"P. Fritz" wrote in message
...

" JimH" wrote in message
...

"P. Fritz" wrote in message
...

" JimH" wrote in message
...

"Smithers one of 1000's" Smithers of a 1000 names wrote in
message
...
JimH,
When is it boating season in your neck of the woods?. We normally
have
the boat recommissioned the first weekend after April 15th. By
May,
the
weather is perfect for quiet days on the lake. It isn't till
Memorial
Day
that the lake becomes busy.


" JimH" wrote in message
...

"Smithers" Yes, Smithers is not my real name. wrote in message
news Does anyone have a favorite boating toy they are hoping will be
under
the Christmas Tree or Menorah?

Since I don't trust anyone to buy what I want, I normally have a
box
with assorted hot sauces and a sweater under the tree. I then
go
shopping after Christmas at deep discounts.

I plan on updating my stereo system on the boat, so I can play
my
IPOD
through the system, and have some nice speakers in the cabin.



Everything I plan to get will be after Christmas and closer to
Spring.

This includes:

1. New bolster type helm seat and adjustable pedestal
2. New carpeting
3. Bimini (high enough to stand up under while driving)
4. Portable rechargeable battery charger/jumper
5. AM/FM/CD player (replacing the cassette player currently in
the
boat).

I am also taking the sunpad and 2 cushions to an upholstery shop
to
be
recovered.

This has been my plan since buying the boat last summer, with
these
projects planned in Spring. The helm seat and sink/ice box was
already
torn out before I put the boat to bed for the winter.

Believe it or not...........it is still technically fall even
though
the
ground is covered with snow and temperatures have been in the
single
digits......

This is going to be a long winter. :-(




All marinas on Lake Erie typically have boats hauled out by
November
1st.
There remains, however, the trailer boater and some die hard blow
boaters on
the water in November.

My boat insurance does not cover being in the water from Nov.1 to Apr
1.
I think that is a pretty common policy.



Come December everything on the water shuts down on Lake Erie,
although
I do
not know the shut down date for commercial large ship traffic.

The Coast Guard keeps the shipping lanes open all year, according
to a
friend of mine that is an officer for one of the freighter lines,
but I
think the lock up at the Soo shut down for a short time.



The port of Cleveland (and I am sure Sandusky and Toledo) has a winter
shut
down and re-open date, although I do not know what those dates are.




Come mid to late March, despite the ice and temperatures, some die
hard
boaters (on trailers) are back on the water.

Marina's typically open their season on April 1st, with fishermen
the
first
ones to splash, followed by those living on boating condos with
heat.

The crazy ones are the live aboards. I have a friend living on a 27
Four Winns, it is bubbled and under a shed roof.....personally, I
think he
is nuts........



Yep. I would guess things eventually get tight even on a 75 footer.




The Lake Erie water temperature is around 40 degrees on April 1st
Temperatures do not rise into the 50's until May and finally reach
comfortable levels (for swimming and in water activities) from late
June
through early September. Temperatures then begin to plunge into
the
50's in
October till they reach 34-33F throughout the winter.

It is amazing how quickly the water gets cold, isn't it?


It stayed pretty warm this year, even into September. But you are
correct,
it gets cold very fast.




Although the Lake is shallow (35 feet is an average depth on the
Western
Basin) it does not always freeze over. Most years it does and
folks
living
on the western islands are capable of driving their modified cars
across the
ice to the mainland.

It has to be pretty lonely out on South Bass during the winter. I
hear
the keep one bar open year round for the locals......any truth to that
rumor?

We have always wanted to fly into Kelleys Island during the winter to
drop
into "The Village Pump". We may do it this winter and will let you
know,
although I am sure we will not be able to find any golf carts to rent
though. ;-)

BTW: We are renting a 3 bedroom cottage at Saunders on PIB this
summer,
with our friends renting the unit next door. We will trailer over (on
the
ferry) our 20 footer and keep it on the hook at the public mooring area
near
the Crews Nest but in the bay, accessing it by water taxi when we need
it.
We will have a variety of guests staying with us, most especially our
son
w/friends and daughter w/friends. Having a boat handy for skiing,
tubing or
cruising to swimming spots or other islands will be a plus for all.

My son and daughter are taking the USCG PS classes over the summer.
They
have both been taught on the proper operation of a boat, boat safety
rules
and regulations and docking/maneuvring techniques, most especially on
our
larger boats. They have boated with us since they were each 1 years
old.

With their USCG PS certification over the winter, combined with their
past
training and experience on our boats they will be able to take this 20
footer (actually a 21 footer if you look at the specs but size does not
matter to me) out on their own with friends this summer and during this
vacaction to PIB. How cool is that if you are an 18-21 year old?
:-)


I will not take my soon to be 16 y.o. daughter to P.I.B. LOL

I will hopefully be down there for the long fourth of July weekend, as
well as another one or two if gas isn't too expensive.






The weekends are pretty wild there...the weekdays are tame.