Lake Erie Put In Bay

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wolfe47374

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Jun 18, 2008
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Any suggestions on this destination? I will trailer up to sandusky or other points in that area and plan to dock once in PIB. Looking for central hotels/house rentals and dock options that are decent. Any good launch / parking areas on the ohio side, any advice would be good. Going to take a 22' Chapparal Sunesta deck boat across. Any worries about that?

Thanks in advance....
 

airdvr1227

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Re: Lake Erie Put In Bay

Wolfe,

The Erie Islands are a great place to boat. Plenty to do. PIB is the main hot spot on South Bass Island but don't forget about Middle Bass and Kelly's Island. Middle Bass is about a 5 minute ride from the Bay, and Kelly's is about 30 minutes.

There are tons of launch ramps on the Ohio side.

Like mine your rig is a bit small for Erie. Doesn't mean you can't go and have fun you just have to really watch the weather. Storms whip up the waves pretty quickly.
 

tswiczko

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Re: Lake Erie Put In Bay

I've been up there a few times. I noticed the lake usually stirs up around sunset and then settles back down after dark.

I used to go out of Meinke's they have two marinas an east and a west. They both have a long channel out to the lake. last time I was there it cost 5 dollars to launch, that was a while ago. Listen to your marine weather radio and they will tell you whats going on at Perry, Steer clear of it.
http://activecaptain.com

This will help you find marinas.

just google Put In Bay and there is a lot of information there
Golf carts are worth the rent there. Unless you enjoy walking.
 

Don S

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Re: Lake Erie Put In Bay

It's been a long time, but back in the very late 60's I went to the to the New Years party at Put In Bay. This happened in September as I recall.
It will be one memory I will remember with a huge smile ............. forever.
 

Chip Chester

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Re: Lake Erie Put In Bay

Been over a few times, but never on anything shorter than about 60'. Not sure I'd do it in your rig. If you're not sure, either, you might want to take one of the ferry or jet boat options, observe what others are going thru on their voyage, look at the docking situation at the destination, and decide if you're up to it.

Chip
 

not enuf toys

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Re: Lake Erie Put In Bay

my grandparents have a 34' silverton at a marina in port clinton that we have taken across several times. its about 12 miles across and the trip is beautifull, but the water conditions can change FAST! i have been up there on several different boats ranging from 18 to 24' and all of them had me turning green once about a mile out. It is a good trip to make but not in a smaller boat.

I would be a little concerned about the deck boat it self. it is not uncommon for waves to crash the bow up there, and with an open design it could get a little sketchy.
 

airdvr1227

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Re: Lake Erie Put In Bay

It's been a long time, but back in the very late 60's I went to the to the New Years party at Put In Bay. This happened in September as I recall.
It will be one memory I will remember with a huge smile ............. forever.

Surprised you remember any of it...:D
 

countryboy26047

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Re: Lake Erie Put In Bay

Wow, guess I never realized how much I used to put my life in the hands of my best friends dad when we was younger... From about 12yrs old to maybe 14 we used to go with him every year, we would put in somewhere in Sandusky (can't remember the name of the marina) and ride out to kelly's island for the day/night, then motor back to cedar point for the day.... would do this trip about 2-3 times a summer... in his 18' Mark Twain cuddy 4cyl. I/O.... Guess that wasn't the ideal boat to take out there and back lol
 

layzboy2011

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Re: Lake Erie Put In Bay

I live very close to pib... i go to the island a few times a year on my 17' aluminum with a 90 merc. Just closely watch the weather. Also if you start from sandusy (they have a free public ramp) you are quite sheltered from the bigger of the waves on a large part of your trip. Just go north of the island and it will be a pretty smooth trip because middle bass will shelter you.
 

countryboy26047

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Re: Lake Erie Put In Bay

I live very close to pib... i go to the island a few times a year on my 17' aluminum with a 90 merc. Just closely watch the weather. Also if you start from sandusy (they have a free public ramp) you are quite sheltered from the bigger of the waves on a large part of your trip. Just go north of the island and it will be a pretty smooth trip because middle bass will shelter you.

hey lb, when you say 'north of the island' are you talking going north of middle bass island, or what? Your post has me really considering a day trip to PIB now with my tri-hull... granted, as you said, I would really have to watch the weather considering how these hull's don't take kindly to waves while under power..

Also, when you go from Sandusky out, how fast are you running and how long is the trip? When I used to go out there, for one I was too young to care what speed or heading we was running, and really never paid attention to how long it would take.
 

layzboy2011

Petty Officer 3rd Class
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May 22, 2012
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Re: Lake Erie Put In Bay

Sorry, allow be to clarify, i usually start at the public launch in downtown sandusky in sandusky bay... then i head out and go south of kellys island. Then north of put in bay, there is only a little while (when winds are from the west or northwest as usual) that you are exposed to waves that have any chance to build up. Once you go north of put in bay (south bass) then middle bass has you protected. Also if you are looking at a chart i almost exactly follow the "jet express" ferrys' course. It really depends on the weather for how fast i am capable of running. My boat is very small and light so i sometimes have to slow down to a few mph to not pound out my fillings. Always pick a day with a "zero" percent chance of bad weather and keep an eye open, but you can duck into several protected locations if the weather kicks up.
 

countryboy26047

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May 25, 2012
Messages
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Re: Lake Erie Put In Bay

Sorry, allow be to clarify, i usually start at the public launch in downtown sandusky in sandusky bay... then i head out and go south of kellys island. Then north of put in bay, there is only a little while (when winds are from the west or northwest as usual) that you are exposed to waves that have any chance to build up. Once you go north of put in bay (south bass) then middle bass has you protected. Also if you are looking at a chart i almost exactly follow the "jet express" ferrys' course. It really depends on the weather for how fast i am capable of running. My boat is very small and light so i sometimes have to slow down to a few mph to not pound out my fillings. Always pick a day with a "zero" percent chance of bad weather and keep an eye open, but you can duck into several protected locations if the weather kicks up.

Cool, thanks for the details. I've spent a lot of time on Erie (as well as Michigan and Olcott) but up until 3yrs ago, the smallest boat I had been on and actually gone out into the lake a good ways, was 21' cuddy.. aside from that as I said earlier my buddy's dad's 18' cuddy, but I seem to remember when we would go to Kelly's Island, there was only about 20 minutes that you couldn't see land? The route you describe sounds like it may work for a day trip to PIB or Kelly's island in my tri-hull... with that being said though, I know from 'experience' with my dad (we would go almost every weekend from march/april until oct/nov. and would stay on the boat) I know how fast a storm can kick up out there... Even now, when we take the 17' tracker Deep V out to fish, we only go maybe 3-5miles out past the breakwall, we watch the wave reports and radar like hawks prior to our launch.
 
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