If you are considering sailing across Lake Michigan, you may probably want to know how long it will take you to do so.
Lake Michigan is the second largest of the five Great Lakes of Northern America with an area of about 22,406 square miles.
How long it will take to sail across lake Michigan will depend on where you are coming from and the type of boat you will be using.
This is to say that a person sailing with a speedboat will get across the lake a lot faster than someone sailing with a sailboat.
Additionally, if you are sailing across from Wisconsin which is at the west side of Lake Michigan to Muskegon County, MI, it should take 10 to 15 hours to get across the lake for a sailboat with an average knot of 7 and 3 to 5 hours for a speedboat that has an average knot of 193.
In this guide, you will learn how long it will take you to sail across lake Michigan using a sailboat and speedboat, the best boat for sailing across lake Michigan, the best time of the day to start sailing across lake Michigan.
How long will it take you to sail across lake Michigan using a sailboat
If you are planning to sail across Lake Michigan with a sailboat, you might be curious as to how long this journey will take you.
The distance will depend on the type of sailboat you will be using, a racer or a cruiser.
A racer sailboat is a lot faster than a cruising sailboat with a knot of 15 and the cruisers' is about 4-6 knots.
So this means that if you are using a cruising sailboat it should take you approximately 10-15 hours and if you are going to be using a racer sailboat, 5-8 hours.
How long it will take you to sail across lake Michigan using a speedboat
The speed of a speedboat is a lot faster than that of a sailboat, a speedboat will get you across lake Michigan in 3-5 hours.
Generally, the average speed of a speedboat is usually about 86-260 knots, you get the picture.
The higher the knot, the faster the boat and vice versa.
The best boat for sailing across lake Michigan
There is not really a "best" type of boat for sailing across lake Michigan.
However, you should consider a fast boat in order to get across the lake faster.
So a great boat for sailing across lake Michigan is any boat with a triangular asymmetric spinnaker chute.
An example of a boat like this would be the 30' O'Day sailboat.
Using an asymmetric spinnaker chute, you could be able to hold your speed at an extra 7 knots, and you’ll reach the other side faster.
Best time of the day to start sailing across lake Michigan
The best time of the day to sail across lake Michigan is during the day or at night.
This is essential because you can arrive at your destination in the morning or daytime.
Also, you get to beat the cold especially if you don't have a heater.
Conclusion
Sailing across Lake Michigan can be an amazing adventure especially for first-timers.
However, sailing across requires some skills and a lot of factors to consider like: best type of boat and how long the journey will take.
Additionally, it is best to start your journey around the daytime or in the morning.
It is also a good idea to own a heater and check out for weather forecasts before commencing on any journey especially one by sea.
Always avoid sea transportation if waves are forecast to be over 3' as it won't be comfortable, though your personal preference may differ.
Photo by Christopher Delcamp from Pexels
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