Day 64 - Crossing to Frankfort
After a recovery day it wasn’t so hard to get up early today for our 18th crossing of Lake Michigan. Everything was nice and calm in our anchorages but I knew we had some light wind that would be directly on the nose for the first few hours. I had hoped the seas wouldn’t be too bad.
And I was correct, the seas weren’t too bad, however I forget that any waves right on the nose really aren’t fun, even if they aren’t too big. We spent the first two hours getting tossed around like three men in a tub with confused seas and a doggy who gimbled like she was an engineer at a frat party.
Somehow, I made breakfast in all the back and forth. Let me tell you, trying to pour boiling water into a carton for hashbrowns while the floor is moving every random direction is no easy feat!
Just as predicted, the winds did die and we spent the next seven hours just motoring along. I finished my book that Roy Eaton gave me. That makes 5 books for me so far this year, and for me that is a record and I’m giving myself credit for that. The book was good for my short attention span. 25 short stories from women, similar to me, who have taken to “living aboard” their boats. Most of them were folks who did the Great Loop and most of them were power boat owners. Not quite the sailing Captain and dream of but there were lots of laughs along the way as I related to a lot of their ups and downs. The book opened me up a lot to completing the Great Loop (on a different boat then Ciara for sure!) something I had kind of poo pooed over the years as something I wasn’t interested in. I picked up Fahrenheit 451 for my sixth book of the year and find it to be an easy read and already 2/3rds done.
Captain and I enjoyed our easy motor and perfect weather. We may have attempted to clean up those tan lines a little! Ah, the real joys of no kids aboard :D
I was able to clean up my breakfast mess with the calmer seas and as we approached Frankfort I finally had enough cell coverage to post three days of blogs that were behind. The fire haze has really taken away the beauty of things and I notice how little I have had to share the last many days.
Captain was happy to see that the fishermen here in Frankfort weren’t clogging the channel coming into Frankfort like they were last year. He had the maritime law all cued up on his phone ready to broadcast on the VHF if needed.
We had no issues dropping anchor and after giving Captain his beer and checking in with my folks I sent a text to Brooks who I saw we had dropped anchor just behind him at the marina. Brooks, on Mangata, has been stranded here a few days due to a hose getting stuck in his engine! We knew he was here so we were happy to go say hi and offer to make him dinner. It seems he is slowly getting the issue fixed but he may be stuck here a few more days.
We will for sure be “stuck” here a few more days. The weather is good tomorrow but I definitely want a full day here and then, if the weather holds as predicted, we are due for a big long blow that might keep us here nearly a week. This, being my favorite town, is exactly where I want to be if I can’t move for that long. Frankfort has the best beach (at least as far as the ground we have sailed so far). The town has many cute shops, none of them high end. Lots of restaurants and a few different ice cream places and at least one coffee place that gives Kona a pup cup :D
Captain and I took Kona to the beach quick before we returned to make dinner. She lost her tennis ball along the way and had to learn the hard lesson of not being able to play and show off at the beach. She so wanted to swim with the teenagers who were jumping off the pier. We enjoyed a quick walk to the lighthouse instead and then headed back to make dinner.
Brooks joined us while Captain made Kielbasa. We enjoyed chatting with them and dinner was delicious under a blood red fire sunset. I said my goodnights while doing dishes and Captain took him back and gave Kona her night walk.
Captain didn’t get a nap today so he was pretty much ready for bed after 10pm. It is always nice to go to bed without big plans and I greatly look forward to the next many days!
