Aboard the Lettie G. Howard: Sunset Sail on Presque Isle Bay

Onboard the Lettie G. Howard, a two-hour Put-in-Bay sunset cruise offers a close, tactile link to Great Lakes maritime history. The sail departs from 239 Bayview Ave in Put-in-Bay, Ohio, and slips out into Presque Isle Bay and the western basin of Lake Erie as the light shifts toward dusk. Built in Essex, Massachusetts in 1893, Lettie G. Howard is one of the last surviving wooden Fredonia-style fishing schooners; she spent decades fishing the Northeast Atlantic and Gulf coasts, arrived at the South Street Seaport Museum in New York City in 1968, and was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1989 after an extensive restoration in the 1990s. Today she operates through a collaboration between the South Street Seaport Museum and the Flagship Niagara League. This sail balances hands-on experience with scenic calm. The crew gives a short introduction, then asks volunteers to help set larger sails; novices can haul lines, learn basic points of sail, and stand at the rail while the schooner answers to wind. Presque Isle frames the horizon—its sandy spit and low dunes create one of the Eastern United States’ rare places to watch a true sunset over open water. Waterfowl and migrating songbirds frequently thread the marshy edges in summer and fall, and on clear evenings the sky paints the schooner’s varnished wood in amber. Practicalities are straightforward: check in thirty minutes early, bring layered outerwear and a rain jacket on wet forecasts because the event runs rain or shine, and leave umbrellas ashore—rigging and benches aboard limit space. Benches provide seating, water is available, and the head is rustic. Tickets are valid only for the scheduled date and time; the Captain decides whether to sail based on conditions. No glass containers; non-perishable snacks and sealed nonalcoholic drinks are allowed. Why book this trip? Beyond a postcard sunset, the Lettie G. Howard is living maritime heritage. Sailing her connects you to 19th-century commercial fishing craft while offering approachable seamanship on Lake Erie’s sheltered waters. For visitors staying in Put-in-Bay or nearby Sandusky, it’s an efficient evening out—two hours that combine fresh air, local natural history, and a ship with a documented lineage. Whether you’re a first-time sailor curious about traditional rigs or a repeat visitor seeking a different light on Presque Isle, this cruise delivers an intimate, historically grounded way to experience Lake Erie’s shoreline. Evening sails pair well with Put-in-Bay’s summer festivals and dinner options; arrive early to stroll Bayview Avenue, take a short shoreline walk, or rent a bike to explore lagoons near the ferry docks. Whether you seek photography, quiet instruction, or simply the hush of wind and water, the Lettie G. Howard sunset cruise brings you close to living shoreline