The Mariah Owners Club - Lake Erie, Sandusky & Put-In-Bay, OH

My best friend Joe purchased a 26' Sailboat that he keeps docked in Sandusky, Ohio. I've been spending many weekends up there, and I decided as an end of season trip I'd take my Mariah up there. I called up a couple days ahead of time to Sandusky Harbor Marina to reserve a transient slip so I could stay at the same harbor as my friend. They were extremely gracious and waived my transient fees ($37 per night,-$1.50/ft) due to the large number of open slips with winter haul-outs going on. So I was extremely excited about that.

So I packed up the boat at 6am Saturday morning and started our 3.5hr trip. Probably one of the most flat tow's I've ever done. It was cake. Here's the tow rig & the boat hooked up at a rest stop.
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I launched at the public ramp a mile away, and within 15 minutes was back at the harbor slipped in next to my friend.

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At the harbor, we loaded up the boat with all the gear, sleeping bags, luggage, etc. This would be our first night ever sleeping on the boat. My girlfriend decided to hop into her bikini and start drinking margaritas early, after all, we were on vacation! :) Joe was waiting for some co-workers to arrive, so we had some time to kill at the harbor, and then we left to just go stroll around Sandusky Bay and snap some pics.

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We followed the channel out past Cedar Point amusement park into Lake Erie. The average depth in the Bay is around 6ft, so sticking with the channel sounded like a great idea. Especially with a depth gauge that doesn't work most of the time (being replaced this winter!) So I followed my NOAA charts like a hawk. Once we hit the lake, depths started sticking more around the 20ft mark, and it's actually pretty funny that the deepest part of Lake Erie around Coastal Ohio is only 30ft.

Here's a picture of Marblehead Lighthouse, the oldest lighthouse in Ohio.
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It is pretty surreal to see a lighthouse in Ohio, which everyone just pictures as a gigantic cornfield, and to realize there's a coastal environment and islands only a few hours away! But, when I started getting around the lighthouse, I spotted something off in the distance. I grabbed the binoculars and low and behold, I was right. I see another Mariah! Looked like about a 19' Shabah, with an older couple fishing off the back. I figured I'd let them fish and I'd stop back later if they were still around and tell them about the site and such.
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So we ran around for a while and took the boat back after realizing I was a little low on oil. I didn't want to be out on Lake Erie without enough fluids, so off to West Marine I went! We met up with Joe & went and had dinner at Clinkers Restaurant in the old Lyman boat factory. It was really cool to see all the old wooden boat stuff everywhere. They even had a couple boats on display there. And they were beautiful. I had some fried Lake Erie Perch bites, which were amazing. If you ever get around the Great Lakes, give it a try!

First night on the boat was a little uncomfortable due to the humidity, but it was peaceful, and once I finally got to sleep, I slept great. We woke up to seagulls, which is another one of those surreal Ohio things.

Joe's and his wife hopped onboard the Z250 and headed off to Put-In-Bay, an island located about 18nm from where we were located. Out into the lake we went, and it was a little more choppy than the day before. I couldn't figure the right speed and trim combination for the water, so I just kept it planed, and realized trim tabs are going to be on my christmas list this year. 2-3ft swells and 10knot winds created an interesting boating experience.

45 minutes later we start to round the corner of South Bass Island and begin the approach into PIB harbor. On the way in are some amazing waterfront houses, and then the Benson Ford house, which has to be one of the most unique houses I've ever seen. The Benson Ford was a cargo ship, and the guy bought the front half of the ship before it was scrapped, and restored it to original condition, and now lives in it on the waterfront. It scared me at first, because I thought there was a huge ship headed into our path, until I realized it was attached to the land!

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We entered the harbor and moored the boat. A VHF call to the harbor, and 5 minutes later, there's a taxi boat picking us up.

Here's the Z250 moored, and a view of the east side of the island, with Perry's Monument.
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Not too many people in the harbor, as it is approaching the end of the season. They call this place "The Key West of the North", and once I stepped on land, I can see why. It's definitely a fun place. Bars in every direction, and the two main forms of transportation are golf carts and bicycles. Just this year, they allowed a limited number of cars on the island for residents.

Here's a view looking down the main strip.
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We wandered around, ate lunch, had a few drinks, visited the shops, paid a visit to the winery, and checked out some of the local attractions. Nothing was crowded on the island, but many of the local bars, restaurants & attractions were closed for the season, so I can only imagine what it's like in the summer, in full swing. It was a great time, but our golf cart had to be back at 6pm, so we headed back and hopped on the boat.

I figure I'll share this, since we're all up to admitting our mistakes. I decided to try and exit the harbor on the opposite side we came in, (around the left side of Gibralter Island) and ended up ran the bow aground. Apparently there's a big shoal I was unable to see, and because I didn't check the charts, I didn't realize it went from 8ft to 6 inch depths in a matter of a few feet. Dammit. So, I backed it up and went out the other way. Oh well, no big deal, we were still afloat and there was no damage done. Way to Go Mariah for building a strong hull!! It wasn't until I got home and saw an aerial view of the harbor that I really smacked my head and called myself a fool.

After leaving the harbor and heading back into Lake Erie, we were greeted with some amazing sunset photo opportunities, so I had to share.

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Slept a little better that night, and we woke up the next morning and loaded up the boat and headed home. I'll definitely be visiting a few times again next year. It was a great trip, and a great season closer for me. I've got my list of projects for the winter, and I'll be much better equipped for the next trip. We plan to visit all the surrounding islands, including Kelley's Island, and possibly heading across international waters to Pelee Island in Ontario Canada, now that I finally got my passport! Overall, an amazing trip, the first of many to come. If you're ever in Northern Ohio, definitely check it out. Sandusky's got Cedar Point, an amazing amusement park, great restaurants, and the town offers a whole New England Coastal feel to it. You can hop aboard one of the ferry lines and take a boat to Kelley's Island, Put-In-Bay, and even over into Canada.

Check out full res pics in the Member Travel Section