Hi,
I'm new to this forum, live in Kentwood. Got a new Getaway have sailed at Reed's lake in Grand Rapids, out of Port Sheldon north of Holland you can get through a channel by just asking a power boater for a tow, they usally love to help out.. Also been mostly over to Gun Lake, which with Reed's is not really large but good wind and the water is very warm..... Lake Michigan was really really cold and didn't have the same wind. Anyway have a great sail..

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

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

I went to high school in Grayling a Very long time ago, and used to work at the camp in the summer. Never sailed there, is there a good availble ramp? When I get over this cold I'm going to try and get to Higgins Lake with my son for a day, maybe will try Lake Magrethe also.

Now I know where some of the old Hobie 18s in MI reside, there are about 8 - 10 in Muskegon. Hope to see some of the sailors soon as I have just put mine on the beach as well.

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

Just thought I would make a standing offer to any MI forum members who might be interested.

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

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

I can't beleive that you just posted this. I will be at Portage Point Inn next Saturday. I will be there for the week and always like to check out areas I have not seen.

Let me know. jaywenstrup@fuse.net

Do you mean on the 12th?

I should have checked back here.

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

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

I sailed that on a few years ago. It is a rental for the Inn. I think that I was the only one that has sailed it. It needs a little work but still fun.

just found this OLD! thread - you folks still members here? and do you have any UPDATED info for 2010?

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

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

There are still a number of us out here...best place I've found is the north end of Torch Lake using the public launch...VERY cat friendly beach that you can wade your cat (knee deep water, crystal clear with sand, no rocks) over to and finish raising sails, boom, blocks, etc...then sail away up and down 18 miles of caribbean blue (slightly cold) water with the wind off lake Michigan but without the big water.



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

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

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

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

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

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

I can suggest a lake not to go to - Mullet Lake. Unless you have access to the water via a private launch, Aloha State Park is your best bet. It's a shame, too, because the water is warm and the winds are good, but there's very little public access and even fewer beaches. The wind usually blows from the south and by the time it gets to Aloha it has created quite a bit of chop at the northern end of the lake.

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

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