South Lake Erie shore makes for memorable cruising

By Jim Ehrman, Rear Commodore 

In 2019 we cruised from Sandusky Bay, Ohio, to Erie, Pa., for the Tall Ships event. The Tall Ships Festival is held every three years in Erie, home of the USS Brig Niagara. This year’s event is Aug. 21-24. See https://tallshipserie.org/ for details. 

We left Sandusky (see Harbor Report No. E-16) and traveled to Geneva on the Lake, (see HR# E-6.5) east of Mentor Harbor. The marina has limited transient dockage; reservations are strongly recommended. It’s a short walk into town where you will find yourself in a quaint step back in time. This harbor needs a GLCC Port Captain. 

We departed Geneva and headed east, to Erie, arriving at Presque Isle. You will realize why Admiral Perry chose this location for his fleet as it can be easily missed going east or west. Now it is well marked. Boaters today also have many navigation options (GPS, chart plotting, etc.) to assist. Imagine if all the navigation buoys and lighthouse were not there.  

Follow your charts carefully. The east sandbar before the entrance constantly shifts. Follow the buoys. Don’t be tempted to take a shortcut even if it looks clear (see HR# E-4). The entrance blends in with trees and beach and is rather disguised. Once you pass through the main channel, it opens into an expansive, well-protected harbor. You will be amazed at how large the bay is and how extensive the peninsula is. Presque Isle is both a commercial and recreational port. There are numerous private marinas along with the Presque Isle State Park marina. There is much to see and do. 

For your own cruising, when leaving Presque Isle, consider going east to Dunkirk, NY. The Yacht Club is unique in that it floats. What a construction! The people at this club will treat you like king and queen. Be sure to contact Port Captain Jay Bishop. He has written that card-carrying GLCC members get a special surprise. Once you visit this port, you will have it on your favorites list when in the area. (See HR# E-3) 

Then you could head onto Buffalo, NY. Read the Harbor Report (thank you Julie Thorndycraft) and be sure to follow your charts. There are sections here that have strong currents. Oh, by the way, we are in need of GLCC Port Captains here. We are getting lots of member interest here. (see HB# E-1) 

Time to head to home port. On your way back westerly, don’t forget to stop at Ashtabula, Chagrin, Mentor, Cleveland, Lorain, Vermilion, Huron, Sandusky, and Island Areas. 

The south shore of Lake Erie has much to offer, with a variety of types of places to visit. See you on the water!