"Joey916" wrote in message
ups.com...
Looking for advice on whether to venture onto Lake Michigan or not... I
have an 18' Runabout that we use on lakes and such in Indiana, but
after a recent trip to the dunes (Indiana and Warren) area beaches with
the kids, I noticed folks out having a good time in like crafts and
thought to myself, that looks like fun!

So how bout it Blue Devils? Is it illadvised to venture out in the big
lake with a small craft? Do I need special permits? Where's the best
place to put in? Basically, what do I need to know before thinking
about doing something like this.

I've heard all the horror stories about how the lake can turn evil in
just a few minutes and wouldn't want to get in over my head. We just
wanted to explore some of the coastline in southwest MI that isn't that
easy to get to from land.

Curiousity is killing me....
`

A buddy of mine goes out on his 17 to do fishing. As long as you dont go too
far out, you are fine. I did it a few times back when I had my 17 foot
welcraft. Once the weather moves in, you will have issues. The good part of
playing around on the Michigan (state) side, is that its easy to see the
weather pattern move in from the west. So you have some time to clear out.
One thing to remember, is to have a good radio on board.

On that note, a year ago, Tribune ran a story about a guy on a jet ski that
was floating on michigan for 3 days. Coast guard found him dehydrated. The
guy was from florida and assumed he could not drink the water. Anyway - I
thought that was funny.