Michigan to chicago trip help!

[jserb]

Jun 2011- ahh just took a moment and reread his thread....i remember this trip like it was yesterday; amazing almost a year ago now....check out our new adventure this year to lake Ontario and the 1000 islands...i need all your commentary on this one boys!!
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HI GUYS!
I lived on this site for 9 months restoring my boat, now im in this forum hoping to get some help on a trip im planning. At the End of June I plan on taking my Scarab from St Joseph Mi, to Chicago Il. I need help with a few things.

#1, Who, How, Where do i contact to get the locks for the Chicago river to open so we can take our boat down the Chicago river?!
#2 In St Joseph i need a place to launch my boat, and keep the truck and trailer there for the weekend, anyone know of a place?
#3 I have never boated on Lake Michigan, however i am a responsible boater and know my limits. With this said i am very aware of lake Michigan and how it can kick up and get rough pretty quick, so im planning ahead and asking for people to help me regarding to RED FLAGS. Items such as "if the wind is over X knots DONT GO OUT" If you get a North wind(your in the clear) i just need some tips and pointers about what to expect when we get to St joseph and i see specific conditions. I just dont want to leave port with it looking nice only to find out i got myself into a lot of hurt. HELP A FELLOW IBOATER OUT BOAYS!!

 

[Sikiguya]

Re: Michigan to chicago trip help!

I've heard that the lock are closed indefinitely to keep the Asian Carps out of Lake Michigan. Might want to research that!

 

[TilliamWe]

Re: Michigan to chicago trip help!

Nope, locks are open.

 

[jserb]

Re: Michigan to chicago trip help!

yeah, i called the Chicago Harbors yesterday and found that NO the LOCKS ARE NOT CLOSED and the people i spoke with felt it never will be, they said too many boats coming in and out....they said go to channel 16 when you get to the locks for them to open....

Still need help on info on St Joesph's and general inf o about lake michigan.....im also wondering if we have good visability if just a few miles off michigan's shore if we will be able to see the chicago skyline???

 

[TilliamWe]

Re: Michigan to chicago trip help!

...im also wondering if we have good visability if just a few miles off michigan's shore if we will be able to see the chicago skyline???

Uh, yeah, it's kind of hard to miss!

 

[windsors03cobra]

Re: Michigan to chicago trip help!

On a good day here I can look down the shore of lake Michigan from Racine and see the 3 stacks @ Waukegans lake front coal burning power plant, that is about 20 miles.
Lake Michigan is about 50 miles between Chicago and St Joe, So no even on the clearest day you wont see across most of lake Michigan with a naked eye.

I think your whole idea is a bad way to start boating on lake Michigan but maybe if you have a serious craft with a LOT of petrol and luck you may make'r.
I can say from what I've seen on the south end of lake Michigan it appears to have more wave and swell action than what we see further up here. possibly due to that south end being the "end of the lake" and lots of wave power builds up there ? I do know there are some popular surfing venues down on the southern lake Michigan dunes all because of the waves.
Lots of other safer trips to be had launching in the Michiana or NW Indiana area. IMO


Good luck !

 

[Dick Sorensen]

Re: Michigan to chicago trip help!

St Joe to Chicago is a neat trip. I've boated around St. Joe and Chicago all of my life and have crossed to Michigan City a number of times in an open boat. Watch the weather develop over the week preceding your D-Day....and if it's okay go for it.....due all the smart stuff ie: extra gas, phone, gps, etc. ....You'll see Chicago from about 20 miles out or so.....so take your planned running speed....divide it into your estimated miles....say 20 knots...you should see the top of Sears Tower about 90 minutes after clearing the St. Joe breakwater. Have a great trip!

 

[jserb]

Re: Michigan to chicago trip help!

On a good day here I can look down the shore of lake Michigan from Racine and see the 3 stacks @ Waukegans lake front coal burning power plant, that is about 20 miles.
Lake Michigan is about 50 miles between Chicago and St Joe, So no even on the clearest day you wont see across most of lake Michigan with a naked eye.

I think your whole idea is a bad way to start boating on lake Michigan but maybe if you have a serious craft with a LOT of petrol and luck you may make'r.
I can say from what I've seen on the south end of lake Michigan it appears to have more wave and swell action than what we see further up here. possibly due to that south end being the "end of the lake" and lots of wave power builds up there ? I do know there are some popular surfing venues down on the southern lake Michigan dunes all because of the waves.
Lots of other safer trips to be had launching in the Michiana or NW Indiana area. IMO


Good luck !

Windsors, I appreciate your concern. I didn't convey my experience in my original post. I am a long distance boater, and i have gone 120 miles out in a sitting no problem. I am not a little inland boater who has never been in big water. I do appreciate your warnings, however, I have had my experience tested many of times in being safe and prepared. With that being said No i have not boated on Lake Michigan, however i have in the ocean several times. NO, no lake or ocean are the same, however thats why I am on here to hear and learn from people like Mr. Sorensen whom has done the trip and can provide me with some fun facts, tips and advice on the trip.
Regardless, i do appreciate your response, maybe you can help me with this: Do you find the Lake & winds begin to pick up after 9AM. Is 9AM to0 late to leave to cross the lake, what would be your suggestions on when to leave??


****- have you been through the Chicago river?!

 

[Dick Sorensen]

Re: Michigan to chicago trip help!

Yes, I've boated thru downtown Chicago a ton of times and it never ever fails to impress me....it is so neat to be on the water, surrounded by millions of tons of concrete rising over your head, thousands of eyeballs on you in your boat and everyone of them wishing they where you! Nothing to it....I've usually gone on the south branch...after leaving downtown it gets real industrial real fast....the north branch is cool but I don't have too much experience....monitor the Asian Carp challenge....I just don't see how the Corp. of Engineers is going to keep this thing out of the Lakes.....without damning the river....great trip...try to spend some time enjoying the lakefront...north to Belmont Harbor...south to Jackson Park. Great city.

 

[J. Howard]

Re: Michigan to chicago trip help!

I keep my boat at Burnham Harbor in the summer and boat on Lake Michigan. During the winter, I store it in Michigan City, Indiana, which is about 38 miles across the lake; I make this trip every fall and spring. St. Joe is further but it is the same general idea.

One thing I might recommend would be to plan your trip in legs -- maybe leave St. Joe and stop for lunch in New Buffalo or Michigan City. This keeps you a little closer to the shore, which is important, as Lake Michigan can change in a hurry. If you get out there smack in the middle and she turns into a beast, it won't be a pleasant experience.

When I boat, regardless of how far I'm planning on going out, I pay close attention to the conditions here:
http://www.wunderground.com/MAR/LM/741.html
You can click around on the different areas of the lake for conditions there. Once the waves start to approach 3-4 ft, I get pretty leery. It's not that they can't be navigated, but it just stops being any fun at that point and I prefer to be careful. This kind of trip should be enjoyable.

Are you planning on staying for a night or two in Chicago? Check www.chicagoharbors.info for harbor information, transient slips, etc. If you got a mooring can for the weekend at Monroe Harbor, you'd be real close to downtown. Or you could go to Diversey Harbor or Belmont Harbor and be in the heart of the north side neighborhoods (maybe catch a Cubs game -- having grown up in Ann Arbor, I'm a die-hard Tigers fan, but I still can acknowledge that Wrigley is a really cool place to see a ballgame). And of course I'd be remiss if I didn't plug my home harbor -- Burnham -- for the best views of the city and fun evenings when there are concerts at Charter One Pavilion. Also walking distance to Shedd Aquarium, Adler Planetarium, and the Field Museum.

Lastly, I noticed in your post that you said a north wind meant you were in the clear. It is actually the absolute opposite of that. Being at the south end of the lake, winds coming from the north have the entire open expanse of the lake for the waves to build and get nasty. You're much better off looking for south winds and/or winds blowing in the direction of your travel. For instance, when I'm coming from Michigan City to Chicago, I love a southeast wind because even if the waves are bigger, I feel like riding with them is a more comfortable ride. Your most desirable wind conditions are, of course, the beloved "light and variable."

Good luck and look me up if you decide to make the trip!

 

[jserb]

Re: Michigan to chicago trip help!

J- Now thats the kind of info i am lookin for!
Have you ever gone through the locks? I called a marina out there asking how to get the locks to open, and they said you just get on channel 16 when you arrive, just checking to see if this is accurate or not? The wife's friend is Harbor Master at Belmont, so i think we will be staying there, however your home port sounds nice as well, do they allow weekender's to stay at your club? We are either going 1 of two weekends, either June 25th, or July 16th, i will surly look you up! We are planning on going to St Joe's Thursday night, sleeping there. Then, Friday morning getting up early, getting breakfast and hit the water probably around 8 830 at the latest (depending on conditions), and shooting across the lake. The reason I dont want to port hop so much is because i want to try and actually CROSS lake Michigan (obviously if its safe). Because we plan on heading back to MI Sunday and most likely will not be leaving Chicago until 11 or noon on Sunday, and you can bet your butt that by that time of the day im sure the lake will have picked up. So we plan on shore hopping on the way HOME not on the way there.

Have you found on a rough day can you get by by staying close to shore? Does it help to stay close or not at all?

If you have any suggestions on ports to stop in at or cool places to go by all means let me know! thanks for the info!


Keep the great info flowing boys!

 

[J. Howard]

Re: Michigan to chicago trip help!

Have you ever gone through the locks?

Yes, I've been through the locks on a number of occasions just for evening trips/dinner cruises up and down the river. It's a good idea to get on channel 16, but I've never actually had to communicate with the lock operators. Usually there are plenty of boats waiting to get through and you just line up and file in when it's your turn. Recreational boats like ours are last in the pecking order for lock priority, so you'll be expected to clear out of the way for tour boats, etc. Also make sure to have some fenders with you and ready to be used when you go through the locks, as you'll be expected to be holding your boat against the wall as the water level changes -- there are lines hanging from the wall at intervals for this.

The wife's friend is Harbor Master at Belmont, so i think we will be staying there, however your home port sounds nice as well, do they allow weekender's to stay at your club?

I think you'll enjoy Belmont. There will be plenty of bars, restaurants, etc, within walking distance (or a short cab ride) from the harbor. I think most harbors in Chicago have transient slips/moorings so it's just a matter of preference and availability.

We are either going 1 of two weekends, either June 25th, or July 16th, i will surly look you up!

Sounds good. The weekend of July 16th I will almost certainly be down at the harbor enjoying some live music -- Chicago and The Doobie Brothers are playing at Charter One that weekend:
http://www.livenation.com/venue/charter-one-pavilion-at-northerly-island-tickets/
Sometimes we swing the boat around and drop anchor in front of the concert shell. Other times we just sit on the dock and listen to the show. My dock is on the east side of the harbor real close to the Pavilion so we just sit on our boats with our coolers and pretend like we're backstage.
http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&hq=...473,-87.607867&spn=0.006176,0.013937&t=h&z=17
If you end up coming that weekend, you might consider doing this, regardless of which harbor you're staying at. If the water's calm enough, there will be plenty of boats out there at anchor enjoying the show. Plus, there are fireworks at Navy Pier every Wednesday and Saturday throughout the summer and there are always a ton of boaters out for that as well (pending weather):
http://www.navypier.com/things2do/fireworks.html
Just be aware when you're out there at night (probably don't need to tell you this). A lot of people pick up and buzz out of there quickly when the show is over; I just like to relax and stay out of their way.

Have you found on a rough day can you get by by staying close to shore? Does it help to stay close or not at all?

It absolutely can help, especially if the waves are the result of a south wind (closer to shore means less open water for waves to develop). Also, if the waves are big enough to give you cause to worry, it's nice to have land in sight. I usually try to go straight across but there was one late October trip a couple of seasons ago where we looped south more and also took a slower course.

If you have any suggestions on ports to stop in at or cool places to go by all means let me know! thanks for the info!

Absolutely. I'm glad to help. I'll keep an eye on this thread and chime in from time to time. Also, don't hesitate to PM me as your trip gets closer -- I'm always happy to help a fellow boater, especially a fellow Michigander!

Jeff

 

[jserb]

Re: Michigan to chicago trip help!

J-
When the time gets a little closer i will probably post a new thread on this....I have a Garmin 520s G2vision GPS. It requires a Chip to work in Lake Michigan. I have one for Lake Erie, but not one for Michigan. Id hate to spend 250 bucks on a chip that i will only use once. So if you know of anyone with a chip for lake Mi i would be willing to pay someone 50 bucks to borrow there chip for the weekend. Obviously i can work out all the details with whomever is interested in this, but if your down at the marina and you know of a few people who have a Garmin GPS G2 let them know for me if they'd like to make 50 bucks over the weekend!

 

[J. Howard]

Re: Michigan to chicago trip help!

Unfortunately I can't help you with the GPS chip. I just have a handheld Garmin Oregon 300c which I don't believe uses removable chips for map data. If I hear of anyone who is able to help you out, I'll send you their way.

 

[tswiczko]

Re: Michigan to chicago trip help!

Also if you need to find marinas and ramps you ca go tohttp://www.activecaptain.com

 

[F14CRAZY]

Re: Michigan to chicago trip help!

HI GUYS!
I lived on this site for 9 months restoring my boat, now im in this forum hoping to get some help on a trip im planning. At the End of June I plan on taking my Scarab from St Joseph Mi, to Chicago Il. I need help with a few things.

#1, Who, How, Where do i contact to get the locks for the Chicago river to open so we can take our boat down the Chicago river?!
#2 In St Joseph i need a place to launch my boat, and keep the truck and trailer there for the weekend, anyone know of a place?
#3 I have never boated on Lake Michigan, however i am a responsible boater and know my limits. With this said i am very aware of lake Michigan and how it can kick up and get rough pretty quick, so im planning ahead and asking for people to help me regarding to RED FLAGS. Items such as "if the wind is over X knots DONT GO OUT" If you get a North wind(your in the clear) i just need some tips and pointers about what to expect when we get to St joseph and i see specific conditions. I just dont want to leave port with it looking nice only to find out i got myself into a lot of hurt. HELP A FELLOW IBOATER OUT BOAYS!!

Last year I took my Capri from Benton Harbor to Chicago, so I've taken quite a similar trip. Wind was not cooperating there and back (just stayed in Burnham Harbor overnight) and got stuck in a small craft advisory on the way back but pressed on. It certainly wasn't fun nor very safe but your Scarab Sport would have taken it a lot better.

The marina in Benton Harbor is DNR owned and has plenty of space for towing rigs.

For the lock for the Chicago River you basically just idle in a spot near a sign with a stop light and proceed when it turns green, which didn't take that long.

 

[jserb]

Re: Michigan to chicago trip help!

hey J
Just wanted to let you know the official date for the trip is JUNE 24th, we will be in town June 25th and leave that Sunday. If you know of anything cool going on that weekend, let me know!

 

[J. Howard]

Re: Michigan to chicago trip help!

Will do. The only thing that I can think of right now is the Saturday night fireworks at Navy Pier, which are a lot of fun from the boat (see link in my earlier post above). If I hear/think of anything else, I'll be sure to let you know. Have a safe and fun trip!

 

[tefindy]

Re: Michigan to chicago trip help!

For several years I raced sailboats across Lake Michigan and believe me power boats are no match for sail boats when it comes to high seas and I've seen about the worst waves that lake can throw at you.I'd have to agree that you'd be wise to keep within running distance of shore if there's any chance of foul weather.Also,everyone on our crew had to take theU.S.Power Squadron's boating and navigation course before we could join the crew. I can't stress enough how important it is you take the course, even if you have a gps. If anything can go wrong,you can bet it will be out at sea. The knowledge you'll get will make you a better sailor and give you the cofidence to travel anywhere. Good luck,enjoy your trip and pray for calm seas.

 

[Shife]

Re: Michigan to chicago trip help!

For several years I raced sailboats across Lake Michigan and believe me power boats are no match for sail boats when it comes to high seas and I've seen about the worst waves that lake can throw at you.I'd have to agree that you'd be wise to keep within running distance of shore if there's any chance of foul weather.Also,everyone on our crew had to take theU.S.Power Squadron's boating and navigation course before we could join the crew. I can't stress enough how important it is you take the course, even if you have a gps. If anything can go wrong,you can bet it will be out at sea. The knowledge you'll get will make you a better sailor and give you the confidence to travel anywhere. Good luck,enjoy your trip and pray for calm seas.

I couldn't agree more. If you aren't comfortable navigating using a chart, compass, and timepiece I would suggest you not make this crossing in one shot. Assume your GPS will fail. You cannot count on it as a primary navigational tool. Even with GPS you should be plotting your position on the paper chart every 15min. This way if you have an electronics failure you can easily dead reckon your way across with a fair degree of accuracy. The approach into Chicago can be VERY confusing. The ability to confidently read a chart is a necessity for this trip. I would not venture out at night on the Chicago waterfront unless you have someone with you who has made the approach at night before or you are very confident in your abilities. The background lights of the city make picking out nav aids very challenging. Several boats every year run up on the various breakwall rocks on that waterfront. Don't be one of them. Inspect your boat and bring tools and spares. I've made some crazy repairs offshore over the years and while they're fun to talk about now, they weren't real fun when it was looking like our number was up.

You also need a firm grasp on Inland Waterway/COLREGs and if you will be out at night you need to understand navigational lighting. If you can't tell how to identify things such as a tug with tow by lights alone you shouldn't be out there at night. Good way to get killed. I came on deck at night during a Mackinac race to find that the helmsman on watch had us set to pass in between a tug with tow separated by about 1000ft of cable. That could have easily been curtains for all 8 of us.The traffic around Lower Huron, Detroit, Erie is kiddie play time compared to this section of water.

14927, 14928, 14930, and 14901 are the charts you need. Your compass (which hopefully is high quality) will be a few degrees off over there (assuming you calibrated it for your local pond.) Make sure you understand and know how to account for magnetic deviation. You will quickly leave cell phone range. Make sure your VHF is working properly and you understand how to properly communicate on it. You should know how to properly hail bridge/lock operators and other vessels. You should know the difference between Securite, Pan Pan, and Mayday and when to use each. The CG wants Lat/Lon, degrees, and speed in knots, # of persons on board and # and type of flotation.. They don't want "Um, I'm in a white boat doin' 30mph headin' toward that orange building." Review your required safety equipment and make sure all of it is up to date. Go over all of your light/sound/flotation/safety and make sure it meets current regs and nothing is expired. You will be a target for law enforcement sporting MI tags. Since you have a friend with Harbor Master duties you can lean on that person for tips on how to deal with the nightmare that is Westrec. They should be able to fill you in on all the details you'll need to know about Chicago harbor system.


If this all sounds like overkill then you've never been in the middle of one of these ponds with the S*&% hitting the fan.