The great fact in life, the always possible escape from dullness, was the lake. The sun rose out of it, the day began there; it was like an open door that nobody could shut. The land and all its dreariness could never close in on you. You had only to look at the lake, and you knew you would soon be free. - Willa Cather
The Great Lakes are untapped cruising waters for the mega yacht industry.
North America’s five Great Lakes--- Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie and Ontario---are located on the United States and the Canadian borders along with numerous minor lakes and rivers, and approximately 35,000 islands. These beautiful lakes span more than 10,500 miles along their coasts (16, 900 kilometers) with a maximum depth of 1,332 feet (406 meters) boasted by Lake Superior. The Great Lakes contain roughly an astounding 22% of the world’s fresh water.
The foundation of the Great Lakes began approximately two billion years ago when two tectonic plates fused and formed a valley that was the basis of Lake Superior. A second fault line formed approximately 570 million years ago creating the basis for Lake Ontario, Lake Erie, and the St. Lawrence River. Then, these extraordinary products of nature were carved out of the landscape during the last glaciation, called the “Wisconsinan”, which occurred 10,000 to 125,000 years ago. The Great Lakes are the result of glacial scour or ice sheets that moved over relatively level surfaces. The glaciers left behind a large amount of melt water which filled up the basins that the glaciers had carved creating the Great Lakes. The islands were formed by the uneven nature of glacier erosion.
The St. Lawrence Seaway is the name for a system of canals that permits ocean-going vessels to travel from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes. The size of vessels that can navigate the seaway is limited by the size of locks within the seaway which are 766 feet (233.5 meters) long, 80 feet (24 meters) wide, and 30 feet (9.1 meters) deep. The maximum allowed vessel size is just slightly smaller.
Recreational boating and tourism are major industries on the Great Lakes but only a few small cruise ships work there including a couple of sailing ships. Several ferries currently operate on the Great Lakes to carry passengers to the various islands. Two car ferries service Lake Michigan.
This summer, I had the great pleasure of navigating a 147 foot Delta through the St. Lawrence Seaway and on to Lake Huron, Lake Erie, Lake Ontario, and Lake Michigan. I have traveled the Atlantic Ocean, the Pacific Ocean, and the Mediterranean Sea and found the Great Lakes to be equal to their beauty in many ways. The waters are clean, the harbors are safe and calm and the people of the Midwest met the vessel and Crew with open arms. Dockage is between $1.00 and $3.00 per foot depending on location and obscure anchorages are plentiful. The restaurants run the gamete of good food and drink. Everyone speaks English. The entrance to Mackinac Island is spectacular and the fudge is delicious. The Thousand Islands have breathtaking mansions and castles. The unassuming people are “wowed” by every mega yacht that they see and they make the Owner and Crew feel special!
Two impressive points of interest on these great waters are Charlevoix, Michigan, located about half way up Lake Michigan’s eastern shore via a short canal that enters Round Lake. Charlevoix’s marina is located on a pristine city park which boasts a new amphitheater for free concerts (yes free!) throughout the summer. Another short canal flows into Lake Charlevoix, a 14 mile basin of crystal clear water perfect for cruising and anchoring.
Grand Haven, Michigan, has a waterfront park with 1000 feet of free (yes free!) dockage. The control depth is 18 feet so any yacht has enough water for a visit. Every evening there is a large fountain that displays a beautiful water and light show choreographed to music that’s very entertaining and it’s free (yes free!). Drinks in the local bars are $2.50 to $$3.00 and a great treat is Grand Haven’s “White Chicken Chili”.
I do have a few cautions to report. The general shallow depth of the Great Lakes increases the risk of water travel; sudden severe storms and reefs are a common threat. I personally would rather be in a hurricane on the ocean than a storm on any of the Great Lakes. So watch your charts and the weather closely when cruising the lakes.
I had a considerable amount of difficulty with Customs and Immigrations regarding the status of the B1-B2 visas held by my South African Crew when we entered United States waters from Canada. The United States Customs denied the B1-B2 entry and put the offending Crew on yacht arrest until we made a valid case in front of the Port Captain who reversed the officer’s opinion. The Canadians are also very strict about who comes and goes in their country. All of the lakes except for Lake Michigan border Canada.
My third area of consternation on this summer’s journey stemmed from the fact that the Great Lakes Basin encompasses large parts of two nations; the United States and Canada. Within the United States, there are ten federal agencies involved in management activities. In addition, governance of the Great Lakes’ system is shared with eight States within the United States, nearly 40 Tribal Nations, more than half a dozen major metropolitan areas, and numerous county and local governments, NOT TO MENTION, Canada’s input. This is a whole lot of bureaucracy. Make sure that all of your paperwork is in order!
One rule that is strictly enforced involves a ploy to employ pilots on the St. Lawrence Seaway from the Pilot’s Association. They work for $3,500.00 per day so it’s possible to spend $50,000.00 coming and going through the St. Lawrence Seaway in superfluous pilot fees in an area that is very easy to navigate! The only pleasure vessels exempt from the rule are yachts under 300 gross tons. If you weigh more that 300 tons, turn off your AIS and try to run under the radar!
At times of maximal ice coverage, 31.5% of the earth’s surface was covered by glaciers. Today, glaciers cover about 10% of the earth’s surface and persist only in areas with abundant snowfall. So, if the chance to cruise the Great Lakes presents itself, do it! There may not be many more of these natural wonders created.
Captain Ted Sputh
1600T USCG Oceans
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