Day 56 of the 2015 season: One of my favorite Leelanau County launche sites

Lake Michigan, Sleeping Bear Bay, Glen Haven's Cannery launch site.

One of my many favorite Leelanau County launches on a N- NE-NW - I don't get here often enough.
I was able to find a launchable beach site, with the higher water levels - a good beach is hard to find.
With solid NW winds in the 15-25 range suddenly turning on. The inside swells building and nicely forming on the 100 yard inside sections. Shallow inside water with a strong longshore current made butter smooth conditions between the nicely space waves ramping up in the shallows. One of my best sessions carving amongst the butter waves, 8 or 9 carve turns trying to time it right for the wave hit and then work my way upwind to do it again for over 2 hours.
Kiting with a guy named Neil. He is living and traveling on his sailboat which he has moored in a local marina for the summer. In the winters he sails to Florida and does the same thing there thru-out the winter.


TOW:  3:00-5:30
Gear:  11M and 140 board
Water Conditions: Large inside area with smoothness in amongst the well formed waves 
Weather:  A delightful mid-70s, sunny day
Wind: 15-25 from the NNW
Highlight:  Fun wave carving
Schooled: Wave carving - note to self get a wave board

Sleeping Bear Bay

 

Leyland wind data

Day 42 of the 2015 season: Kiteboarding at Sleeping Bear Bay - 1st Lk Michigan session of 2015

Gear for the day on Sleeping Bear Bay

Above marginal day with winds from the NNW to 20mph at best. Good direction for the Bay Street launch practically side on shore direction.
This launch is magical when there is a northern component to the wind it is enhanced as it funnels
between the islands and the mainland. While winds were lite in Empire a check of the Leland Wind Alert usually shows higher wind speeds.
The 2.5 hour session started out on the lite side but it soon turned on to a good steady 18-20 mph. The water here gets deep very quickly you can come within inches from the shore and make your transitions. With  kite over the beach while you are carving downwind, very cool feeling. Took an upwind run to the Homestead resort  - then downwind run back to Bay Street. Very satisfying day especially after the Linwood skunk.
The boys downstate hit epic conditions at Linwood today.




Carving near the beach

TOW:   Kiteboard from 2:45-5:30
Gear:   11M and150 slingshot board
Water Conditions:   Choppy with an occasional organized swell on the outside.
Weather:    Sunny upper 50s
Wind: Steady 18-20 from NNE
Highlight: Riding upwind to the Homestead resort - riding downwind from the Homestead Resort
Schooled:   Not much - to lite for me to boost without losing a lot of ground.



Vista with South Manitou Island

Wind window from 2:45-5:30

Day 36 of the 2014 season: Surprise Session - Something about Tuesdays this season

Something about Tuesdays this season. Seems like Tuesdays are the windy days this year.

A total surprise session on Sleeping Bear Bay from the Bay street launch.
Side on NNE winds up to 20 MPH - parking the kite and cruising.
Winds were forecasted to be NNE 5-10 but as it often happens here the wind is sailable even with the feeble forecast.

Sleeping Bear Bay from the end of Bay Street in Glen Arbor, Michigan

11M kite with Mako 140 - gear of the day

Highlight of the day:  Surprise session!
TOW:  2:30 - 4:30

Gear:   11M kite, 150 slingshot board and 140 Mako Board
Conditions:  Some small waves but surprisingly smooth conditions
Weather:   Bluebird day mid -70s,  water 60s
Wind: NNE to 20 MPH
Schooled:  Just having some fun after a long period of nothing

Cannery - Glen Haven Sleeping Bear Bay. Day 22 of the 2013 season

The Cannery - Glen Haven -  Sleeping Bear Bay - Day 22 of the 2013 season.

July 23, 2013 Tuesday

Consistent wind forecasts since Saturday

Above forecast from Saturday

Todays forecast - We'll see......


















Actual wind data from today........  (Grand Traverse Light)

I would say forecast was right on again for it turned out pretty darn good.
I launched from The Cannery in Glen Haven due to side shore NW winds and not as ferocious shore break as Empire beach was. Smooth 2-4 foot breakers on the inside sandbars with voodoo 4-6 foot swell on the outside - what a workout trying to sail that stuff, swell coming from every direction so it seemed. The outside voodoo workout was well worth it because every time heading back to the to the inside sandbars the swell smoothed out and was well organized, good for riding. I actually had some good wave front and back  side down the line wave riding for 40- 50 yards.
The wind was nearly side shore with the waves coming straight in perfect for wave riding.


Sail Time: 3.0 hours from 1:00 - 4:30
Gear: 5.0 with 85 liter board
Conditions:  4-5  foot voodoo swell outside, with smooth organized waves on the inside
Weather:   Sunny, Air 60s water 70s
Wind: NW to 20 - 30 mph
Schooled: Wave riding
Image: Grand Traverse Light Data, Venue from Pyramid Point 400 feet above sleeping Bear Bay
Video: Some backside riding

Favorite Spot

9/1/12 Saturday

Arrived in Empire by 2:00 and quickly realized it was windy from the NE so I  headed to the Bay Street Launch in Glen Arbor. This is one of my favourite spots to sail on Lake Michigan's Sleeping Bear Bay.

Immediately I new what to rig just by the look and feel of the white caps and wind. The 5.5 with the 100 liter board maybe the 85 liter. Rigged and on the water by 3. Took off and enjoyed the next 3 hours with steady 17-25 mph side on with easy flat water on the inside and nice widely space swell on the outside perfect for jibing. It's almost a given the first few days of September I will normally get a good sail in at this spot. Possible compliments of some tropical remnants heading up the Mississippi River.
One other windsurfer up wind of me at the Homestead Resort.

Sail Time: 3.0  hours from 3:00 - 6:00

Gear: 5.5 with the 85 and 101 liter boards

Conditions: Side shore to side on.

Weather: Air mid-70s, Bluebird, water mid-70s.
Wind:  N-NE winds 

Schooled: Wave jibing and slashing.

Images: Boards of the day, Sleeping Bear point and Sleeping Bear Bay launch site with S Manitou Island
in the distance. Wind data from GT Light

Bat Street Launch - Favorite Spot

Saturday, 8/13/2011

Sleeping Bear Bay, Glen Arbor, Lake Michigan

Another cold front passing through brought some decent northeasters to Sleeping Bear Bay.

Started our with the 5.5 Ezzy and the 101 RRD and soon after went down to my 85 JP.

Nice side shore location with flat water on the inside and fantastic well placed large swell on the outside.

First use of the 85 liter board in awhile it felt so good to get on the small board especially in the outside swell great fun riding the swell.

Session: 3:00-6:30
Gear: 5.5 Ezzy, 84 JP
Conditions: Small organized swell on the inside with large far apart swell outside.

Weather: 72 degrees some sun, water 70 degrees.

Wind: Estimated to peak of 25 NE.

Schooled: Riding the swell, doesn't get much better on Lake Michigan,

Playing in the smooth Lake Michigan Swell

Glen Arbor, Bay Street, Sleeping Bear Bay. Lake Michigan.
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Session Description: Surprise Session NE up to 25 mph. All local buoys reported light winds. Forecast was 5-10 from the Northeast.
Session: 3:30-5:00
Gear: 6.0 Ezzy Panther and 109 RRD FSW.
Schooled: Smooth riding with nice smooth 3 foot swells for easy riding.
Weather: Sunny, 65 degrees outside - 80 degrees inside, winds NE to 25.
Water: 55 degrees, nice swells on the outside with flat water inside.
Wind: NE estimated to 25 mph.