to expand...
Thank you for the link. I always wanted to know some of those distances.
 
Guys thats what i was thinking the fuel bill would be. I guess I wasn't aware of lake st clair and huron on how rough it can be. I have the time don't know about taking a week to get to Chicago. I could handle 3 days maybe arrive 4th day early Noon. I would like to travel in July? Maybe August.
 
Why such a big race to get there? That is such a nice cruise to take.
 
firecadet613 said:
Why such a big race to get there? That is such a nice cruise to take.
Click to expand...

I will never boat and drink!! So its selfish have family in Downtown Chicago so want to get there asap and have fun. Girls woman drinks all a good time!!
 
firecadet613 said:
A lot quicker to have it trailered over there.
Click to expand...

Joe's on it with that suggestion. As much as I love running the boat, at some point it somehow shifts from fun to work. The trip you are proposing is on my bucket list, but at a fun pace. What you are thinking about doesn't sound that much fun.

MM
 
Top Gun........ I'm from the flint area , and my yacht is in Lake Michigan , I'd never try that trip unless I had a month, sure you are going to have calm waters some days where you can run at WOT bout with that comes a large VISA/MASTERCARD Bill. And that's not what boating is all about . Last year we spent 3 days in Frankfort in fog so thick you could back out of your slip . 5 days from Elk Rapids to Whitehall because of FOG and in Lake Michigan it's nice in Frankfort and 10 footers in ludington that will shatter your molars ..... What I hate about boating .... Is that I don't have weeks and months to go on long trips , your trip via boat should be planned for a month and that's only allowing 7 days for bad weather, don't ever forget a Mechanical failure event!!!!!!
Feel free to PM me anytime
So many Ports, so little Time .
 
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You're better off driving to Chicago and chartering a boat for the day that is run by a captain if you plan on just going there to party.

I happen to run one, but seriously you will save thousands if you're not in it for the ride.
 
I have seen Lake Huron change from flat calm to 8'ers in a matter of hours. I have also seen 15'-20' waves coming right over the break wall at Pt. Austin, not a lake to mess with and you are definitely at the mercy of the weather, no place to be in a hurry.
 
Lake Michigan can be tricky as those above had said. We spent 16 days from Racine to Macinac and back. On an 80 mile run from Sheboygan to Frankfort we pulled out at 6 am knowing the east side of the lake was going to get rough. We did the first 60 miles in 2.5 hours and the last 20 in 2.5 hours, constant 4 to 6 and some 8's. In Bay Harbor they we're moving an 85 footer so a 106 Westport could duck in for 2 days. Lake kicked up to 12 footers or so and Captain was to pick up owners in Chicago but said there was no way he would have the Westport out in the Lake in 12 plus. His words to remember is a fast steep lake wave is very different than an ocean wave.
 
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