best sailboat for great lakes

10 Best Sailboats for a Fun Lake Day

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Last Updated on August 28, 2023 by Boatsetter Team

Sailing on lakes can be fun, especially if the wind is steady and the water is relatively flat. Although a 50-foot sailboat wouldn’t go amiss on Lake Superior, most lakes are perfect for smaller, more lightweight boats.

For inland waterways, it’s best to find compact sailboats under 30 feet with a centerboard or swing keel so they can be trailed from one lake to another. A tabernacle or collapsible mast that folds or is removable also comes in handy.

Finally, there’s a difference between a small open sailboat for day outings and one with a bunk and a head (toilet) so you can camp aboard for the weekend. Let’s look at a mix of 10 older and newer boats perfect for lake sailing.

Catalina 22 (25 & 27 also available)

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1. Optimist

The Optimist sailing dinghy weighs under 80 pounds and is virtually unsinkable. They’re easy to find since over 100,000 hulls have been sold.

Designed in the 1970s, the Laser is a simple sailboat with a single sail and room for one. It’s very popular with one-design racers.

A workhorse in yacht club youth sailing programs, the Sabot is a sailing dinghy with a centerboard that is perfect for kids to learn the ropes – literally.

This open 14-footer was first built in 1958 and developed quite a following with dinghy sailors. It has a fractional rig and a centerboard and can be sailed by one or two.

The Sunfish is more sophisticated than a typical sailing dinghy and can carry two adults since it’s 14 feet long. It’s a great boat on which to master racing skills.

6. Harbor 20

A fast and contemporary daysailer, the Harbor 20 was conceived on a bar napkin by fellow yacht clubbers, and its appeal has grown worldwide since. Fast and fun, the Harbor 20 even has a small electric motor hidden in the transom .

7. Alerion 28

Smart and sophisticated, the Alerion 28 turns heads with its impressive lines. With classic East Coast styling, the Alerion 28 has a beautifully appointed interior with all the amenities a couple would need for weekending.

8. Hobie Cat (assorted lengths)

This rotomolded sailing catamaran is virtually indestructible, which is why it’s so popular with resort and hotel fleets. There are a few to choose from, with the 18-foot Mirage Tandem Island model offering not only sails but also patented pedal power below the water.

9. MiniCat (assorted lengths)

This model is surprisingly sophisticated, an inflatable sailing catamaran with kick-up rudders and lots of sail trim adjustments. It can be assembled in under an hour and packed into two bags for easy transport.

10. Catalina 22 (25 & 27 also available)

The smallest of the current Catalina Yachts line , the 22, and its slightly larger siblings can be sailed coastally and on lakes. These covered boats have a V- berth bunk, toilet, sink, ice box, and room for a camping stove.

Try renting a sailboat

You don’t need to own a sailboat to have the pleasure of cruising on one. You can rent a sailboat for a fun lake day. On Boatsetter, you’ll see many of the models we cover above. You have the pick of the litter to see which one fits your style of sailing. And if you ever buy a sailboat, you can list here and start making money renting it out!

Dive In! Here’s more on sailboats:

7 Best Sailboat Accessories
10 Best Beginner Sailboats
Newport, Rhode Island: The Sailing Capital of the World

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Zuzana Prochazka is an award-winning freelance journalist and photographer with regular contributions to more than a dozen sailing and powerboating magazines and online publications including Southern Boating, SEA, Latitudes & Attitudes and SAIL. She is SAIL magazines Charter Editor and the Executive Director of Boating Writers International. Zuzana serves as judge for SAIL’s Best Boats awards and for Europe’s Best of Boats in Berlin.

A USCG 100 Ton Master, Zuzana founded and manages a flotilla charter organization called Zescapes that takes guests adventure sailing at destinations worldwide.

Zuzana has lived in Europe, Africa and the United States and has traveled extensively in South America, the islands of the South Pacific and Mexico.

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Best Sailboats For Lakes

Lake sailing is a popular recreational activity, and it's easy to get started. But which sailboats are best for freshwater lakes?

The best sailboats for lakes are the Optimist dinghy, the Sunfish racing sailboat, the Herreshoff 12 1/2, the West Wight Potter 15, the West Wight Potter 19, and the Cal 20 sloop.

In this article, we'll review six of the best small sailboats for cruising on lakes. Additionally, we'll go over the qualities to look for when choosing a lake sailboat, along with how to choose the right boat size for your sailing destination.

We sourced the information in this article from boat design and identification guides along with our experience sailing American lakes.

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‍ What Makes a Sailboat Good for Lakes?

There are a few things that most lake sailboats have in common. For one, they're trailerable—and thus enable the owner to pull them out of the water and store them in a reasonably small space. They must be light enough to fit on a trailer and also have a centerboard or swing keel and collapsible mast.

Additionally, they must be light and nimble on the water and handle well. Lakes don't have consistent wind like oceans do, so lake sailboats must be able to utilize small amounts of wind but also contend with the occasional gust. In a way, lake sailboats have to be more carefully designed than larger ocean-going boats.

The largest lake sailboats have a small cabin with a berth and a place for a stove and possibly a sink. These small cabin cruisers are ideal for camping, and they're the best type of lake sailboat for large lakes and extended cruising.

Smaller recreational boats have open tops and are easy to sail. Their small size makes them relatively safe and also easy for beginners to handle. Many of them are filled with positive flotation foam, which makes them virtually unsinkable. These are the best kinds of open-top boats for lakes.

There's a difference between a practical lake sailboat and a fine lake sailboat. Classic sailboats are considered fine lake sailboats in the sense that they're valuable and fun for experienced sailors. These vessels are less suitable for beginners and recreational sailors, as they require skill to operate and maintain.

The best kind of lake sailboat for most people is a medium-sized lightweight fiberglass sailboat. These boats have been produced by various manufacturers in many configurations, and tens of thousands still exist on lakes and rivers around the country.

Do Lake Sailboats Have to Be Small?

Not necessarily—it all depends on the size of the lake and the intentions of the sailor. Full-size ocean-going sailboats can be found on some of the nation's bigger lakes, such as Lake Michigan and even Lake Cumberland.

But in most cases, the size of lake sailboats is limited to about 22 to 25 feet. A boat in this size range can sail anywhere that ski boats and pontoon boats can operate.

Best Sailboats for Small Lakes

Small lakes have the least flexibility when it comes to sailboat selection, and for obvious reasons. Thankfully, there are tons of great small sailboats that work well on small lakes. Plus, these sailboats can be carried by a couple of people and stored in a garage. Here are two of the best sailboats when navigational space is limited.

1. Optimist "Opti" Dinghy Sailboat

The Optimist is one of the most popular youth and instruction sailboats ever built. It's small, lightweight, and (almost) impossible to capsize under normal circumstances. The boat itself is basically a fiberglass (or wooden) box with a slanted bow and a centerboard.

The Optimist dinghy measures 7 feet 9 inches long and 3 feet 8 inches wide. It weighs just 77 pounds dry and has a 7-foot aluminum mast. It utilizes a spirit rig, which is a simple two-spar system that reduces the height of the mast.

The centerboard, mast, and tiller come off with little effort, and the vessel is essentially unsinkable. This makes it perfect for kids and teenagers who don't know how to sail or for smaller adults who just want a cheap little sailboat to cruise around the lake.

Optimist dinghies are remarkably easy to sail and offer a great platform for learning the basics of tacking, windward sailing, and sailboat recovery. They're available widely on the used market, as over 150,000 have been produced over the years. Plus, it's a popular racing boat, and hundreds of them show up for regattas around the world.

2. Sunfish Sailboat

The Sunfish is the ideal upgrade from an Optimist, and it's much more suitable for adults. Sunfish sailboats are designed for racing, and they're significantly larger than sailing dinghies. They require more skill to operate, but they're a ton of fun on the water and easy to master.

The Sunfish is designed for a crew of one or two adults, though it can be easily operated by just one. The hull is 13 feet 9 inches long and 4 feet 1 inch wide, and it weighs 120 pounds dry. In other words, two adults can easily lift this boat in and out of the water, and it's small enough to navigate small lakes.

The Sunfish has a lateen sail, which is an ancient design that's easy to rig and reduces mast height. For its size, the Sunfish has a very large sail area. This makes it efficient in light winds but also quite squirrelly in gusts. However, careful attention can prevent capsizing—and capsizing the Sunfish isn't actually a big deal. Simply stand on the centerboard, grab the boat and lean back to right the vessel.

Sunfish are common on the used market, as thousands have been produced since 1943. You can still buy a new one from Laser Performance for under $5,000, and used Sunfish are available for much less.

Best Sailboats for Medium-Sized and Large Lakes

People who want to sail on large lakes have a ton of flexibility in the kind of boat they use. Some people sail small sailboats, like the Sunfish or the Optimist, near shore in large lakes. However, large lakes can also accommodate much bigger boats with better accommodations, up to and including full-size cabins. Here are the best sailboats for large lakes.

1. Herreshoff 12 1/2

The Herreshoff 12 1/2 is a beautiful classic boat with incredible handling capabilities and excellent efficiency. The Herreshoff 12 1/2 is essentially a pocket ship, as the hull is designed in the same way that classic full-size ocean-going sailboats were.

The Herreshoff 12 1/2 features a full-length displacement keel and a spacious cockpit, as there's no centerboard trunk in the way. It's also remarkably stable and suitable for use in dodgy weather. This vessel is open-cockpit and doesn't include a cabin, though some people use a boom tent to go camping aboard.

Despite being similar in length to the Sunfish, this vessel is not even in the same class. It's a full gaff rig and includes a headsail and traditional rigging. More experience is required to operate one of these sailboats, as it's a scaled-down version of a full-size cruising boat.

However, once you learn to operate the pulleys, you'll find that sailing a Herreschoff 12 1/2 is a joy in almost all wind conditions. It's small enough to use on medium-sized lakes and to tow on a trailer, and it's stable enough for comfortable and safe sailing for the entire family. Four adults can sit aboard, and it can be piloted by just one.

If you're looking for a beautiful and classic lake sailboat with ocean-going seaworthiness, it's tough to go wrong with a Herreschoff 12 1/2. These vessels are available on the used market starting around $5,000 to $10,000, and most of them can be found in New England.

2. West Wight Potter 15

The West Wight Potter 15 is a fiberglass trailerable sailboat that was designed to be safe, fun, and easy to transport. These vessels are designed for stability, and they're unsinkable thanks to positive floatation foam. Additionally, the West Wight Potter 15 is one of the smallest sailboats you can buy with a cabin.

This 15-foot boat uses a Bermuda rig, similar to what you'll find on the vast majority of large recreational sailboats. The mast and standing rigging was designed to be extremely easy to deploy and stow, making it a great weekender for low-stress operation.

Additionally, the West Wight Potter 15 has a very shallow draft and a centerboard, making it suitable for beaching at the lake. West Wight Potter sailboats have very few unnecessary metal parts, and thus they're extremely light. Most standard full-size cars and trucks can tow this vessel without trouble.

The West Wight Potter 15 was produced until recently, and there are hundreds on the used market that you can purchase. Prices fluctuate widely, but a West Wight Potter 15 in usable condition can be found for $3,500 to $15,000.

3. West Wight Potter 19

If you're looking for a larger centerboard cruiser with better accommodations, then the West Wight Potter 19 is an excellent choice. This vessel follows the basic design principles of the West Wight Potter 15, but the cabin is much more spacious. Additionally, the rigging sets up and disassembles just as easily.

The West Wight Potter 19 is an extremely comfortable and safe boat, and it's a wonderful little pocket cruiser for extended lake trips. Additionally, the cabin is spacious enough for two adults to sleep comfortably, and there's room for a stove, a sink, and a portable head.

The West Wight Potter 19 is trailerable and lightweight. It has a centerboard, which allows the owner to reduce its draft from several feet down to just a few inches. A vessel like this can last for years in freshwater, and they're popular for saltwater cruising as well.

The West Wight Potter 19 is also quite affordable. Due to its popularity, you can find one in excellent condition for between $5,000 and $12,000 in many areas. These boats are also remarkably seaworthy, as one individual sailed his from San Francisco to Hawaii—over 2,000 nautical miles of open ocean. In other words, you'll be safe and comfortable on the lake.

The Cal 20 is a classic sailboat that has been around for decades, and it's one of the most popular 'big' boats on America's freshwater lakes. It's a cruising sloop that measures about 20 feet in length and features a cabin with a unique flush deck.

The Cal 20 is much more typical of large coastal and ocean-going sailboats, and it's operated in exactly the same way. It has a tall Bermuda rig with traditional controls, so it's a great platform to practice sailing full-sized boats.

The Cal 20 features a small cabin with basic amenities, such as a sink, a place for a camp stove, a portable toilet, and a V-berth. Additionally, it's exceptionally water-tight for a boat of its kind, so it can be left in the berth year-round without serious problems.

Cal 20 sailboats are extremely robust. There's no flimsy material anywhere aboard, as they're designed for saltwater cruising and racing. They have a large sail plan which makes it easy to sail in light winds, and they're stable enough to make handling easy in the occasional gust.

The Cal 20 can be found in abundance on the used market, with prices as low as $2,000 for a functional and leak-free boat. The best places to look for Cal 20 sailboats are on the West Coast, but they can be found inland as well.

Daniel Wade

I've personally had thousands of questions about sailing and sailboats over the years. As I learn and experience sailing, and the community, I share the answers that work and make sense to me, here on Life of Sailing.

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What's YOUR Favorite Port on the Great Lakes?

Why is Great Lakes sailing the best in the world?

They are enormous!

Did you know that:

if you stood on the moon and looked back at earth, you could recognize their familiar outline
they contain 1/5th of the world's entire freshwater supply
they offer a more than 94,000 sq. mi / 243,000 sq km of outstanding cruising - an area the size of the United Kingdom!
the coastline of all 5 lakes (and their connecting bodies of water) is nearly 11,000 mi / 18,000 km, about 44% of the circumference of the earth
they contain enough water to cover all of North America to a depth of 5 ft/1.5 m
the distance from the western tip of Lake Superior to the entrance of the St. Lawrence River is about 1,200 miles / 1,900 km or about the same distance as from Gibraltar to Malta or Bermuda to the Azores
laid end to end, the Great Lakes system would stretch from New Brunswick to Cuba

They are truly GREAT !

Other than Christopher Columbus' calling native Americans 'Indians', the biggest naming error was calling the Great Lakes 'lakes'. These huge bodies of water are really immense seas, the sweetwater seas as the French explorers called them.

They are magnificent!

I have sailed the Great Lakes for nearly 30 years and never ever tire of their endless variety of moods and conditions. I simply love these immense inland seas. From the majesty of their vastness and their restless energy to the silent, still waters of fog-shrouded mornings, they offer some of the most breathtaking scenery you could ever want! Imagine sailing from Duluth or Thunder Bay on a cool summer morning and making the spectacular journey through the lakes. In fact, if you wanted, you could reach the Atlantic and then head south to the sun-drenched Caribbean! Using the St. Lawrence Seaway, you can follow this maritime highway from the centre of the continent all the way to the Atlantic Ocean.

What's in GREAT LAKES SAILING for YOU ?

The goal of this site is to give you the kind of information sailors (sail OR power) are always trying to find:

descriptions of ports and harbours that dot the coastlines of the lakes
information on the approaches into large industrial harbours, quiet fishing villages and hidden anchorages
good pubs, like O'Shea's , a 15-20 minute walk from the Lakeshore Yacht Club on Toronto's Humber Bay on Lake Ontario
descriptions of yacht clubs and marinas
services such as chandleries, grocery stores and repair facilities
descriptions of attractions from major cities such as Toronto, Chicago, Detroit, Buffalo and Cleveland; natural wonders such as the largest fresh-water sand dunes in the world (Lake Michigan) and the vast, silent reaches of mighty Superior
why weather on these vast lakes is so unique and how you can better forecast it
articles on seamanship and safety
cruising tips and ideas
border crossing legalities
and much more

In all, a one-stop location for the information that a sailor would want, whether for a weekend outing or an extended cruise.

Welcome aboard ........... let's cast off and begin our exploration.

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Some Reflections On Sailing

"I must go down to the sea again to the lonely sea and sky"

John Masefield Sea Fever

They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters; These see the works of the Lord, and his wonders in the deep Psalms 107

Believe me, my young friend, there is NOTHING--absolute nothing--half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats. Ratty to Mr. Mole

Kenneth Grahame Wind In The Willows

for whatever we lose (like a you or a me) its always ourselves we find in the sea

e.e. cummings The Sea

Wherever we want to go, we go. That's what a ship is, you know. Its not just a hull and sails - that's what a ship needs . Not what a ship is .

What the Black Pearl really is, is freedom .

Jack Sparrow Pirates of the Caribbean

13 Great Sailing Destinations on the Great Lakes

The Great Lakes are a hugely popular sailing destination, known for their cruising grounds and fun lakeside locations. When the temperature starts to creep up in Chicago, savvy sailors begin to turn their thoughts to days spent out on the Great Lakes - sailing, sunbathing and socializing in one of the many lakeside communities. This list brings together some of the top sailing destinations on the Great Lakes, so you can get out and enjoy them as soon as the summer hits.

13 Top Sailing Destinations on the Great Lakes:

Saugatuck, lake michigan, door county, lake michigan, erie, lake erie, endymion island, lake ontario, manitoulin island, lake huron, saint ignace island, lake superior, bad river, lake huron, bowers harbor, lake michigan, beaver island, lake michigan, the apostle islands, lake superior, michigan city, lake michigan, mackinac island, lake huron, little presque isle, lake superior.

Read on for more details on each Great Lakes destination to find one that’s right for you… or better yet, try to visit them all!

A brilliant starting point for sailing Lake Michigan. Saugatuck can be found 90 miles northwest of Chicago. The town’s harbor has capacity for over 900 boats, which is enough to demonstrate its popularity as a top Great Lakes destination for sailors. From Saugatuck harbor, it’s a short journey down the Kalamazoo River and into the channel, passing the pier heads and out into the open waters of Lake Michigan.

One of the main draws of Saugatuck is its natural beauty. From stunning views of Lake Michigan stretching to impressive sand dunes and long sandy beaches, this part of the lake is perfect if you’re looking for a picturesque sailing experience. Hike up to Mount Baldhead or ‘Mount Baldy’, an easy 1.8-mile hike, and get a new perspective on the harbor. Saugatuck is also known informally by another name, the Art Coast of Michigan, thanks to the Ox-Bow School of Arts, which is linked to the Art Institute of Chicago. It also has over 30 galleries dotted around the area.

Door County is a haven for sailors, offering scattered islands to explore, on top of the beautiful Door Peninsula itself. The Door Peninsula separates the southern area of Green Bay from Lake Michigan and from there you can sail to Washington Island, Plum Island, Cana Island, and The Grand Traverse Islands.

All these stops are perfect for hiking and the Grand Traverse Islands - Rock Island, Gull Island, Little Gull Island and Gravelly Island - are particularly rich in biodiversity. They remain almost entirely undeveloped so you can find a slice of wilderness just a short sail away. Things to look out for are rare wild orchids, butterflies and bats. The seas in this part of Lake Michigan can get choppy so choose your weather window carefully. However, in the right conditions and especially in the summer, it doesn’t get much more delightful than these sailing grounds.

The peninsula of the Presque Isle State Park provides the city of Erie with a vast natural harbor that has helped it grow into a major port city. Located in Pennsylvania, Erie is an all-round destination for visiting sailors, ideal if you’re also interested in water sports, swimming and scooting around in dinghies.

As it’s a much bigger city than many other locations on this list, Erie also has a range of marina facilities and yacht clubs to choose from, as well as restaurants, museums, water parks and hotels. The lake can get busy in mid-summer so it’s best to go earlier or later in the season to avoid the crowds - June or September are the best options.

The fourth largest of the great lakes, Lake Erie is also the shallowest and the warmest! This makes it a nice choice for swimmers, but sailors should note that the shallow depth can also lead to some impressive waves. Thanks to its clean and nutrient-rich waters, Lake Erie boasts rich biological diversity and fish numbers - this is helped by a rigorous conservation strategy that has helped to rescue Lake Erie from chronic pollution and habitat destruction in recent years.

Formed from ancient mountains, Endymion Island is a captivating sailing destination in Lake Ontario. Connecting New York’s Adirondack Mountains and The Canadian Shield or the Laurentian Plateau, Endymion island has been worn down and chiseled away by natural processes over millions of years to form the flatter landmass sailors can find today.

Endymion Island is included in Canada’s Thousand Islands National Park and is only accessible by boat. There are two public docks on the island and a good number of anchorages available. Unlike the activities and amenities on offer at other Great Lakes destinations, the appeal of Endymion Island is getting lost in a day of sailing around the surrounding islands, seeking out secret hideaways to enjoy the summer months in peace.

If you’re keen to find a more cultural destination in the Great Lakes, choose Manitoulin Island. This island, which covers an area of approximately 80-miles by 40-miles, is known for its art museums and galleries. Visitors can pass many happy hours wandering in and out of the shops and galleries, stopping for lunch or an ice cream cone or two. Little Current is the largest town on the island and it’s just 100 yards from the mainland, across the North Channel of Lake Huron.

With four marinas around the island and a great many more hidden anchorages along its shores, Manitoulin Island has much to offer intrepid sailors out on Lake Huron. However, thanks to the narrower regions of the North Channel the currents can change rapidly, making it a more challenging sail. The interior of Manitoulin Island is also striking with a number of enormous inland lakes, the biggest of which is Lake Mindamoya. The Kagawog River, which flows from Lake Kagawog to the North Channel, forms the beautiful Bridal Veil Falls near the town of Kagawog and is definitely worth a trip.

The largest and deepest of the great lakes, Lake Superior is the most challenging choice of sailing grounds among the Great Lakes. The weather can change quickly, with thick, heavy fog and fierce winds, not to mention the cold! It also happens to be the size of Austria.

Lake Superior is a truly unique sailing destination and Saint Ignace Island is an excellent place to start. One of the largest lake islands in the world, Saint Ignace offers a vast number of secluded coves, friendly campsites and stunning hiking routes. It’s also part of the Lake Superior National Marine Conservation Area. From Saint Ignace Island, you can sail round to Duncan Cove, just south of Saint Ignace Island.

Lake Huron also boasts an enormous number of stunning sailing areas and is a popular destination for many sailors looking to explore the Great Lakes. Bad River is a particularly picturesque part of the lake thanks to its collection of narrow inlets and empty wilderness.

As well as touring by boat, it’s well suited to kayaking and canoeing too. For keen fishermen, the bass, pike and walleye should be enough of a draw. One thing to watch out for around the Bad River area is shallow rocks and reefs so follow your charts and cruising directions carefully.

Known for its calm waters, Bowers Harbor is the perfect place to relax and enjoy the view, look out for Traverse City in the south. This deep, natural harbor is situated north of Power Island in West Grand Traverse Bay. It offers protection from the north and east and makes a great stopping point for picnics and sunbathing.

With a wide range of activities available on land as well as on the water, Bowers Harbor is a nice, varied destination on the Great Lakes. You might like to visit Bowers Harbor Vineyards where you can join tasting sessions and tours of the vineyards. Alternatively, you could play a round of tennis or grab a bite to eat in one of Bower Harbor’s local restaurants. When you fancy a change of scenery, sail on to Suttons Bay for more adventures. One of the best things about Michigan’s Grand Traverse Bay is that it’s about five hours from Chicago and four hours from Detroit, but it has all the drama and vast, empty space that the Northern Great Lakes are famous for.

This evocatively named archipelago, located 32 miles northwest of Charlevoix, was originally known as the land of the beavers by Odawa fishermen. Just 13 miles long and six miles wide, Beaver Island is now known for its welcoming island community, along with excellent fishing, hunting and hiking trails. The largest settlement on the island is the village of St. James, which still keeps its old world charm harking back to the original village established in the 1800s.

Beaver Island is known among fisherman as one of the top locations for fly fishing in Lake Michigan. It’s home to some of the best flats in the Great Lakes for fly fishing giant carp and it’s also an outstanding destination for smallmouth bass. Inland, the island also has four lakes with pan fish, perch, pike and largemouth bass, as well as walleye in Lake Geneserath. However, to avoid overfishing, Beaver Island residents request that if you’re visiting the inland lakes, you release the majority of your catch to preserve their stocks.

Found just off Wisconsin Shore, the Apostle Islands are a group of 21 islands close to the Bayfield Peninsula. This makes Bayfield an easy starting point for sailing between the islands and you can choose your pick of the islands to set up camp and make the most of the spectacular hiking trails crisscrossing through the interior.

This area is also known for its incredible sea caves, formed from the erosion of the iron-rich sandstone bedrock. Hollowed out by the waves, the sea caves punctuate the cliffs of the Apostle Islands, ranging from small dimples to enormous caverns. The caves are best explored by kayak or alternatively, jump into the water and swim for a closer look.

For another big city starting point on the Great Lakes, Michigan City is a popular choice. The annual In-Water Boat Show is one of the largest in the Midwest. Michigan City is also a stop in the Labor Day Tri-State Regatta, which sees sailors race from Chicago to St. Joseph to Michigan City to Chicago - it’s now been running for more than 60 years. It’s not a race for the faint hearted, to compete you’ll need endurance, determination and the wind on your side!

The first thing that strikes visitors about Mackinac Island is its tranquility. Thanks to a ban on motorized vehicles, Mackinac Island benefits from a slower, calmer pace of life. This makes it an ideal location for sailors looking for a lazier afternoon exploring the island after a good morning’s sailing.

The approach to the island involves passing under the Mackinac Bridge. The island can be found in the eastern region of the Strait of Mackinac, the stretch of water separating Lake Huron from Lake Michigan. You can moor your boat at the Mackinac Island State Harbor and venture inland. Visitors can hire bikes and breeze around the island, taking in the sights and stopping to sample some of the famous local fudge!

Twice a year, Mackinac Island becomes a hub for yachts thanks to the 333-mile annual Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac and the Bayview Mackinac Race. The Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac proudly holds the title of oldest annual freshwater distance race in the world, dating back to 1898.

Known as the crown jewel of Lake Superior, Little Presque Isle lies 7 miles northwest of Marquette. With thick forests and empty sandy beaches, this area is fantastically beautiful, even more so because of the rough cliffs that line the shoreline of Lake Superior over an area of 4 miles. These rocks are some of the oldest exposed formations on the lake, dated to around 2.3 billion years old. The bedrock, granitic, is also the rarest bedrock along the Great Lakes shoreline. The natural beauty of this stretch of coast is enough of a reason to visit Lake Superior this summer.

Which of these Great Lakes destinations will you choose?

Best Boat for Cruising the Great Lakes: Your Guide to Choosing the Perfect Vessel

Are you dreaming of cruising the Great Lakes but unsure which boat is best suited for your adventure? Picture this: you’re gliding through the crystal-clear waters, surrounded by breathtaking views of the majestic lakes. But with so many boat options available, how do you choose the perfect vessel to make your journey unforgettable?

In this article, we’ll guide you through selecting the ideal boat for cruising the Great Lakes. From spacious yachts to nimble sailboats, we’ll help you navigate the waters and find the vessel that matches your cruising style. Get ready to set sail with confidence and discover the key factors to consider when choosing the best boat for your Great Lakes escapade.

Key Takeaways

Boating on the Great Lakes presents unique challenges such as rapid weather changes, strong currents, and large waves that require proper safety gear and navigation tools.
When choosing a boat for the Great Lakes, prioritize size and stability, opting for a vessel around 30-45 feet with a hull design like deep-V for optimal performance in varying water conditions.
Sailboats offer a serene way to navigate the Great Lakes, harnessing wind power and providing stability for handling unexpected weather changes.
Power boats are ideal for those seeking speed and luxury, offering swift navigation, comfort amenities, and powerful engines for an exciting cruising experience.
Trawlers and catamarans provide spaciousness and stability, with trawlers known for fuel efficiency and extended cruising capabilities, while catamarans offer exceptional stability for a smooth ride.
When buying a cruiser for the Great Lakes, consider factors like new versus used boats, essential gear and equipment for extended cruising, and safety features like stability and emergency communication tools to prioritize safety while on the water.

Understanding the Great Lakes Boating Experience

The unique challenges of the great lakes.

Boating on the Great Lakes presents unique challenges due to their sheer size and diverse weather conditions. It’s essential to be prepared for rapid weather changes, including sudden storms and fog that can reduce visibility. Navigation can be tricky with large waves and strong currents, requiring skillful maneuvering and a sturdy vessel. Ensure your boat is equipped with proper safety gear and navigation tools to handle the challenges the Great Lakes can pose.

What Makes Great Lakes Cruising Distinctive

Cruising the Great Lakes offers a blend of beautiful landscapes, vibrant port cities, and a mix of freshwater experiences not found in coastal regions. Each of the Great Lakes has its own character, from the rugged shores of Lake Superior to the bustling harbors of Lake Michigan. The interconnected waterways provide endless opportunities for exploration, from secluded anchorages to bustling marinas. Experience the unique beauty of the Great Lakes while enjoying a variety of on-shore activities, making it a truly distinctive cruising destination.

Key Features of the Best Boats for the Great Lakes

Size and stability considerations.

When choosing the best boat for cruising the Great Lakes, size and stability are crucial factors to consider. You’ll want a vessel that can handle the sometimes unpredictable nature of the Great Lakes, known for sudden weather changes and varying water conditions. Look for boats that are sizable enough to provide stability in rough waters, ensuring a safer and more comfortable cruising experience. A boat with a length of 30-45 feet is generally ideal for traversing the expansive Great Lakes while still offering maneuverability in tighter spaces.

Hull Design for Optimal Performance

The hull design plays a significant role in how a boat performs on the Great Lakes. Vessels with deep-V hulls are well-suited for navigating the choppy waters of the lakes, providing better stability and handling in rough conditions. Additionally, boats with a semi displacement or planing hull are ideal for cruising at higher speeds, allowing you to cover more ground and explore different parts of the Great Lakes efficiently. Consider a boat with a hull design that balances stability, performance, and fuel efficiency for a successful cruising experience.

Onboard Comfort and Amenities

For an enjoyable cruising experience on the Great Lakes, prioritize onboard comfort and amenities when selecting a boat. Look for vessels with spacious cabins, comfortable seating areas, and well-equipped galleys to ensure a cozy and relaxing atmosphere during your journey. Amenities such as air conditioning, heating systems, and advanced navigation electronics can further enhance your comfort and safety while cruising the Great Lakes. Choose a boat that offers the amenities you value most to create memorable experiences on the water.

Top Boat Types for Cruising the Great Lakes

Sailboats: combining serenity with performance.

When cruising the Great Lakes, sailboats offer a serene way to navigate the expansive waters while providing excellent performance. Sailboats harness the power of the wind, allowing you to glide smoothly across the lakes’ varying conditions. The stability of a sailboat is crucial for handling unexpected weather changes common on the Great Lakes. These boats come in various sizes, from smaller vessels perfect for solo adventurers to larger sailboats ideal for accommodating groups or families. Sailboats are known for their elegant design, making them a popular choice for those seeking a peaceful and environmentally friendly cruising experience.

Power Boats: Speed and Luxury on the Water

If you prefer speed and luxury when exploring the Great Lakes, power boats are an excellent choice. Power boats offer swift navigation across the lakes, allowing you to cover more ground in a shorter time. The comfort and amenities provided by power boats enhance your cruising experience, ensuring a luxurious journey. Whether you opt for a sleek motor yacht or a sporty speedboat, power boats provide an exciting way to discover the beauty of the Great Lakes. These boats are equipped with powerful engines that deliver impressive performance, making them a favorite among those looking for both comfort and speed on the water.

Trawlers and Catamarans: Spaciousness and Stability

For a combination of spaciousness and stability on your Great Lakes adventure, trawlers and catamarans are an ideal choice. Trawlers are known for their fuel efficiency and extended cruising capabilities, making them perfect for long trips on the lakes. The spacious interiors of trawlers offer ample room for relaxation and entertainment, ensuring a comfortable journey. Catamarans, with their dual-hull design, provide exceptional stability on the water, allowing for a smooth and enjoyable cruise. These boats are popular among those looking for generous living spaces and a stable ride while exploring the picturesque Great Lakes region.

What to Look for When Buying a Great Lakes Cruiser

When searching for the perfect boat to cruise the Great Lakes, you want to ensure that you consider several key factors to enhance your overall experience. Here are important aspects to keep in mind:

New Versus Used Boats: Weighing the Pros and Cons

Deciding between a new or used boat is a crucial choice that can impact your cruising adventure. Here’s how to weigh the pros and cons:

New Boats : Purchasing a new boat offers the latest technology, warranties, and the opportunity to customize features to your liking. However, new boats come with a higher price tag and may depreciate quickly in the first few years.
Used Boats : Opting for a used boat can be more cost-effective, allowing you to potentially afford a larger or higher-quality vessel within your budget. On the downside, used boats may require more maintenance and could have hidden issues that need attention.

Essential Gear and Equipment for Extended Cruising

Equipping your boat with the right gear and equipment is essential for a safe and enjoyable extended cruising experience on the Great Lakes. Here are some must-have items to consider:

Navigation Tools : GPS systems, charts, and compasses are vital for navigating the vast waters of the Great Lakes, especially in case of unexpected weather changes or low visibility.
Safety Equipment : Ensure your boat is equipped with life jackets, first aid kits, fire extinguishers, and distress signals to prioritize safety onboard.
Comfort Features : Think about amenities like a galley (kitchen), berths (sleeping areas), and a head (bathroom) to make your cruising experience comfortable and convenient.

Safety Features and Navigational Aids

Prioritizing safety is paramount when selecting a cruiser for the Great Lakes. Here are key safety features and navigational aids to look for:

Stability : Choose a boat with good stability to handle the varying water conditions of the Great Lakes, including potential rough waves and sudden weather changes.
Weather Forecasting : Invest in tools like weather radios or apps to stay updated on weather conditions and make informed decisions while cruising.
Emergency Communication : Consider equipping your boat with VHF radios or satellite phones for reliable communication in case of emergencies or needing assistance.

Review of Popular Boats for Great Lakes Cruising

When considering the best boat for cruising the Great Lakes, it’s crucial to look at the various options available to ensure your sailing experience is enjoyable and safe. Let’s delve into some popular boat choices suited for cruising these vast waters.

Best Sailboats for the Open Waters

Sailboats are a classic choice for cruising enthusiasts, offering a unique experience powered by the wind. For open waters like the Great Lakes, sailboats like the Beneteau Oceanis 40.1 or the Catalina 425 are excellent options. These sailboats are designed to handle the challenges of the lakes while providing a comfortable and stable ride. Their spacious cabins and advanced rigging systems make them ideal for extended trips, ensuring you can navigate the Great Lakes with ease.

Top Power Boats Favored by Enthusiasts

If you prefer the speed and convenience of power boats, there are several models that excel in Great Lakes cruising. Boats like the Sea Ray Sundancer 320 and the Chris-Craft Catalina 34 are popular choices known for their performance and comfort. These power boats offer speed, luxury, and versatility, making them perfect for exploring the vast expanse of the Great Lakes with ease. Whether you’re keen on watersports or simply cruising in style, these power boats are sure to enhance your experience on the water.

Trawler and Catamaran Models That Offer Comfort and Space

For those looking for a balance of comfort and space, trawlers and catamarans are excellent options for cruising the Great Lakes. Trawlers such as the Nordhavn 59 Coastal Pilot and catamarans like the Lagoon 46 provide ample living space, stability, and efficiency. These models are designed for long-range cruising, making them ideal for extended journeys on the Great Lakes. With their spacious layouts, modern amenities, and fuel efficiency, trawlers and catamarans offer a luxurious way to explore the scenic beauty of the Great Lakes while enjoying a comfortable onboard experience.

Choosing the right boat for cruising the Great Lakes is a personal decision based on your preferences, budget, and sailing goals. Whether you opt for a sailboat, power boat, trawler, or catamaran, selecting a vessel that suits your needs and preferences is key to enjoying a memorable and safe cruising experience on the Great Lakes.

Maintaining Your Boat in Great Lakes Conditions

Regular maintenance schedules.

Keeping up with regular maintenance is vital when cruising the Great Lakes to ensure your boat functions optimally. Here are some essential tasks to include in your maintenance schedule:

Engine Inspection : Regularly check the engine for any signs of wear, leaks, or corrosion. Change the oil and filters as recommended by the manufacturer to keep the engine running smoothly.
Hull Care : Inspect the hull for any damages, such as cracks or blisters, and promptly address them to prevent further deterioration. Regularly clean and wax the hull to protect it from the harsh lake conditions.
Electrical Systems : Test all electrical systems, including lights, GPS, and radios, to make sure they are in working order. Keep a close eye on the battery and wiring for any signs of damage.
Safety Equipment : Inspect and test all safety equipment, such as life jackets, fire extinguishers, and flares, to ensure they are up to date and functioning correctly.
Plumbing Maintenance : Check the plumbing system for any leaks, blockages, or damaged hoses. Properly maintain the freshwater system to avoid issues while on the water.

Winterizing Your Boat

Winterizing your boat is crucial, especially in the Great Lakes region where winters can be harsh. Follow these steps to winterize your boat effectively:

Engine Preparation : Flush the engine with antifreeze to prevent any water from freezing inside the engine block. Change the oil and filter, and consider adding a fuel stabilizer to the tank.
Water Systems : Drain all water from the boat’s systems, including freshwater tanks, water heaters, and plumbing lines, to prevent freezing and damage.
Hull Protection : Clean and wax the hull to protect it during the winter months. Consider covering the boat with a tarp or using a shrink-wrap service to shield it from snow and ice.
Interior Maintenance : Remove all valuables, electronics, and perishables from the boat. Clean the interior thoroughly to prevent mold and mildew growth.
Storage Considerations : Choose a secure storage location that offers protection from the elements. Properly secure the boat to withstand strong winds and snow accumulation.

By following these maintenance routines and winterizing procedures, you can ensure that your boat remains in top condition, ready for your next adventure on the Great Lakes.

You’ve discovered the key factors to consider when choosing the best boat for cruising the Great Lakes. From sailboats to power boats, trawlers, and catamarans, each vessel offers unique advantages for your Great Lakes adventures. Remember, proper maintenance is crucial to keep your boat in top shape amidst the changing lake conditions. By following essential winterizing steps, you’ll ensure your boat is ready for the next season of exploration on the Great Lakes. Happy cruising!

Frequently Asked Questions

What are some factors to consider when selecting a boat for cruising the great lakes.

When selecting a boat for cruising the Great Lakes, consider factors like size, hull design, engine type, and fuel efficiency to navigate diverse weather conditions and lake challenges effectively.

What are some boat types suitable for Great Lakes cruising?

Boat types suitable for Great Lakes cruising include sailboats for energy efficiency, power boats for speed, trawlers for stability, and catamarans for comfort and space.

Why is maintaining your boat important in Great Lakes conditions?

Maintaining your boat in Great Lakes conditions is crucial to ensure safety, prevent breakdowns, and prolong the lifespan of your vessel in challenging freshwater environments.

What are some essential maintenance tasks for a boat on the Great Lakes?

Essential maintenance tasks for a boat on the Great Lakes include regular engine inspections, hull care, electrical system checks, safety equipment inspections, and plumbing maintenance to keep the vessel in top condition.

How do you effectively winterize your boat for Great Lakes winters?

To effectively winterize your boat for Great Lakes winters, complete tasks like engine preparation, water system draining, hull protection, interior maintenance, and storage considerations to safeguard the vessel during harsh winter conditions.

Hi, I'm Richard, a passionate traveler and cruise enthusiast. With over a decade of experience exploring the world's oceans, I've developed a deep love for all things related to cruising. Whether it's luxury liners or intimate river cruises, I enjoy sharing my insights and tips to help others plan their perfect getaway. When I'm not sailing the seas, you can find me writing about my adventures or planning my next voyage

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Finding Fun in Michigan & Beyond

10 Unique Great Lakes Sailing Destinations To Explore

As the weather gets warmer, you’ll think of new places to sail and enjoy in the summer. These Great Lakes sailing destinations offer so much to see and do. Here are some of the best destinations you’ll want to check out and what you can find when you take your sailboat or cruiser from port to port.

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Table of contents, erie, lake erie.

Great Lakes Sailing Destinations - Erie, Lake Erie

This is one of the most prominent Great Lakes sailing destinations on the list, thanks to a large natural harbor that has allowed an entire city to spring up around it. As a result, you can find everything from restaurants to museums and water parks when you visit in the summer months. It’s also an excellent spot for those who love water sports. You can find lots of places to swim in the lake, ride dinghies, and more.

As the city of Erie is so big, you’ll find that it can get rather busy during the summer. As such, you’ll want to pick your time to visit wisely. Going during June or September will ensure that you’ll encounter fewer crowds.

Apostle Islands, Lake Superior

For those that want to experience nature, you’ll want to add the Apostle Islands to your bucket list. These are located just off Wisconsin Shore, and you’ll find there are 21 islands ready for you to experience. Many find that the Bayfield Peninsula is your best starting point, and then you can check out the islands at your leisure.

They’re best for hiking, as there are so many trails all over the islands. You can also explore the sea caves formed from the erosion of the bedrock by the waves. The best way to do so is by kayak or simply swimming in for a look.

Manitoulin Island, North Channel, Lake Huron

For those who want to enjoy a cultural hub, Manitoulin Island is where you want to be. You can find a range of museums and art galleries in Gore Bay, making it the perfect place to spend a day or two. You can also pop into the shops and cafes here too, making it a great summer destination.

When it comes to sailing, this is among the Great Lakes sailing destinations for more experienced sailors. The currents can change rapidly here, thanks to the narrower regions of the North Channel, so you’ll want to be able to handle this with ease. There are lots of beautiful inland lakes here, too, such as Lake Mindamoya, that you’ll want to be sure to visit.

Middle Grounds Island, Saginaw Bay, Lake Huron

Sailing into Saginaw Bay from Lake Huron, there is a wildlife paradise if you want to enjoy kayaking and canoeing. Within the Wild Fowl Bay wildlife sanctuary is Middle Grounds Island. There are many narrow inlets and wildlife to see here, so you’ll want to stop by if you’re in the area. If you draft four feet or less, you need to take care as there are shallow rocks and reefs, so follow your charts carefully.

Wild Fowl Bay has a lot to offer anglers, as they can fish for bass, pike, and walleye here. Explore some of the besting birding sites on the Great Lakes at Fish Point Wildlife Area . However, there’s something here for almost everyone, so you’ll want to consider making a stop.

Endymion Island, St. Lawrence River, Lake Ontario

Endymion Island is unique on this list as it’s only accessible via boat. They have two public docks, as well as plenty of anchorages. The island’s appeal isn’t on the landmass itself but rather about sailing around and exploring the waters around it.

There’s so much to see, such as plenty of smaller surrounding islands. This is among the Great Lakes sailing destinations where you will be able to find a little hideaway and enjoy some time on deck here during the summer months.

Saint Ignace Island, Lake Superior

Lake Superior is the largest and deepest of the Great Lakes, so it’s best for those more experienced at sailing. Of the Great Lakes sailing destinations on this list, this is the furthest north. The weather changes quickly here, and it can get colder than you’d expect. If you can navigate the waters, though, there’s so much for you here.

For example, you can explore Saint Ignace Island, one of the largest lake islands on the Canadian Side of Superior. It’s a good spot for camping with multiple campsites, and there are many hiking routes to check out while you’re here. If you like spending time in the wilderness, you will love it here.

Bowers Harbor, West Arm Grand Traverse Bay, Lake Michigan

Are you more interested in relaxing during your summer trip? Then you’ll want to make a beeline to Bowers Harbor. Known for calm waters, you can enjoy protection from the western winds and weather, and it’s highly accessible, making it the best place to stop and relax. Many like to make a pit stop here to sunbathe or eat.

Of course, there is a lot to do on the land itself. There are plenty of local restaurants, and if you’re into wine tours, you can take a tour of the Bowers Harbor Vineyard. There’s something for every sailor here, so if Bowers Harbor is on your way, you’ll want to take a look and see what they offer.

Michigan City, Lake Michigan

Michigan City is a famous boating spot, as it’s the home of the annual In-Water Boat Show. You’ll also see it being used as a stop in the Labor Day Tri-State Regatta, where sailors race from Chicago to St. Joseph to Michigan City to Chicago.

If you want to take part in the regatta, you’ll need to endure the race and be able to compete with the very best. If you’re the kind of person who loves to compete, you’ll have a good time.

Mackinac Island, Lake Huron

Here is the most visited site among all Great Lakes sailing destinations. What’s interesting about Mackinac Island is that there’s a ban on motorized vehicles. As a result, there’s an air of peacefulness here that you can’t get elsewhere. As it’s so calm, it’s the place to be if you want to unwind and relax over your summer trip entirely.

When you visit the island itself, you can get around by bike and explore. There are lots to see, and you can even pick up the local fudge they’re famous for. They also host the oldest annual freshwater distance race in the world, the Chicago Yacht Club Race, which began back in 1898.

Grand Island, Lake Superior

While so many of the islands on the Great Lakes are known for their natural beauty, Grand Island is known as one of the best. As one of the newer parks, Grand Island National Recreation Area , you can wander through thick forests and relax on their natural sandy beaches, making it an excellent summer spot. Unfortunately, there is no marina on the island, so you will have to secure a slip at Bayshore Marina in Munising and tender out to the island or take the Grand Island Ferry located north of town.

It’s historically significant, too, as the rough cliffs on the shoreline are some of the oldest exposed rocks, dated at about 2.3 billion years old.

Sailing on the Great Lakes: Tips and Tricks for Beginners

Sailing on the Great Lakes can be an exhilarating experience, but it’s important to be prepared for the unique challenges that come with navigating these massive bodies of water. Whether you’re a seasoned sailor or a beginner, these tips will help ensure a safe and enjoyable trip on the Great Lakes.

Check the weather and water conditions before setting sail.

Before embarking on your sailing adventure on the Great Lakes, it’s crucial to check the weather and water conditions. The Great Lakes can be unpredictable, and weather conditions can change rapidly, so it’s important to stay informed. Check the forecast and any advisories the National Weather Service or the Coast Guard issued. Additionally, be aware of potential hazards, such as strong currents or shallow areas. Planning ahead and staying informed can help ensure a safe and enjoyable sailing experience.

Familiarize yourself with the boat and its equipment.

Before setting sail on the Great Lakes, it’s essential to familiarize yourself with the boat and its equipment. This includes properly operating the sails, steering, and other controls. Ensure that all safety equipment is on board and in good working condition, such as life jackets, flares, and a first aid kit. It’s also a good idea to understand navigation and how to read a nautical chart. Learning about the boat and its equipment can help prevent accidents and ensure a successful sailing trip.

Always wear a life jacket and have safety equipment on board.

Safety should always be a top priority when sailing on the Great Lakes. Always wear a properly fitting life jacket while on the boat, and ensure that all passengers do the same. It’s also important to have safety equipment, such as flares, a first aid kit, and a fire extinguisher. Familiarize yourself with how to use each piece of equipment before setting sail. In case of an emergency, having these items readily available can make all the difference.

Know the rules of the water and navigation.

Before setting sail on the Great Lakes, it’s important to familiarize yourself with the rules of the water and navigation. This includes understanding the different types of buoys and markers, as well as knowing the right of way rules when encountering other boats. It’s also important to have a basic understanding of navigation, including how to read a nautical chart and use a compass. Taking a boating safety course can help ensure that you have the knowledge and skills needed to navigate the Great Lakes safely.

Plan your Great Lakes Sailing Destinations route and be prepared for unexpected changes.

When sailing on the Great Lakes, it’s important to plan your route ahead of time and be prepared for unexpected changes in weather or other conditions. Make sure to check the weather forecast before setting sail and keep an eye on changing conditions throughout your trip. It’s also a good idea to have a backup plan in case of unexpected changes, such as a sudden storm or mechanical issue with your boat. By being prepared and flexible, you can ensure a safe and enjoyable sailing experience on the Great Lakes.

Final Thoughts on Great Lakes Sailing Destinations

There’s so much to see on the Great Lakes; picking just one spot to visit is hard. These are some of the best spots, so make sure you include them in your plans.

Contributing Author

Madeline Miller

Madeline Miller is a writer for SimpleGrad and Academized . She focuses on sailing and travel tips for sailing. Also, she is a blogger at Studydemic .

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One thought on “ 10 unique great lakes sailing destinations to explore ”.

I went on a 4 night trip with Tall Ship Manitou in Traverse City. It was a wonderful experience. Some day, visiting the Apostles Islands is a goal of mine. All your choices look great!

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Sailing the Apostle Islands | True North Sailing Charters

Jan 9, 2023

The Great Lakes to the Atlantic: The Three Routes

Sailing to the Atlantic Ocean from the Great Lakes is a significant accomplishment. There are three main ways to do this: through the Mississippi River, the Erie Canal, or the St. Lawrence Seaway. This guide will provide you with information you need to make an informative decision on which route is best for your crew and boat. Included is insights from experienced sailors. By the end of this guide, itching to chart your course and set sail towards the Atlantic Ocean.

Navigating the Path to the Atlantic:

A Guide to Sailing from the Great Lakes

The Mississippi River

The Great Lakes are a popular destination for boaters, but for some, the ultimate goal is to set sail for the Atlantic Ocean. One of the main routes to take is through the Mississippi River, which can be accessed via the Illinois and Michigan Canal. This route will also introduce you to the Tenn-Tom Waterway, a 234-mile waterway that stretches across the United States.

If you are interested in sailing the Great Loop, a popular route that takes you around the eastern coast of the United States and Canada, you may want to start your journey from the Mississippi River. By sailing south from Lake Michigan and following the Chicago River, you can reach the Des Plaines River and continue downstream towards the Illinois River, eventually reaching the Mississippi River near St. Louis. This route will take you across the western part of the Great Loop, which is about half the total distance.

Alternatively, you can depart from St. Louis and head north towards Cairo, Illinois, or sail south towards Memphis and then Greenville, Mississippi. Both of these routes will eventually lead you to the Atlantic Ocean, though you may be closer to New Orleans or the gulf coast of Florida depending on your starting point.

Sailor Tips:

As you sail downstream on the Des Plaines River, you'll find that the gentle breezes can help propel your boat forward without the need to raise your mast. The Tenn-Tom Waterway, while manmade, is still a beautiful sight and is sure to be one of the highlights of your trip. When sailing through the Florida Keys, be sure to be mindful of hurricane season, which runs from June 1st to November 30th. One downside of sailing on the Mississippi River is that you may encounter commercial traffic from other boaters, and some stretches of the trip may not have much to see. However, with careful planning and preparation, you can make the most of your sailing journey from the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean.

The Mississippi River is a good option for sailors starting from Lake Michigan or who have already cruised the east coast and the Intracoastal Waterway. The Ten-Tom Waterway, which is a part of this route, is a scenic and enjoyable stretch of water. From the Mississippi River, it is also easy to access the Gulf of Mexico and the Florida Keys. However, this route does have some drawbacks. You will need to take your mast down at certain points, and there will be a lot of motoring involved. Additionally, there is a lot of commercial traffic on the Mississippi River, and some stretches of the river can be monotonous. Overall, the Mississippi River is a good option if you are looking to save time or distance, but it may not be the most exciting route for sailors seeking a more adventurous journey.

Th Erie Canal

One way to reach the Atlantic Ocean from the Great Lakes is to take the Erie Canal, which cuts through Lake Erie, Lake Ontario, and Lake Champlain. You can choose between two variations of this route depending on your preferences.

When sailing from the upper Great Lakes, you can either take the Trent-Severn Waterway, a short canal that connects Lake Huron, the Georgian Bay, and Lake Ontario at Port Severn, or head south from Lake Huron to the St. Clair River and then to Lake St. Clair, eventually reaching the Detroit River and Lake Erie.

Trent-Severn Waterway

The Trent-Severn Waterway is a 240 mile (386 km) waterway that starts at the Bay of Quinte on the eastern end of Lake Ontario and stretches northwest to Port Severn, where the Severn River flows into Georgian Bay. Boaters can travel along the entire length of the waterway, or access it from any point along the system, and use it to reach the Great Lakes and beyond. The waterway is equipped with 44 locks to facilitate the passage of boats. For more information, visit www.TheWaterway.ca .

If you are departing from Lake Erie or the surrounding area, you can take the Welland Canal to reach Lake Ontario and then turn east towards the Oswego Canal in New York. By sailing south for 24 miles along the canal, you will reach the Erie Canal near Liverpool, New York, and the Three Rivers. From there, you can continue east to Albany and then south along the Hudson River until you reach New York Harbor. Along the way, you will have the opportunity to see plenty of wilderness and picturesque views of the New York skyline. When you reach the Hudson River, you will have arrived at the Atlantic Ocean, just a short distance from the Caribbean.

Sailor Tips

The Erie Canal is a popular route for sailors who want to reach the Atlantic Ocean from the Great Lakes. It is also known for being a relatively fast route, although it is important to plan for lock and canal closures that could affect your sailing plans and possibly require you to choose a different route. As you navigate the Erie Canal, you may need to lower your mast at times and be charged a fee based on the length of your mast, which can range from $4 to $8 per foot. It is also common to see many boatyards along this route. By carefully planning your journey and being prepared for any potential challenges, you can make the most of your sailing adventure from the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean.

The Erie Canal is a well-traveled route from the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean, so it is easy to find services for rigging and stepping along the way. It is also potentially the fastest route to the Caribbean, making it a popular choice for many sailors. However, it does have some drawbacks. You will need to take your mast down at certain points, and there may be long stretches of motoring rather than sailing. Additionally, there is a risk of canal and lock closures, which can disrupt your voyage. Overall, the Erie Canal is a reliable and well-supported route, but it may not be the most exciting option for sailors looking for a more adventurous journey.

St. Lawreence Seaway

The St. Lawrence Seaway is another option for reaching the Atlantic Ocean from the Great Lakes. It consists of a series of channels, canals, and locks that stretch between the United States and Canada, and requires permission for sailing. Boats must be at least 20 feet long and weigh no more than a ton to pass through the seaway, and about 2,000 boats do so each year for recreational purposes. While not all of these boats may be sailing to the Atlantic Ocean, the seaway is a breathtaking route that is worth considering for your journey.

As you sail along the seaway, you will have the opportunity to see some of the most stunning sights, including the coastline of Maine and the northeastern provinces of Canada. You'll also get to see the Thousand Islands, a series of about 1,800 islands located between Canada and the US. To reach the Thousand Islands, you can sail from Lake Ontario along Montreal and then through the St. Lawrence River and Gulf of St. Lawrence, or you can take a shortcut by sailing downstream on the Richelieu River in Quebec and then along the Hudson River from the southern end of Lake Champlain. No matter which route you choose, the St. Lawrence Seaway offers a unique and adventurous sailing experience.

The St. Lawrence Seaway is a longer route to the Atlantic Ocean compared to the other options, but it is also one of the most picturesque. It is recommended to start sailing this route around July 1st, although you may still be able to do so a few days later. However, if it has been more than a week since July 1st, it may be safer to choose a different route. One advantage of sailing the St. Lawrence Seaway is that you can keep your mast up the entire time without incurring any additional fees. The tie-up areas and docks along this route are plentiful, allowing you to stop overnight or even for a few days without worrying about your boat. However, it is important to remember that commercial traffic has the right of way and to stay out of the shipping lanes in the down-bound and up-bound lanes near the Atlantic Ocean. The sailing conditions on the St. Lawrence Seaway can be challenging, particularly near the Bay of Fundy in Nova Scotia, where the water can rise over 45 feet in just 12 hours and the currents can be rough. Be prepared for these challenges and enjoy the beautiful sights along the way as you sail from the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean.

The St. Lawrence Seaway is a breathtaking route that offers stunning views of the Gulf of St. Lawrence and other natural wonders. It is also the only route where you can keep your mast up the entire time without incurring any additional fees. However, it is the longest route to the Atlantic Ocean and can be challenging to navigate due to rough currents, open water, and extreme tides. Additionally, beyond Quebec City, there are fewer services available along this route. Overall, the St. Lawrence Seaway is a great option for sailors who have experience, an adventurous spirit, and plenty of time to spare on their journey from the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean.

Sailboat Talk

Sail Local: Sailing The Great Lakes

By: Zeke Quezada, ASA Destinations , Schools

Take a look at a map of the United States and the Great Lakes seem to be dwarfed by the two large bodies of water on the east and the west. Don’t let that fool you, the Great Lakes are huge and they offer a varied experience when it comes to sailing. If the ocean is not in your backyard, find a lake. We say “#saillocal” and find a school nearby to help you work on your sailing, teach you some skills or just introduce you to some new sailing friends.

Sail the Great Lakes

At over 95,000 square miles, The Great Lakes make up the largest body of freshwater on the planet. Lake Superior, Lake Huron, Lake Ontario, Lake Erie and Lake Michigan comprise over 10,000 miles of seashore and include over 34,000 islands. These interconnected bodies of water are a haven for water enthusiasts and a haven for boaters. Sailors find an assortment of anchorages and itineraries available for even the most experienced of cruisers.

The American Sailing Association has over 20 schools and affiliates operating in the Great Lakes Region that offer sailing courses, charters and sailing clubs.

Schools in the region are teaching everything from ASA 101 Basic Keelboat Sailing to ASA 114 Cruising Catamaran to ASA 120 Radar Endorsement. In other words, you can learn it all on the Great Lakes.

Lake Superior

Lake Michigan

Lake St. Clair

Halcyon Sailing – Lake St. Clair www.halcyonsailing.net (248) 723-9498 24400 E. Jefferson Ave Jefferson Beach Marina St. Clair Shores MI 48080 United States Courses Offered: ASA 101, Keelboat Sailing 1 | ASA 103, Coastal Cruising | ASA 104, Bareboat Cruising | ASA 105, Coastal Navigation | | ASA 118, Docking Endorsement

Lake Ontario

Chautauqua Lake

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Great Lakes cruise guide: Best itineraries, planning tips and things to do

The Great Lakes probably isn't the first place that comes to mind when you think of cruising. But in recent years, the region has grown enormously as a cruise destination — and for good reason. Touring the Great Lakes by ship is by far the easiest way to see a wide range of the area's attractions — from vibrant cities to natural wonders — in a single trip.

When planning Great Lakes cruises, you have many things to consider: when to go for the best Great Lakes cruise experience, which cruise line is best suited to your travel style, the best Great Lakes cruise ports to visit and which shoreside activities you want to prioritize. It's not the kind of trip you want to throw together at the last minute, especially since the best fare deals typically go to organized travelers who book early.

Here, The Points Guy offers up a guide to everything you need to know about planning a sailing in the Great Lakes.

Why cruise the Great Lakes?

The Great Lakes region may not be a bucket list destination on the scale of Alaska or Antarctica. But it has a lot to offer — more than many people may realize.

Along the banks of the five lakes that are at the core of the region — Lake Erie, Lake Ontario, Lake Huron, Lake Michigan and Lake Superior — you'll find some of Middle America's greatest cities, charming small towns, historic sites and wonders both natural and human-made. Plus, there are the lakes themselves, which together are roughly the size of the U.K. and make up the largest freshwater ecosystem on the planet. Accounting for 21% of all the world's fresh water, they truly are a marvel.

All this can be seen via an overland trip, of course, and many people explore the Great Lakes region by car or on motorcoach tours. But the region is so sprawling — the Great Lakes touch eight U.S. states and the Canadian province of Ontario — that logistically it's almost impossible to experience the area in a broad way on a single trip without going by ship.

On a single Great Lakes cruise, you can see the world-class architecture and museums of Chicago, take a carriage ride through the carless streets of Mackinac Island, Michigan, and gaze upon the splendor that is Niagara Falls along the New York border — all without having to get behind the wheel of a car or unpacking and re-packing your suitcase more than once.

When do cruises go to the Great Lakes?

The Great Lakes cruise season is a short one, due mostly to the weather. With winters being cold and snowy in the region, cruise lines stick to the warmer months of May to September for Great Lakes sailings.

The weather isn't the only limiting factor. The cruise season in the Great Lakes is also limited in its length by the opening and closing of the St. Lawrence Seaway — the system of locks, canals and channels that connects the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean. Cruise vessels that operate in the Great Lakes can't access the region until the locks on the St. Lawrence Seaway open for the summer, something that typically happens the last week of March. They need to be out of the Great Lakes before the St. Lawrence Seaway closes for the winter (typically in December).

Great Lakes cruise weather can be chilly at the start of the season, with low temperatures in the 40s in May in some areas and highs in the 60s. It warms up considerably by July and August, with high temperatures in the 70s and 80s.

When you want to go will depend on which activities you want to do, how you feel about cool weather and the price. Cruises at the beginning of the Great Lakes cruise season in May are generally a bit less expensive than those in June, July, August and September.

Best Great Lakes itineraries

A relatively small number of ships sail in the Great Lakes during any given year. But, even so, they offer a wide range of Great Lakes itineraries. Some of the ships that operate in the region will alternate between three or even four different routes during the short summer season, giving you lots of choices.

Lengthwise, you'll find Great Lakes voyages ranging from seven to 15 nights. Some of the sailings travel across all five of the Great Lakes. Others focus on just three or four of the interconnected bodies of water. Some of the ships also offer sailings that combine travel on one or more of the Great Lakes with a passage through the St. Lawrence Seaway. In some cases, these latter trips include travel all the way to Montreal.

The diversity in Great Lakes itineraries extends to their start and end points. A large percentage of all Great Lakes cruises begin or end in Chicago, Milwaukee or Toronto. But there also are Great Lakes sailings that begin or end in Thunder Bay, Ontario; Duluth, Minnesota; Montreal and Detroit.

In most cases, Great Lakes sailings are one-way trips. You'll start in, say, Toronto, and work your way west to Chicago — or vice versa.

Some Great Lakes itineraries only include stops at relatively small towns such as Midland, Parry Sound and Little Current in Ontario; and Muskegon, Marquette and Houghton in Michigan. Others mix in calls at some of the bigger cities of the Great Lakes region, notably Chicago, Milwaukee, Detroit, Cleveland and Toronto. On longer sailings, vessels often will overnight in such places as Green Bay, Wisconsin, and Thunder Bay.

Car-free Mackinac Island at the top of Michigan is a common stop on Great Lakes voyages, as is Niagara Falls, which sits between Lake Erie and Lake Ontario.

Pro tip: If your Great Lakes cruise begins or ends in Chicago, Milwaukee or Toronto, add a pre- or post-cruise stay of a night or two in the cities to see them in more depth.

Best Great Lakes cruise lines

Most of the world's biggest cruise lines — including Royal Caribbean , Norwegian Cruise Line and Carnival Cruise Line — can't operate in the Great Lakes because their ships are too big to enter the region through the St. Lawrence Seaway. This has turned the Great Lakes into an exclusive zone for a handful of smaller cruise operators that focus on very small vessels.

The two main players in Great Lakes cruising are Viking (a newcomer in 2022) and Pearl Seas Cruises. Each has one vessel devoted to the region (Viking Octantis and Pearl Mist, respectively).

Both cater to a generally older crowd, which is the main market for Great Lakes cruises. Viking's itineraries have the most outdoorsy options, while Pearl Seas Cruises offers trips with a lot of small-town stops.

Two more lines that occasionally operate sailings in the region are German line Hapag-Lloyd Cruises and France-based Ponant. Tour organizer Smithsonian Journeys also occasionally offers Great Lakes sailings using chartered Ponant vessels.

All of the above lines operate ships in the Great Lakes that carry fewer than 400 passengers. Some carry as few as 202 passengers. In general, the vessels are intimate and relatively high-end, with pricing to match.

As a rule, Great Lakes sailings don't come cheap. For example, seven-night Viking sailings in the region start at $5,995 per person.

Things to do in the Great Lakes

As noted above, the Great Lakes offer a wide mix of attractions and experiences. During a Great Lakes cruise, you might find yourself climbing aboard the bus where Rosa Parks took a stand at the Henry Ford Museum in Detroit on one day and kayaking through the wild marshlands of Point Pelee, Ontario, the next.

Of the two lines operating in the Great Lakes, Viking has the greatest focus on outdoorsy stops such as Point Pelee (a tiny sandspit that juts into the northwestern corner of Lake Erie and is famous as a stopover for migratory birds). Some of Viking's sailings include a call at Alpena, Michigan — the gateway to a National Maritime Sanctuary, where passengers can kayak past shipwrecks in shallow waters. Another destination that Viking visits, Silver Islet, Ontario, brings the opportunity for a trail walk through Ontario's 94-square-mile Sleeping Giant Provincial Park — a rocky, forested park named for a long line of mesas that resemble a giant lying on its back.

The city-oriented stops that Viking and the other lines make, such as visits to Milwaukee or Chicago on Lake Michigan, give you time to explore the urban sensibility of the region. Brew-town Milwaukee offers the chance to explore the city's craft beer and brewing scene or to take a walking tour to the city's many outdoor sculptures. Chicago is famous for its world-leading architecture (which you can see on walking and boat tours), its Magnificent Mile lined with more stores than you've probably ever seen in one place and its world-class cultural institutions.

Then there are stops at quieter places such as Mackinac Island, where your sightseeing might include an excursion by horse-drawn carriage to historical sites. Of the three main lines operating in the Great Lakes, as noted above, Pearl Seas Cruises focuses the most on the region's small towns, with fewer stops at bigger cities.

One thing that all three of the main lines operating in the Great Lakes have in common is that they include tours during at least some stops and sometimes every stop in their base fares. Pearl Seas Cruises and Viking are particularly known for including lots of shore excursions in their base fares.

Included tours are part of what you're paying for when you pay the high prices noted above. So you can go off on your own in any of the places these ships visit. But you might just have a no-extra-charge outing including many of the highlights of each place already planned for your voyage.

Best Great Lakes cruise ports

The best Great Lakes cruise ports include the handful of relatively big cities in the region, such as Chicago, that are loaded with cultural sites, nightspots and restaurants, as well as charming small towns such as Holland, Michigan. Great Lakes cruises also bring days that are all about getting up close to wonders both natural and human-made — from towering Niagara Falls to the engineering marvel that is the Welland Canal.

Thunder Bay, Ontario

Known as "Canada's Gateway to the West" because it's the final navigational point on the Canadian side of Lake Superior, Thunder Bay is one of Ontario's most vibrant cities and a center for art and culture. It's also a hub for outdoorsy pursuits including mountain biking, rock climbing, kayaking and angling, as it's nestled within boreal forests.

Great architecture and cultural institutions such as the Art Institute of Chicago — along with lots of nightlife, shopping and world-class dining — make Chicago the premier city destination in the Great Lakes region. Many Great Lakes cruises begin or end in Chicago, with some including an overnight in the city, allowing time to explore. Don't miss a stroll down the Magnificent Mile and a sightseeing boat ride on the Chicago River (a great way to get an overview of the city and see some of its architectural gems).

Wisconsin's biggest city is often surprisingly delightful to first-time visitors, home as it is to a Santiago Calatrava-designed art museum with a world-class collection, a Harley-Davidson Museum that our sister site Lonely Planet has dubbed "badass" plus stylish eating and shopping enclaves. Settled by Germans in the 1840s, "Brew City," as it's known, also is a mecca of sorts for beer lovers — and not just because it's home to the original Miller Brewing Company complex, which is open daily for tours. You'll also find lots of craft breweries that you can visit on your own or as part of a tour, and you can tour (and drink at) the original Pabst Brewery.

Holland, Michigan

As the name suggests, Holland is a little bit of The Netherlands transported to the Americas. Settled by Dutch immigrants in the 1800s, it's home to the annual Tulip Time Festival, which takes place every May, and offers up such Holland-themed attractions as Windmill Island Gardens, where you'll find a working Dutch windmill, canals and dikes. Holland's downtown is a charmer with cobblestone sidewalks and more than 100 specialty shops, breweries and restaurants.

Sault Saint Marie, Michigan

Located at the northeastern edge of Michigan's Upper Peninsula, Sault Saint Marie is the site of the Soo Locks, a marvel of engineering that connects Lake Superior to Lake Huron. The locks themselves are the big attractions in Sault Saint Marie — head to the observation deck at Soo Locks Park to watch freighters passing by and learn more at the Soo Locks Visitor Center.

But there are other allures, including the Museum Ship Valley Camp. It's a retired Great Lakes freighter (named Valley Camp) that you can climb into and explore. In addition to touring the living quarters for its 29-person crew, you'll find a 20,000-square-foot maritime museum in its cargo hold with exhibits on the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald and more.

Mackinac Island

The Jewel of the Great Lakes has been a summer getaway for Midwesterners since the Victorian era and it retains much of its Victorian-era charm. The iconic attraction on the island is the 135-year-old Grand Hotel , with its seemingly endless, rocker-lined front porch (the longest in the world). Afternoon tea in the hotel's parlor, or a game of croquet at its Tea Garden, are among Mackinac Island's allures. Tours in a horse-drawn carriage are another popular pastime; cars are banned on the island, leaving horse-drawn carriages as one of the main ways of getting around, along with bicycles. When visiting, don't miss Fort Mackinac, which dates to the 1700s.

Niagara Falls

Located on the short waterway between Lake Erie and Lake Ontario, Niagara Falls is one of the world's most spectacular waterfall complexes (it's actually three waterfalls, not one) with a flow rate greater than any other waterfall in North America and a vertical drop of more than 160 feet. Visitors can take it in both from viewing areas on land and from a tour boat.

Note that Great Lakes cruise vessels don't travel directly on the 36-mile-long strait that connects Lake Erie and Lake Ontario, which is known as the Niagara River (lest they go plunging over the falls). Instead, they use the Welland Canal — another marvel of engineering and an attraction in its own right.

Motor City should probably be called Museum City, as it's home to a wonderful array of museums worth a visit, from The Detroit Museum of Art and the Motown Museum to the Charles H. Wright Museum of African-American History. Passengers on Great Lakes cruises will find that stops in Detroit often revolve around an included visit to the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation, a sprawling history museum complex that is home to the limousine that President Kennedy was in when he was assassinated, George Washington's camp bed, Buckminster Fuller's prototype Dymaxion house, the bus on which Rosa Parks was arrested and countless other rare artifacts.

When to book a Great Lakes cruise

The best time to book a Great Lakes cruise is right when a cruise line first opens bookings on that sailing, often more than a year in advance. You'll have your pick of itineraries and cabins and often the best fares.

Because the Great Lakes has such a short season with a limited number of ships, sailings in the region are often in high demand and people plan early. Newcomer Viking, notably, has told TPG it has seen brisker sales this year for its Great Lakes trips than sailings to Antarctica — one of the world's ultimate bucket list destinations.

If you wait to book, you're not entirely out of luck. Cruise lines often run sales in the fall or in the early months of the year (a period known in the cruise industry as "wave season" ). You can take advantage of discounted fares and other perks. Some of the most desirable cabins might be sold out; being flexible about your sail date or itinerary can help.

In general, waiting until the last minute is not the best idea, unless you live in a gateway city such as Chicago, Milwaukee or Toronto and don't need to book flights. While some less preferred sail dates or cabin categories may have availability a few months out, spurring cruise lines to drop rates, you might have trouble finding affordable airfare and pre- or post-cruise hotel accommodations that do not eat up your cruise savings.

What to bring on a Great Lakes cruise

When it comes to packing for a Great Lakes cruise, your mantra should always be: dress in layers. It can be chilly in the morning in the more northerly parts of the Great Lakes, particularly at the start of the Great Lakes cruising season, but then warm up fast.

If you're planning to do some outdoorsy pursuits, such as kayaking or hiking, be sure to bring appropriate activewear. And don't forget to pack a rain jacket, if not a complete rain gear outfit, including a wide-brimmed waterproof hat, rain pants and waterproof shoes or boots.

Also, and this is critical: Don't forget your passport. Many of the places you'll visit in the Great Lakes will be in the United States and do not require a passport. But every Great Lakes cruise includes at least a few — and sometimes many — stops in Canada, where a valid U.S. passport, passport card or NEXUS card is required to enter if you're a U.S. citizen.

Bottom line

There's a lot to see and do in the Great Lakes region, and it's hard to argue that there's a better way to see and do it than on a cruise. Cruise vessels departing from such cities as Chicago and Toronto can take you to all of the highlights of the region — from the breweries of Milwaukee to thundering Niagara Falls — in a single trip. That's something that you'll be hard-pressed to accomplish any other way.

Planning a cruise? Start with these stories:

The 5 most desirable cabin locations on any cruise ship
The 8 worst cabin locations on any cruise ship
A quick guide to the most popular cruise lines
21 tips and tricks that will make your cruise go smoothly
15 ways cruisers waste money
12 best cruises for people who never want to grow up
What to pack for your first cruise

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Best 40ft+ Boat for Great Lakes

Thread starter Rjrufli
Start date Jan 1, 2020
Forums for All Owners
Ask All Sailors

I am finally going to buy our first big boat. We hope to spend the next few years getting ready for retirement when we hope to spend the summers sailing the Great Lakes. I hope to do some single handed sailing and some club racing. Looking for feed back on Hunter Legend 43 versus Beneteau 440 or Beneteau 461.

Which one of the three do you like the best? Can't like all three equally. There must be one that stands out over the others. Maybe something about the cabin layout. Galley layout? Nav table has a swivel chair in one but a fixed chair in the other. One has more modern gear so save money by not having to buy new stuff. Or better yet, one has old electronics then you can get your own and program your MMSI. There must be something about one of the boats that stands out to you. But the biggest question is can you handle the biggest by yourself?

I did the Great Lakes on an 80 footer and thought that a bit small when the water was angry. You might want to go up a bit. lol

JohnShannon

Beneteau first 40.7 or 44.7 or 47.7 price and performance go up every 4 ft. They are the sporty Beneteau and better built than the Oceanis line

Unless you plan to race in spinnaker class, the jib-only Hunter Legend 43 will be a painful boat to race downwind in the typically light GL airs.

David in Sandusky

If racing is a priority, listen to Jackdaw. Otherwise all four of the boats are fine cruisers - pick the one you like the best. I don’t think comfort or safety is an issue for any of the boats you are considering. The Great Lakes are coastal cruising waters. I mean that a safe harbor is almost always less than 8 hours away. It takes longer than that and a long fetch to develop waves that threaten any boat you are considering. In fact this is also true of our h27, given the easy availability of weather forecasts and radar on any smartphone. We have never had a serious safety concern in 20 summers of cruising all of the Great Lakes.

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Best Lake Boats: Considerations & Recommendations

By Jeff Hemmel
January 12, 2024

Every year, countless boaters enjoy “the lake life,” hanging out with friends in the cove, pulling the kids on tubes, skis and boards, or if they’re really lucky, enjoying all of the above from a lakefront home. Lakes are more plentiful and far easier to access than more limited coastal waters. They also typically offer calmer, less intimidating water conditions, a mix of party-friendly coves and secluded fishing spots, and scenic backdrops that vary by region.

Ready to join in on the fun? Here’s what to consider, as well as our expert recommendations, when choosing a lake boat.

On this page:

Best Lake Boats
What to consider when buying a lake boat

Best Types of Boats for Enjoying the Lake

While any boat can be enjoyable on the lake, we think the best are those that match the interests of the person or family they’re intended for.

Popular Lake Boat Types:

Bowriders/Deckboats – Perhaps the classic lake boats, with an open bow cockpit for additional passengers and the versatility to cruise, pull a variety of watersports or fish.
Pontoon Boats – Once dismissed as simply sunset cruisers, modern pontoons boast impressive speed and handling, make a great fishing platform and can even be used for watersports.
Watersports Boats – Designed to deliver the ultimate ride, watersports boats use ballast and additional hardware to produce sizable wakes for board sports, while packing in a sizable crew.
Fishing Boats – From bass boats to fish-n-skis to center consoles, fishing boats focus on the needs of the angler, but typically offer some measure of comfort for family use.
Personal Watercraft – Featuring agile hulls, plenty of horsepower and an intimate connection to the water, PWC continue to be high on fun factor…while growing increasingly diverse.

– SHOW THEM HOW MUCH YOU CARE – Nothing says ‘I love you’ like making sure the kids’ life jackets are snugged up and properly buckled. Safety Tip Provided by the U.S. Coast Guard

Bowriders/Deckboat

The lines have blurred between bowriders and deckboats in recent years, but the common theme is an open bow cockpit that can accommodate additional passengers forward and the versatility to cruise, hang out at the sandbar, fish or pull everyone’s favorite towable. Featuring sterndrive, outboard or jet drive power, their V-hulls handle a variety of water conditions and prove exceptionally stable. Layouts feature seating in both bow and main cockpits and aft swim platforms ideal for swimming, coving or gearing up for watersports.

Quick facts:

Average new boat price: Typically priced between $30,000 – $300,000, depending on length, horsepower, brand and trim level.
Top Brands: Sea Ray, Bayliner, Yamaha, Chaparral, Four Winns, Scarab, Regal, Cobalt, Chris Craft, Monterey, Crownline, Starcraft, Tahoe
Lake/water type: Ideal for small-medium lakes, but larger models with more horsepower can comfortably handle larger bodies of water.
Average passenger capacity: 8 – 12
Primary activities: Cruising, watersports, fishing, family fun.

Highlights:

Incredibly versatile, with room for a family-sized crew and the ability to multi-task (i.e. cruise, fish, cove, watersports)
Deckboats carry beam well forward, typically offering more passenger space than a runabout’s more pointed bow design.
Most sizes are trailerable, opening up the boating lifestyle to those who live off the water or don’t wish to spend money on storage.
Relatively simple to operate, with intuitive controls and responsive handling.

Considerations:

Sterndrive and jet drive power not easily upgradeable should you desire to eventually repower.
Exposed, open cockpits offer little protection in bad weather.

Runabout/Deckboats to Consider:

Scarab 195 ID
Starcraft SVX 230 IO

Once equated as slow, stable platforms for senior citizens’ cocktail cruise, pontoon boats have matured to become one of the best-selling segments in the boating market. Still stable as ever, but with triple-pontoon configurations offering the buoyancy for ever more passengers and horsepower, modern pontoons take advantage of their rectangular footprint to include seating that rivals many living rooms and a seemingly endless list of amenities. Larger horsepower options make a pontoon a legitimate towboat for watersports. Fishing-oriented models will also satisfy the angler.

Quick facts :

Top Brands: Bennington, Harris, Starcraft, Sylvan, Avalon, Tahoe, Manitou, Barletta, Princecraft, Crest, Viaggio
Lake/water type: Ideal for small-medium lakes. Larger models with triple pontoons can comfortably handle some larger lakes or even coastal waters.
Average passenger capacity: 8 – 15
Primary activities: Cruising, fishing, family fun.

Diverse selection of floorpans allow buyers to choose a layout that fits their wants, needs and typical passenger load.
Handling and horsepower have vastly improved and sometimes rival comparable fiberglass V-hulls.
The ultimate party platform, often highlighted by cutting-edge sound and lighting systems.

Considerations:

Medium to larger models are not easily trailerable by common tow vehicles.
Harder to dock/maneuver on a windy day as perimeter fencing can catch the breeze.
Though modern pontoon configurations have lessened the advantage, V-hulls still prove superior in rougher waters.

Pontoons to Consider:

Bennington 20 SF
Manitou Explore 24 Max
Tahoe 2585 Cascade

Watersports Boats

While dedicated ski boats are still produced in limited numbers, most modern watersports boats favor the wake-sports crowd. Hulls are designed to naturally displace water. Wake-boosting internal water ballast tanks and a variety of transom hardware further dials in that wake’s size and shape. While V-drives remain the power of choice for serious riders, both jet drive propulsion and forward-facing sterndrives have opened up the market to a larger audience by also keeping propellers away from riders in the surf zone. Look for intuitive dash displays that dial in wakes, ballast and speed with just a few taps of the screen.

Average new boat price: Typically priced between $100,000 – $300,000, depending on length, horsepower, brand and trim level.
Top Brands: Malibu, MasterCraft, Nautique, Centurion, Moomba, Supra, Tige, Scarab, Regal, Sea Ray
Lake/water type: Ideal for small-medium lakes and relatively calm conditions.
Average passenger capacity: 8 – 16
Primary activities: Wakesurfing, wakeboarding, family fun.

V-drives typically produce superior wakes, but forward-facing sterndrives and jet drives make wake surfing in particular accessible to a much larger audience.
Typically a higher level of fit and finish, particularly on the interior.
Intuitive controls make it easy to adjust multiple variables, and save a rider’s preferred settings in convenient presets.
V-drive boats can’t be trimmed, which can mean a rough ride in choppier waters
Typically more expensive than other boats of comparable size.

Watersports Boats to Consider:

MasterCraft NXT23
Malibu Wakesetter 23 LSV
Regal LS9 Surf

When your fishing grounds are freshwater lakes, your boat of choice often depends on what type of fish you’re after…and who else you have to please. Hardcore anglers can choose between low-slung bass boats, multi-species dual-console models or bigger-water center consoles. Family buyers may find the fish-n-ski the best of both worlds, or a fishing-ready pontoon offers the balance they’re looking for. Whatever your choice, look for plenty of rodholders, rod storage, livewells, and GPS/Fishfinders.

Average new boat price: Typically priced between $20,000 – $100,000, depending on length, horsepower, brand and trim level.
Top Brands: G3, Smoker Craft, Yar-Craft, Bass Cat, Nitro, Charger, Ranger, Skeeter, Starcraft, Triton, Yamaha
Lake/water type: Ideal for small-medium lakes and calm to medium-chop conditions.
Average passenger capacity: 2 – 8
Primary activities: Fishing, cruising, family fun.

Fishing-specific models recognize the needs of the angler, and provide specific amenities like rodholders and storage, livewells to keep bait fresh, electronic GPS/Fishfinders and casting decks.
Convertible seating options often balance the needs of the family buyer, with removable cushions, seating that transitions into casting decks, etc.
Outboard power dominates the fishing market, but jet propulsion has made inroads and offers the shallow draft ideal for skinny waters.
Even on family-friendly models, don’t expect the same plush seating found in mainstream runabouts and deck boats.
Some models, like low-draft bass boats, are ideal for flat, shallow waters but can deliver a rough ride in chop.

Fishing Boats to Consider:

Bass Cat Caracal STS
G3 Boats Angler V178 F
Yamaha 255 FSH Sport H

Personal watercraft deliver an experience akin to a waterborne motorcycle or snowmobile. Even the largest models are easy to tow, store and maintain. As a whole, they’re also some of the most affordable boating choices on the market. Bonus? Today’s personal watercraft are also more diverse than ever before. High-powered flagships still blast across the water and turn on a dime, but there’s also entry-level, family-friendly cruisers, playful freestylers, long-distance touring models, even wakesport and fishing-specific craft.

Quick facts:

Average new boat price: Typically priced between $7,000 – $21,000, depending on length, horsepower, brand and trim level.
Top Brands: Sea-Doo, Yamaha, Kawasaki
Average passenger capacity: 1 – 3
Primary activities: Freeriding, cruising/touring, watersports, fishing.

Sea-Doo RXP-X 325 rocketing across the water

Advantageous horsepower-to-weight ratios deliver strong acceleration and thrilling top speeds, while hull designs prove agile and responsive.
Simple to trailer and store, as well as relatively easy to maintain.
Diverse segments now include tamer recreational models, freestyle tricksters, touring-friendly cruisers, tow-sports haulers, even well-equipped fishing models.
Though relatively simple to operate, riders must familiarize themselves with the craft’s unique controls, including the fact that throttle is required to turn.
Appropriate riding gear is a must, including a Coast Guard-approved lifejacket and neoprene shorts or wetsuit.

Personal Watercraft to Consider:

Sea-Doo RXP-X 325
Yamaha VX Cruiser HO
Sea-Doo Spark Trixx

– TOW LIKE A PRO – Remember to leave extra stopping room when trailering your boat. At the ramp, be considerate of others but take the time you need to launch and recover your boat safely. Always check tie-downs, safety chains, lights – and the drain plug. Safety Tip Provided by the U.S. Coast Guard

Things to Consider When Buying a Lake Boat

Need more help narrowing down your options? Here are five more things to consider when buying a lake boat.

Who will use it: Consider the wants and needs of your entire family, or those you plan to boat with. Make sure your eventual choice can accommodate everyone’s goals.
Safety: Likewise, make sure your crew is safe. Parents of younger children will want a deep cockpit that feels secure.
Size of the lake: Make sure your boat has the size and power to handle the conditions. Larger lakes require larger boats. Some may not be a fit for a boat’s size and style.
Horsepower: Don’t test drive a boat solo, load it up like you plan to use it and see if it performs as expected. If not, consider going up in horsepower.
Storage: Depending on the activity, friends and family may bring a lot of gear aboard. Check out the storage capacity, as well as the convenience of accessing individual compartments.
Price: Be realistic about your budget and buy within your means. Remember added costs, like fuel, insurance, storage, etc.

– ALWAYS USE YOUR ENGINE CUT-OFF LANYARD – Make sure your Engine Cut-Off Switch lanyard is attached to your person whenever you’re underway. They’re now required on all open boats under 26 feet. Safety Tip Provided by the U.S. Coast Guard

Other FAQs About Lake Boats

Have more questions about lake boats? Check out our list of frequently asked questions below, as well as extensive reviews of many lake-worthy boats at boatingmag.com.

What is the best hull type for a lake?

It depends on the lake’s size and water conditions. A deep-V hull is a good choice for most any conditions. Flatter-bottom designs are fine if you keep to calmer, more sheltered areas. Pontoons handle mild-to-moderate conditions with relative ease, but can deliver a rough ride if wakes kick up.

What is the best engine for a lake boat?

Sterndrive, outboard, inboard/V-drive and jet drive are all common engine choices powering lake boats. Outboards are easiest to upgrade should you want more power. Inboards are great for watersports, but can’t be trimmed like an outboard or sterndrive. Jets offer thrilling handling and low draft, but can suck up weeds and debris if present.

What size boat is best for lakes?

Ideally, match your boat to your needs but also your lake. A 29’ bowrider is probably overkill for a 300-acre lake. Likewise, a smaller pontoon is not a good match for larger lakes that can get extremely rough.

Are center consoles good lake boats?

An appropriately sized center console is a good choice for a lake if you’re into fishing and want full access around the boat’s perimeter. It’s probably not the best choice if family comfort is important or if you plan to do a lot of watersports.

What brands or manufacturers produce good lake boats?

A wide range of manufacturers produce good lake boats, including runabout/deckboat manufacturers Sea Ray, Bayliner, Yamaha, Chaparral, Four Winns, Scarab, Regal, Cobalt, Chris Craft, Monterey, Crownline, Starcraft, and Tahoe; pontoon manufacturers Bennington, Harris, Starcraft, Sylvan, Avalon, Tahoe, Manitou, Barletta, Princecraft, Crest and Viaggio; watersports brands Malibu, MasterCraft, Nautique, Centurion, Moomba, Supra, Tige, Scarab, Regal, Sea Ray; and fishing manufacturers G3, Smoker Craft, Yar-Craft, Bass Cat, Nitro, Charger, Ranger, Skeeter, Starcraft, Triton, and Yamaha.

What is the easiest type of lake boat to tow and store?

The easy answer, of course, is that the smaller the boat the easier it is to tow and store. Pontoons are typically the most difficult due to their physical size and unique trailers. Bowriders, deck boats and watersports boats depend on size. Check your vehicle’s owners manual to find its towing capacity. When figuring weight, don’t forget to factor in the weight of the trailer, as well as fuel and gear you have aboard.

What kind of lake boats are best for families?

Bowriders, deck boats, pontoons, and wakesports boats are all ideal for families. Again, consider how your family will use the boat to determine which is the best choice. Some fishing boats can also do double-duty as family models if they offer features like convertible seating.

Which lake boats are best for skiing, wakeboarding, or other watersports?

While many lake boats — including some pontoons — can pull a skier, wakeboarder or tuber, the best recreational rides will typically be offered by a runabout or deck boat with sufficient power. More avid enthusiasts will be best served by ski or wake-specific models designed to produce the ideal wake conditions for their individual sport. Wakesurfing? You must have a boat that keeps the propeller tucked well under the hull to keep the surf zone safe. Inboards/V-drives, forward-facing sterndrives and jet-drive engines all fit the bill.

More: coast guard , Fishing Boats , Personal Watercraft , Pontoon Boats , Runabouts , Water Sports Foundation

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25-08-2015, 11:48

Boat: Alden auxiliary ketch 48'

, you will sail 50% and 50% if you are on any kind of schedule.

25-08-2015, 12:08

within a days sail or motor. I can motor all day on a tank of gas with my A4 and have much left over. Pull in, gas up, get a bite, walk the town. SOP on the lakes.

If you need a bit more gas, buy a couple of jerry cans, fill 'em up and strap them to the . Easy peasy.

Replacing a perfectly good working motor in a 53 y/o is not in my cards. I get along just fine, as do the thousands of folks who maintain A4s in their . What is being presented here is a non-issue.

25-08-2015, 12:39

Boat: Alden auxiliary ketch 48'

for a boat I didn't already own, would be a plus for me.

It wouldn't be a deal breaker though if I found the right boat for the right with an A4.

Sent from my XP7700 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

25-08-2015, 12:46
	have a 3.5 gallon tank for the , might have used a gallon and a half this season. Most of that was used warming the up before leaving or entering my slip. I sail 95% of the time solo so a tiller pilot and winches were a must. To be honest I use my mostly for as I have a networked to it. Most of the time you can see where you're going on the lake. When I need a powered to raise a sail on a 30' boat I'll give up, spend my days sitting on the front porch yelling at the to stay off my lawn! You really don't need much on a sailboat to be safe , I remember well the days before satnav and etc. People cruised the world on smaller boats than are "required" today. To listen to a lot of people you're as good as dead if you leave on a boat under 45' and built before 2014 unless you are ready to replace everything but the , can cross 3 oceans on internal , have a and 5000 gallons in reserve. , AND a to keep the icemaker going while running the full surround sound entertainment system with a 54" TV. Get a boat with the basics; learn all about the systems and decide what YOU need on the next one. Don't need to get out sailing on every boat, a bit of time on deck and down below can really let you know how you think the layout will . Not much difference in sail handling from one boat to another and you can change this to suit yourself. One boat mentioned here that I have a lot of experience with is the , beautiful boats from the outside, sail nice if you don't mind how much they heel. Problem in my is the , long narrow dark cave. Typical of the "folk boats". The guy I bought my boat from bought a Cat 30, nice boat good layout, plenty of room down below for a 30. Not sure if it is still but there is a Ticon 30 a couple slips down that had a sign all season, hasn't left the . Will be going out in a couple days I'll check if it's still for and get a number for it. Sucks but got in the way of sailing this week......

25-08-2015, 13:11
Boat: Irwin 43 Mk111 CC, Sloop	Sailing. fittings not always suitable for chlorides~salt . When you say go further afield I assume you mean ?

25-08-2015, 13:47

Boat: Rafiki 37

stops.

25-08-2015, 13:54

Boat: Mirage 35

, plumber & electrician on a a boat, no matter how many he charters.

25-08-2015, 13:59

haven for anyone travelling the Canadian coast between the Sault and Marathon. Between Marathon and Thunder Bay there are now only two marinas with fuel: Red Rock and Nipigon, and those are down in Nipigon Bay and a fair bit off the main Lake.

25-08-2015, 13:59

revealed so little in the way of harbours.

I went up the Keewena, Copper , then across to T-Bay.

Fuel range matters on the super lake.

Sent from my XP7700 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

25-08-2015, 14:12
	yachts on . A well equipped 33 is for sale in Port Dover and would be a good boat for the lighter winds on the lakes. As you increase in size remember the tall rig usually means deeper and that can be a problem in the lower water years. Get a for sure, and especially look for water in the deck. Try to find out where the boat was built and whether it was after switched to vinyl ester from poly.

25-08-2015, 14:14

25-08-2015, 14:15
Boat: Catalina MK1 36	will get you in trouble with hobby horsing in the short waves. If you get a tall rig be sure to get a double reef in the main. First reef will just take you down to a standard rig. If you get a shoal you won't point as high as a and there aren't many places you can't go in the GL drafting 6'. Good choice in taking the Canadian Squadron course. Continue taking them. You will learn a lot. I just sailed from Leamington ON to Catawba Island OH yesterday in 25-33 winds in my tall rig with a double reef and no problems.

25-08-2015, 14:23

and there aren't many places you can't go in the GL drafting 6'.
Good choice in taking the Canadian Squadron course. Continue taking them. You will learn a lot.
I just sailed from Leamington ON to Catawba Island OH yesterday in 25-33 winds in my tall rig with a double reef and no problems.

25-08-2015, 15:59
Boat: C&C 37/40+

25-08-2015, 16:04

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New search opens for plane carrying 3 that crashed in Michigan's Lake Superior in 1968

A high-tech boat outfitted with sonar and cameras is trying to try to solve the mystery of a 1968 plane crash that killed three people in Michigan’s Lake Superior

A high-tech unmanned boat outfitted with sonar and cameras is trying to solve the mystery of a 1968 plane crash that killed three people who were on a scientific assignment at Michigan's Lake Superior.

Seat cushions and pieces of stray metal have washed ashore over decades. But the wreckage of the Beechcraft Queen Air, and the remains of the three men, have never been found in water as deep as 400 feet (122 meters).

An autonomous vessel known as the Armada 8 was in Lake Superior on Monday, joined by boats and crew from Michigan Tech University’s Great Lakes Research Center in Houghton in the state's Upper Peninsula.

“We know it's in this general vicinity,” Wayne Lusardi, the state's maritime archaeologist, told reporters. "It will be a difficult search. But we have the technology amassed right here and the experts to utilize that technology.”

The plane carrying pilot Robert Carew, co-pilot Gordon Jones and graduate student Velayudh Krishna was traveling to Lake Superior from Madison, Wisconsin, on Oct. 23, 1968. They were collecting data on temperature and water radiation for the National Center for Atmospheric Research.

Searches of the lake that fall and in 1969 did not reveal the wreckage.

“It was just a mystery,” Lusardi said.

Travis White, a research engineer at the Great Lakes Research Center, was aboard a boat with monitors displaying real-time results from the autonomous vessel. He said bright colors would indicate something manmade, signaling a possible plane wreckage.

“Any wrecked aircraft is treated very much similar to a wrecked (ship) in the Great Lakes. It won't be disturbed," White said on an afternoon livestream from Lake Superior. “What we're trying to do is document its location and condition and try to provide as much of an answer as we can to the question of what happened.”

Family members of the three men who died are aware of the new search.

This isn't a solo mission. The autonomous vessel will also be mapping a section of the bottom of Lake Superior, a vast body of water with a surface area of 31,700 square miles (82,100 square kilometers).

The search is being organized by the Smart Ships Coalition , a grouping of more than 60 universities, government agencies, companies and international organizations interested in maritime autonomous technologies.

"We will have a successful mission at the end of this week showing a new application for technology, new things found on the lakebed in an area that’s not been previously surveyed in this way,” said David Naftzger, executive director of the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Governors & Premiers, a group of U.S. states and Canadian provinces.

Follow Ed White at https://twitter.com/edwritez

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Top Power Boats Favored by Enthusiasts. If you prefer the speed and convenience of power boats, there are several models that excel in Great Lakes cruising. Boats like the Sea Ray Sundancer 320 and the Chris-Craft Catalina 34 are popular choices known for their performance and comfort.
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Re: Advice on the best ~27'er for Great Lakes Sailing. 27 ft boats are a good value these days. Catalina 27s are good weekend cruising sailboats foracoupleor small family. The atomic 4 is ok if you know how to do an old fashioned tune up, it's not hard to learn. Shallow draft is nice in freshwater!
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Hunter 27_75-84 Sandusky Harbor Marina, Ohio. Jan 2, 2020. #6. If racing is a priority, listen to Jackdaw. Otherwise all four of the boats are fine cruisers - pick the one you like the best. I don't think comfort or safety is an issue for any of the boats you are considering. The Great Lakes are coastal cruising waters.
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