What kind of boat

[ebijack]

Your boat will be fine. Watch the weather. Go out when there are other boats around and when it's rough. Learn how to drive the boat in bad conditions. I've been fishing Erie, St clair, Saginawbay for 20+ yrs out of 18ft boats. I am now running an 18ft Cliner. We use to ( for tourney's and practice) run from the Detroit river to the east side of Pelee all the time, and this was before GPS. That's 42 mi's each way. ( Tourney's almost all ways have bad weather on average ). Controlling your boat experience in bad conditions will help make sure you come back no matter what. Not to scare you, but it's much better to learn how when it's warm water, lots of other boats around etc. That way when your out there 18 + miles you'll have the confidence to get back cause all the Great Lakes can blow up fast. When you head out, besides your GPS, take note of the water towers. Your compass also, but when you can recognize what water towers are where. You will always have a direction to get you back if everything else fails. Save lots of waypoints. Mark every launch as you leave the harbour and name it. That way if something happens to you, your passenger will have an idea on where to head to get back. I prefer to run my GPS in course/track up. That way anyone on board can figure out where they are headed to get out or back or to get to the next way point. Your always headed up screen, what's on your left is left, right is right.