[Raypanic]

Last year was my first year boating on Lake St Clair. I normally stay arround the north end by the north,middle and south channels. I have a home on the north channel. I am looking for a good spot to stop and swim and use a beach. I see a lot of boaters in Muskamoot (sp) bay area but I am a little scared to enter as my charts show only a couple of feet depth. I have a 38' boat and wonder if there is a specific place to enter or is just swinging arround by gull Island OK to do.

I have a family and would like to find a beach in this area that is good, I mostly anchord along the south channel last year but the freighters played havvoc with my boat. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

I MOVED THIS TO THE BOATHOUSE AREA>>>>>>>>>>>>>

 

[Campari]

QUOTE(Raypanic @ Mar 22 2003, 06:20 PM)Last year was my first year boating on Lake St Clair. I normally stay arround the north end by the north,middle and south channels. I have a home on the north channel. I am looking for a good spot to stop and swim and use a beach. I see a lot of boaters in Muskamoot (sp) bay area but I am a little scared to enter as my charts show only a couple of feet depth. I have a 38' boat and wonder if there is a specific place to enter or is just swinging arround by gull Island OK to do.

I have a family and would like to find a beach in this area that is good, I mostly anchord along the south channel last year but the freighters played havvoc with my boat. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
You might want to post this in the "Boathouse" board. That's where everyone checks frequently. Most go to Muskamoot regularly and many have large boats as well.

 

[Campari]

We will be in a canal off the North Channel this year, as we also did two years ago. We had no luck finding local swimming spots. two years ago I don't think you could get into a lot of places. This last year was much easier, but we were in St. Clair Shores, so we had more options.

We too will be looking for a good family swimming spot close to the North Channel, so if you hear of one, please post it.

 

[bestlight48312]

Try strawberry Insland ,Nice sandy bottom .Deep water around Isnland.(At least last year). Stay west of Isnland You wont able beach your boat.++++WATER IS WARMMER then gull. P.S. LOOK AT YOUR CHARTS>>>

 

[Guest]

I will have to disagree with Campari, and say let's make the Boathouse people come over here for "Lake Discussion". No offense, but topics get burried so fast over there.

I have to agree with BestLight, Strawberry Island is the best swimming. Silky smooth sand bottom. Even a nice little beach area. Not really an official beach, but everyone seems to take care of their own mess. It's very nice.

 

[JABBERJAWZ]

Strawberry Island gets my vote.

 

[Guest]

We usually go to Seaway Island with the kids. The beach is nice, but the water is a little cool with it being on the shipping channel. If you go, make sure you have 2 good anchors because freighters can really cause havoc when they pass. We also went to Bassett Island once last year and while it doesn't have a beach, the water is crystal clear there.

I remember last summer someone mentioned Munchies Bay (?) is a good spot for families, but we've never been there.

 

[rerun]

Munchies Bay is a nice family spot. There was quite a few family that go there but no beach.

I agree with Bill272. Although I've never been I've always heard Seaway was the best. But one thing to keep in mind is that it is Canada waters. Just something that I don't want to deal with but I know many people that go and never have a problem with customs. There's a killer volleyball game there too.

 

[Guest]

Ask JabberJaws about the ticket he got from th OPP for having beer in his boat while at Seaway Island. I think they wrote it up as "possession for distribution".
Jabber, Help me out on this one. Do I have the story correct?

 

[Guest]

Oooo...that's not good. I've seen some Ontario boats that look like our equivalent of the DNR go by there, but no one has ever stopped us. You are technically supposed to call Canadian customs to let them know you are on Canadian soil (and anchoring counts for that too), so we will probably get a CanPass this year. That way we can call from a cell phone rather than a land line.

 

[Raypanic]

The OPP visited me last year on the Jobbienooner 2 day. We were at seaway island. I was with my family and no alcohol was on board. They were especially interested in my ownership of guns. I was not harrassed at all and they were very cordial. Although I did not have a Canpass number either. I told them I thought I was still in US waters. They said next time they would sieze my boat....I am getting the permit this year. $25.00

 

[rerun]

QUOTE(Raypanic @ Mar 23 2003, 05:39 PM)They said next time they would sieze my boat....
Does anyone think they would do that? I'm sure if you were being a d*ck they might but I can't believe they would sieze a boat over enjoying a day on the beach. Do you think that they said that to scare you into getting a Canpass?

 

[Enticer Rick]

What about "Poor Man's" Bay in front of Mac Rays. Good spot to swim and not have to worry about drunks and loud DJ's (Z-man). Strawberry Island can get a little rough. If you raft off XO at Muscamoot he likes to anchor in shallow away from all the havoc. I usually walk my boat in. Not interested in sucking up sand in my outdrive.

 

[JABBERJAWZ]

QUOTE(Convincor253 @ Mar 23 2003, 09:34 PM)Ask JabberJaws about the ticket he got from th OPP for having beer in his boat while at Seaway Island. I think they wrote it up as "possession for distribution".
Jabber, Help me out on this one. Do I have the story correct?
Yep,
I was idling through by the beach are and I was stopped. I wasn't drinking, but I had a case of beer on my boat. I was boarded, had to give a breathalizer and was cited for Carrying alcohol accross borders for distruibution (like I'm a Bootlegger). They could have confiscated my berr, buit they didn't and I got a ticket for 210.00 Canadian. And I was instructed by the OPP to keep our "trash" over on our side of the Lake. I really think he didn't like American boaters. Ever since then, I don't bother even going over there anymore. Besides Seaway Island is owned by the Indians and you don't want to camp out over night there. The OPP said that they have had many problems between boaters staying the night there and Indians.

 

[Spider]

Damn Jabber. That puts a whole new spin on being in Canadian waters. Makes me rethink going to Bassett again. Does a Canpass allow you to have beer in a cooler on your boat? I doubt it.

 

[JABBERJAWZ]

Nope,
They said that you need to have afull galley and a fixed pump out head on the boat. You couldn't even have a porta potti pump out head. Has to be fixed to the floor. Basically what I took out of that is they don't want us over there.

 

[freckles]

According to Canadian laws, there are two places a person can legally consume alcohol: a bar/restaurant and their home. If you have your boat set up like your home (ie, galley, fixed head and sleeping quarters), you can drink on your boat (legally).

I have heard other horror stories like yours, but I'm hoping they are the exception rather than the rule.

~Christine

 

[JABBERJAWZ]

The other thing Freckles,
You cannot let anyone drink an alcoholic beverage while underway, not even a passenger. In the US, as long as the skipper isn't drinking, everyone else of age may drink.

Canada's Police is tough and strict. I was even being super polite to these cops, and they were not to me.

 

[rerun]

Well with that being said Jabber I'm sold.....I'll just listen to friends tell me about Seaway rather than seeing it myself.

 

[freckles]

I forgot that one, Jabber, but it makes sense, because a home or a bar can't move. So you can't have open intoxicants unless you're docked or at anchor.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think the Michigan law says the driver CAN drink, just not be legally intoxicated. I believe this is the case while running and/or at anchor or docked.