Frankfort Michigan

September 26 - September 28, 2016

We moved on to Frankfort, Michigan, which is about 45 miles south of Leland. We knew it would be a hard day working against a head wind to get there, so we got up before dawn, had our coffee and set off by 7:30 am. We fought our way to Frankfort knowing that a storm system was on it’s way. We figured Frankfort would be a good spot to weather it out, a little bigger town than Leland and a little further in our journey to Chicago.

Leaving Leland - Red sky in the morning, sailor take warning

We had to pass three points to get to Frankfort; the first, Pyramid Point was still in tolerable conditions. Once we made the turn to round Sleeping Bear Point and Sleeping Bear Dunes, the wind was hitting us dead on and Mystic was taking a beating. We buried our bowsprit and anchor for a few hours. It was terrifying to watch. Dave always has an extra line tethering the anchor to the bow pulpit but that anchor was dancing all over the place. Watching it bounce in the waves made us think that maybe we need to tether it on both sides. The sand dunes are really magnificent but we didn't have much time to enjoy the view. Eyes were forward in anticipation of the next head on wave. I was able to get a few photos while Dave was at the helm.

Pyramid Point

Rounding Pyramid Point Toward Sleeping Bear Dunes

Houses on bluff of Sand Dunes

Sand Dunes

Stairway to Lake Michigan ~ Sleeping Bear Dunes

Slowly, we clawed our way south toward Betsie Point. We'd followed the chart and made straight lines around each marker. We were taking a beating six miles off shore when we started seeing sailboats closer to shore under sail. We headed inside the markers, closer to the dunes, and found some relief from the pounding. 

Sailboat in Sleeping Bear Bay

Sailboat rounding Betsie Point

Once we passed the lovely Betsie Point Lighthouse we could see the breakwater for Frankfort. The rolling seas made our entry through the double breakwater dicey but we slipped in and felt much of the intensity subside.

Point Betsie Lighthouse

We headed for the Frankfort City Marina and pulled up to an open slip. As we’ve seen with most of the marinas, there is no one around this time of year, just a number to call. We talked to Marina worker Jeff who said Mark would be by in the morning. Jeff gave us the restroom and WIFI codes and bid us a good night.

Mark & Dave

Mark & sweet Allie The Dune Dog

Mystic Arrives At Frankfort

Once Mystic was settled in her slip, we took a walk around town to get a feel for it. We discovered the Storm Cloud Microbrewery (how ironic is that!) We ate dinner and enjoyed a Black IPA. The folks who own the microbrewery also own the local theater. They show movies on the brick wall of the building next door on Thursday's. They sell flavored movie theater popcorn. It's very good. We tried butter and salt first, then garlic and parmesan cheese, DELICIOUS!

Storm Cloud Microbrewery

The town has several cute shops and restaurants and a sandy beach near the breakwater, all within walking distance. A 20 mile bike path runs right by the marina and around Lake Betsie. We like this place and it's small town feel!

Paper Fashion

US Lighthouse Society Bell

An Alberg 35 is moored in the bay. She has a simple dodger that we find attractive, so we took photos for reference. Dave has moved a dodger for Mystic to the top of our wish list after several days of getting very wet on Lake Michigan!

Alberg 35 in Betsie Bay

We settled down for the night relatively early, knowing that the weather would be changing. In the middle of the night, the storm we’d been anticipating, arrived with a vengeance. Mystic was rocking and rolling all at the same time. Dave started adding lines to help settle her in the slip. By mid morning, Mark showed up and asked if we needed help. He told us that windfinder.com indicated the gusts were hitting 37 mph. He said they had not seen this kind of wind in at least five years. Several other boats had lines that had snapped. Mark contacted the owners to let them know of the conditions and retied what he could.

Storm over breakwater ~ Frankfort, MI

Storm over breakwater ~ Frankfort, MI

Storm over breakwater ~ Frankfort, MI ~ Photo by Dave Langendonk

South Breakwater Light in the storm

Frankfort sits on the East side of Lake Michigan. The twin breakwaters run west to east leading into the harbor. With the wind gusting to 37 mph and sustained winds of 30 mph, water is forced into the channel leading up to Betsie Bay causing a surge. We are battling that surge with the wind on top of it. We lost four lines under the pressure. By evening, Mystic had a total of 16 lines holding her in the slip. We aren’t comfortable aboard Mystic so we are spending time at the library located close to the marina. We can look out the window and see our boat but we return every hour to check our lines and adjust as needed.

A 47 foot Beneteau docked near us lost a stern line. The boat snuck behind the center piling and was getting ravaged. We met the owners Dave and Karen Langendonk. They were able to pull her back into place. Dave added four extra lines to the stern alone. We enjoyed chatting with them and hearing about their retirement plan to take an RV trip to the Canadian Rockies and Alaska then explore the lower 48. They are selling their home and belongings and casting their line free to enjoy this chapter of life. We have a lot in common and look forward to following their journey through their blog roadtripimages.com. I encourage you to take a look too; their photos are amazing!

Karen & Dave Langendonk

Dave & Karen checking on their boat

We also met Darrell Scott on his daily dog walk with Preston. Darrell is retired from the Coast Guard. He and his wife have a home in Texas as well as here in Frankfort. We had wonderful conversations with him. He knows about everything nautical and had advice for us for navigating Lake Michigan and the Florida waterways. Darrell checked on us during the storm and offered us extra line in case we needed it, (we did). When he returned he brought two folding camp chairs for our night of watch. How lucky are we to have guardian angels in a place we’ve never visited before.

Darrell Scott with Dave

There is no way we can sleep aboard Mystic, yet we can't leave in case more lines snap! We have taken up space in the marina bath and shower building, dozing between line checks. We set our alarms for every hour and head out to count lines and check for fraying. There are two other boats out there riding this out with us, Dave and Karen's Beneteau and a trawler. We check those lines as well. It’s hard to accurately describe this fierce storm. It is relentless! We've done everything we can to be safe and to keep Mystic safe. All we can do now is wait it out.

Our storm shelter at Frankfort City Marina

Mystic and her growing web of lines

Mystic held tight in her slip ~ Frankfort City Marina

 As I lay upon the cold hard bench in the ladies washroom, wrapped in my pink fleece blanket that reminds me of home, I couldn't help thinking that maybe the universe is telling us something. We've hit so much head wind on this trip, pushing us back. Is this a sign? I mulled this over as I dozed and was startled awake by every gust and slamming ceiling vent throughout the night. This is what I came up with; Going back is not an option. Taking steps forward may be slow and painful at times but we are definitely heading forward. Last night I was beyond scared. I was in some hypermode of survival; do what you have to do to get through this. I could not dwell on the fear and anxiety. Instead, I put on my layers and grabbed the flashlight and walked right out there with Dave, facing adversity the only way I know, HEAD ON!

We made it through the long night. The boats made it through the long night too. The weather forecast shows that the winds have subsided to 20 mph. They don't sound or feel weaker to us but at least the experts say they are. When we can get on board Mystic safely we will probably sleep for a week. Hopefully, Mother Nature will approve our passage to our next stop in the morning. Our destination is undecided at this point. We are simply heading south!

I hope to return to Frankfort again. I think I'd like to spend some time here, maybe repay the hospitality and generosity we've received. This was a good place to wait out a big storm!

Wind Surfer in Frankfort Bay

Wind Surfer passing North Breakwater Light

Drifting Sand 

Frankfort Beach