Lake St. Clair / St. Clair Shores???? To do?

[the sMac]

I'm thinking about taking my Checkmate on a little day cruise from The Sandusky Bay on Lake Erie up the Detroit River and into Lake St. Clair.

I've done the trip before - actually a few times - but I never took my own boat. I was always working on boats or delivering a boat to a customer. So my experience on what to do - where to go and eat is limited.

Any advice from anyone who's done this or is from the area?

I thought about hitting Crystal Bay and see what that is about and then heading up towards the Jefferson Beach Marina area for luch. Heading back down the Detroit River and staying the night around Detroit/Windsor.

Don't know anything else right now except I am shooting for August 19th as the day. Might not even stay the night but instead come back home later in the day.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
thanks in advance

 

[the sMac]

I don't know if I'll get any replies in time - but I was also wondering about Customs if I venture into Canada. I heard it's pretty easy, but I wanted to confirm that and where's the best place to check-in if I wanted to stay in Canada the night - or do I even need to?

Thanks again

 

[Mich Pulse]

I live on lake st. clair. We took the boat to goulchester canada (our cottage) by water and you phone in at the marina to customs. From what I remember we gave our liscense info to them via the phone, and the mc #'s etc. Wasn't bad at all. We also fish over in canadian waters alot, but don't usually call in. Hope this helps

 

[merc245]

I happen to live & do most my boating in that area.I've run that area for 15 yrs now. I can help U downriver, which is limited. The first place is Portofino located in wyandotte. You either run up the Livingston channel on the east side of Grosse Ilse to the north tip that would be Hennimen Pt. you will see the small downtown area of Wyandotte & head down bound apx 500 yds and it will be on your right. Or simply run up the trenton channel under both bridges just past the 9 hole golf course and it right there.It would be my choice with the best location and view of any. And the most protected docking.( make sure in some what in the rears.)

Then theres the Pier 500 on the north end of Wyandotte. Only apx. 4 slips very rough water to dock and the crowd can be just as rough.

Then theres Sinbad's located north side of Detroit just south of St. Clair. Its north of the MacAurther bridge. Its a full service marine well protected dockage.

On the Canadian side is basically Duffys hotal & Marina located at mouth of erie. Great food and lots of local flavor. The docks are older and somewhat high and the water is alwayson the rough side.Hint: dock on the south wall of the marina as far back as possiable. If decide here you can call in at customs for your time at crystal bay.( I use duffys to call in then head over to crystal bay)

Crystal Bay Is nothing like it was in yrs past.Before 100's of boats tons of people all party like mad. plenty of nudity ect. ect. ect.

Now days after 9/11 and the crackdown on a hot weekend you might get 50 to 75 boats in the bay and raft offs of maybe 5 boats its all pretty mellow nowdays.Even the cops don't patrol it that much now either.But y I still go over is its the Best water in the area to anchor and swim.

To call in ONLY if you are going to drop anchor they want u on canadian soil. call 1 888 CAN PASS and just declare when, who & whats on board and ALLWAYS include a 2nd or 3rd day off the back end. just in case u stay a extra day and it saves on the hassel of recalling. It might take 2min or 15 min so be patient
good luck.
I'm off that saturday might see you out there. MERC245

 

[the sMac]

Thanks Merc245!

Ever head to St. Clair Shores and the area around Jefferson Beach?

I'm looking for a place where we can get out of the boat and have some land-fun too. I've been to Jefferson Beach Marina before and I remember a neat little restaurant there but I don't remember what else there was to do.

I'm looking for a place to dock, hang out eat/drink, etc.

Any advice on navigating that River? avoid areas or tricky markers? Like I said, I've done this trip a few times, but things change.

Thanks again.

 

[merc245]

I've taken the starflite up to the metro beach and the clinton river to eat, but never stopped at the nautical mile.(Jefferson beach marine area).Plenty of nice restaurants / Bars in the area.You'll get the best bang for your time & effort there.Then theres always the HIGH END eye candy thats on that side of town, marine & otherwise if you catch my drift.




nothing has changed on the river. Just once your get north of the livingston channel. The river broadens out with alot of flats So just follow the channel thru Wyandotte, Ecorse & River Rouge into Detroit where the river tights up again.

 

[the sMac]

Is there anywhere we can dock in the Jefferson Beach Marina area where we can get out and walk to or is this a taxi type of location?

Any GPS coords for places handy? Crystal Bay GPS coord??

I think we're gonna leave Port Clinton (Sandusky Bay) around 8:00-9:00 on Saturday morning, zip up to the Detroit River and head up to Crystal Bay to check it out. We should be there by 11:00, so that should work well. From there we'll head up to Jefferson Beach area and look for a place to dock and then get out and have lunch, walk around and look around.

I wanted to stay the night around Detroit, is this an option? Any place to stay? I think I can stay at the Deroit Yacht Club, but I'm not sure. I belong to the Sandusky Yacht Club and Detroit is a reciprical club - so I think I have access to it.... ???

Thanks again for the help.

 

[merc245]

To bad it wasn't last saturday I tide up with some ol'e friends and had a ton of fun like it was 10 yrs ago at the bay. I don,t have any coods. for you. But crystal bay is the map. Just north thru the livingston channel (up the down bound channel. About half the up the the walls open up to allow for cross traffic. Its known as the hole in the wall.(go figure). heading north as u come to hole in the wall u vear east of the channel. There be 1/2 millon homes behind u on the north end of bob-lo island. And that large bay in front is crystal bay. But you want get to east side of the bay before you head in to the bay. The east side wall stay weed free.

I know theres 3 or 4 fine bars & marinas in a 1 mile strech at the natical mile.

 

[Johnny HotFoot]

At Jefferson Beach Marina, you can tie up at "The Beach Grill"
.....it's a boater friendly bar/restaurant with live music a few nights a week....

Good food, good fun right there, or you can walk or bum your way up and down Jefferson right there, and like what has been posted earlier, the Nautical Mile has a few fun places to hop from and to.....:cheers


I do not think they want you leaving your boat there overnight, but I would assume you could somewhere else... I just don't know, someone else will!

 

[the sMac]

Thanks folks - this trip is getting a better plan everyday now.

I think we'll head up and hit the a bar/restaurant around Crystal Bay for lunch... head up to Jefferson Beach for a little site-seeing, a few cocktails and kick around a little. Then we'll head back down river to the Detroit Yacht Club for dinner and possibly an overnight dockage. I already called in and have a slip waiting. I could sleep on the boat, but I think we'll try to reserve a room downtown. Wake up, eat and head back home to the Erie Islands for lunch... then back to the home-dock.

That's the plan - I'm sure we won't follow it, but that's the plan! ha.

Any other advice is greatly appreciated! Thanks again.

(Johnny HotFoot, thanks, that was the place I've been to before but couldn't remember the name. I delivered a Fountain there about 2 years ago and had a great time)