Lake Michigan Shanty Boat

Par, that's exactly my point - perhaps I'm not forthright enough with my wording!

BUT, rather than tackle the very steep learning curve necessary to cruise or sail Lake Michigan safely, let alone build a vessel capable of handling the conditions of that particular sailing ground,

PERHAPS Johnnymitch and friend would be better off, as beginners, choosing a different sailing ground, a proper sheltered water, and building something within their capability and resources, which would be suited to having some fun in much more benign waters.

 

a little more freeboard and this design will take you straight down anywhere you want to go on the great lakes.
http://www.boatdesign.net/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/4777 Has a flybridge too.

 

Sorry Tiny, didn't pickup on your subtle hints, which are quite correct.

I was a young builder too, my first at 12 years old, but it was an 8' pram, not a houseboat. My second at 15 was a 16' day sailor and I took it into breakers you wouldn't dare a bigger or more valuable boat, but I was a very skilled skipper at this point.

I understand the desire to build and maybe travel around the big local puddle (mine was the Chesapeake Bay), but common sense has to weigh in eventually.

For the money to build, Johnny should consider a small conventional powerboat. You can still putter around the big pond, blast up rivers and into coves, plus have some resale value when it's time for your next project. Besides it's easier to get a cute girl on a cool looking powerboat than in a floating Winnebago.

 

That`s kind of hard to argue with.
Buy a good used one at that .
You may recover all your outlay ,when it`s time to move on.

 

Like Par i started boats young, mowed lawns and such until I saved up enough to get myself a little 13' with a non running 10 hp Evenrude I think I was something like 14 at the time, but anyways with some ok a lot of help got that old engine to turn over, used her for a few years then decided to try my hand at building a boat with a buddy of mine, learned a lot of good lessons and ruined alot of good wood before in the process of learning a few good lessons 1) don't get drunk before or while working on the boat 2) all them pretty curves are really hard to actually pull off. If i were you and still intent on building look at a simple chined or a flat bottomed boat in the 10-15 foot range. I'm not sure about in WI but here in MA if it's a non-powered vessel of less than 13' it doesn't HAVE to have any documentation. If you want you can PM me and I'll help corrupt I mean introduce you to boating.
What ever you do don't take a shanty boat onto the lake.

One more though I'm not sure if you can in WI but i used to hang around the beach with the boat go swimming and take chicks out for a little cruise around the cove, don't think you could coax them onto a floating shack though......

 

I lived out on cape cod and worked at a local pet store since I was 11 or 12, saved my nickles to buy a sail fish which I nearly drowned in several times. Once I had more money I got scuba gear and nearly drowned a few more times. Eventually I learned to avoid the near drownings buy keeping an eye on the sky.

So also having been out on that death trap often mistaken as lake Michigan, I jest not, I really do want some of your stuff. Please Pm me some time before your initial embarkation with next of kin contact information, list of tools, guns and electronics might come in handy as well.

Best of luck
cheers
B

 

The Great Lakes aren't really lakes at all: as has been said many times they are inland seas. Problems at sea tend to concentrate in coastal areas where shoal water kicks up big or breaking waves, wind and water can get into opposition, wind direction can be unpredictable and there is a lot of traffic entering and leaving nearby ports that just cannot steer around you even if they want to. The lakes have all of these things in abundance. A blue water sailor is safer and more comfortable out of sight of land.

Of course, nothing may happen to you. Then you will likely find that, once you're well out on a lake is a slow cranky boat that it's deadly boring.

Welcome to the forum, enjoy yourself and tell us about it. You will need to survive to do that!

 

The problem with the Great Lakes Vis a Vi storms/wx is no matter where you sail or which way the wind blows your allways on a lee shore.

K9