Northern Illinois/Southern Wisconsin beachcat friendly lakes

Come on up to Pewaukee Lake in Wis. It is a bit further North, but is a great sailing lake. The resident powerboats know the rules of the road, and there is almost always a decent breeze from the SW. The best launch is on the very West end, although it can get busy. There is a decent staging area to step the mast and set the boat up prior to launch. There are a couple of bars you can sail to. Just stay in the West "Basin". Going east, it gets shallow with some weeds.

Thanks, I'll put that on the list. It's about 1:20 from my house so not too bad. Looks like a $8 fee to launch? So the west launch looks like lakefront part, is that right?

Another option: https://crawracing.org/schedule/

WAIEX; Yes the west launch is almost always "into the wind". good parking and setup/takedown area right at the launch area.

Thanks Jeff. I'm not sure we are ready to take on the regatta yet. Would they even let me participate with an aluminum mast?

Raisehull, I had meant to type "Lakefront Park" not part. I couldn't tell where the launch was from the satellite pics but I assume it is there somewhere.

Bryan- I expect they would be happy to have you join them. Clubs usually have handicap racing that covers various older boats. As well, our group in Michigan has a race in Michigan City in mid-September. You'd be welcome to sail with us as well (or just hang out and check out the scene). https://cramsailing.com/regattas/schedul e"> https://cramsailing.com/regattas/schedule

Idon't know how to load imgaes yet. it is the very west end of the lake

Edited by raisehull on Jul 04, 2021 - 06:09 PM.

Do any Wisconsin sailors have input on Delevan or Geneva? They are semi-close to me and I'd like to get off of the little lake we have been on.

Geneva is VERY bizzy on the weekends. Big boats there, they often either don't know, or, just don't respect the "Rules of the Road". Never been on delevan.

Check out Gilson sailing beach on Lake Michigan. Mast up storage all summer.

We took a motorcycle ride to Delevan and Geneva. The Delevan launch sucks. You have to get out a narrow channel which is oriented close to the prevailing winds. Not enough room to tack. There is a little shoreline where you can raise your sails, but it is mucky and a little rocky. The lake itself looks nice and there was a monohull race going on.

Williams Bay at Geneva looked great. There is a dirt lot about 1/8 mile west of the boat launch where you step the mast. It's on the north side of the road, as the lake is on the south side. After launching the boat you paddle east to a little beach and you can raise your sails there. We met a couple of guys who launched their H18, and they put up their sails for the 1/8 mile drive to the launch.

Here is the video:
https://youtu.be/0qxspzYd8Do

Bryan - I have pushed my F18 over the sand many times on the beach just north of the Racine Yacht Club on Lake Michigan (Racine North Beach). If you have beach wheels, this is a great location. All sand, sail friendly and free. If the wind is from the west or south, the break water provides plenty of protection for a hassle free launch.

Thanks Kurt! 80 miles, 1:40 from my house. Hope to work our way up to Lake Michigan. Need some more experience and some faith in the boats we have first! We have beach wheels and free is good.

New to the forum, I'm in Milwaukee.

I sail from the boat ramp at south shore park, on lake Michigan. Plenty of staging, and the boat ramp is on the beach, no problems. it's a few bucks to launch here.
There's a good 1.5 mile long by .25 mile wide area behind the break wall to reach south along, shoreline mostly beaches. No different then sailing on a small lake. I take out my SC15 out the wall in the big lake in waves 1.5 foot or less.

You could also reach north through the channel behind the break wall (or get a tow) in front of SSYC, past the ferry dock, and be in the north breakwall, a much larger area.

I've sailed koshkonog. I launched here https://goo.gl/maps/at26nfYu3TZYADyw7

Very narrow, and a short wade to the beach.

A much better place would be here https://goo.gl/maps/1f8ukftNk2TLgdAy7 but there is a power line in the way. You'd have to launch, beach, and then step.

There's an actual cat beach on lake mendota.

Thanks for the tip on lake geneva, I hadn't considered it.

cpt_mango wrote:
There's an actual cat beach on lake mendota.

Where is that? I sail on Mendota often, I put in at Tenney Park, or Warner if Tenney is having ramp work. Is the beach you are referring to at Maple Bluff?

It's a little bit of a cruise, but it looks like on Google Earth that Lake Street Beach in Gary is open for launching and the ramp is still at Michigan City for Lake Michigan sailing.