Best boat for Lake Michigan cruising & crossings

[GTBRMC]

Those Axopars are def eye catching. I am warming to their look.

 

[Noko]

I've been thinking ahead to what our next boat should be...as much as we like our 210, we're leaning towards a boat that we can do more cruising along the Lake Michigan coast as well as solo crossings. I know our boats could make it across on calm days but I would only feel comfortable crossing with companion boats.

So what are some opinions on the proper size boat for solo crossings? II would only do a crossing with a good weather forecast of <2' waves but knowing that Lake Michigan can change quickly, it would have to be able to handle big waves. I would wet slip this in a marina so am leaning towards having outboards. The caveat is I would still want the ability to trailer it so want to keep it under 10,000lbs max (I'm comfortable with the need for wide load permits if beam is over 8'6"). I likely will only be trailering twice a year (beginning and end of season to wet slip).

so far I'm looking at the following models:

27' Yamaha models
Jeanneau NC795 - 27' long, 9'3" beam - single outboard 200hp
Jeanneau NC895- 29' long 9'10" beam- twin 200hp outboards (this boat probably too heavy for towing)
Ranger Tugs- probably R25 model which is 25' hull length (overall length of 28'), 8'6" beam, single 250hp outboard with kicker.
axopar 28 cabin- 29' long, 9'8" beam- single or twin outboard options

any thoughts on these boats and their ability for Lake Michigan crossings? would you guys cross with one of the models with a single outboard or would you need twin engines to feel comfortable? anyone familiar with these boats or know of any others that could be an option? Thanks in advance for the feedback.

I’d look into an Edmund Fitzgerald class. Plenty of hold space.

 

[PEARCE]

I'm a fan of the Ranger Tugs and Cutwaters. I've never been on one but I like the idea of a trailerable cruiser that I can sleep on with a/c and a generator. @swatski may be right about being underpowered, but it also depends on what you want out of a boat. I know that the R27 with the Yamaha 300 outboard has a popup ski pylon. I don't think the diesel models do, but they have a longer range I would imagine. The diesel models are probably a little slower too.

If it were me I'd be looking at an Express/Sundancer type of boat. Depending on size it'll either be I/O or inboard in a v-drive or straight shaft configuration. They'll most likely all be gas except older and larger models or the most of the newer models. If you go with a '97 or newer the engines will be fuel injected. The Express cruiser we had was 40feet and 13 feet wide and weighed north of 20k lbs. fully loaded. Had fuel injected gas 454's with straight shafts to the props. I would cruise at 18 knots and the engines would be turning just under 2k rpms and would be on plane. She would not care what waves she encountered. We could cruise comfortably anywhere on the lake on the busiest and the windiest of days. We used it as our lake house and slept on it every weekend we were at the lake since it stayed 2 hours from home. We didn't have to convert anything each night when it was time for bed. That's something that will get old fast if you sleep on the boat on a regular basis. The kids had bunks and the Mrs. an I had the master bedroom in the v berth. We loved it most of the time that we had it and it was a beautiful boat, but we foresaw our next several years we were not gonna have the time to use it to justify the expense of keeping it and maintaining it.
I was glad to not have it this past February when we had a very long and cold winter storm that put a huge strain on the Texas power grid. The marina we used to keep it at lost power for several days and many boats lost engines and several almost sank because of frozen and busted seastrainers. It was a very unusual event for us. It never gets that cold and stays that cold for that long around here.
Anyways, good luck with the hunt and your decision. If you have any specific questions just post it here or shoot me a PM. I'd be glad to help in any way I can.

 

[zipper]

At our slip we look right up the aft of a diesel powered Cutwater. Nice boat but smaller inside than I expected. The owners just got back from a 3 night excursion out on the Lake. I believe it is a C 30 S. Popular style boat here, along with Ranger and Nordic Tugs. You can see another one just to starboard of this one, with the "command bridge".

C-30 S | Cutwater Boats

With its efficient 435-hp Volvo diesel inboard, the Cutwater 30 cruises effortlessly and comfortably, delivering express service to even remote destinations; standard bow and stern thrusters ensure precise maneuvering and easy docking.

www.cutwaterboats.com

 

[2kwik4u]

I’m a big fan of Axopar. Love those things!

The new 26 Cross Bow looks like an AWESOME boat for a small family or couple to go exploring with.

Axopar 25 Cross Bow

www.axopar.fi

 

[jcb1977]

The new 26 Cross Bow looks like an AWESOME boat for a small family or couple to go exploring with.

Axopar 25 Cross Bow

www.axopar.fi

I saw that too.....I was all over that until I saw it only had a beam of 7'4". I think that's going to be too small....would have been a real winner with an 8'6" beam and an extra couple of spaces for seating on deck.

 

[jocolo21]

Midnight Express with 3x 450's problem solved

 

[jocolo21]

You c

I saw that too.....I was all over that until I saw it only had a beam of 7'4". I think that's going to be too small....would have been a real winner with an 8'6" beam and an extra couple of spaces for seating on deck.

An test xrive the Axopars in West Palm Beach

 

[jcb1977]

You c
An test xrive the Axopars in West Palm Beach

You c
An test xrive the Axopars in West Palm Beach

I actually just got back from looking at an Axopar 28 Cabin (with aft cabin).....we also took it for a spin out on Lake Michigan today....there were 3' footers with some whitecaps. Boat was awesome in that condition and were going mid to upper 40's MPH for a little bit. It was great, the Aft cabin is prefect for kids to hangout in but would be a little tight for two adults to sleep in but not bad. I was surprised at the low freeboard/gunnels on the boat. It's also very tight on deck trying to walk around the cabin on the sides. Very comfortable when your in the cabin though. Bottom line for me, the cabin version I don't think will work, not enough room on the deck to move around for us. The T-top version might be better so I'm going to keep an eye out for one of those. Same dealer has a Cutwater 24DC coming in next week so I'm going to stop by and take a look at that one.

 

[jcb1977]

You c
An test xrive the Axopars in West Palm Beach

The dealer also mentioned they crossed Lake Michigan a few times with the Axopar 28 and said it was more than capable. after the ride today, I tend to believe him.

also got to see the axopar 22 they had onsite....very small boat with only 7'4" beam (way too small for us), but dealer said that boat was very capable in bigger water too.

 

[jocolo21]

The dealer also mentioned they crossed Lake Michigan a few times with the Axopar 28 and said it was more than capable. after the ride today, I tend to believe him.

also got to see the axopar 22 they had onsite....very small boat with only 7'4" beam (way too small for us), but dealer said that boat was very capable in bigger water too.

the boats are wave piercers rather than breaking waves, ive seen the in Bimini too, i like the center console model better saw it last week in west palm, but for Michigan cold winters i understand the closed cabin, it also has different configurations.

 

[ourlee]

The new 26 Cross Bow looks like an AWESOME boat for a small family or couple to go exploring with.

Axopar 25 Cross Bow

www.axopar.fi

I'm so excited for this. Getting introduced soon at Geneva Boat Show?

 

[ourlee]

But I keep forgetting the beam. Why'd they do that?

 

[jcb1977]

But I keep forgetting the beam. Why'd they do that?

I know.....if that had an 8'6" beam it would be awesome. I heard a rumor that in Europe a 7'4" beam is standard for trailering (they're 7'4" is our 8'6" threshold or wideload permits) but not sure if that's true or not.

 

[ourlee]

Makes perfect sense. I think we're gonna try the Chesapeake for a summer in the Cobalt 250. If there are too many "can't go out" days we'll get a better boat. Moms is a super white Irish girl and likes the cabin for sun protection. I just like the 28 cause it's punk rock (and super safe)

 

[jcb1977]

after thinking about this for a while, we've changed our minds slightly and leaning more towards a 24' to 26' boat that will be good in rough seas but still easy/practical to tow around, with a small cabin that kids can get out of the sun, and hangout in on extended cruises. Something like a walkaround with hard top or a cuddy cabin. Strangely, Not alot of new models that fit this criteria and the few we've found are out until 2023/2024 already. Seems like most of the new models in this size range are either dual consoles or center consoles with no cabin. Quite a few used boats though, but really hard to put a value on some of these older boats, and tough to project what the resale value might be in 5 to 10 years.