# Lake Michigan Sailing



## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

I have kept my 22' Hunter in Muskegon for the past 2 summers and mostly done day trips up and down the shore.
I know there has to be more people out there that sail this area and would like to share ideas and experiences with them.
I tried searching for a thread that already exists but could not find one.
Anybody out there interested in communicating????
Craig


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## rennisaint (Oct 25, 2007)

I'm going to be making a few trips up and down the west coast of Michigan this summer, transporting a boat or two for friends. And will be up in the Grand Traverse Bay area cruising a lot. But really the best cruising is the North Channel/Mackinac/Manitoulin area if you are willing to go that far.

Shorter trips from Muskegon that are nice, White Lake/Whitehall, Pentwater, Ludington, Manistee, Onekama, Frankfort, Leland (highly recommend). Then you're into the Grand Traverse Bay which is always nice. Along the way, the Manitou Islands are definitely a neat place to stop. Fox Islands are also a very interesting stop.

If you didn't want to sail all the way up, since you do have a smaller boat you could definitely trailer it up to someplace like Petoskey and or even across the bridge to De Tour. It isn't that long of a drive (I am originally from Grand Rapids, and go to school in Houghton, a 9 hour drive). Muskegon to the bridge is only 4 or 5 hours. Traverse City is only 3. Tons of possibilities


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## sailortjk1 (Dec 20, 2005)

Or you could head South out of Muskegon and also find some nice Marinas.
Grand Haven, Holland, Saugatuck, South Haven. 

Lots of pretty sights not far from you. Stop by in Holland and say hello. If we make it your way this year I will be sure to look you up.


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## duffer1960 (Aug 11, 2000)

Join the Lake Michigan E-mail list on sailnet. You may get more info there.


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## Wannafish (Mar 25, 2004)

CKDK08 said:


> Anybody out there interested in communicating????
> Craig


Craig,

I keep my 27' S2 at Torresons in Muskegon. I enjoy day sails up and down the coast also and would enjoy company. PM me if you'd like.

Rick


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

*Hey this really works*

I keep my 22' Hunter at Harbour Towne Marina and been up the coast to Whitehall and down to Grand Haven. Also have gone 10 to 12 miles out just cruising.
I live 2 hours away so I don't get to spend as much time on the boat as I would like. Work schedule also interferes some.
I would like to move up to a larger boat soon so it would be more comfortable over-nighting.
Going to the Chicago show in a couple weeks so maybe I can talk the Fleet Commander (wife) into something nice used after seeing the price of new.
Let's keep this thread going and maybe we can get to meet some other folks with like interests. It never hurts to know someone else in the same area besides the people at your own marina.
Craig


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## sailortjk1 (Dec 20, 2005)

Send me a PM if you want to meet up at the show.


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## T34C (Sep 14, 2006)

Sounds like someone should dig up the Strickly Sail-Chicago thread again.


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## kwaltersmi (Aug 14, 2006)

Craig et al.,

I plan to keep my boat on a mooring at Torresen this coming season. I'd be happy to join up with some other locals for a cruise/daysail/or whatever. Feel free to contact me anytime.

BTW, how do you like Harbortowne? We've traditionally either done our boating out of Grand Haven or Charlevoix, but typically make the trip to Muskegon to have lunch at Dockers a couple of times per season. 

Do you know of any other places for seasonal mooring in Muskegon other than at Torresen? I like Torresen, but they've made it sound like I've only got a 50/50 chance at getting a mooring.


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## Wannafish (Mar 25, 2004)

kwaltersmi said:


> Craig et al.,
> 
> I plan to keep my boat on a mooring at Torresen this coming season. I'd be happy to join up with some other locals for a cruise/daysail/or whatever. Feel free to contact me anytime.


Keep me in mind - though I'm not a local, I live about 3 hours from Muskegon but that doesn't keep me getting down there at least 2 weekends/month during warm weather.

Welcome to the area! I hope you are able to get into Torresons, I've found the staff to be great people...and it's also a great place to watch the races on Muskegon Lake!


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## bogdog (Sep 8, 2007)

We have a new to us boat (79 Irwin citation 30) at Whitehall that we need to move to Door County Wisc. in the spring. We are looking for someone to sail it across the lake to Manitowoc (or just about any marina on the Wisc. side). It isn't that we don't want to cross the lake, we are experienced sailors, its the linguistics (cars etc.) of the thing. Any body got a freind that would want the job. Of course we are willing to pay them + all expenses. 
We also will be at the sailboat show on Sat. 

Dan and Anne S.


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## rennisaint (Oct 25, 2007)

Damn I wish I could make it down to the show on Sat.... Unfortunately a 7 hour drive each way is a little much for one weekend. Oh well. My father-in-law is going and hopefully he'll fall in love with a trailerable tri and buy one to keep down in the Bahamas. Now that would make for some good winters!


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## Wannafish (Mar 25, 2004)

bogdog said:


> We have a new to us boat (79 Irwin citation 30) at Whitehall that we need to move to Door County Wisc. in the spring. We are looking for someone to sail it across the lake to Manitowoc (or just about any marina on the Wisc. side). It isn't that we don't want to cross the lake, we are experienced sailors, its the linguistics (cars etc.) of the thing. Any body got a freind that would want the job. Of course we are willing to pay them + all expenses.
> We also will be at the sailboat show on Sat.
> 
> Dan and Anne S.


Please PM me with the timeframe you are considering. If we can work it out I think it would be a great trip for me and an old retired buddy of mine that is new to sailing...after which we can bring the ferry back across.

I'd like to attend the show but it would be tough with a broken leg!


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## byrondv (Jan 6, 2007)

kwaltersmi said:


> Do you know of any other places for seasonal mooring in Muskegon other than at Torresen? I like Torresen, but they've made it sound like I've only got a 50/50 chance at getting a mooring.


You can also get a seasonal mooring at Hartshorn Municipal Marina. Further down the lake from the channel, but very nice facilities. Key card access to the mooring tender launch, nice bathrooms, perfect view of the fireworks...

You shouldn't have any problem getting a mooring with them, I noticed a few go unused this past season.

They run it a little different than Torresen though. They rent you the mooring ball / anchor instead of "selling" it to you like at Torresen. Of course since you can't take the mooring with you when you leave Torresen... it just ends up being the difference of a slightly higher up front cost at Torresen vs. a slightly higher continued cost at Hartshorn.

I should be in my slip at Torresen again come the spring if I am still in West Michigan. Almost always something to drink if anyone stops by  Will be the '78 Hunter 25' on the east side of the marina.


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## Siamese (May 9, 2007)

I'm a Catalina 309 in slip 49 at Hartshorn Marina. I love it there. 

Regarding the Hartshorn mooring ball, I'll second that it's a good place to moor. I spent about a decade on a mooring there with a Grampian 26.

My one gripe about the mooring at Hartshorn is that the mooring ball is about a 3 foot diameter hollow STEEL sphere. It can beat the crap out of the gelcoat on your hull. Imaging a calm day...daybreak...no breeze and not a ripple on the water. Your boat isn't pointing into the wind, cuz there is none. Instead you boat is cuddling up to your mooring ball. Now imagine Joe Searay cruising by at about half-plane, throwing a mega-wake. When the wake reaches your boat/ball snuggle-fest, your boat and the ball will rise and fall at different rates but are guaranteed to meet each time they pass each other. We're talking bam, bam, bam. The city won't let you switch to a plastic mooring ball...believe me I tried. Folks have tried all types of systems to pad the balls. Carpet tends to wash off in storms, and the most effective system seems to be sort of a "wagon wheel" collar attached to the top of the ball with some padding on it. 

Alternatively, there are some pretty nice boats out there with no padding on the steel ball. I'm guessin' they either live charmed lives or simply accept the dings in their gelcoat.

Oh yeah, and the city's fixin' to sell of the marina to a private party, but nothing's final on that yet for at least another season.

Anyway...howdy from slip 49. And as far as cruising from Muskegon to other ports, we almost always go North. I won't tell you my favorite place to go that's within reasonable range for a 22 footer cuz then you'll go there and take my slip. Ummmmmmm, okay, it starts with a P.


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

*Mooring in Muskegon*

Greetings All:
I can't respond to PM's yet till I get my count up (seems kind of silly).
Harbour Towne usually has transient slips available. I have called and reserved a slip on several occasions and they only messed up 1 time but they made it right. Showers and bathrooms are nice. Grills available to cook on. Gas dock and pump out.
One other thing that a lot of folks do is just overnight in the area just north or south of the channel inside the breakwater.
Craig


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

*Boat show*



rennisaint said:


> Damn I wish I could make it down to the show on Sat.... Unfortunately a 7 hour drive each way is a little much for one weekend. Oh well. My father-in-law is going and hopefully he'll fall in love with a trailerable tri and buy one to keep down in the Bahamas. Now that would make for some good winters!


Come on down,
Make it an overnight at a Hotel. We are staying at the Congress Hotel about a mile away. It was recommended by friends.
You need a good boat show to keep the juices flowing and get some ideas on how to spruce up your boat.
Also gives you a chance to see how the other half lives. The boat show people don't seem to mind if you foam at the mouth and drool all over the deck.
I plan to have the Wife go into sticker shock at the price of a "new" boat so when I hit her up with a "new to us" boat it won't be so bad. Hope it doesn't backfire on me.
See Ya There,
Craig


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## kwaltersmi (Aug 14, 2006)

Byron & Siamese - Thanks for the tips about Hartshorn. I'll check into it. I think I'd prefer the location of Toressen but it sounds like the facilities might be a bit nicer at Hartshorn, which my wife and kids might enjoy more.


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

kwaltersmi said:


> Byron & Siamese - Thanks for the tips about Hartshorn. I'll check into it. I think I'd prefer the location of Toressen but it sounds like the facilities might be a bit nicer at Hartshorn, which my wife and kids might enjoy more.


Check out Harbour Towne Yacht Club on the web. It is nicer than the other 2.


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## kwaltersmi (Aug 14, 2006)

I have looked into Harbour Towne YC. But they only offer slips for purchase, correct? And they don't offer any moorings. I don't have the budget to purchase a slip, even though I think HTYC has the best facilities and location in Muskegon.


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

I you anchor inside the breakwater on the south side, you can wade ashore and walk to "Pirates Cove" restaurant. Good food. Decent prices.
Harbour Towne has "Dockers" right next door with their own dock. Have not eaten there but heard it is a little pricey.


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

*Muskegon*

Harbour Towne also has some slips for seasonal lease. They are leased through a company in Grand Rapids. Info is on the website. There are also private owners who lease their slips. Still researching this for myself. Will pass along info as I get it.
One other place to consider would be Terrace Point Marina on the south east end of Lake Muskegon. I talked to them last week and they have 35' slips ( that is their smallest ) for $1500.00 for the 08 season. Not as nice as HT but I don't know what you are looking for exactly. They have pump out but no fuel on site. Rest. right nextdoor.
Just some options. I know it sounds like I'm pushing HT but I did a lot of research before I found them. No alegiance to them. If my situation changes (bigger boat) I may go elsewhere myself. a dollar is a dollar.


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