Cruising Lake Harriet - A Sailing Resource

This is a rather complex question, and there are several things that place limits on the size of boat you can have on the Minneapolis Lakes: New for 2011 is a limit of 30 feet for boats. It is hard to image a 30 footer on the lakes, although there is a 27. You can find more info HERE . Beyond that, there are practical limitations: Trailerable: Legally, this means a beam of no more than 8 1/2 feet, and therefore a LOA of maybe 25 feet. 25 feet would be a BIG boat on Lake Harriet. Draft: Because you will have to launch using the ramp, you cannot draw a lot of water. Swing, shoal, and wing keels are most popular. High aspect, fixed fins will be an issue without some real creativity. We launch our Beneteau First 235 with 2.9 feet of draft without the tongue extension. You also have to look at how high your waterline sits at the axle. Lower is better. In general, the ramp is high quality, and the water gets deep quickly. Motor: The low HP output of the required electric motor will af...

One of the biggest challenges faced by cruisers on Lake Harriet is the prohibition of Outboards. Because gas motors are NOT allowed by the city, you have to use an electric trolling motor. In almost any sense this is a compromise, as a typical 50-lb thrust motor generates the equivalent of about 0.75HP. For anyone used to having their boat pushed around with a 8HP motor, this can be daunting. In practice, however, it is rare when it becomes a problem on Lake Harriet, as we all go back to mooring buoys, which we can sail to. The size of the lake allows getting to the lee side in a strong blow. The biggest challenge is power management. The motor will be the biggest draw on your boat's 12V system, and a dead battery means either no way to get home, or no lights for the evening sail. You have for factor in how you plan to keep it charged. See this related article on power management HERE. . Regarding size, choose a 50-LB thrust as a minimum, and look at 24v as opposed to less effici...