info on how supras might do on lake erie.

[SAMMYMAN]

years ago i owned a beast and only kept it on a lake. so i have no idea how a supra does on bigger water. i loved my supra even though i bought it used. it always ran, seemed solid as a rock, was comfortable and we had a lot of fun with it. unfortunately, the only problem was i had to work all the time and couldn't use it:( so we ended up selling it.

but now i'm retired and would like to get another boat. i'm interested in a used saltare i think. longer than my beast, high sides, etc. but i am interested inan open bow.

does anyone use one on one of the great lakes and if so how do you like it. i realize it isn't as good as a deep v or something, and i wouldn't use it up there all that much. but i would like the option of being able to island hop up at sandusky ohio and maybe do a little fishing over the side (very little fishing, but have two little guys who would like to try it)

so if anyone has ever used theirs for doing or knows someone with an open bow supra that has used it on a great lake i'd be interested to know how it does. i also realize that when the weather is bad on erie and aircraft carrier isn't too big. it can get very bad on that lake

thanks

[michael hunter]

I have been going to Lake Michigan for 20 + years with my 89 Sunsport. It will handle 3 footers with no problem but its no fun. Listen to the weather radio for the near shore forecast before you go 0 to 1' is best . I am on the southern tip of lake Mich. so I look for a south ,southwest light wind. We have skied, boarded , tubed and Even footed on the big lake. The best part is there is hardly any boat traffic its so big you can always find a good spot without having other boats too near. With miles of sandy beach there is always a place to anchor and enjoy the day. We were there yesterday an had a great time surfing and hanging out on the beach.

[SAMMYMAN]

thanks for the info micheal...

i have to be honest and tell you, that i'm not really going to use a supra for what it's built for, which is sking. i'll certainly do a little pulling little kids around on a tube, and some friends who probably have no idea which end of the ski to put on first, but primarily the boat will get used as a pleasure and crusie around boat. i just loved the quality and reliability of my beast when i had it is the reason i'm very seriously condidering another one. my beast was my 5th boat i had ever owned and except for my first which i bought from a friend whose dad built it and was 30 years old when i got it (i paid 250 bucks for it....:D it was a little 16 foot cruiser that had a llittle old merc reversing 70. laugh all ya want, but other than the supra it was the best boat i ever had and i used it for 3 years before selling it for more than i paid for it. :cool: ) all the others lived up to their reputations of holes in the water that all my money got swalled up by.

if i go to the big lake 3 times in 3-5 years that'll be a lot. and i know this is the wrong boat for that lake. but what you're telling me is about what i was thinking. you gotta really watch the weather, and if it starts getting bad head for the closest shore and wait it out, or don't even bother taking it out and go to the closest restaurant and buy everybody burgers....

do you think a saltare would do any better than my beast or a 20 ft. sunsport would? or would it be the same open bow boat just bigger? i guess one of my problems is that where i live there really are no close lakes to go to. i have rivers around pgh, but unless i drive for a while they're water flanked by industry and surrounded by locks. i'm actually going to have to find someplace to go....

if i decide to do this, and i'm pretty sure i will, you'll see me on this forum looking for someone who has a used (maybe a 90's or even up to a 2000 boat for sale. but i wouldn't pass up an 80's model in great shape just because of the age. i admit that i would like to stay under 15K dollars if possible. if not i spend a little more but that's my target goal. and i definitely don't want a fixer upper or beat model. but that's what's nice about supras. if they've been cared for they're like tanks. and if i have to drive 500 or 600 miles to find the right boat that'll be no problem. maybe go to TN... i would think TN has a lot of used supras running around

thanks for your come back though. i hope to be on the forum reading and listening to info in the future.

[04Gravity]

I take mine out on Lake Ontario all the time. Its not very fun at times but it does fine. I have a Comp too so my sides are VERY low to the water. I have to keep the bow up in the air though, if not theres a lot of water coming up over the front. I was a bit worried the first couple times I took mine out there, but one thing that ive noticed is that even though the waves are bigger than on the smaller lakes, they are also much longer rollers. Theyre easy to stay on top of and ride versus the shorter but closer together white caps that pound the crap out of you on a rough day in the smaller lakes.

Just be careful and like Michael said, pay close attention to the weather forecast!