Background: We bought our 1977 Sea Ray SRV two weeks ago. She has a new
bilge pump and steering cables; while the steering cables were installed
we had the bellows checked and the engine compression tested (both were
fine). She has a fish finder, VHF radio, flares, running lights, PFDs,
fenders, lines, etc.

Saturday: Six hours of sleep -- I flew in from Houston the night before
-- and I was setting up my laptop to check the marine weather report.
We decided to pack for Chicago even with SCA's, but we wouldn't go out
until they were cancelled.

By the time we were ready to go out to the boat the SCA had been lifted.

First stop: St. Joseph/Benton Harbor. After cruising for 2 hours in
choppy water we were ready for a break. As we entered at 2pm, we heard
a loud horn. I looked around, wondering what I had done wrong, but then
the bridge went up. My SO laughed at my paranoia, not for the last
time.

There are public tie-ups along the St. Joseph river, next to a park, and
we had a nice macaroni/crab salad. My SO fed the ducks and made our
poor lab sit still while 20 ducks surrounded her. Finally the
excitement was too much and she took off.

Getting in and out of the boat was worse for me than the lab. The "no
wake" zone is apparently advisory along this section of the river.
Further, while I may not be afraid of heights, I do get uncomfortable
with the thought of falling. Climbing into the boat from the river bank
requires a lot of agility, and watching the bow bob up and down made me
slightly dizzy. However, I sucked it up and got on. That's when the
horn blew for the bridge.

Next stop: New Buffalo. We pulled in for gas, and while we were
embarrassingly inept, we did not cause anyone any harm. We met my GF's
brother, who's office is nearby, and tried to get the Michigan game on
the radio. Just as well we didn't. We left a little before 4pm.

We noticed that we were basically due East of Chicago, so we decided to
forge ahead straight across (we don't have a GPS, but we do have a
compass). This wasn't difficult because the lake was relatively calm,
we were going with the weather, and because we could see the John
Hancock building almost right away.

I had asked my GF to make a marina reservation the week before, but she
scoffed at me, noting that it was the off season. We found that a few
miles offshore we had cell service -- or so our phones said -- but that
they didn't work. Nextel said "restricted service" and Sprint just said
"calling...." We found Navy Pier and cruised around it. I was
exhausted, not having shared driving duties with my SO, selfish of me, I
know. She took over the driving, resentful that she didn't get to do it
out on the lake. We headed down to Burnham harbor and the it was much
calmer. I called the marina and they had no transient slips. I
refrained from mentioning that it was the off season, and instead asked
where we could go. It was about 7pm eastern, and night was approaching.

Two marinas were closed, but Diversey had a slip for us. I gave him all
my information, and after I hung up my SO asked, "how much is it?" I
didn't know.

We pounded up the coast behind a 39' Sea Ray who ended up going to the
same harbor we were, and in fact docked next to us. Getting into the
harbor was tricky because you could only do it at certain times (one way
channel -- I was glad I didn't know it), and it makes an "S" before
going under a low, fixed bridge. I followed the Sea Ray in front of me
without thinking about it and we were idling under the bridge in a badly
needed calm. I loved these docks -- they were floating and had cushions
all around. Two boats per berth, and I turned into B-58. No matter how
I tried, she wanted to dock at B-57, though. I figured we could pull
her over to the other side of the dock and I cut the engines. The boat
who had just come in, in B-59, assured us that we were in B-58, so we
tied up, plugged her in, and took our lab and ourselves to the nearest
comfort station. My SO is a big ER fan, and we were only a block from
St. Joseph hospital, so that's where we went. We saw the lights go on
in Chicago's skyline while eating our dinner. 86 Kts for the day,
according to the fish finder.

I slept on a boat for the first time since 1983. Not bad.

In the morning we enjoyed the view, took in a couple of walks, had some
bagels and checked the weather. "1 foot or less" -- yeah!

We left Chicago and decided to head East North East. The idea was to go
straight to South Haven, but without a chart or GPS or any significant
landmarks I wasn't sure this was feasible.

My GF yielded the helm outside the harbor, and we headed ENE at first.
The waves got larger and steeper and shorter, and I began to get
nervous. Apparently I'm not the most pleasant person to be around when
I'm nervous, so she sat in the back for the ride across the lake.

The waves got steeper and shorter. Every few minutes we met a wave I
could imagine my buddy surfing on, one I thought would come up to his
shoulder. We pounded back and forth -- the waves were completely
unpredictable. They sprayed the bow and windshield. I can't say they
exactly washed across the bow, but the bow was wet, dammit. The phrased
"tossed about like a cork" came to mind more than once. In fact that
thought sat down and had lunch, and started to unpack. It wasn't like
waves which come at a regular direction and frequency, it was like they
were mostly coming at me from ahead, but every now and then they'd come
abeam -- you know, just to mess with what was left of my mind. Never
aft, though, which I suppose is some blessing. The steepest, worst
waves seemed less serious if I was heading ESE, so that's the way I
headed -- plan or no plan. My GF pointed out that this would just take
longer. She was inappropriately relaxed, I thought. And appropriately
****ed at something I said. She claims we never "caught air" but there
was one time that the bottom dropped out from under us - at only 7 knots
and we fell, thud, into the trough. The bow to stern rocking wasn't
nerve racking, but our beam was rocking a good 30 degrees, at times, and
this frightened the bejezus out of me.

Oh, we're not sure how much gas we'd used -- we're not used to the gauge
and we'd only filled up twice. Last time was 5 gallons an hour, but we
spend an hour round-trip idling between our dock and the lake, so it's
hard to say how much was at idle and how much was at cruise. The gas
gauge only works if you're still for some time, and then the difference
between Full and Empty are only vague guidelines.

This crossing was more frightening and tense than my first marriage.
Fortunately it was much shorter.

About 3 hours of... excitement... I saw something to the south east. I
didn't care what it was -- I was heading for it. I had brilliantly left
our binoculars in our car. It was a barge. Eventually I saw the power
plant at Michigan City and headed into the harbor. As I got closer to
the harbor the waves settled down and I was able to plane the last few
miles. I was trying to figure out how to get gas at a crowded gas dock
on a narrow channel filled with boaters trying to get in and out of the
channel. I was tired and hungry and the gas lady says pull up here...
so I get lined up and she says oh these guys are leaving and then some
other guys are leaving and I can't get any turning room because the
channel is full of people moving around and I hit a really nice Sea Ray
at the dock next to the gas pump, scratching the back.

As I filled the tank I watched two guys going to look at the boat,
talking on cell phones, etc. etc. My hands were shaking, my blood sugar
was lower than our gas tank, and my arm was sore holding the gas hose.
I guessed 50 gallons, and we filled up with 50.6. Heck, we had 20 more
gallons -- I could have gone back to New Buffalo.

I sat in the back, basically in shock, and insisted that my GF take us
back. The water was glassy smooth and we cruised past New Buffalo and
St. Joseph. Three beers, two candy bars and some sourdough bread into
the trip from Michigan City the engine made a weird noise (I'm sitting
right on it) then sounds somehow throatier. When I smell oil burning I
entered the cabin and asked my GF to check the temp. She turned off the
engine immediately.

The water pump belt had broken and we were adrift. This wasn't bad,
because we were about 1/2 mile off shore and about 2 miles north of St.
Joseph. I called the Coast Guard, and after assessing the situation
they put out a "vessel in distress" call. After all, there was no
immediate danger (not blocking a lane, quiet wind, low waves, 66 feet of
depth, not drifting), and sooner or later we were going to make it in.
They wanted me to anchor, but I refused. I don't know how to anchor!

My faith in people took a turn for the better when a couple from St.
Joseph offered to help us almost immediately. They were in a 27'
Skipjack, and refused any payment. My GF has just learned a square
knot, and was delighted to see it work to connect the lines between our
boats. As we idled back to harbor, it occurred to us that we had
nowhere to go once we got there. We started calling marinas, but this
late on a Sunday afternoon we had no luck. The good Samaritan asked the
Coast Guard, and Sea Tow answered that they would look at us in their
dock at Pier 33. On the way back the Coast Guard kept asking us
questions, so I got to play with the radio ("Copy that", "Roger", etc.).
That was fun. They kept calling me "skipper", but I was feeling like
"dildo".

Docking a dead boat is usually difficult, but somehow we slid into the
dock better than if we were driving. My GF got us a ride home, and we
had some chips and salsa on the back of the boat waiting for either our
ride or for Sea Tow to come back.

The ride arrived, so I radioed Sea Tow, who graciously let us remain
tied up overnight (like they had much choice). Today we have to fix the
boat.

Are you for real? I mean Dionysus is the patron God of the Greek Stage.
This would lead me to believe your writing is a work of fiction, designed
for trolling.

Assuming you are for real and these events did indeed take place, CONSIDER
YOURSELF LUCKY. Between you experience and equipment, if you were
prepared at all, you were only prepared for a short trip under ideal
conditions. Lets look at how this could have gone, from bad to worse:

You could have been delayed getting to Chicago, forcing you to wander in
an unknow harbor at night looking for a dock.

Without any charts, or knowledge of the area, you could have just as
easisily ran across a shoal either on route to your destination, on route
back home or from the course you took to minimize weather. Speaking of
course changes, what would have happened if you reached shore with no
facilities to tie up at? It seemed that you were taking a course to
avoid weather but had no idea what layed ahead.

Fog could have set in en route and with any changes of course then what?
Your no longer on a course to get you to a known harbor. Even if you
stayed on course, you can no longer see ANY visible landmarks.

Your engine could have died 1/2 mile with the winds blowing hard ashore,
without a GPS how can someone get to you in a timely manner? Without
anchoring how were you going to keep your boat off the rocks?

Your engine could have died in the middle of the lake. If you did have
communication, how would anyone find you without a GPS. Big water, small
boat, get it? A GPS is sooo inexpensive for what it does that I wish it
were mandatory USGC equipment.

I'm happy to welcome new boaters into what I deem is a wonderful
community. I'm glad things worked out for you, and I'm glad your girl
friend are safe. But I do hope you thanked your diety (greek or
otherwise) and have learned some lessons to avoid not only the problems
that you encountered on this trip, but the problems you avoided, by good
luck.

On Lake Erie, we have a term for boaters who go out ill prepared, assuming
that thing will not go wrong, or if they do someone will come along and
help them out, that term is STATISTIC.

Bob Dimond


In article ,
wrote:

Background: We bought our 1977 Sea Ray SRV two weeks ago. She has a new
bilge pump and steering cables; while the steering cables were installed
we had the bellows checked and the engine compression tested (both were
fine). She has a fish finder, VHF radio, flares, running lights, PFDs,
fenders, lines, etc.

I don't like this story.

Obviously questionable weather, no charts, no GPS, an unfamiliar boat, no
experience including knowledge of anchoring or ability to maneuver in tight
quarters, no spare parts ... you didn't even bother to fill up the gas
tanks.

You end up in trouble (what a frickin' surprise) and react by going into
shock and pouring beer into yourself.

Thank God for the CG and for helpful boaters but it's distinctly unfair of
you to put yourself out on the water in that situation almost guaranteeing
that you're going to need people to help you. And you never mentioned if
you're going to pay for the scratch on that guy's boat.

Has it occurred to you that if you lost that belt when you were out in the
rough the story may have had a different ending?

cripes.


"Dionysus Feldman" wrote in message
...
Background: We bought our 1977 Sea Ray SRV two weeks ago. She has a new
bilge pump and steering cables; while the steering cables were installed
we had the bellows checked and the engine compression tested (both were
fine). She has a fish finder, VHF radio, flares, running lights, PFDs,
fenders, lines, etc.

Saturday: Six hours of sleep -- I flew in from Houston the night before
-- and I was setting up my laptop to check the marine weather report.
We decided to pack for Chicago even with SCA's, but we wouldn't go out
until they were cancelled.

By the time we were ready to go out to the boat the SCA had been lifted.

First stop: St. Joseph/Benton Harbor. After cruising for 2 hours in
choppy water we were ready for a break. As we entered at 2pm, we heard
a loud horn. I looked around, wondering what I had done wrong, but then
the bridge went up. My SO laughed at my paranoia, not for the last
time.

There are public tie-ups along the St. Joseph river, next to a park, and
we had a nice macaroni/crab salad. My SO fed the ducks and made our
poor lab sit still while 20 ducks surrounded her. Finally the
excitement was too much and she took off.

Getting in and out of the boat was worse for me than the lab. The "no
wake" zone is apparently advisory along this section of the river.
Further, while I may not be afraid of heights, I do get uncomfortable
with the thought of falling. Climbing into the boat from the river bank
requires a lot of agility, and watching the bow bob up and down made me
slightly dizzy. However, I sucked it up and got on. That's when the
horn blew for the bridge.

Next stop: New Buffalo. We pulled in for gas, and while we were
embarrassingly inept, we did not cause anyone any harm. We met my GF's
brother, who's office is nearby, and tried to get the Michigan game on
the radio. Just as well we didn't. We left a little before 4pm.

We noticed that we were basically due East of Chicago, so we decided to
forge ahead straight across (we don't have a GPS, but we do have a
compass). This wasn't difficult because the lake was relatively calm,
we were going with the weather, and because we could see the John
Hancock building almost right away.

I had asked my GF to make a marina reservation the week before, but she
scoffed at me, noting that it was the off season. We found that a few
miles offshore we had cell service -- or so our phones said -- but that
they didn't work. Nextel said "restricted service" and Sprint just said
"calling...." We found Navy Pier and cruised around it. I was
exhausted, not having shared driving duties with my SO, selfish of me, I
know. She took over the driving, resentful that she didn't get to do it
out on the lake. We headed down to Burnham harbor and the it was much
calmer. I called the marina and they had no transient slips. I
refrained from mentioning that it was the off season, and instead asked
where we could go. It was about 7pm eastern, and night was approaching.

Two marinas were closed, but Diversey had a slip for us. I gave him all
my information, and after I hung up my SO asked, "how much is it?" I
didn't know.

We pounded up the coast behind a 39' Sea Ray who ended up going to the
same harbor we were, and in fact docked next to us. Getting into the
harbor was tricky because you could only do it at certain times (one way
channel -- I was glad I didn't know it), and it makes an "S" before
going under a low, fixed bridge. I followed the Sea Ray in front of me
without thinking about it and we were idling under the bridge in a badly
needed calm. I loved these docks -- they were floating and had cushions
all around. Two boats per berth, and I turned into B-58. No matter how
I tried, she wanted to dock at B-57, though. I figured we could pull
her over to the other side of the dock and I cut the engines. The boat
who had just come in, in B-59, assured us that we were in B-58, so we
tied up, plugged her in, and took our lab and ourselves to the nearest
comfort station. My SO is a big ER fan, and we were only a block from
St. Joseph hospital, so that's where we went. We saw the lights go on
in Chicago's skyline while eating our dinner. 86 Kts for the day,
according to the fish finder.

I slept on a boat for the first time since 1983. Not bad.

In the morning we enjoyed the view, took in a couple of walks, had some
bagels and checked the weather. "1 foot or less" -- yeah!

We left Chicago and decided to head East North East. The idea was to go
straight to South Haven, but without a chart or GPS or any significant
landmarks I wasn't sure this was feasible.

My GF yielded the helm outside the harbor, and we headed ENE at first.
The waves got larger and steeper and shorter, and I began to get
nervous. Apparently I'm not the most pleasant person to be around when
I'm nervous, so she sat in the back for the ride across the lake.

The waves got steeper and shorter. Every few minutes we met a wave I
could imagine my buddy surfing on, one I thought would come up to his
shoulder. We pounded back and forth -- the waves were completely
unpredictable. They sprayed the bow and windshield. I can't say they
exactly washed across the bow, but the bow was wet, dammit. The phrased
"tossed about like a cork" came to mind more than once. In fact that
thought sat down and had lunch, and started to unpack. It wasn't like
waves which come at a regular direction and frequency, it was like they
were mostly coming at me from ahead, but every now and then they'd come
abeam -- you know, just to mess with what was left of my mind. Never
aft, though, which I suppose is some blessing. The steepest, worst
waves seemed less serious if I was heading ESE, so that's the way I
headed -- plan or no plan. My GF pointed out that this would just take
longer. She was inappropriately relaxed, I thought. And appropriately
****ed at something I said. She claims we never "caught air" but there
was one time that the bottom dropped out from under us - at only 7 knots
and we fell, thud, into the trough. The bow to stern rocking wasn't
nerve racking, but our beam was rocking a good 30 degrees, at times, and
this frightened the bejezus out of me.

Oh, we're not sure how much gas we'd used -- we're not used to the gauge
and we'd only filled up twice. Last time was 5 gallons an hour, but we
spend an hour round-trip idling between our dock and the lake, so it's
hard to say how much was at idle and how much was at cruise. The gas
gauge only works if you're still for some time, and then the difference
between Full and Empty are only vague guidelines.

This crossing was more frightening and tense than my first marriage.
Fortunately it was much shorter.

About 3 hours of... excitement... I saw something to the south east. I
didn't care what it was -- I was heading for it. I had brilliantly left
our binoculars in our car. It was a barge. Eventually I saw the power
plant at Michigan City and headed into the harbor. As I got closer to
the harbor the waves settled down and I was able to plane the last few
miles. I was trying to figure out how to get gas at a crowded gas dock
on a narrow channel filled with boaters trying to get in and out of the
channel. I was tired and hungry and the gas lady says pull up here...
so I get lined up and she says oh these guys are leaving and then some
other guys are leaving and I can't get any turning room because the
channel is full of people moving around and I hit a really nice Sea Ray
at the dock next to the gas pump, scratching the back.

As I filled the tank I watched two guys going to look at the boat,
talking on cell phones, etc. etc. My hands were shaking, my blood sugar
was lower than our gas tank, and my arm was sore holding the gas hose.
I guessed 50 gallons, and we filled up with 50.6. Heck, we had 20 more
gallons -- I could have gone back to New Buffalo.

I sat in the back, basically in shock, and insisted that my GF take us
back. The water was glassy smooth and we cruised past New Buffalo and
St. Joseph. Three beers, two candy bars and some sourdough bread into
the trip from Michigan City the engine made a weird noise (I'm sitting
right on it) then sounds somehow throatier. When I smell oil burning I
entered the cabin and asked my GF to check the temp. She turned off the
engine immediately.

The water pump belt had broken and we were adrift. This wasn't bad,
because we were about 1/2 mile off shore and about 2 miles north of St.
Joseph. I called the Coast Guard, and after assessing the situation
they put out a "vessel in distress" call. After all, there was no
immediate danger (not blocking a lane, quiet wind, low waves, 66 feet of
depth, not drifting), and sooner or later we were going to make it in.
They wanted me to anchor, but I refused. I don't know how to anchor!

My faith in people took a turn for the better when a couple from St.
Joseph offered to help us almost immediately. They were in a 27'
Skipjack, and refused any payment. My GF has just learned a square
knot, and was delighted to see it work to connect the lines between our
boats. As we idled back to harbor, it occurred to us that we had
nowhere to go once we got there. We started calling marinas, but this
late on a Sunday afternoon we had no luck. The good Samaritan asked the
Coast Guard, and Sea Tow answered that they would look at us in their
dock at Pier 33. On the way back the Coast Guard kept asking us
questions, so I got to play with the radio ("Copy that", "Roger", etc.).
That was fun. They kept calling me "skipper", but I was feeling like
"dildo".

Docking a dead boat is usually difficult, but somehow we slid into the
dock better than if we were driving. My GF got us a ride home, and we
had some chips and salsa on the back of the boat waiting for either our
ride or for Sea Tow to come back.

The ride arrived, so I radioed Sea Tow, who graciously let us remain
tied up overnight (like they had much choice). Today we have to fix the
boat.

Suggest at earliest opportunity:

1. Sell boat to someone who will take the usage of same more seriously and
with proper respect for the responsibilities involved.

2. You and your GF take up Dominoes or some equivalent to occupy your
weekends.

I boat out of downtown Sandusky. Been to the Huron Boat Basin docks many
times!


Where are you on Lake Erie? I'm in Huron.

After all of that I can't believe no one has recommended this guy sign up for a power squadrons course or USCG boater's course
somewhere. We all had to start somewhere and most of us were extremely unknowledgeable at some point in our boating past.
I agree this guy was very lucky.
But let's steer him in the right direction so he does not become another "statistic".

Fredo


remove the racecar to contact me.

Fredo--
After all of that I can't believe no one has recommended this guy sign up for a power squadrons course or USCG boater's course
somewhere. We all had to start somewhere and most of us were extremely unknowledgeable at some point in our boating past.
I agree this guy was very lucky.
But let's steer him in the right direction so he does not become another "statistic".

df--

I appreciate the advice. I don't appreciate the flames. The one
rational piece of advice was the GPS, so that we could identify our
position better. The rest was "you're an idiot for taking any risk,"
which isn't very useful. I hope you all feel better.

In my defense, boats have been crossing Lake Michigan safely before GPS
was invented, and boats with radios and flares are almost invariably
found quickly in good weather. In fact, one of my GF's relatives
navigated across the lake in a bathtub with just a compass.

That said, I did have my lucky hat on.

We will be taking a Power Squadron or Coast Guard class this winter.
They're 40 minutes to an hour drive each way but worth the effort. My
main concern is my travel schedule (I'm away a lot on business), so we
have to find one long class, or a stretch of time where I can attend
several weeks in a row (not likely).

For what it's worth, I have passed two on-line boating classes
boatsafe.com and Boatus.org.

My GF did have a place for us in Hammond Indiana -- not far from Chicago
Harbor, if we couldn't find one in Chicago. And Chicago is visible for
many miles into the lake.

Fog: There wasn't a wisp of cloud cover for Saturday and Sunday, nor was
there anything on Doppler anywhere close to us. It was bright and sunny
and warm from the moment we started until the moment we stopped. We had
rain predicted for Monday, which hit on schedule. What I didn't know
was that the "under 1 foot" predictions were for the near-shore areas,
within 5 miles of the coast, and that farther out the waves would be
unpredictable.

PS: three beers in three hours for a 200lb man is not exactly pounding
them down. I wasn't driving at that point either.

df--

I appreciate the advice. I don't appreciate the flames. The one
rational piece of advice was the GPS, so that we could identify our
position better. The rest was "you're an idiot for taking any risk,"
which isn't very useful. I hope you all feel better.

In my defense, boats have been crossing Lake Michigan safely before GPS
was invented, and boats with radios and flares are almost invariably
found quickly in good weather. In fact, one of my GF's relatives
navigated across the lake in a bathtub with just a compass.

That said, I did have my lucky hat on.

We will be taking a Power Squadron or Coast Guard class this winter.
They're 40 minutes to an hour drive each way but worth the effort. My
main concern is my travel schedule (I'm away a lot on business), so we
have to find one long class, or a stretch of time where I can attend
several weeks in a row (not likely).

For what it's worth, I have passed two on-line boating classes
boatsafe.com and Boatus.org.

My GF did have a place for us in Hammond Indiana -- not far from Chicago
Harbor, if we couldn't find one in Chicago. And Chicago is visible for
many miles into the lake.

Fog: There wasn't a wisp of cloud cover for Saturday and Sunday, nor was
there anything on Doppler anywhere close to us. It was bright and sunny
and warm from the moment we started until the moment we stopped. We had
rain predicted for Monday, which hit on schedule. What I didn't know
was that the "under 1 foot" predictions were for the near-shore areas,
within 5 miles of the coast, and that farther out the waves would be
unpredictable.

PS: three beers in three hours for a 200lb man is not exactly pounding
them down. I wasn't driving at that point either.






DF,

I enjoyed your story. Hey you took a little risk but you probably learned a
whole lot from your trip and the next one will be a lot easier. Next time
you'll probably have a gps and a spare v-belt as well as other items that you'd
wished you'd had. Nobody starts out as an expert.

One thing you can count on in this newsgroup is no matter what you do, somebody
will have advice as to what you did wrong and how they could have done it
better, faster, cheaper and more professionally.

Don't let the negativaty wear you down.

Barry

Quite a story. Glad to hear that it ended with both of you safe. As
someone who only been boating of rthree seasons I can appreciate that you
wnat ot use the boat for it's intended pupose. Many just keep them tied to
the dock. That said, you really need to bone up on the minimum saftey
requirements. Anchoring, while not leagally required, is one of the primary
saftey items, after pfds, on any vessel. You should practice your anchoring
technique before attempting another long trip. As for a Boating Safety
Course - try to take the USCG Auxilarry course before takeing a power
squadron cousre. I've taken both and found that the USCGA Course had more
info on how to handle your vessel.

Good luck,
Sandy K.

DF I agree with Barry. Your shared your experiences and I feel that
exactly the exchange thats needed so we all can benefit and be better
boaters. In some ways your story reminds me of my first powerboat
expidition. That consisted of my brother and I takin a 16 foot bayliner
cuddy (85 HP outboard) across Lake Erie, up the Detroit river to WIndsor
Ontario.

There are quite a few people who will fire off a smart-ass remark without
giving one iota constructive advice. Some may be socially crippled
individuals who are expressing concern with what you did, but may not be
tactful in their response. Perhaps I fit that label. Some really just
want to show the world how clever they can be. Unfortunately, too many of
those people are turning this group into a pile of sh*t already.

I also think that your mechanical failure could have happened to anyone at
anytime. An extra belt may have saved you some trouble but not everyone
carries redundant everything. Many will argue that the boat should have
had the wearable items replaced, and that may be so. But I don't think
that eliminates any malfunction that could occur oon open water.

But DF, don't let the overall opinion of the responses to your post elude
you.
That general consensus is theat you were grossly ill prepared for your outing.

I don't care how the weather was for weeks before, I don't care how many
boats have crossed Lake Michigan safely with little or no navigational
equipment. It's not an excuse for how ill prepared you were. Things can
happen to delay you, and in that time weather can change. Running across
a known compass heading without charts may be acceptable, but what if you
have to change course (and you did) do you know where your going? Do you
know what dangers are in your path? With your boat did you know you
average fuel consumption/boat range under ideal conditions? Did you know
what it was in less than perfect conditions. Foregoing experience on
your boat and/or information on the region you are boating in (in the form
of charts or GPS) just because the weather is nice is a decission that
will eventually get you in serious trouble if you plan to venture away
from shore with any regularity. Luck *CAN* get you across the lake in a
bath tub, but I'd hate to depend upon it.

Here is my rule of thumb: Be prepared, the longer the course leg I am
traversing over open waters, the more prepared and cautious I will try to
become. This includes, but is not limited to keeping extra equipment,
parts, and provisions (this means food and drink), having a familiarity
of source, destination and places in between, giving myself ample time to
arrive at port, and knowing what my boat is and is not capable of doing.

Even before my first powerboat trip five years ago, I had been a crew
member on a boat on the Great Lakes throughout the majority of my life.
I already had experienced sailing 60 miles from Cleveland to Sandusky
(followed shore hence the distance). Sailed through storms (So during
that twice yearly 60 mile trek).

For this trip I had been traveling on a boat I had used all season. I had
charts, VHF, extra spark plugs, extra gas, and left with twice the
daylight time I needed to reach my destination. I had waypoints
programmed in for every port along the northwest shore of Lake Erie (and
waypoints programmed in for hazzards such as Camp Perry), in case
something went wrong, or I was low on fuel. And that was just traversing
less than 30 miles of open water. As a result we were able to wash up in
the lake, leisurely go up the Detroit, refuel, register with customs, and
tie up a full hour before sunset. Was I prepared for every contingency?
No, but I was probably sufficiently prepared for most things that I have
control over.

Taking safe boating classes online or otherwise is a good start. But it
won't substitute being prepared in other ways. It can't help with the
familiarity of one's vessel, nor will it substitute for experience with
the route you're traversing. I have a few eggheadfriends who honestly
think reading a book or taking a class can fully prepare them for whats
out there, thankfully they've never expressed interest in being more than
a passenger. Don't let the arrogance that comes with completing these
courses set you up for a big problem.

Too many people go out taking the water for granted and assuming nothing
will go wrong only to become a byte on the local news. Do't let that
happen to you. Be proud of your boating accomplishment, but take your
medicine from boaters who care for doing something less than smart, and
learn from it to do better next time. IMHO you seem to have the right
boating spirit, now temper that spirit with a little common sense.

Best of luck!!!

Bob Dimond

P.S. Why Dionysus????

DF,

I enjoyed your story. Hey you took a little risk but you probably learned a
whole lot from your trip and the next one will be a lot easier. Next time
you'll probably have a gps and a spare v-belt as well as other items
that you'd
wished you'd had. Nobody starts out as an expert.

One thing you can count on in this newsgroup is no matter what you do,
somebody
will have advice as to what you did wrong and how they could have done it
better, faster, cheaper and more professionally.

Don't let the negativaty wear you down.

Barry