Frankfort

We celebrated Canada Day by leaving Leland on our way to Frankfort the closest harbour but still a five hour run. As forecast it was a bit rocky; mostly because there were swells from two different directions. It was impossible to avoid a bobbing motion – rising up over one wave then sliding sidewise down the cross swell. Good thing the waves/swells weren’t big and only lasted for an hour and a half before settling into a single direction. After that it was fine.

The Frankfort Municipal marina runs along the shore line separated from Main Street by a park. Every slip is dog friendly as grass is less than 20 feet away. Between the harbour and Main Street is a playground, picnic shelter, library, washrooms and band stand. There is a famers market Saturday morning and concerts in the park on Friday at seven. A sidewalk and cycling path parallels the marina and has a constant parade of people. We stern in so lots of people stop to talk when we sit in the cockpit. 

We met a couple who completed their loop in 2017. They shared a few stories about their time on the boat, the renovation currently underway and plans to do the down east loop in a few years. We met another couple who have taken a different tack. They keep a boat in Frankfort for the summer and another boat in Florida for the winter. The boat in Frankfort is a beautiful 16 year old Tiara they have owned since new. Not sure of the model but a 48” with a large open cockpit for visiting and fishing. 

Frankfort was connect to the rest of the United States by rail until 1982. Beginning in 1892, ferries began crossing Lake Michigan from here to Keewaunee, Wisconson. The first open water crossing of this length in the world; tourism boomed and was a great support to the local economy until everything shut down.

Kudos to the visionary who purchased the land from the railway and the docks from the ferry company and converted the parcel into a gorgeous community resource.