Hazards on the Water

Use this range light tower south of Bay Point as a reference to keep yourself in deep water when outside the shipping channel.

Always have a chart aboard for any area you plan to sail in. Lake Erie charts are exceptionally detailed and are available individually or as part of a complete book covering the entire lake. NOAA chart 14842 covers the bay in greatest detail and is all you need inside the harbor. If you plan to venture out into the lake, NOAA chart 14844 provides enough detail to safely navigate inside the eastern half of the bay as well as venturing out into Lake Erie as far as Kelleys Island, Put-in-Bay, or even southern Pelee Island in Canada.

The large section of harbor west of Bay Point and east of the rail bridge is completely hazard-free and it is safe to sail anywhere within 1000 feet of shore without worry. A wide sandy shoal runs east and south of Bay Point that tends to shift position from year to year, making your chart somewhat unreliable. Luckily, there is a large range light tower south of Bay Point that provides an excellent reference marker for keeping out of trouble. The general rule of thumb is that, if you stay well south or west of the tower, you don't need to worry about running aground.

If you are leaving the harbor from Bay Point, steer a course southeast of the range tower until you enter the shipping channel in the vicinity of the red #14 buoy. Then simply follow the channel, keeping the red buoys to your left, until you pass the red #8 buoy, at which point it is safe to steer out of the channel. There is a small rocky shoal about 1/2 mile north of the #8 buoy, but it is deep enough that it shouldn't worry a trailer boat as long as you keep your centerboard raised enough so as to draw less than 5 feet of water.

The heavy powerboat traffic in the channel tends to create a nasty chop to the water that, depending on the amount of traffic and the conditions on the lake, can vary from uncomfortable to downright punishing during the mile-long transit. There is no way to avoid this, so secure your breakables inside the cabin, check your rigging for anything that might bounce loose at an inopportune moment, and just grit your teeth and bear it.

As mentioned in the weather section, the long stone breakwall that extends northeast from the tip of Cedar Point can become a significant hazard during storms or periods of low visibility. Every few years it seems a small boat is either blown onto it while disabled or carelessly runs into it at full speed, sometimes with tragic results. There is plenty of deep water to the north and northwest of the #8 buoy in the shipping channel so as to allow a trailer boat to stay safely clear of the breakwall when entering or leaving the harbor.

The large coal dock near the municipal launch ramp draws many lake freighters into the harbor throughout the year. These vessels will announce their intention to enter or leave the bay well in advance via "security-security-security" announcements on channel 16 of your marine radio, giving you ample time to schedule your trip so as to stay clear of them. It is a somewhat breathtaking experience to pass close to one of these behemoths, but take extreme care to never cross one's path. Their movements are limited by the width of the shipping channel and they can neither stop nor steer out of your way if you should happen to stall in front of one.

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