Winding our Way Toward Chicago- Leland, Frankfort, and Luddington

Lake Michigan's eastern shore dunes

A football field deep!

Grand Traverse Bay light

We did leave Charlevoix the next day. The weather was forecast to be light winds with waves 2 feet or less. About one mile from the Charlevoix inlet we had our doubts. We were being hit with 4-6 foot waves and all sorts of things were crashing around down below. Jane went below to secure the cabin and salon. About 3 miles from the inlet Capt. Larry tried to signal Jane to see if she wanted to turn back, but she apparently didn't hear the signal. She was below getting seasick and was laid out on the sofa. So we continued on hoping that the forecasts calling for better conditions later in the day would materialize. They did improve, but not before we had about 3 hours of really rough conditions. We had a relatively short leg to the Leland Township Harbor and arrived right around noon. It could not have come soon enough!

One of the Leland fishing boats

One of the more clever boat names

Lunch by the Carp River in Leland

Leland, MI is a delightful little community. The entire business district is only about one block large and a short walk from the marina. But it had everything we needed and then some. Jane got to go off to several of the shops and boutiques and Capt. Larry tried to keep up as best he could. We had planned on staying here 3 days so we wouldn't have to travel during the early part of the weekend. Leland readily lends itself to biking, so we got the bikes down and explored downtown and the outskirts. After a bike ride/exercise workout on Friday, our second day, we had lunch at a restaurant that overlooks a waterfall and river that empties into Lake Michigan. Leland retains its rustic charm in an area called historic "Fishtown" which served the fishermen in years past. Located on the water, there are several shops and eateries in this area, all geared for tourists. At the end of our second day, we saw another looper boat, Joysea, come into the marina. We went over to talk to them and learned that they had had a really long ride in miserable conditions from St. Ignace that day. We had met Dave and Joyce Johnson in Sylvan Beach, NY and rode across Lake Oneida with them the following day.

Happy hour with crew of Joysea

Dave and Joyce went to Oswego and did the Trent Severn route in Canada until Joyce experienced a fall and suffered a broken hip. She returned home to Indiana for care and recuperation while Dave continued the journey with the help of friends and family. In Leland he was taking on a new crew for the next leg of his trip. Since we had had happy hour aboard Joysea in Sylvan Beach, we reciprocated and invited Dave and his crew of Bob and Linda Wolter from Hastings, MN for docktails on Bavarian Cream. Everyone had a great time doing lies and libations and the smoked whitefish sausage that Jane bought in Fishtown for the occasion was an absolute hit.

The Sleeping Bear, elev. 1044 ft.

Point Betsie light

Downtown Frankfort

Frankfort entrance light

Big Sable Point light

After spending an extra "weather day" in Leland we made our way with Joysea to Frankfort. It looked like we would have two consecutive good days for travel before the next front moved through, so Frankfort was going to be a one night stand. Fortunately, we got an early start from Leland and arrived in Frankfort a little before noon which gave us a full day in this port. This stretch of Lake Michigan shoreline is very scenic and passes along the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. A recent survey ranked the Sleeping Bear Dunes as one of the most beautiful sites in America. We walked through town and Jane did some shopping while Capt. Larry found a grocery store to pick up a few things. Frankfort rolls out the red carpet to welcome tourists and is a quaint little community. We enjoyed happy hour aboard Joysea then had some freshly grilled fish for our dinner.

Bowriding into Ludington

Our deepest water yet

Ludington, MI, was our next stop. A cold front was forecast to pass through the region after we arrived at Ludington, so we would likely be spending at least one extra day in this port. When we left Frankfort, we were amazed at all of the fishing boats that were out on the lake. Granted the weather was great for fishing, but the real reason for so many boats was the running of the Chinook or King salmon. The main technique for catching these beauties is trolling with downriggers. This meant that we would be passing through throngs of boats that were constantly moving and likely wouldn't be following the "rules of the road." In fact by following the "rules" we caused one fishing boat a lot of consternation. We were on a collision course with a boat that must have been on autopilot, as there wasn't anyone at the helm. We were also in close proximity to other boats that limited our maneuvering options. Capt. Larry knew that he was the "give way" vessel and would have to yield in this situation, but usually in a crossing situation both boats alter course slightly for added safety. When it was obvious the other boat was not going to alter its course, Capt. Larry turned to starboard to avoid a collision. However, this brought Bavarian Cream close to stern of the boat which was trolling with downriggers.

The morning run to Manitowac

The Badger at the Lundington inlet

Pasta on Bavarian Cream

Everyone started gesturing that we were too close to their fishing gear. Sorry boys! If you want to protect your fishing gear then pay attention to what's going on around you. By altering their course just a few degrees we would have passed starboard to starboard and not have come close to their fishing gear. Our first priority is to avoid a collision which is what we did. Aside from this incident, we had a good run to Ludington. We arrived at the Ludington Municipal Marina which is a first class operation and got the boat secured in her slip. We then took off to scout out the town, and yes, it is really a charmer (honestly, we'd say something negative about all of these places if it just were true!). One of the interesting attractions is the S.S. Badger carferry which homeports in Ludington. This ship has been providing regularly scheduled ferry service between Ludington and Manitowac, WI, since 1959. Built in 1952, the Badger is a coal-fired, steam driven ship. For two days we got to see this fine ship come and go. On our second evening in Ludington we invited the crew of Joysea over for a pasta dinner. We had a great time dining and trading stories, and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. The storms that were forecast for the area apparently fizzled out with only a sprinkling of rain and not terribly impressive winds. So, the next morning we topped off with cheap ($3.85/gal.) diesel fuel and followed Joysea to Grand Haven.

Sunset over Lake Michigan at Leland