OCEANA COUNTY, Mich. — The sailboat stuck on the shore of an Oceana County beach for nine days has finally been freed, neighbors tell 13 ON YOUR SIDE.
Jonathan Baxter, of England, woke up to quite the sight two Sundays ago — sand underneath his boat in the place of water.
Jonathan had just picked up his sailboat, Déjà Vu, in Chicago and was heading north through Lake Michigan.
“We have our plan, and God has a plan. And most of the time, He wins,” he laughed.
God would win this time.
Jonathan was 32 hours behind on sleep when he tried to dock in South Haven. There were no slips.
"I was starting to see things in the [water] that weren't there," he said.
He decided to anchor in the lake and go to bed. He woke to an unexpected sound.
In the night, his anchor rope snapped. He'd been sitting on the shore of Benona Township Park, a small outlet to Lake Michigan, for nine days.
An excavator came out to help Jonathan free his boat Monday to no avail. The boat moved about four feet, then came to rest again. The crew decided they needed more power and left for the night.
By the next day, Jonathan was back on the open waters. It's unclear what finally launched him back on his trek, but one neighbor told 13 ON YOUR SIDE it was two humble jet skis.
Baxter is an author of countless novels, a nomad who has been just about everywhere in the world and a former member of the Royal Navy. But not even he could imagine that adventure.
Seeing the large sailboat on the sand was a strange sight among the normalcy of the summer beach scene. Then again, the man living on that tilted boat admits he's the stranger.
Jonathan served in the Royal Navy for ten years. During that time, he worked aboard the royal yacht and says he's seen things he couldn't believe.
One thing it taught him is his love of sailing.
“Being in the Royal Navy, I was in a different port every few weeks, and I just got used to moving around," he said.
At 71, Jonathan nearly gave up future adventures for a senior living facility.
“It’s nice to have the quiet when I’m writing," he said. "People over 65 is who I wanted to be around."
Jonathan, under the penname J.T. Baxter, writes mysteries about women in crises. He bases them on women that he knows, with their permission, to spread awareness about domestic violence. He donates the proceeds to women in need.
A wanderer at heart, he knew it wasn't time to quit quite yet.
“Once people moved in, they get established, and then they pass. I’m not ready for it, I’m just not," he said.
So, he set out on another voyage — this time, his second around-the-world trip in a sailboat.
“The name is Déjà Vu because everywhere I go, I’ll be able to say, I think I’ve been here before," he laughed.
For most, being stuck for over a week would be a misadventure — but not for Jonathan Baxter.
“Why waste your time being angry or upset, there’s no time for that in life," he said. “I end up in this beautiful place, why would I be angry!”
“Beachfront property with no taxes, it’s pretty good!" he laughed.
The only problem?
“You can’t leave the boat, because somebody can claim it as salvage," Jonathan explained.
Alone in a new place, all he had was his Déjà Vu. Until his new neighbors did something he could've never dreamed of.
“People have come back with food and snacks and souvenirs. Another lady, she took my laundry home and did my laundry for me and took it back," he said. “And then about 150 people showed up today to get me off the sand."
A group of people from the neighborhood off the lakeshore banded together to rock the boat, hoping to edge it closer to the water.
It didn't work. The Déjà Vu was still stuck. But Jonathan? Not so much.
"I'm very happy. Very, very happy for this time here."
The author even said it gave him inspiration.
“Being marooned in such a place with so many interesting people. I think I have got to write something nice about this," he said.
A man whose been everywhere says there's nowhere quite like here.
"You don't meet people like this all the time," said Jonathan.
His accidental trip to the lakeshore must've been God's plan all along.
You can follow along on Jonathan's adventures and check out his books on his website here.
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