by cygtoad » Sat Sep 09, 2023 10:33 pm
I know this is a pretty old post, but I am going to reply anyway. I grew up sailing on Lake Erie about a hundred miles east of Put-In-Bay. I have never been more at peace, or as terrified for my life, as I have been sailing Lake Erie. Lake Erie can be awesome and it can be treacherous. One minute you can be crying for air, five minutes later; your mast is in the water and you are frantically looking to un-cleat the halyards. It really all depends upon the weather you encounter. Lake Erie is difficult to forecast and can surprise you.
Compared the other Great Lakes, Lake Erie is a puddle. It is only 210 feet deep in it's deepest point, by comparison Superior is 1,300 feet deep. Because of this, when weather crosses the lake, there is not much volume to excite, so unlike the ocean where weather comes in gradually developing swells, Lake Erie quickly develops a chop. Kick a 55 gallon barrel full of water and you will see the surface develop some ripples (that is the Ocean). Lake Erie is a sand pail with an inch of water. Give it the very same kick and the difference is pretty dramatic.
The chop that develops is very short in frequency and is notorious for swamping small boats. I had a Kirby 23 keelboat (think Sonar with a larger cabin) when I sailed there. I loved that boat. I used to take her out in questionable weather because I was young and stupid. I took a wild jibe in chop and found myself literally floating in the cockpit, as if I were in a hot tub. My best friend and crewmate was terrified. Lucky for us, the companionway hatch was closed and the boat is equipped with two very generous scuppers and a self bailing cockpit. The cockpit was emptied in about a minute's time, as we were still underway. It truly was incredible, and we were surprised both by the event and the boat's reaction. I was very happy to be in that boat that day.
While I don't have much experience with Daysailers (I just bought a DS1), I wouldn't hesitate to take her out onto Lake Erie. However, I would watch the weather closely. A DS1 would be a riskier proposition than a DS2 with it's self-bailing cockpit and better flotation. Ideally you would want the companionway to be closed off to water intrusion with a hatch like the modern Cape Cod Built Daysailer.
I think you might be able to get away with a trip to the islands in any Daysailer in fair weather, but I wouldn't go crossing Lake Erie, I wasn't even stupid enough to do it in my 20's in my Kirby. It is just too risky. Keep in mind there are many times more shipwrecks at the bottom of Lake Erie than there are in the Bermuda Triangle.