[hamiam]

First and foremost, I think you need to look at the conditions you will normally be sailing in. What are the typical winds and chop on Lake Michigan? Take Newport, RI, where I sail out of vs. say the Chesapeake. Afternoon winds in the summer in Newport are typically 15+ knots and the chop in the bay is typically 1 foot or less while you can count on much lighter winds in the heat of the summer in the Chesapeake. You also need to consider the depth of the crusing area; we never have a problem with our 6.5'' draught but the Lake may be a different story. If you can get us some of these details, I think a much better accessment of the proper boat can be made.