Tuesday 082515– in Frankfort, Michigan

Weather/Sea   Cloudy, wind 10to15, temp 55 to 68

   Captain - John C. Kwak crew Chuck Livingston

DUTCHESS is in Frankfort MI and has been here since Friday 8/21/15 because of high westerly wind. A westerly blows across the whole width of Lake Michigan and at 20 to 30 knots raises high waves blasting over the harbor breakwaters. Even at our location in the Marina dock 69 the rollers rocked us constantly for 3 days. We came here from Leland on Friday  21, following our tracks from the day before, with the wind at only 10 knots we hoisted the main and set the jib and had a nice ride. It took 8 hrs to get to Frankfort because the wind picked up again to 20 knots and we took the scenic route along Sleeping Bear Point. This area has high 300’ high sand cliffs and dunes. They were hang gliding by jumping off the cliffs and catching the updrafts along the cliff face. Coming into the harbor we rode 4’ waves between the two breakwaters. The charge here is $58 per day so one of the cheaper harbors to hang out. We spent the time bike riding and going out to dinner. I had dinner with 4 couples / fellow Loopers  and had a nice social time with them. I finally got around to changing my primary diesel filters after 10 years. I know that is a little to long but then it ran fine all that time. Dutchess has only been running on the new engine since her launch at PYC in the fall of 2012, but the filters were installed by my brother Nick Kwak in New Berne NC after I bought the boat and have been there since. Good job brother, they certainly lasted!!! They filtered the fuel for the old Perkins Diesel when we brought her to PYC from North Carolina 2004. Tonight I joined a Spanish conversation class in the local library which is only 50’ from the boat. It was fun and I managed to hold my own.Tomorrow we plan to go to Muskegon MI a distance of 46nm, that should take about 10 hrs. We have to make up some time that we lost due to the storm.