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Lake Erie/Maumee Bay Area?

I run the south side of the Detriot river out into Erie to about the Detroit light house.And have run around the islands a few times leaving out of Sandusky Bay.
 
I'm from south of you. I usually run the Maumee river a few times a year from Grand Rapids to Napoleon. I've been meaning to get out to Erie for two years now... maybe this will be the year.
 
i'm right here w/you ! ran alot last year @ mary jane thurston ,good sand bar afternoons ,or i launch in perrysburg
 
I'm a bit north of you (Ann Arbor area), but we are thinking about camping at the maumee campground for memorial day. We were going to go there last year, but the ranger there scared me off and said the water could get really rough in the bay and that the river was super shallow.

Z, Nick and Merc - Let me know what' it's like down there. If the river is descent, it looks like a great place - you could run the river if it's rough and get out into the bay if it's not. 20+ miles to put in bay if the weather is really (really really) calm.

Maumee just over an hour from my house so I could even get down there without the family to shake out the new boat - especially if I had another boat to go out with.

Hey - Merc - did I ever tell you that I saw your boat at Kary's? It was cool to see it after all of the pics. Great colors!
 
Anthony, mary jane thurston state park is west of maumee/toledo on US24 about 15-20min in Grand Rapids, OH. Thats the only place I've been boating up there. It would be cool to have an outing or two this year up that way if the scheduling works out with everyone. It'd be fun to hit erie and see what its all about.
 
I'm up for it. If it's memorial day - I'll have the family and be a little bit of a wuss going too too far out into Erie (unless weather was really mellow). If it's another weekend - I could do a guys outing. I've been to put-in-bay a bunch of times (via jet ferry) and would LOVE to run the boat out there.

But that mary jane area is deep enough for nice boating? Is the water OK to swim in? It's a good back-up if it's windy. If it's not - then an erie run would be good. Heck, I will still probably have two nice boats then and could bring the right one for the water we'd be on. What kind of crazy guy has two nice boats?! ...of course three is OK...:poke:
 
Only a dumbass has three, apparently:p

Mary Jane Thruston is great. There is camping there and I'd swim in the river. Its a little muddy till later in the season with runoff from the rain, but its sweet after that. I've only gone in the middle of the season, though. Zstevens would know more because he gets out on it more than I do.

I think its 8-10ft deep from what the ranger told me and I've run the 24SB with no problems there- late in the season whan the water was down a little. I usually don't venture much past Napoleon in the SB, but I've had the Checkmate as far as Florida, OH- then started to chicken out (I should have gotten out the anchor and seen how deep it was there). You can run the stingray without issues as far as Napoleon- thats 15+ miles of river running.

I've always thought we should have a get together up there for MI and OH guys... no speed limits, no no-wake zones, and good flat water- somtimes wakeboard boats are out on it. Also, I don't know of good shallow places to drop anchor and hang in the water there?
 
I'm in. If it's river only - I'll probably bring the check. If we might get out into the lake, I'll bring the Stingray.

Merc - how was the run out to Kelley's Island in your boat? I'd be nervous in that water in my starliner.
 
from grand rapids toward the lake there is a dam then lots of shallows ! we used to float it,lazy river style cooler in a tube etc... then in perrysburg,or across river by the toledo zoo are 2 other rampsthat you can run out to the lake/maumee bay from,but thru downtown is no wake. back to MJT there is a sand bar bout waist deep +/- just north of S.R. 109 bridge its off to left side as your goin up river from grang rapids. past that napolean has a ramp w/ extra docks ,ice cream shop up the hill ,carry out a bit further away. as for runnin the lake the western end of lake erie is the shallowest so wave patterns rarely existits normally a churning chop til you get to the litehouse . i havent been to PIB in my mate but i've been close enuf it just depends on if your in a hurry or have time to slowly cruise back in! as for memorial weekend i"m scheduled to work,but that could change.
 
Does the sand bar area by 109 have post that people tie up to... I'm thinking that is the area? I've seen a few boats tied up there and wondered, but when I dropped anchor it was fairly deep and had a rocky feeling bottom. Maybe the sandbar is closer to the shore and bridge from those posts?
 
yup,last year one of the guys that lives upstream put in 4 orange dock poles ! had reflector tape & solar lites on top ! its probably 50yards off the river bank,not wide but long .
 
Hey - Merc - did I ever tell you that I saw your boat at Kary's? It was cool to see it after all of the pics. Great colors!
__________________


Thanks, I do remember reading you out there sometime ago.I have to give kary a call to see if everything went all right in re-ringing the 245.I hoping no news is good news.
I would like to find a little money and see what he can do about getting some shine on the deck and put some proper color back on the transom area.
I know I have some work on the trailer,like repair the fender were I lost a tire last season and other minor touchups on it.That stuffs no proplem.
If not this yr then next yr for the hull.:cheers:
 
morning

just saw all the postings here talking about the state park MJT. We live in Monroe Mi. Dont know if any of you have thought about Sterling State Park (about 15 mile North of Toledo) its very near 75 camping boat launch right into Lake Erie, play grounds for the kids. Just thought I would throw that one out for you guys. Have a great day.
 
Im from Downriver.... I just bought a 1983 Checkmate with an IO, How well do these boats take the waves on Lake Erie? Or am I better off on the river?
 
Out on Erie, it can get snotty for a 50 ftr. But I've been running around Grosse isle, sugar and crystal bay and trenton & livingston channels for yrs. The water is not bad on average day only kicking up to a serious chop when to the wind blows north. Your OI will ride fine in those areas. Heading north up the river it can run 3-4 ft rollers at the Bridge and along the city

Once I made out to PIB from Sandusky Bay in 30 minutes on < 1 ftrs. Then next day I came home in 5-7+ ftrs for 2.5 hrs. Good Luck, See you out there.
 
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