port clinton ohio
Great-Lakes-Sailing.com
|
Port Clinton, OH Lat: 41° 31.118 Long: 082°56.155 |
|
Quick Reference:
|
Important Numbers
|
|
DISTANCES
|
|
DESCRIPTION Port Clinton Ohio lies between Cleveland and Toledo, at the mouth of the Portage River. Immediately to the north are the Bass Islands. A city of about 6,000, its population quadruples during the summer months as thousands of visitors come to enjoy its Lake Erie shoreline, restaurants & pubs and access to the Bass Islands. Port Clinton OH was established in the 1820's. The city has long been a magnet for tourists. It's downtown core has retained its historic look and feel even as the community has strived to be a pleasant summer destination. |
|
APPROACHES The approaches to Port Clinton Ohio are clear from all directions. (See the NOTES below) The harbor itself is in the mouth of the Portage River, inside a channel through a well-protected cut. The channel entrance is marked with a Fl (2) RED light on the end of the west breakwall and a Fl GREEN light on the end of the east breakwall. These are visible respectively 10 mi/6.4 nm and 8 mi/5.8 nm offshore. An excellent landmark is the Verizon microwave tower located downtown. At nearly 246 feet, it is visible approximately 21 mi/18 nm offshore and is marked with Oc R F R lights. A course of 200°T will bring you down the channel. It doglegs to the starboard but is easy to follow. As you leave the channel, you will pass under the Monroe St. bascule bridge. It has a clearance of 9 feet closed. From May to November, the bridge opens on demand. Signal the bridgemaster with 1 long and 1 short horn blast. The bridgemaster can also be reached on either VHF 16 or 14. From 0001 to 0600, the bridge opens from 3 minutes before until 3 min after the hour and half hour. NOTES (1) To the west of Port Clinton Ohio, on your chart, there is a well-marked Military Exercise Area. This is the Camp Perry Firing Range and mariners must exercise caution. (They fire artillery shells here - 'nuff said?) Although range announcements are broadcast on VHF 16, you can contact the Range Safety Officer (RSO) either on VHF 16 or call (419) 635-4103 for more information. If you have any questions, call them. They would much rather handle the call than have to investigate the secondary explosion! (2) If approaching from the west, there are 2 marked obstructions approximately .2 mi/.17 nm west of the channel. These are marked with lights. (3) The Jet Express ferry sails from downtown Port Clinton Ohio to Put-In-Bay and has over a dozen departures most days. Keep a lookout for it. |
|
MARINAS, YACHT CLUBS, MOORINGS, ANCHORAGES Port Clinton Yacht Club (419) 734-2424 PCYC has a number of transient slips available for members of reciprocal clubs. There is no fuel dock or pumpout station. Water and power are available dockside. There are restrooms and showers available. There is a lovely clubhouse with a swimming pool, picnic grounds and grills. There is internet access as well. Drawbridge Marina (419) 734-4422 Drawbridge Marina has limited services for a transient sailor. It does not have slips but there is a fuel dock (gasoline only) and a pumpout station. It is a full-service marine maintenace shop and can carry out a wide range of repairs to engines, mechanical and electrical systems. They carry an extensive inventory of parts and there is a ship's store. Brand's Marina (419) 734-4512 VHF 10 Brand's is a large, family-owned marina with about 2 dozen slips available for transients. There is a fuel dock (diesel and gasoline) and a pump-out station. There is water and power available at dockside. This is a full-service marina able to carry our repairs and maintenance on engines, mechanical and electrical systems, rigging and hulls. There are restrooms, showers and laundry facilities. Brand's also carries a large parts inventory. Other amenities include an internet cafe (free) and a lounge area. Coastal Marine II (419) 732-2165 VHF 68 Coastal Marine II has transient docking for 90 vessels. There is no fuel dock but there is a pumpout station. This is a full-service marina where they can carry out complete engine, mechanical, electrical and hull repairs. They have a haulout facility. There are restrooms and showers. Other amenities include a swimming pool, cabana, picnic areas and ship's store. Coastal Marine also has a shuttle which can take you into downtown Port Clinton. Jacknife Marina (419) 734-3233 Jacknife Marina has approximately 2 dozen slips for transient sailors. There is no fuel dock or pumpout station. There is water and power available at the slips. There are restrooms available and there is a picnic area. As this is a very popular area, especially for power boaters, waters can get very choppy here ar various times of the day from constant passages. It is also a very popular fishing area and there are a number of other small marinas where overnight docking may be available. Outside of Port Clinton Ohio harbor, there are two other marinas - Lakefront Marina to the west and Knecht's Marina to the east. In both cases, care needs to be taken approaching these marinas as the water gets very skinny. |
|
REPAIRS & MAINTENANCE, PROVISIONING, BANKS/ATM's Brand's Marina (See above) Coastal Marine II (See above) Drawbridge Marina (See above) The major supermarkets are located to the east of the downtown. The closest is Community Markets Inc., about 2 mi/3.2 km from the marinas. It can handle your provisioning requirements. There are a number of banks in downtown Port Clinton Ohio. First National Bank is the closest to the marinas and has both counter and ATM service. |
|
MEDICAL SERVICES Magruder Hospital (419) 734-3121 is a full-service hospital, located approximately 2 mi/3.2 km from the marinas. Green's Pharmacy (419) 732-3151, located downtown, is the closest pharmacy, about .7 mi/1 km from the marinas. |
|
PLACES TO EAT Port Clinton Ohio has a number of dining options. If you like Mexican food, try either Cisco & Charlie's Cantina or Mendoza's. Mon Ami Restaurant and Winery is housed in a lovely building that was originally a winery. In addition to an excellent menu in beautiful surroundings, Mon Ami also has a well-stocked wine shop carrying domestic and imported wines.. There is live entertainment on the weekends. McCarthy's is a comfortable restaurant/pub with an Irish flavor. Kokomo Bay is a casual seafood restaurant. Bootleggers is a casual waterfront pub where you can watch marine traffic passing by on the river as you relax. Doc's Beach House is located right on the Lake Erie shoreline. It has a great patio, terrific views, especially at sunset, and a menu that features lots of seafood. |
|
THINGS TO DO/SEE/VISIT Port Clinton Ohio is one of the best walleye (pickerel for many Canadians) fishing areas, certainly on Lake Erie. The perch fishing is excellent as well. There is no shortage of charter boats that can take you out to some terrific fishing spots. There are very good beaches and lots of restaurants and pubs where you can enjoy good views in a relaxing environment. You can take in the African Safari Wildlife Park (about 6 mi/10 km east from the marinas, a wine tour at Mon Ami Winery or just relax and enjoy the historic downtown of Port Clinton Ohio. Check out this Port Clinton Ohio tourism site that will give you many ideas on getting the most of your visit. Return from Port Clinton, Ohio to Lake Erie Return to Home Page |
