Cruising Lake Erie is a lot of fun! But you need to know what you're doing...
I've learned about navigation, boating safety, rules of the road, and numerous other topics through classes I've taken with Akron Power Squadron, a unit of the United States Power Squadrons (USPS).
I highly recommend you prepare yourself for whatever nautical adventure you have in mind. Locate a Squadron near you through the USPS web site.
