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 Post subject: Michigan sailing
PostPosted: Thu Jul 08, 2004 10:19 am 
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Joined: Fri Jun 11, 2004 11:15 am
Posts: 53
Hi,
I'm new to this forum, live in Kentwood. Got a new Getaway have sailed at Reed's lake in Grand Rapids, out of Port Sheldon north of Holland you can get through a channel by just asking a power boater for a tow, they usally love to help out.. Also been mostly over to Gun Lake, which with Reed's is not really large but good wind and the water is very warm..... Lake Michigan was really really cold and didn't have the same wind. Anyway have a great sail..


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PostPosted: Wed Jul 14, 2004 2:21 pm 
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A nice lake to sail on as I am near there frequently is Lake Margrethe. It is about 5 miles west of grayling, Mi (about 15 miles N of Higgins Lake) exit 254 on I-75. Lake is about 2000 acres of spring fed clearness. Has several beaches, some in state land so no housing or development. Good winds, very clean and minimal boat traffic. Was clocked last year doing 27 mph on a hobie 16. A lot of fun.

Also has a rustic state campground where boat could be anchored overnite as on west side so prevailing winds would not bother.


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 Post subject: Lake Margrethe.
PostPosted: Fri Aug 20, 2004 11:56 am 
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Joined: Fri Jun 11, 2004 11:15 am
Posts: 53
I went to high school in Grayling a Very long time ago, and used to work at the camp in the summer. Never sailed there, is there a good availble ramp? When I get over this cold I'm going to try and get to Higgins Lake with my son for a day, maybe will try Lake Magrethe also.


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Mon Jul 09, 2007 6:18 pm 
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Joined: Sat Jun 21, 2003 7:14 pm
Posts: 461
Location: West MI
Now I know where some of the old Hobie 18s in MI reside, there are about 8 - 10 in Muskegon. 8) Hope to see some of the sailors soon as I have just put mine on the beach as well.

I was trying to find a place in Holland MI on Lake Macattawa but no luck :(

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1989 Hobie 18 Worlds Boat, Magnum Wings & Spinnaker
1987 Hobie Holder 20 #273

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 Post subject: N. MI
PostPosted: Fri Jul 11, 2008 7:03 am 
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Joined: Tue Aug 14, 2007 7:57 am
Posts: 30
Just thought I would make a standing offer to any MI forum members who might be interested.

We own 2100' of undeveloped Lake Michigan beech frontage about 2 mi N of the Onekama channel. Onekama is about 11mi N of Manistee.

If any of you Mi sailors need or want a private beech to park/camp north on the big lake, shoot me an email and let me know when you want to use it, and I'll give you specific directions/instructions.


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Fri Jul 11, 2008 1:50 pm 
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Joined: Mon Mar 31, 2008 4:49 pm
Posts: 44
Location: Cincinnati, OH
I can't beleive that you just posted this. I will be at Portage Point Inn next Saturday. I will be there for the week and always like to check out areas I have not seen.

Let me know. [email protected]


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 Post subject: Just got back
PostPosted: Wed Jul 16, 2008 4:24 pm 
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Joined: Tue Aug 14, 2007 7:57 am
Posts: 30
Do you mean on the 12th?

I should have checked back here.

I just got back from 5 days there myself. I'm going back for a week starting on the 22nd.

By the way, I did see a 16 on Portage Lake near the Inn a couple of times as I was comming into town to fill up the cooler. I thought about comming into Portage lake a couple of times, but getting out can be a pain sometimes. Wind on Portage lake is usually very good sailing, and I like sailing into town for lunch at the Blue Slipper then back out to the big lake.


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Wed Jul 16, 2008 7:25 pm 
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Joined: Mon Mar 31, 2008 4:49 pm
Posts: 44
Location: Cincinnati, OH
I sailed that on a few years ago. It is a rental for the Inn. I think that I was the only one that has sailed it. It needs a little work but still fun.


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PostPosted: Mon Nov 02, 2009 8:42 am 
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Joined: Tue Jun 23, 2009 6:24 pm
Posts: 249
Location: Grand Rapids, MICHIGAN
just found this OLD! thread - you folks still members here? and do you have any UPDATED info for 2010?

I bought a couple 16's this past summer and have the bug. WE live on SMALL 75 ache lake - and it's a blast - but not really long enough runs to really tramp out and hang for a while. (to short before pulling in and swapping sides) so I'd really like to try a larger lake or Lake MI. To sail and learn from a club/group would be awesome.

latest info on MI? I'm in Grand Rapids.


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PostPosted: Mon Nov 02, 2009 10:19 am 
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Joined: Fri Jul 06, 2007 9:13 am
Posts: 135
Location: Shepherd, Michigan
There are still a number of us out here...best place I've found is the north end of Torch Lake using the public launch...VERY cat friendly beach that you can wade your cat (knee deep water, crystal clear with sand, no rocks) over to and finish raising sails, boom, blocks, etc...then sail away up and down 18 miles of caribbean blue (slightly cold) water with the wind off lake Michigan but without the big water.

Image

They just redid the launch a couple weeks ago...in the pictures it looks to be better than before!

http://torchlakeviews.wordpress.com/2009/10/29/attention-boaters-the-boat-ramp-has-returned/

You'll meet a surprising number of people from Grand Rapids while you are up there, too! Plus you have the entire TC area to play / explore / visit...the best in the state!

On a given good weekend during the summer it is not unusual to have 3-4 cats on the water at the same time and half a dozen other monohulls, too. Mild to minimum power boat traffic...the south end has HEAVY powerboat traffic.

A few rocks in a couple coves in the northwest corners of the lake...everything else I've experienced is beautiful sand.

The launch is at the extreme north tip of the lake, about a third of a mile off of M-31 (Eastport, MI)


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PostPosted: Fri Nov 13, 2009 9:52 pm 
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Joined: Wed Jul 06, 2005 2:15 pm
Posts: 1195
Location: Oakland, CA
I can suggest a lake not to go to - Mullett Lake. Unless you have access to the water via a private launch, Aloha State Park is your best bet. It's a shame, too, because the water is warm and the winds are good, but there's very little public access and even fewer beaches. The wind usually blows from the south and by the time it gets to Aloha it has created quite a bit of chop at the northern end of the lake.

Burt Lake State Park, although I've only scouted it but not sailed it, is your best hope of launching on that lake, and I don't know about keeping your boat on the beach.


Last edited by Skipshot on Tue Mar 27, 2018 12:05 am, edited 1 time in total.

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PostPosted: Sat Nov 14, 2009 6:38 am 
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Joined: Sat May 02, 2009 5:22 am
Posts: 675
Location: Columbus, Indiana
I sailed out of Weko Beach last summer 4th of July and had a great time on Lake Michigan.Go to Brighman MI and launch from their city park.The parks employees were helpful and understanding.I would like to return there next year and maybe met up with other cat sailors.The camping is good and a very clean park.I hope that the two large tree beside the launch drive get a needed pruning so I can fit between those branches without any problem.I just squeezed by them with my mast on my 21SE.A shorter mast won't have that problem.The small pebbles in the sand were annoying to my dagger boards and got trappped in the dagger sleeves.I did find a solution with a long BBQ spatula and that worked good.Let's plan an outing there next year?

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PostPosted: Wed Mar 31, 2010 12:10 pm 
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Joined: Sun Aug 09, 2009 5:27 pm
Posts: 17
I got my hobie 16 last summer but didn't really get out at all. I'm new to sailing, but had gone out several times with my friend at school (it was his at the time). I live in the Midland area, but I am really unsure of where to go to launch. It seems so many lakes around here have launches more suited toward power boats. How do you find a lake that has cat friendly launches?


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PostPosted: Wed Mar 31, 2010 4:34 pm 
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Joined: Fri Jul 06, 2007 9:13 am
Posts: 135
Location: Shepherd, Michigan
fuzzy34, your closest, very GOOD sailing will likely be at Higgens Lake...I prefer the north State Park and it isn't too difficult to launch out of the boat ramp, drag it over to the beach next to the launch and hoist your sails. (couple dollars to get in)

But it is only another hour or so to go up to Torch beyond Higgens...for GREAT sailing. See my prior posts.

I will post pics of the updated free public launch on the northern tip of Torch in a day or two...extremely cat friendly, though reletively small in size.


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PostPosted: Wed Mar 31, 2010 5:00 pm 
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centralmichigansailor wrote:
fuzzy34, your closest, very GOOD sailing will likely be at Higgens Lake...I prefer the north State Park and it isn't too difficult to launch out of the boat ramp, drag it over to the beach next to the launch and hoist your sails. (couple dollars to get in)

But it is only another hour or so to go up to Torch beyond Higgens...for GREAT sailing. See my prior posts.

I will post pics of the updated free public launch on the northern tip of Torch in a day or two...extremely cat friendly, though reletively small in size.


I've heard good things about Torch lake, I'll have to get up there sometime this summer. I have been to Houghton lake and used the DNR launch. My paddle got us out of the launch, unfortunately, the wind was blowing out of the launch and had to be towed back into it when we were finished that day.

Is the beach at Higgins Lake right next to the launch? You mentioned dragging it over so I was wondering if it really is that accessible that you can stay on land or wade and drag it. Would I even need to the beach? Would I have the same problems that I had at Houghton Lake?


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