Great Lakes Fleet gathering in Detroit?

[Bruce Bett]

Some dissatisfaction has been expressed as to attendance of Great Lakes Fleet Gatherings. What has always kept me away from fleet gatherings has been the fact that they a week’s cruse away. This means I would need to schedule 3 weeks to participate. So I am proposing a different approach, an urban gathering. I would be happy to organize a gathering of Cape Dorians and other interested sailors for a 3 day weekend, somewhere within a day’s sail of Detroit. I'm thinking of course that there are a lot of boats between Toledo and Port Huron and that a weekend gathering in the Detroit area might be more doable than a week at the other end of the lake. It could possibly be held at Millikan State Park (formerly St. Aubin Marina) in Down Town Detroit, Metropolitan Beach on Lake Saint Clair, perhaps Put-In-Bay on Lake Erie, or somewhere else. I’m open to suggestions as to time and place. If I get five or six boats expressing a strong interest I’ll try to set something up.
Bruce Bett
Milinche
CD 30 #326

[Sandy D.]

Hi Bruce-
I've tried in the past to put something together with the hand full of CDs that sail on Lake St. Clair with us. It's been a couple years since I've tried and I was excited to see you try to put something together. Something more "local" would work better for us also.

Lets try to take a role call of sorts- If any skippers out there are interested in trying to get together chime in on this post and let us know where your home port is and where your cruising destinations might take you for a long weekend? I'll start it off...

We are interested- CD27 hull #60. We sail out of the Edison Boat Club, which is located at the headwaters to the Detroit River, about a 15min ride to Lake Saint Clair. I would say that the extremes for a long weekend would put us as far as Port Huron/ Port Sanilac on the Saint Clair river to the North and Put-in-Bay on Lake Erie to the South. I would love to try and attend any rendezvous between those two places- either in Canada or the US.

And would like to offer hosting one on either end of lake St. Clair, either at the Edison Boat Club on the west end in the States, or one on the East end in Ontario Canada at the Thames River Yatch Club. (http://www.edisonboatclub.org/) (http://www.thamesriveryachtclub.org/) I have suggestions on local anchorages also if we decide to go that way.

Thanks Bruce lets see what happens,

Sandy Davis
s/v "Blind Faith"
CD27 #60

[Oswego John]

Sandy and Bruce,

Depending on my health and other factors, I would like to attend such a sail-in. Of course, because of the distance, I would have to drive to the get together. Who knows, maybe I could hitch hike a ride on someone's CD and be rail meat for them.

Great idea,
O J

[Steve Kuhar]

I am planning a trip to Michigan for late spring or early summer, timing is flexible. I would like to attend and meet some of our fresh water brethren, of course, like O.J. it will have to be a drive in meet for me, it is a long way upstream from Pensacola. Keep us posted when a date is proposed.

Steve Kuhar

[Jim Buck]

I'm not sure I could sail very far with my Ty Daysailer in a short time, but I would very much like to meet other Cape Dorians. Schedule permitting, I'll be there.

[Bruce Bett]

I'm encouraged by the enthusiasm, but what I chiefly need is some boats. If this comes off all Cape Dory enthusiasts will be welcome and accommodated. So far we've got two boats, three or four more and I'll get serious about setting something up. Sandy has some ideas as do I. I think we could do good weekend meeting. If we have in Detroit proper we could perhaps do Tiger's game. If we have it at Metropolitan Beach, we can picnic swim and perhaps race sailboats. If we do it at Put-in-Bay we can pub crawl and pick up some...no I'm way too old for that. Any way I would like to hear from anyone who can get a boat somewhere in the Detroit area (broadly speaking) in late spring or early summer 2012. Let me know if you are interested, if you have any suggestions as to time or place let me know.

Bruce

[mike ritenour]

Bruce,
As we discussed previously, I'm all for it.
Depending on the dates, we maybe able to sail up.
Let us know your dates.
Thanks for your willingness to organize this.
Rit

[paul marti]

Bruce, I keep Willow at markley's on the Clinton River and would definitely be interested in meeting with the eastern lakes fleet.
Take care, Paul